In the Old Testament book of 1 Samuel we have our first introduction to the nation of Israel asking for a human king. This was very displeasing to the prophet Samuel and the Lord God Himself. Yahweh was the Lord of the nation, they were to not be a nation governed by a king, but by the Lord Himself. This was one of their distinguishing marks as the covenant people of God. But they wanted a king and so God gave them Saul.

The story goes on through the Old Testament of all the generations and all the kings this nation called Israel had. Some kings were wicked and some were righteous. Some kings destroyed the nation through idolatry, while other kings reformed the nation by returning them to their first love. But the truth remained, God never intended His covenant people to governed by an earthly king.

King David was and is possibly the most honored of all Israel’s kings. He was declared a man after God’s own heart, but the truth did not change, that God did not want them to be governed by an earthly king. Fast forward to Jesus walking the earth for 33 years and when they wanted to make Him king, He disappeared out of their midst. Jesus knew they were not to be governed by an earthly king, so He was not going to let them make Him one.

Now it comes time for Jesus to be crucified in John 19 and Pilate the governor of Judea is talking with the religious leaders and listen to what they say, “Now it was the day of Preparation of the Passover. It was about the sixth hour. He said to the Jews, “Behold your King!” They cried out, “Away with him, away with him, crucify him!” Pilate said to them, “Shall I crucify your King?” The chief priests answered, “We have no king but Caesar.”

Not only did the religious leaders of the Jews declare they had a king, they declared Caesar was their king. Caesar was not even a Jewish king, he was a Roman king. Israel loved being like all the other nations so much, they even went so far as to have a Roman be their king, but God never changed His mind, He wanted to be their God and for them to be His covenant people.

What started as a simple request for a king turned into a complete absorbing into Roman culture, so much so they even had a Roman king. Friends, a little leaven still leaven’s the whole lump, so we must go back to God’s original design for His covenant people, no matter how far away from the foundation we find ourselves, for Yahweh has not changed His mind, He still wants us to be a nation governed by God, not an earthy king.