The Meaning of Kingship

As we move onto the First and Second Books of Kings in the Bible, we can see a familiar pattern of the rise and fall of the kings that God chooses himself. Starting with the first king Saul, who later disappoints God by disobeying his orders and is deemed unworthy to be king. David, the war hero and wise leader, also offends God by sleeping with his servant’s wife and is cursed. Once again, we see another example of the “chosen” king who seems to bring hope and piety who later makes a mistake. Solomon, who at first was a judicious and humble king who pleased God, infuriates his Lord by listening to his many foreign wives and raising altars for different deities. Solomon receives a punishment as severe as the division of his kingdom. Reading these stories of the first kings of Israel makes us wonder how and why these leaders that God chose himself could make such mistakes and ponder the possibility of God already knowing that these events would happen. I could not help but think that God predicted their failures and that kingship in the Bible is used to convey messages and set examples to the Israelians.