The Leadership Of The Church --- God Governed

When Samuel (God’s prophet and judge – 1 Samuel 3:20; 1 Samuel 7:15) grew old, he appointed his sons to preside as judges over Israel (1 Samuel 8:1). Unfortunately, their character and disposition of heart was not like that of their father (1 Samuel 8:3; cf. 1 Samuel 3:10,19).

In response to this problem, Israel’s leaders said to Samuel, “Look, you are old, and your sons do not walk in your ways. Now make for us a king to judge us like all the nations” (1 Samuel 8:5). These men recognized the problem of a morally corrupt leadership, but their fatal mistake was putting their complete trust in a mistake-prone human being (i.e., “a king …. like all the nations”), instead of in the all-knowing God (1 John 3:20; cf. Psalm 4:5; Psalm 37:3 ; Psalm 40:4; Psalm 62:7-8; Psalm 118:8-9).

As Samuel prayed to the Lord about the matter, the Lord told Samuel:

See here.

—Mike Riley, Gospel Snippets