Israel had been delivered from their bondage in Egypt by the hand of Jehovah, and as they crossed over the Jordan the reputation of what Jehovah had done for them struck their enemies with terror (Josh. 2:8–11). Three hundred years passed, and as Samuel was getting on in years the people came to ask him for a king so they could be like the nations.

Every other large nation around them had a supreme ruler or king who would make decisions on behalf of the nation, set rules for the citizens, go to war to defend or expand their territory, etc. For Israel, this was none other than Jehovah Himself. How quickly they forgot His deliverance and how He had gone before them to fight their battles.

Having Jehovah as their Sovereign was itself a testimony. Balaam’s declaration concerning Israel was that they were, “A people dwelling alone, not reckoning itself among the nations” (Num. 23:9); no doubt a statement from God’s gracious point of view rather than a true reflection of their state at the time.

So why ask for a king? Was there anything lacking in Israel that God could not provide? One of the factors that contributed to this request is that they wanted to fit in, and a king would make them appear more “normal.”

Standing up for the Lord Jesus and owning Him as your Lord is not easy and can include ridicule and being made to feel as though we are the odd ones. The same pressures existed on the early saints in Rome, and Paul’s exhortation to them applies to us today as well: “do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God” (Rom. 12:2).