The Problem with a King

This is part 4 of my articles on kingship.

Part 1 (Principles for a King)
Part 2 (Ignoring the Principles)
Part 3 (Our Selfish Reasons for a King)

In 1 Samuel 12:11-25, God deals with some of the consequences of having a king.
Verse 14 contains the scariest scenario about setting up leaders above us: "If you will fear the Lord and serve him and obey his voice and not rebel against the commandment of the Lord, and if both you and the king who reigns over you will follow the Lord your God, it will be well."

Once we have placed leadership over us, our wellness is no longer just dependent upon our faithfulness in serving the Lord. It becomes dependent upon our leader also faithfully serving the Lord. It is only when we are faithful serving the Lord and when our leader is also faithful in serving the Lord that all will be well. When we place ourselves under formal leadership, our blessings and curses appear to be linked with those that the leadership will receive.

Asking for a king was a great wickedness for the people of Israel. Even through the people committed this great wickedness, God was still going to use them to bring about His will for His name's sake. God had chosen to link Himself to the people of Israel; other nation's image of God would be based upon the actions of His people. Despite their great wickedness, He would continue to bring about His will through them. God commanded them to not be afraid of this evil act they committed. They could correct their wrong decisions if they would continue to serve the Lord with all of their heart and not chase after empty things.

We find ourselves in a similar situation. We have made "kings" all around us. We might call them Pope, presidents, chairmen, pastors, or ministers. These people are any that we place in a position between us and Him. But we need not lose hope. Just as Samuel vowed to continue to pray for those who had made the great wicked mistake of choosing a king, we should continue to pray for ourselves and our brothers and sisters. All the while we need to focus on fearing the Lord and serving Him faithfully with all of our heart. We need no king but God.