Be careful what you wish for! That saying wasn’t current in 1050 B.C., but it’s the theme of the prophet 
Samuel’s speech to the people in I Sam. 8:10-18. You want a king? Here’s what kings do.
They still want a king, so God gives them one.
And it doesn’t seem like such a bad deal. The first king of Israel has some kingly qualities, both on the outside and on the inside. He has no palace or royal guard or many of the fancy trappings that come with a long-standing monarchy. Still, once the crown is on his head it goes to his head, as power usually does. We’ll begin to see that process this week. And we’ll encounter another problem that has puzzled Bible readers ever since.
For the printable download, with scripture references, discussion questions, and activities, click here:
(This is a continuation of a series of posts about the “whole story” of the Bible. I plan to run one every week, on Tuesdays, with a printable PDF. The printable includes a brief 2-3 paragraph introduction, Bible passages to read, a key verse, 5-7 thought/discussion questions, and 2-3 activities for the kids. Here’s the Overview of the entire Bible series.)
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