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HELEN SANDERS
4-16-2026
A KING OR GOD
When Moses led the children of Israel out of Egypt into the wilderness, he had to deal with so many problems it was exhausting him. His father-in-law Jethro came to him and gave him some excellent advice.
We see it in Exodus 18:21 that advice. “Moreover thou shalt provide out of all the people able men, such as fear God, men of truth, hating covetousness; and place such over them ,(the millions that departed Egypt) to be rulers of thousands, and rulers of hundreds, rulers of fifties, and rulers of tens: And let them judge the people at all seasons: and it shall be, that every great matter they shall bring unto thee, but every small matter they shall judge: so shall it be easier for thyself, and they shall bear the burden with thee.”
This was excellent advice, and it worked for a long period of time. Samuel was a judge, a prophet, and a priest. In 1 Samuel 8 when Samuel was old the people came to him and told him they wanted to have a king like all the other nations (1 Samuel 8:5.) This displeased Samuel, but it also displeased God. In 1 Samuel 8:7 God tells Samuel, “…for they have not rejected thee, but they have rejected me, that I should not reign over them.”
They did not listen to Samuel as he told them that they would become bondsman to any king. They insisted that they have a king and God let them have their way.
God never has intended for a king or any one person to be in control of our lives. He wants to reign supreme in our lives, guiding and directing us by His Holy Spirit. When we look to man to make a nation strong, we are putting our trust in man and not God. Yes, there are some godly rulers, but God should be our ultimate ruler and no decision outside of the Word of God should ever be the authority in our lives.
Israel had many evil kings that brought them into bondage repeatedly, and ultimately, they were taken into captivity and scattered throughout the world for two centuries. They did not come back together as a nation again until 1948.
We should remember this when we exalt any leader over God. Only God can change a heart, a nation, and the world. As the first of the ten commandments says, “Thou shalt have no other gods before me.” If we trust in anyone other than God to bring change that person becomes an idol. It displeased God when Israel chose a king, and it displeases God when we exalt anyone other than him.
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