After the chaos of Judges, the LORD is ready to move Israel to a new phase of history. They’ve exhausted themselves by “every man doing what was right in his own eyes,” and they seem to recognize it. They need leadership, direction, identity: “Give us a King, so we might be like the other nations!”
Of course, they already have an identity in the Holy One of Israel, but that’s just not immediate enough. You know? It’s too abstract, even though they still have the tabernacle and a priest and well-defined rituals. They still need a person. And maybe we’re not so different, even now: we need a Person to look to and identify with. That Person is coming, but first he will be personified in a succession of kings. And a transitional figure emerges, vital enough to have two books of the Bible named for him . . .
To read more click below for the .pdf with scripture readings, questions, and activities:
(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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