Israel demanded a king. Samuel was old and his sons were not godly men like he was. So the elders said to Samuel, “…now appoint a king to lead us, such as all the other nations have.”

Samuel brought the request to God and He replied, “Listen to all that the people are saying to you; it is not you they have rejected, but they have rejected Me as their king.”

God told Samuel to warn the people what it would be like to live under a human king. He would take the best of their land and livestock and even their children. The elders refused to listen. “No! We want a king over us. Then we will be like all the other nations, with a king to lead us and to go out before us and fight our battles.”

Israel was not to be like all the other nations. Jehovah was to be their God and King. He Himself would lead them and go out before them to fight their battles. But Israel rejected Him.

Israel already had a King; they had just stopped believing and obeying Him. He had proven Himself faithful and true to His word, but they rejected Him.

When we stop believing God, we start living like those who don’t even know Him. We believe only what we see. Walking by faith seems foolish. We become just like everyone else–rejecting Jehovah as our King.

Your King will lead you and He will go out before you and fight your battles. Just believe Him.