Biblical Hebrew Forum

["Bryant J. Williams III" <bjwvmw AT com-pair.net>]

Dear Shoshanna,

> No, it is a prophecy.
>
> In his farewell address to his people, Moses prophesied:

Yes, it is a prophecy and it is Moses farewell address to his people, but that
does not mean that Moses was NOT commenting on what they, as a people, would
later do. He just spent the past 40 yrs with them in the desert and knew quite
well of their going back and forth between serving the YHWH and sin (remember
the "daughters of Midian in the most recent example?).

He is saying that "When" NOT "If." This tells me that there will come a time
that the Israelites will want a king that is like the OTHER nations. Samuel 
told
them what the king would be like and he didn't give all the details; though
quite close. They had rejected YHWH as they had before. This was only the 
latest
round. Thus, when the Israelites do choose a king, this king is required to do
the following, and Moses proceeds to list those qualifications. The kings of
Israel, even in the divided kingdoms of Israel and Judah, violated the
provisions set forth in one or another. Saul (many wives, did not write down 
the
Law), David (many wives, did not write down the Law (?)), Solomon (MANY wives,
etc.), etc. You get the point. Israel WANTED a king. Well it got what it 
wanted.
David was the ideal king and was blessed for it (II Samuel 7), because he was 
"a
man after God's own heart," but even he was flawed.

En Xristwi,

Rev. Bryant J. Williams III
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Shoshanna Walker" <rosewalk AT concentric.net>
To: <b-hebrew AT lists.ibiblio.org>
Cc: <bjwvmw AT com-pair.net>
Sent: Wednesday, August 15, 2007 8:15 PM
Subject: Re: [b-hebrew] The 'need' for a king?

> >I wonder if we may be straying too much into the area of hermeneutics,
> >"confusing application with interpretation."  It seems to me that the
passages
> >regarding the king in Deuteronomy 17 is one of permissive will. God knows
that
> >it is not a question of "if, but when" Israel chooses a king. Therefore, 
> >God
> >gives to Moses the requirements of a king that is NOT like the other 
> >nations,
> >but one that is based on His holy and righteous character. By the time of I
> >Samuel and the people's request (demand?) for a king, God then grants their
> >request. I have always taken this as a warning, "Watch what you pray for,
> >because you may just get what you prayed for." Israel asked for a king, and
> >Israel got Saul. As they say, "The rest is history."
> >
>
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