Contemplative Bible Reading

1 Samuel 10:25 (New Living Translation)

Then Samuel told the people what the rights and duties of a king were. He wrote them down on a scroll and placed it before the Lord. Then Samuel sent the people home again.

At long last, God’s people had an earthly king. This didn’t work out that well, but it was a welcome event.

Samuel the prophet addressed the people immediately. “These are the responsibilities and limits of King.” Notice, the King did not have the authority to say, “My word is law.” There were limits. Some kings…well, they didn’t hold to their limits. They knew better, and things didn’t work out well.

Still, God knew about power corrupting and absolute power corrupting absolutely. We learn that there is nothing new among us in the past few thousand years. Hmm, how about that? God invented us and has a pretty good—or is it faultless—concept of what we are and do.