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Israel- From Theocracy to Monarchy ( I Samuel 8:1-21) | Archive 2025

D A OLIVA/09/08/2021

Introduction

  A. God communicated with man through the patriarchs and prophets in the past, but now God is speaking to man through His Son, Hebrews 1:1-2

  1. The present lesson happened during the transition in Israel's history from Theocracy to Monarchy 

  2. Israel had settled in Canaan, the Promised Land to Abraham, Genesis 12

  3. God was forming a spiritual Israel after 400 years of slavery in Egypt based on the Torah (the Pentateuch) circa 1100 BC

B. The approach in this study shall be as follows:

  1. Definitions of Terms

  2. Causes of Transition

  3. Some lessons to learn from this discussion (John 8:32)

 

Discussion

 A. Definitions of Terms

  1. Theocracy- literally the " government or rule of God" from the Greek " theokratia."

  a. Israel, circa 1100 BC was ruled by God through the judges and prophets, e.g. Eli and Samuel, divinely inspired officials

 b. Judges 21:25 " no king in Israel at that time and everyman did what was right in his eyes."

 2. Monarchy - literally " one man rule" or " one man government" usually by a king and propagated by family or dynasty

B. Causes of the Transition (God’s rule to Man's rule)

 1. External- surrounding nations were threatening Israel's security, peace and order, etc.

  a. West- Philistines; East- Ammonites; South- Amalekites and Southeast- Moabites

  b. The absence of a visible king was perceived by Israel as a great weakness in defending itself from invaders

 2. Internal- Samuel was old and his appointed judges (his sons) were greedy for money, accepted bribes and were corrupt in administering justice, I Samuel 8:1-3

  a. Not far from present leaders in many countries today

  b. I Samuel 8:4-7, " the request for a king angered Samuel and made him to seek advice from God."

  c. God told him to appoint a king and said, ' they have rejected Me and not you," showing God's graciousness to Israel

  d. Also God told him to warn Israel what the king would do to them, I Samuel 8:11-18

  e. Despite the warnings, Israel still wanted a king " that they would be like other nations."

  f. Their request for a king was motivated by pride, envy, rebellion and selfishness.

C.Lessons from this Transition

 1. Sin would always lead to discontentment and demand for better leadership

  a. Man’s sinfulness has not changed, Romans 3:23

  b. Everyman did what was right in his own eyes, Judges 21:25

 2. Their request for a king was actually a " rejection of God," a rejection of a direct rule of God through the prophets/judge (a representative form of Theocracy)

 a. Israel, not different from today's nations and people who do not want God in their agenda or curricula

 b. They would rather exalt sciences and philosophies than the Scriptures through their evolutionary theories/ teachings

 c. Paul in 2 Timothy 3:2 and I Timothy 4:7 wrote that people would " scoff at God, regard nothing as sacred or holy; listen to fables and myths!'

 d. Nota Buena (NB) Israel wanted independence from God's direct control showing " pride!"

3. Their desire to have a king was ill-timed and was motivated by evil desire (pride, envy, rebellion, etc)

 a. In Deuteronomy 17:14-20, God told Israel through Moses the conditions for choosing a king when they would settle in Canaan

  b. In I Samuel 8:17, God told Israel through the prophet that their king would make them " shed bitter tears" and enslave them

  c. God's plan was for Israel to have a physical king from the tribe of Judah and from the family of David from whom the Messiah would be born into the world.

  d. In Matthew 1:1, it is written that " Jesus is the son of David..."

 e. A monarch or king " representing the ELITE in a nation and of the whole world would ENSLAVE them!"

  f. This was fulfilled before in Israel and is being fulfilled continually nowadays, I Samuel 8:17

Conclusion

 A. Summary of the Main Points

  1. Definitions of Terms, Causes of Transition and Lessons derived from the Transition from God's rule to Man's rule

  B. Our real king now is Jesus Christ, Matthew 28:18

  1. Come to Christ now and make Him king of your life

  2. He is extending His great invitation in Matthew 11:28-30