Samuel was told to show Israel the consequences of having a human king. He would need to be maintained in wives, servants, palaces, and much else, and all the costs would fall on them, and we shall see their reaction to this a hundred years later when they sought relief from the tax burden. The people however would not listen to Samuel’s sensible remonstrations vs.19-20Waiting for response for 1 Samuel 8:19-20 and God instructed him to give them a king, although the LORD himself would choose the man.
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Verses 1-8
Waiting for response for 1 Samuel 8:1-8Samuel was the last judge of Israel because when he was old the people requested a king similar to those of other nations. Their justification for this request was that Samuel’s sons had departed from the path of righteousness. It is true that the sons of Samuel were wicked, accepting bribes and perverting judgment, but the real reason was revealed later. The people’s request distressed Samuel but God said: “They have not rejected thee, but they have rejected me, that I should not reign over them”. This was clearly a serious mistake. Israel was the only theocracy on earth - it was the kingdom of God and the LORD himself was their king - but the people had turned aside to idols and now they rejected him as their king. However, he accepted their request because it fitted in with his purpose. In particular the chosen king would sit on the throne of the LORD and in due time God’s Son would sit on the same throne and rule over Israel.