The church can be like the nation of Israel in that we sometimes don’t want a king with the qualities God desires but prefer a king like “all the other nations have” (1 Sam. 8:5 NIV). We want leaders who are powerful, decisive, inspiring, dynamic, and get things done. Even though God warns us that such leaders might rule us harshly—he warned Israel that they would be the king’s “slaves” (1 Sam. 8:17)—we insist that we know better. We would rather have a leader who will beat up our enemies than one who will tenderly care for the sheep.
