Why did the people want a human king to rule over them (1 Samuel 12:12)?
The reasons given by the people are found in 1 Samuel 8:5: Samuel was aging; Samuel’s sons had not proven to be strong, moral leaders; and, they wanted to be like their neighboring nations. Given the Lord’s response in 1 Samuel 8:7 (“they have rejected me as their king”), it is clear that their desire for a human king was a rejection of the Lord’s role as King over the nation. Possibly they did not like the Lord’s direction, or they may have felt insecure living by faith in God as opposed to the leadership provided by a human king. Perhaps they just wanted to “fit in.” Their folly is a sober reminder to us as well. In a world that often functions out of step with God and encourages us to conform, we are to live in a trusting relationship with the Lord–even if that means having to be “different.
