Episode 17 - Why Did Israel Have a Monarchy?
EPISODE SUMMARY
This is the story of the beginning of monarchy in Israel. People demand a king "like other nations", but Samuel and God did not like that. However, God allowed a king to be appointed, but had the prophet, Samuel, let the people know that they are choosing their own brand of slavery.
EPISODE NOTES
In Genesis, God tells Abraham that kings will come forth from him.
As we know, this was not a lie. Indeed, first came Saul, then David, then Solomon, but none of them was right for Israel.
Why is that?
Well, before the Israelites even demanded a king, Moses decided to spell out some criteria on who it should be, the most important one the king having to be an Israelite.
He also added that the king shall not want horses, wives, or wealth, and he shall model for other Israelites what it means to "fear God".
And this is when Samuel comes into play. In 1 Samuel 8, he is old, and his sons are corrupt. The Israelites are worried about who's going to succeed him, and so, they ask him to appoint a king.
However, they want a king like all the other kings, going against Moses’ words.
How did Samuel respond? Who did he appoint as king? And what were the consequences of that fateful decision?
We answer all these questions in this week’s episode, so tune in to learn everything you need to know about Israel’s first kings, the story of Samuel, and why Moses gave very specific criteria for the king of Israel!
Key points discussed
The ancestral stories of Genesis and Deuteronomy (03:38)
What a king should be (06:17)
The story of Samuel (13:41)
A king like all other kings (17:04)
An Israelite monarchy is born (23:57)
Additional Resources
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