NINTH STUDY
The Rise of the Israelite Empire
Part One
The coronation of Saul marks an epoch in the history of Is´ra-el. From that point, for five hundred years, the chosen people were under the rule of kings.
I. The Causes Leading to the Monarchy. The kingdom was not an accidental nor a sudden event. There had been a gradual preparation for it through all the period of the judges.
1. Notice the tendency toward settled government. In the time of Gid´e-on the people desired him to become a king (Judg. 8. 22, 23). His son attempted to make himself a king, but failed (Judg. 9). We find judges setting up a semi-royal state, and making marriages for their children outside of their tribe (Judg. 12. 9, 13, 14); and associating their sons with themselves (Judg. 10. 4; 1 Sam. 8. 1, 2). All these show a monarchical trend in the time.
2. Another cause was the consolidation of the surrounding nations. In the days of the conquest there were few kings in the lands neighboring Pa´les-tine. We read of "lords" and "elders," but no kings, among the Phi-lis´tines, the Mo´ab-ites, the Am´mon-ites, and the Phœ-ni´cians (Judg. 3. 3; 1 Sam. 5. 8; Num. 22. 7). But a wave of revolution swept over all those lands, and very soon we find that every nation around Is´ra-el had its king (1 Sam. 21. 10; 12. 12; 22. 3; 2 Sam. 5. 11). The movement of Is´ra-el toward monarchy was in accordance with this spirit.
3. There was a danger of invasion, which impelled the Is´ra-el-ites to seek for a stronger government (1 Sam. 12. 12). They felt themselves weak, while other nations were organized for conquest, and desired a king for leader in war.
4. Then, too, the rule of Sam´u-el led the Is´ra-el-ites to desire a better organization of the government. For a generation they had enjoyed the benefit of a wise, strong, and steady rule. They felt unwilling to risk the dangers of tribal dissension after the death of Sam´u-el, and therefore they sought for a king.
5. But underlying all was the worldly ambition of the people. They were not willing to remain the people of God and work out a peculiar destiny. They wished to be like the nations around, to establish a secular state, to conquer an empire for themselves (1 Sam 8. 5-20). It was this worldly spirit, whose results Sam´u-el saw, which made him unwilling to accede to the wish of the Is´ra-el-ites. But the very things against which he warned them (1 Sam. 8. 11-18) were just what they desired.