Lessons from the Kings of Israel

"Now make us a king to judge us like all the nations. But the thing displeased Samuel . . . and the Lord said . . . they have rejected me, that I should not reign over them"—1 Samuel 8:5-7

David Rice

This was a dark day in Israel’s history. The people would have their way, and the Lord refused not to condescend to their desire. They placed their wish above divine counsel, and God, all wise, permitted the nation to learn by experience the sad consequences.

Naturally there were warnings. Samuel foretold the oppressive effects which would result, conscription and taxation (1 Sam. 8:10-21). These grew so heavy on the people during the reign of Solomon that at his death the people demanded of his son and successor Rehoboam relief from the burdens; and when he foolishly threatened even more, the kingdom was rent in two, the greater part forming the ten-tribe kingdom ruled from Tirzah, later Samaria—all this after only three kings had ruled (see also 1 Sam. 12). In the first armed conflict between the two brother kingdoms, 500,000 men lost their lives (2 Chron. 13:16), about twice as many as died during the four years of the American Civil War.

Respect for God’s Arrangements

The first and most striking lesson, therefore, is the wisdom of obedience to God’s arrangements. Retrospectively, the lesson is even more striking, when we compare the Judges of Israel with the Kings of Israel. From time to time, a king rose in Jerusalem whose devotion to God was commended—David, Asa, Jehoshaphat, Josiah—to a lesser extent Amaziah, Uzziah and Jotham. All these were of the line of Judah, seven "good" kings. In the northern ten-tribe kingdom, which endured for more than two centuries, not even one king received this commendation—all together, only seven good kings out of 43, a total of 16%.

By contrast, there was not one bad judge—14 of 14 were faithful. In fact the only wicked leader of Israel during that time was Abimelech, who reigned as king by usurpation about three years (Jud. 9, 10).

It is not as though Israel had no legitimate criticisms. Though Samuel was in every way trustworthy and honorable, his sons were not, and Samuel was growing old. "When Samuel was old he made his sons judges over Israel . . . and his sons . . . turned aside after lucre, and took bribes, and perverted judgment. Then all the elders of Israel . . . said . . . make us a king" (1 Sam. 8:1-5).

Also, Israel had recently come through forty years of oppression by the Philistines (Jud. 13:1; 1 Sam. 7). Naturally they felt the need of a strong military leader and an organized resistance, such as a king would provide. Their wish was not an arbitrary one. The pressure of these issues compelled them to risk even the evils Samuel had warned them a king would bring.

Were we in their place, how many of us would have bowed to these factors, reasonable as they seemed, rather than take our stand on principle and faith? As a corporate whole, the Christian world opted for the bad example of the Israelites; and thus there was the formation and rule for centuries of the hierarchy of the Roman church. It not only aggregated blatant sins, abuses, and blasphemous arrogance, but silenced by the stake and flame the cries of protest raised from noble hearts. The people of God had come through many afflictions from the Roman empire, and most recently through the brutal ten-year oppression begun under emperor Diocletian in 303. Then Constantine came to power, and the Christian world so recently released from dire oppression too gladly accepted a league with the powers that existed. There was reason and cause. Not many kept the wiser course of principle and faith, trusting God.

None of the oppressors of Israel during the judges harmed the interests of that nation so much as the wicked acts of ones like Ahaz and Manasseh, who "shed innocent blood very much" (2 Kings 21:16) and caused children "to pass through the fire, according to the abominations of the heathen" (2 Kings 16:3). And none of the oppressions of pagan Rome, bloody as they were, matched the atrocities of the corrupt rule of the church of Rome.

Much better for us always to trace the counsel of the Lord, and adhere to it with thanks, even if pressed by contrary circumstance and apparent advantage. "My ways are higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts" (Isa. 55:9).

A Contrast of Two Kings

One of the most egregious of sins was committed by one of the godliest of kings—good King David. He was able somehow to shield his sensibilities from the awfulness of his deeds. After all, were not kings customarily allowed many wives, and did not many fall in battle? "The sword devoureth one as well as another" (2 Sam. 11:25). So did David conceal adultery and murder.

One lesson is right on the surface: even very good men can (at times) fall into very bad sins. Let us not assume this always to be so, however. It may occur, but it should not occur. For example, there is no hint that the noble Apostle Paul, who "lived in all good conscience before God until this day" (Acts 23:1), ever fell into egregious sin; and that should be the normal course for the godly. But it may not be the experience of all the godly, and for this cause no doubt the Lord made an example of him who was "a man after his own heart" (1 Sam. 13:14) for our comfort and reassurance in such a case.

Guilt is the inner sensibility of sin and shame which we feel when sin is disclosed in the presence of others. These words cannot be confined to these meanings, but there is a good point in this distinction. When the knowledge of David’s sin was spoken publicly by the prophet Nathan, the guilt which lurked in a dark corner of David’s heart bloomed to full shame. He was worthy of death, and prepared for the righteous punishment. When he came face to face with his sin he did not deny it; he did not excuse it. His sin had found him out. His pride was broken. His heart yearned to be free of its burden, and nothing now except frank confession and utter repentance filled his mind. He pleaded with fervor: "Have mercy upon me, O God . . . Wash me thoroughly from mine iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin. For I acknowledge my transgressions, and my sin is ever before me. Against thee . . . have I sinned, and done this evil in thy sight. . . . purge me with hyssop . . . wash me . . . Make me to hear joy and gladness, that the bones which thou hast broken may rejoice. . . . Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me. Cast me not away from thy presence; and take not thy holy spirit from me . . . Deliver me from bloodguiltiness, O God . . . thou desirest not sacrifice, else would I give it . . . The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit and a contrite heart, . . ." (Psalm 51).

Seven days he fasted, and when the child of his sin died he complained not. Is our repentance as deep and our remorse as thorough when our sins are evident? Have we not cause for humility before the Lord as we examine the frailty of our way? Have we the forgiving spirit of the Lord who read the earnest heart and forgave? All these lessons merit deep reflection.

The reminders and chastisements of the Lord from this experience continued through the years of David’s long life. "Now therefore the sword shall never depart from thine house; . . . I will raise up evil against thee out of thine own house, and I will take thy wives before thine eyes, and give them unto thy neighbor, and he shall lie with thy wives in the sight of this sun. For thou didst it secretly, but I will do this thing before all Israel, and before the sun" (2 Samuel 12:11). What a heart rending experience to later find the agent of this evil would be his own dearly loved son. David would accept the discipline of the Lord. This too is an example for us.

Another king—even a good one—much later fell into the sin of pride and arrogated to himself the privileges of the priesthood: when Uzziah determined to offer incense in the temple. The priests withstood him forcibly. Unlike David, when his sin was rebuked, he would not soften. He was smitten on the spot, and became "a leper unto the day of his death . . . and Jotham his son was over the king’s house . . ." (2 Chron. 26:16-21). Let our pride never be so deep that it fails to flex before the rebuke of the Lord.

A Quick Look at Some Other Lessons

Saul’s humility was his greatest asset and its loss was his greatest fault.

Solomon properly asked the Lord for wisdom to rule the people of God, valuing it over riches or fame or greatness—for this he was rewarded with wisdom above any other and riches and fame in addition. Let us value what Solomon did: heavenly wisdom, which is pure, peaceable, gentle, easily intreated, merciful, without bitterness or hypocrisy (James 3:17). Unlike Solomon, let us be on guard against "the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life" (1 John 2:16).

Rehoboam spurned the wisdom of the elders for the passions of the young and split the kingdom. Let us remember that "a soft answer turneth away wrath" (Prov. 15:1), and let the young be sensitive to the counsel of their elders.

King Asa wrought a great victory through faith against the million-man army of Zerah, the Ethiopian (2 Chron. 14:9-15); and in the glow of this victory he proceeded to purge Judah of idolatry, even removing his mother from queenly authority for her false worship (2 Chron. 15:7-16). His zeal lacked full compliance (verse 17), and his pride hindered him from receiving the correction of Hanani the seer (2 Chron. 16:7-10). No matter what our victories by faith, we must not let being self-satisfied or self-confident replace devoted thanks.

Good King Jehoshaphat became unequally yoked with evil king Ahab. When this alliance took the field of battle, but for the Lord’s special care Jehoshaphat would have perished (2 Chron. 18:1, 31). Let us be wary of allying ourselves with those of ungodly aims and values, lest it imperil our lives in a spiritual crisis. What seems innocent at the start can entrap us in unwanted circumstances down the road.

The indiscretion of this alliance had an even more perverse influence in later times. Jehoshaphat had allowed his son Jehoram to marry Jezebel’s daughter Athaliah. After the passing of Jehoshaphat and Jehoram (and the death of his successor Ahaziah during the first year of his reign,) Athaliah slew all the king’s seed and usurped the throne for herself. Only the infant Joash was rescued from this plot. He was raised secretly, and in the seventh year the priest Jehoiada commanded a revolt, slew Athaliah, and installed Joash as king, the only royal child able to carry on the line of David (2 Chron. 22, 23). Jehoiada had remarkable faithand was blessed with a life of 130 years. God’s promises are sure, for he had pledged to David that his line would retain the kingship. Despite any appearances in the interim outworking of God’s plan, nothing he designs will fail.

The sin of ingratitude was never more manifest than under Joash. The young king who was preserved and trained by faithful Jehoiada later conspired to falsely condemn his son Zechariah, who rebuked Judah’s waywardness after the passing of Jehoiada. This is the crime that Jesus evidently referred to in Matthew 23:35 (where "son of Barachias" is omitted in the Sinaitic manuscript) [2 Chron. 24:20-24].

Joash’s son Amaziah was given victory over "the children of Seir," but on his return foolishly sought after the gods of Edom rather than give glory to God. In his folly he indiscreetly challenged Jehoash of Israel to battle. He lost and was taken prisoner to Samaria, and in his absence "all the people of Judah took Uzziah, who was sixteen years old, and made him king in the room of his father Amaziah" (2 Chron. 25, 26:1). Amaziah was subsequently released, in fact he outlived his captor by fifteen years (2 Chron. 25:25). But he probably never forgot this rebuke from the Lord for his idolatry (2 Chron. 25:14, 15). Have we had some remarkable victories of faith, run well for a season, and then turned to pursue the things of this life? "Little children, keep yourselves from idols," we are advised (1 John 5:21).

Hezekiah was surrounded by adversity. The entire middle east fell under Assyrian sway, and Jerusalem was sieged for an imminent fall. King Sennacherib of Assyria sent a letter of ultimatum. In one of the most touching episodes of Judah’s long history, "Hezekiah went up unto the house of the Lord, and spread it before the Lord," and left his case completely with the Lord. This prayer of complete faith the Lord heard, and the invincible might of Assyria was laid waste in one night by the angel of the Lord (Isa. 37). Does he care any less for spiritual Israel? Is he weaker on our part than for those of old?

After Manasseh’s reign led to gross sin in Judah, the Lord would no longer spare. The nation would fall. For the prudence and devotion of good King Josiah who followed, the punishment would not come until after his time. After a long reign of 31 years, the Lord allowed the good king to fall in battle against Egypt. He never lived to see the evil his people would soon suffer under the might of Babylon. Like Josiah, let us be pledged to the Lord’s cause whatever the adversity. Like him, let us fall in a noble warfare, but with us a spiritual one (2 Chron. 34, 35; 2 Cor. 10:4).