1 Samuel - Give Us a King

REVIEW. “What did you take away from last time?” [Refer to last week’s responses.] “How did that go?” READ. I Samuel 8 Summary: When we want a king like everyone else, we push away God’s heart Discussion Questions: 1. Are the concerns stated by the elders about the future leadership of Israel legitimate (8:1-3)? How might the elders have dealt better with their concerns? 2. Read Deuteronomy 17:14-20 with I Samuel 8 in mind. What is wrong about Israel’s demand for a king? What contrasts do you see between these two passages? 3. What do you think is meant by these statements: “a king…like all the nations” (v. 5), “that we also may be like all the nations,” and “that our king may…go out before us and with our battles” (v. 20)? Why is this the same as rejecting God (v. 7)? 4. How should we understand God’s granting Israel’s desire for a king? (Romans 1:24, 26, 28 before you answer.) RESPOND. “How can today’s discussion further your relationship with God, one another, and the world? [Record responses and prayer requests.]