The period of the judges continues into the book of 1 Samuel, where we encounter Samuel, the last judge of Israel. Samuel was well known for his role as a prophet, particularly as kingmaker. “When he was old, the elders of Israel used the excuse that his two sons were not upright like him to request for a king over Israel, so that Israel would be like the other nations.” (Tullock & McEntire, 2011) Like a judge, a king was a deliverer as well as a ruler. But unlike a judge, a king would have a standing army and the power to compel compliance. The elders were insistent on having a king like the nations even after Samuel reminded them that such a king would be a tyrant. God instructed Samuel to give in to their request and subsequently instructed him to anoint Saul as king over Israel. Hence Saul started well as king over Israel. Unfortunately, he did not end well. Twice Saul disobeyed God in a significant way. Because of the first disobedience Saul’s descendants would not inherit his kingship. The …show more content…
This simply means a government cannot compromise on religious freedom as well as on upholding justice (holding the people accountable to God’s commands) without fear or favor. But Saul did not last long as king. Samuel soon turns against him and begins to seek a replacement, because Samuel had erred in selecting him. Samuel was always, acting at the behest of the Lord, and Saul as the Lord's choice. This is not true, however, for we have already learned that the Lord's Anointed One is to come from the tribe of Judah, whereas Saul is a Benjamite. The Lord had repented of the choice of Saul. “When Samuel announced to Saul that God had removed kingship from his family, he added that God had sought out and appointed as the next king “a man after His own heart.” (Tullock & McEntire, 2011) This man turned out to be
Obedience has always been a trait present in every aspect of society. Parents have practiced enforcing discipline in their homes where children learn obedience from age one. Instructors have found it difficult to teach a lesson unless their students submit to their authority. Even after the adolescent years, law enforcement officers and governmental officials have expected citizens to uphold the law and abide by the standards set in society. Few will understand, however, that although these requirements for obedience provide positive results for development, there are also dangers to enforcing this important trait. Obedience to authority can be either profitable or perilous depending on who the individual in command is. In the film, The Crucible,
One huge difference between Saul and Creon is Saul is obviously more easily convinced of holding a poor opinion than Creon. When Saul declares that his son Jonathan is going to die because he didn’t follow Saul’s command of not eating until they defeated the Philistines, but the Israelites quickly come to Saul’s defense, calling him the hero of Israel. The people argued that since Jonathan has delivered the people from the Philistines on that day, Jonathan was surely working by God’s side, regardless of breaking his father's command, as the Scripture says “But the men said to Saul, ‘Should Jonathan die—he who has brought about this great deliverance in Israel? Never! As surely as the Lord lives, not a hair of his head will fall to the ground, for he did this today with God’s help.’ So the men rescued Jonathan, and he was n...
What would happen if there were modern courts during biblical times? If there were modern courts then a jury would have been tasked with deciding who was guilty in the rape and murder case involving King David and Bathsheba. The jury would need to read the text that describes the events very deeply and in a detailed manner before they came to a conclusion. In the case of the Bathsheba incident they would need to read 2 Samuel 11 and 2 Samuel 12. The jury would find Bathsheba innocent of any wrong doing because she was under the control of the powerful king David, she had no choice but to act as she did, and she did not initiate any of the violence that occurred. David was guilty of rape and murder because he was in control the entire time.
The book of 1 Samuel, a part of the Old Testament, sparks the dawn of the United Kingdom of Israel by telling of its first king, Saul. Samuel is one of the first talked about pre-literary prophets in the bible perhaps because he anointed the first king of the United Kingdom. He is a prophet by definition because he possessed the ability to converse with the almighty Yahweh. Samuel and Saul are key players to the rise of the kingdom but Saul runs into trouble and disobeys God, which leads him to his own inevitable demise.
Saul bridged that chasm well as he was chosen by Yahweh primarily as a defender of his nation against continual threat from invasion. Nevertheless the introduction of the monarchy did not occur without criticism despite the subtle transition due to Saul's previous charismatic status. Incredible tension formed as underlined in I Samuel 7-15, stemming between early pro-monarchic sources and a later anti-monarchic one. The anti-monarchic sentiments (I Sam 8:7) revealed a reflective criticism of the monarchy, which is probably exilic in origin. I Sam 8:11-18 revealed the root of the criticism and the nature of the kingship in the ancient world. The pious were not the dissenters rather the rich farmers who did not wish to pay taxes to the centralised government. In Marx's ideology it is the Base economic loss which caused the religious or Super Structure criticism of the monarchy.
“In those days there was no king in Israel; everyone did what was right in their own sight” (Judg. 21:25). This quote at the end of Judges sets up an optimistic view of kings for the rest of the Deuteronomistic History. King David is considered perhaps the greatest king over all of Israel, whereas King Hezekiah is praised for never turning away from God and being the greatest king among all the kings of Judah (2 Kgs. 5). However, despite the high need for a praise of kings throughout the Deuteronomistic history, Solomon is viewed with a skeptical eye and is the cause of the demise of Israel. Unlike the positive view of kings portrayed throughout the Deuteronomistic history, King Solomon is framed in a negative light in 1 Kings 11: 1-13, which
In the eleventh century BCE Israel is divided into twelve tribes. The prophet Samuel is called upon to bring the people under one ruler or king and lead Israel into a monarchy. However this brings a major split and for the first time we find a military and political leader, the King, along with a spiritual leader, or the prophet. The prophet played the role of moral keeper and would make sure that the King was ruling justly and keeping the Law of God.
God creates laws for His children not because he wants to restrict us, but because he desires a relationship with us so that we may be able to draw nearer to Him. He also gives us laws to protect us from the harmful repercussions of sin. Therefore, if David had followed God’s laws, he would not have been faced with such turmoil towards the end of his kingship.
...lf and of knowing who they were and to feel like a whole but then he ruined his very own kingdom also by not sticking to his own teachings and acclaiming himself a higher power then the deity’s that they worshipped.
though he was king he had to convince people that he was the true and
David had opportunities to kill Saul, but, never desired to do so. David later handed down many transgressions during his reign. David had many flaws; he was an adulterer and murderer. He knew he was wrong and always repented and had the desire to please God. God knew none of his people were perfect, but he favors those who are obedient.
The Bible takes a unique turn in the book of 1 Samuel, when Israel requests the appointment of an earthly king. The prophet Samuel warned them against trading their Divine King for an earthly one. In Matthew 7:13 Jesus told us, “..For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction..,” cautioning believers not to long to be like everyone else. First Samuel 8:5; 19-20 records Israel’s request for a king developed out of their desire to be like the nations around them, thus placing them on the “broad road.” They desired a king to fight their battles, to establish a government, and to rule over them.
These judges are to judge the people righteously. Justice should be ultimate and should not be changed or distorted. The judges are also to not take bribes from anyone or be partial. This they should do because bribing shows perversion of the righteousness, which should not be something that characterizes the judges. The main objective of these judges should be to only pursue justice in order to be able to “live and possess the land which the Lord” is giving them (NASB Deut.
...By tying the church to the government, people expect the government to behave ethically, but often times, an entirely moral ruler will be overthrown. People expect rulers to act differently than themselves. A ruler cannot show any weakness, or else he will no longer be feared enough to keep him in power, and he will be overthrown. Everybody sees what a ruler seems to be, but few really know who he is. A ruler must seem determined and moral to the people, and show positive results from his leadership. The most important thing for a ruler to do is to avoid being hated or despised by the people, which could occur if a ruler took people's property. For the people, more than the form of power, their perception of power may be the most important for a ruler to maintain his position. “If a ruler wins wars and holds on to power, the means he has employed will always be judged honorable, and everyone will praise him.”(pg.55) Therefore, a ruler should look mainly to winning and to the successful protection of his country. The ways he utilizes for this will always be considered honorable and will be praised by everybody.
The bible recounts the story of the great King Solomon, the son of the notable King David. By following God and his commandments, David had built his empire into a legacy, which was then passed on to Solomon. Soon after Solomon’s reign began, the Lord appeared to him in a dream, offering him anything he desired. Solomon’s request was wisdom and knowledge, so that he may govern his people fairly, and know the difference between good and the bad.