Big Idea: Even when the Lord regards his people’s lack of faith as a rejection of his authority, he warns them of the negative consequences of their rebellion.

Understanding the Text

Israel demands to have a king like the nations that live around them. They complain about the injustice of Samuel’s sons (1 Sam. 8:4–5), but the underlying reason for their demand is their desire to have a military leader who will ensure national security (v. 20). The request is surprising because the Lord has demonstrated his capacity to protect his people by defeating the Philistines (1 Sam. 7). However, this is not the first time Israel has made such a request (Judg. 8:22).

Long before this the Lord anticipated that the people would make a request like this, and he made provision for it (Deut. 17:14–20).…