emergency arose, but now the tribes are to be united into a monarchy
and this, too, at their own request made in the form of a desire for a
king. Several things no doubt influenced them to make this request.
(1) From the days of Joshua there had been no strong national bond.
They were only held together by the law of Moses and the annual
assemblages at Shiloh. But the wise reign of Samuel had given an
enlarged national consciousness and led to a desire for a stable
government with the largest possible national unity. (2) The failure
of the sons of Samuel, who had been entrusted with some power and who
would naturally succeed him, led them to feel that provision for the
welfare of the nation must be made before the death of Samuel or ruin
would come. (3) The attitude of the nations around Israel suggested
the need of a strong government headed by a leader of authority. The
Philistines and Ammonites had already made incursions into their land
and threatened at any time to further oppress them. The new
organization, therefore, seemed necessary as a national protection.
(4) The faith of Jehovah was threatened. The victories of the
Philistines would be interpreted to mean that Jehovah was powerless or
else did not care for his people. This would lead them to turn to
other gods. Then too they were greatly tempted by the religion of the
Canaanite to turn from Jehovah. It was, therefore, a religious crisis
that made it essential that the Hebrews unite and in the name of
Jehovah over throw the Philistines and establish a nation that would
rightly represent to all nations Jehovah as the God of their race. (5)
The nations around them such as Egypt and Assyria with their seats of
royalty had excited their pride and they were moved with a desire to
be like their heathen neighbors-a desire which involved disrespect for
their divine king and want of faith in him.

The Principle of the Kingdom. The folly of the people did not lie in