Discussion Jumpstarter
Study leader reference - not a definitive answer
Question 4
Using 1 Samuel 8 and Hosea 13, the speaker claims Israel’s desire for an earthly king was rejecting God as King and that “God is restoring his rule in Jesus”; where do you see modern Christian ways of “asking for a king” (seeking rival authorities), and how does that show up in what we excuse, fear, or defend?
Another way to ask: What are some ways Christians today still “ask for a king” by trusting other authorities more than God? How do you see that in what we excuse, fear, or fiercely defend?
Discussion Jumpstarter
Direct Answer
Based on the speaker’s teaching, modern Christians “ask for a king” whenever we prefer rival authorities—our own judgment, cultural norms, or safety-driven loyalties—over God’s reign through Jesus. It shows up when we excuse disobedience to Jesus’s commands, fear the costs of obedience, or defend positions that contradict the King’s teaching.
- He points to 1 Samuel 8: Israel’s desire for “an earthly king was rejecting God as King.”
- Hosea 13:9–11 is quoted to show the tragedy of wanting other rulers: “Where now is your king to save you… ‘Give me a king’… I gave you a king in my anger.”
- He summarizes the remedy: “God is restoring his rule in Jesus.”
- He criticizes church patterns of making “exceptions” that “nullify the teachings of Jesus,” implying a rival authority over Jesus’s words.
- He warns against “lawlessness” and defines sin as “lawlessness,” linking disobedience to rejecting the King’s rule.