How could it be that the same form of government so condemned by the Prophet Samuel, and said to be so offensive to God, be the same form of government used by the man after God's own heart, King David? During the era of the Judges, the people of Israel had wished to make Gideon their king, but Gideon refused, saying that Israel already had a king in Heaven.
To fully understand this, an historical perspective is needed. Israel was a nation in constant warfare for its survival, Gideon, like Saul after him, was popular for being a great warrior who defeated the enemies of Israel. The people wanted Gideon to be their king because he was their champion, and made them feel secure.
Thus, we see the reason for God's warning against the establishment of the united monarchy. Samuel was not speaking out against kingship simply because kingship was inherently bad, it was rather, the fact that the people did not trust God to protect them, but were instead placing their trust in a man. Kingship in and of itself could not have been wrong as it was the system used by God Himself, and throughout the history of Israel on a tribal level (see Numbers 1:44 & 7:2).
We must also take into account the fact that God's warning in 1 Samuel 8:10-22 would apply to any form of government ever devised; if we are to benefit from a state, we must give and be beholden to that state. It is a warning that the benefit of services, such as military protection, come with the price of taxation and submission. Since the emergence of Israel as a nation, there had been no permanent, centralized government of any kind. The highest earthly authority for the entire nation had been the Prophet (a pontiff figure who spoke God's commands to them) or a patriarch figure who, in a familial, tribal way, acted as a bridge between Heaven and earth, not taking on the job of government, but simply passing on to the people the wishes of God.
At this early stage, the form of government is not finally the point. Rather, it is the fact that the people desire a government at all, and the reason: lack of faith, which is behind the move. From the scriptural evidence it seems that it is more Samuel than God who is displeased, at least concerning the style of this wished-for government. This is understandable given the fact that one of the people's complaints was that Samuel's sons were corrupt and unworthy to succeed him (1 Samuel 8:5), suggesting that his office was hereditary as well. God explains to Samuel why the people have called for a king and instructs him to put aside his feelings and listen to them.
What people must not lose sight of, is the fact that when God decides to allow a united government, it is one based on his own style of leadership, in which the choice of monarch lies with God rather than man, and that Saul, for all of his faults, was chosen by God. According to 1 Samuel 9:17, "When Samuel saw Saul, God told him, 'That is the man of whom I told you; he shall rule My people."
It is made clear repeatedly that, while the people have demanded a king to fight for them, it is God who chooses who will fill that role. In chapter 12, Samuel points out that God's anger is due to their loss of faith in Him, their failure to trust the God who delivered them in the past to deliver them from their present enemies. Furthermore, it is made clear that kingship itself is not to blame, since that is the way of God (verse 12, "God himself is your king") and the people are reminded that if they repent, trust and obey God, and their king with them, "all will be well" (14).
A fact that should not be forgotten is that in spite of all the warnings and admonishments, when all was said and done, God did choose to give Israel a king, and had Saul anointed with holy oil by the Prophet in a religious ceremony to formalize the bond between the earthly and heavenly rulers of God's people, performed of course by the spiritual ruler on earth, Samuel. This is an area in which many Christians fail to see the forest because of all the trees. All else aside, Saul was anointed and proclaimed king.
This fact forces one to accept one of a few possibilities regarding God's condemnation of Israel's desire for a king, yet His endorsement of Saul to fulfill that role. The first is that God does not have a 'master plan' but is, in fact, making it up as He goes. This would mean that God abhors all earthly government but, inexplicably changed His mind at the last minute in order to teach Israel a lesson. The second choice is that God is simply weak-willed; that He meant everything He said, but that the Israelites were able to eventually talk God into doing something He felt was wrong, like giving them a king.
These first two options would pose something of a problem to those who believe God is perfect, all-wise, omnipotent and absolute. However, there is a third option. That is, that God knew all of this would happen, that the establishment of the monarchy was simply the first step in a divine plan leading ultimately, over thousands of years, to the fulfillment of prophecy that the Savior of the world, the Messiah, would be the King of the Jews, a son of the Holy House of David. It would mean that, in establishing the monarchy with King Saul, Israel was fulfilling God's plan in spite of themselves; doing the right thing for the wrong reason.
From reading the entire story, we can see that the formation of the Kingdom of Israel, and the choice of an anointed king instead of another form of champion, was absolutely neccessary to the plan of Scripture and God's design for our salvation.
By having a king, who is anointed by God's prophet, God was able to retain the fact in the minds of the people that it was still He who held supreme and eternal power. It is vital to remember that God has given everyone the free will to do good or evil. God will not control our minds, a point which is evident by the fact that popular opinion is most often opposed to God. However, by endorsing the monarchy God was still able to choose who would rule Israel. He made it clear that the king ruled only by His grace alone, a fact driven home by the anointing of Saul by the Prophet.
