“But when you were afraid of Nahash, the king of Ammon, you came to me and said that you wanted a king to reign over you, even though the Lord your God was already your king. (1 Samuel 12:12 NLT)

Israel asked Samuel, the Prophet, for a king.  God granted them their request even though it was not His first choice. Saul became their King.  Whenever we substitute a king or any form of government for God, we always end up disappointed.  God is our only King.

In times of national disaster, like COVID-19, we can turn to the government instead of God.  In our scriptural reference, Nahash, the King of the Ammonites, was threatening Israel.  It was a time of national calamity similar to the havoc of the Coronavirus today.  Israel wanted the traditional means of security.  They desired a king with his armies to protect them, and God had a different preference.  He wanted to be their security.

In times of national distress, we can initiate short-term solutions to a problem that can create long-range difficulties. These answers can become more problematic than the original issue we were trying to solve.  Saul, who initially had some success as their King, eventually became a disappointment and disgrace to Israel. Anytime we try to replace the Creator with the creature, it does not end up well.

As Christians, we should never allow our government to become our ultimate security.  Stop-gap measures from those in authority are sometimes necessary, yet currently, policy proposals during this pandemic threaten to enslave us to the state.  Israel chose to put their hope in a political leader instead of a religious one, God.  Our only hope is that God is our King.

I worked for seventeen years as a missionary with Youth With A Mission.  My missionary work has taken me to Mexico, Canada, Chile, Argentina, Bolivia, Spain, and Ukraine.  I hold a Masters of Education in curriculum and instruction from Virginia Commonwealth University.  [email protected]