A Different Kind of King

A Different Kind of King - 1 Samuel 8

2/6/2022

1. How have you understood God’s will for your life? Has that ever been an item of great concern? Have you seen it as a clearly defined path or as a “choose your own adventure” book with a variety of possibilities? Or maybe something totally different?

2. At the beginning of the chapter, the Israelites ask for a king like the other nations. What were they hoping to gain from this? Verses 1-5

3. God had in mind a different kind of king, a king unlike the surrounding nations. What was to be different about their leader and about them as a people?

4. In verses 10-17, God lays out the consequences of having a king like the surrounding nations. In what ways do you consider the consequences when you approach God with something? Should we spend more time doing this? Or should we just ask?

5. In verse 18, God tells the people that he is not going to rescue them from their poor choice. What do you make of that? Do you have the tendency to blame God when things go poorly in your life and then you have to live with the consequences?

6. There are some striking contrasts between the kind of king the people were going to get and the kind of king that Jesus is. This king was going to be a “taker” and Jesus came to be a “giver”. What are some of those contrasts?

7. The theme in Samuel for how God asks his people to be in relationship with him is to “fear the Lord and serve him with all your heart.” What does that practically look like for you?