Topical Bible: Kings: when First Established in Israel, not Hereditary

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The establishment of kingship in Israel marks a significant transition in the nation's governance, moving from a theocratic system led by judges to a monarchy. This shift is chronicled in the books of 1 Samuel, where the Israelites, desiring to be like other nations, request a king to lead them. This request is met with divine caution, as God warns them through the prophet Samuel about the potential pitfalls of monarchical rule.

The Request for a King

The demand for a king arises during the time of Samuel, the last judge of Israel. The elders of Israel approach Samuel at Ramah, expressing their desire for a king: "Behold, you are old, and your sons do not walk in your ways. Now appoint a king to judge us like all the other nations" (1 Samuel 8:5). This request displeases Samuel, and he prays to the LORD, who instructs him to heed the people's voice but to solemnly warn them about the rights of the king who will reign over them (1 Samuel 8:6-9).

Divine Warning and Human Choice

Samuel conveys God's warning to the people, detailing the demands a king will impose: conscription of sons for military and agricultural service, daughters for perfumery and baking, the best of their fields and vineyards taken, and a tenth of their grain and flocks claimed (1 Samuel 8:10-18). Despite these warnings, the people persist, saying, "No, but there shall be a king over us, that we also may be like all the other nations, with a king to judge us and to go out before us and fight our battles" (1 Samuel 8:19-20).

The Anointing of Saul

God instructs Samuel to anoint Saul, a Benjamite, as the first king of Israel. Saul is chosen not through hereditary succession but by divine selection, as God reveals to Samuel, "About this time tomorrow I will send you a man from the land of Benjamin, and you shall anoint him ruler over My people Israel" (1 Samuel 9:16). Saul's anointing is confirmed through a series of signs, and he is publicly chosen by lot at Mizpah (1 Samuel 10:1-24).

The Nature of Early Kingship

Initially, the kingship in Israel is not hereditary. Saul's selection is based on God's choice rather than lineage. However, the concept of dynastic succession begins to take root with David, Saul's successor, as God establishes a covenant with David, promising that his throne will be established forever (2 Samuel 7:12-16). This covenant marks the beginning of a hereditary monarchy, which becomes more pronounced in the subsequent reigns of David's descendants.

Theological Implications

The establishment of kingship in Israel reflects a tension between divine sovereignty and human agency. While God permits the establishment of a monarchy, He remains the ultimate authority, guiding and judging the kings of Israel. The initial non-hereditary nature of the kingship underscores the principle that leadership is a divine calling rather than a mere human institution. The narrative of Israel's first king serves as a reminder of the need for leaders to align with God's will and the potential consequences of deviating from His commandments.

Torrey's Topical Textbook

Deuteronomy 17:20
That his heart be not lifted up above his brothers, and that he turn not aside from the commandment, to the right hand, or to the left: to the end that he may prolong his days in his kingdom, he, and his children, in the middle of Israel.
Torrey's Topical Textbook

1 Samuel 13:13,14
And Samuel said to Saul, You have done foolishly: you have not kept the commandment of the LORD your God, which he commanded you: for now would the LORD have established your kingdom on Israel for ever.
Torrey's Topical Textbook

1 Samuel 15:28,29
And Samuel said to him, The LORD has rent the kingdom of Israel from you this day, and has given it to a neighbor of yours, that is better than you.
Torrey's Topical Textbook

Library

Jehoshaphat's Reform
... doings of Israel.5. Therefore the Lord established the kingdom ... on his adherence to
the ancestral faith, 'the first ways of ... is rare in the line of kings of Judah ...
/.../maclaren/expositions of holy scripture g/jehoshaphats reform.htm

Chapter xxxvi
... of Esau: the sons of Eliphaz, the first-born of ... The kingdom may have been established
a century later ... interregna may have occurred between the kings of this ...
/.../christianbookshelf.org/leupold/exposition of genesis volume 1/chapter xxxvi.htm

The Rending of the Kingdom
... thy father did put upon us lighter?" 1 Kings 12:9 ... But the secret of Judah's prosperity
during the first years of ... He hath established the world by His wisdom,. ...
/.../white/the story of prophets and kings/chapter 6 the rending of.htm

The Nations of the South-East
... to Solomon; a colony of them was established at Gur ... had arisen, and powerful dynasties
of kings had held ... received that line of monarchs which first made Babylon ...
/.../sayce/early israel and the surrounding nations/chapter iii the nations of.htm

The First Chaldaean Empire and the Hyksos in Egypt
... This prince, who was at first a feudatory, afterwards associated in ... Not only did
he hold sway without a rival in ... was but one kingdom under one line of kings. ...
/.../chapter ithe first chaldaean empire.htm

Acts IV
... according to his own words by David, kings and rulers ... From this brief account of
the first conflict of the ... with each individual, and not an established law of ...
/.../mcgarvey/a commentary on acts of the apostles/acts iv.htm

An Exposition on the First Ten Chapters of Genesis, and Part of ...
... of the world, of which Babylon, though the first in order ... said unto me, Go, prophesy
unto my people Israel" (Amos 7 ... and to keep it." He that is not dressed, is ...
/.../bunyan/the works of john bunyan volumes 1-3/an exposition on the first.htm

Of the Three Woe Trumpets.
... of Gog, which was a common name of the kings of Magog [32 ... For so that nation was
called, when the first seat of the kingdom was established, from Caranus the ...
/.../mede/a key to the apocalypse/of the three woe trumpets.htm

The Second Commandment
... Jeroboam thought to have established the kingdom by idolatrous worship ... ran awhile,
and then ceased (2 Kings 4:6 ... It is the first and great commandment, in respect ...
/.../watson/the ten commandments/2 2 the second commandment.htm

Egypt
... At first they burned and plundered, then they established themselves in ... people took
their conquerors captive, and the Hyksos kings became veritable ...
/.../sayce/early israel and the surrounding nations/chapter v egypt.htm