Israel Demands a King

Today I read 1 Samuel 8 where the people of Israel request a king.  The crazy thing is, Samuel straight up tells them that they will pay taxes, that their fields will be levied and that their children will be drafted into the army or the bakeries.  And the people wholeheartedly state that is indeed their desire and what they want!  I mean, what is wrong with the children of Israel?  Even in the Book of Mormon all they ever want is a King.  It's so strange.

I guess people have a natural desire to be led.  They want someone in charge.  Perhaps it is a desire that if things go wrong they can blame someone, I really don't know.  But the fact of the matter is, how much interaction does the common man or woman, have with the leader of their society?  I have lived through 5 Presidents of the United States in my life and I have met exactly 1 of them.  And that was a brief handshake at an airport amidst hundreds of other people.  I have lived through 5 Prophets and have also met 1 of those.  That was a bit more intimate a setting which I have shared in the past.  My point is, both sets of leaders, while they make, or reveal from God, policy that effects me, I have no interaction with either of these men.  I can't imagine that Israel was any different in ancient times, so why were they so eager for a king?

The answer is because they wanted to be like everyone else.  Other cultures had a king, so they wanted a king too.  They did not want to be different.  And yet, Heavenly Father has always wanted His people to stand out and be different.  It's a wonder that the Israelites survived as long as they did as a people.  However, I am also assuming that every single man and woman was the same and clamoring for a king or going after false gods.  I am confident that is not the case.  I am sure that there were always righteous people admist the rough edges.  Because if they had been fully ripe, the Lord would have cast them off, as He always does with His people.  Remember, the Lord does not change, He is ever constant.  So it stands to reason that there were always righteous among the wicked, quietly living their lives and doing what is right.  Which is a comfort to think about, at least for me it is.  It gives me hope for our own time, that as long as Latter-day Saints remain faithful, things can't get TOO bad!  Until tomorrow.