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Showing posts with the label King Saul

If God Didn’t Want Israel to Have a King, How Would Jesus Still Come?

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  If God Didn’t Want Israel to Have a King, How Would Jesus Still Come? When Samuel warned Israel about choosing a king, it wasn’t because God opposed kingship itself. It was because Israel wanted the wrong king, for the wrong reasons, at the wrong time. They weren’t asking for leadership — they were asking for a replacement for God’s rule. But this raises a deeper question: If God didn’t want them to have a king right then, how would Jesus — the true King — eventually come into the picture? The answer becomes clear when you trace the story from Shiloh to Bethlehem. — 1. The Ark Disaster and the Fall of Shiloh Set the Stage Before the monarchy debate ever began, Israel suffered its greatest spiritual and military collapse: • 30,000 soldiers died • The Ark was captured • Eli’s sons were killed • Eli died • Shiloh — Israel’s first holy city — was destroyed This was the only time in history the Ark left Israelite control. And God Himself forced the Philistines to return it, proving He...

God Never Wanted the Israelites to Have a King Per Se

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God Never Wanted the Israelites to Have a King Per Se God never wanted the Israelites to have a king per se. That single line opens one of the most misunderstood chapters in the Old Testament — a moment where divine desire, human freedom, and the long arc of salvation history collide. When Israel first asked for a king, it wasn’t a political request. It was a spiritual crisis. The people weren’t rejecting Samuel’s leadership; they were rejecting God’s kingship. They wanted to look like the nations around them — nations with tall warriors, visible thrones, and impressive rulers. Israel wanted strength they could see, not faith they had to trust. And God, with the patience of a Father, warned them exactly what would happen. Through Samuel, He told them a king would take: • their sons for war • their daughters for labor • their fields and vineyards • their harvests • their freedom In other words: “If you choose power over faith, power will rule you.” But God didn’t override their will. He...