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The Mosaic Law described in the Old Testament that governed the nation of Israel did not, in any aspect, resemble the human-run governments of the modern world. The scriptures describe this system of laws as one directly dictated by God to Moses. Repeatedly throughout the Old Testament, the Israeli people reject God and His laws in order to worship other idols. One example of this is rejection of God is when the Israeli people requested a human-run government. The following passage from the book of 1 Samuel tells the story.
1 Samuel 8:4-22: All the elders of Israel gathered together and came to Samuel at Ramah. They said to him, "...appoint a king to lead us, such as all the other nations have."
But when they said, "Give us a king to lead us," this displeased Samuel; so he prayed to the Lord. And the Lord told him: "Listen to all that the people are saying to you; it is not you they have rejected, but they have rejected me as their king. As they have done from the day I brought them up out of Egypt until this day, forsaking me and serving other gods, so they are doing to you. Now listen to them; but warn them solemnly and let them know what the king who will reign over them will do."
Samuel told all the words of the Lord to the people who were asking him for a king. He said, "This is what the king who will reign over you will do: He will take your sons and make them serve with his chariots and horses, and they will run in front of his chariots. Some he will assign to be commanders of thousands and commanders of fifties, and others to plow his ground and reap his harvest, and still others to make weapons of war and equipment for his chariots. He will take your daughters to be perfumers and cooks and bakers. He will take the best of your fields and vineyards and olive groves and give them to his attendants. He will take a tenth of your grain and of your vintage and give it to his officials and attendants. Your menservants and maidservants and the best of your cattle and donkeys he will take for his own use. He will take a tenth of your flocks, and you yourselves will become his slaves. When that day comes, you will cry out for relief from the king you have chosen, and the Lord will not answer you in that day."
But the people refused to listen to Samuel. "No!" they said. "We want a king over us. Then we will be like all the other nations, with a king to lead us and to go out before us and fight our battles."
When Samuel heard all that the people said, he repeated it before the Lord. The Lord answered, "Listen to them and give them a king."
God wanted Israel as a "peculiar people unto himself" (Deut.14:2) but instead Israel wanted to be "like all the other nations.” Two chapters later Samuel would again scold the Israeli people for their decision.
The Israelis who rejected God by asking for a king would soon admit their error.
From these passages we can see that the request for a human government “like all the other nations” is seen as a rejection of God and is equated with “serving other gods.”
Why was the request for a king a rejection of God? To find the answer, we turn to the Garden of Eden. Adam eats the fruit, although it is forbidden, so that he can gain knowledge of good and evil, and consequently become capable of declaring what is good, and what is evil. According to the scriptures, however, it is God who declares what is good and evil. Rather than relying on God and putting full faith and trust in Him, Adam decided to place his faith and trust somewhere else.
Israel, by asking for a king, is guilty of this same crime. They asked for a king, someone who could have the authority to make laws, judge what is right and wrong, and in short, declare good and evil. Rather than putting full trust into the laws God had handed down to Moses and other chosen leaders, the Israelis wanted to “be like all the other nations, with a king to lead us.” Rather than putting full trust into God for protection, the Israelis wanted a king “to go out before us and fight our battles.” Israel, by asking for a human government, rejected God’s governance.
Written by Matthew J. Truitt, Harmless As Doves Ministries
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