God's Expectations for Old Testament Kings and Leadership
Old Testament kings and leaders were expected to uphold God's instructions and covenant, serving as visible representations of divine authority among the people [12]. The role of a king, defined as a chief ruler with supreme authority, was understood in the biblical context to include leaders of nations, tribes, or countries, and even God himself is referred to as King [6]. The kings of Israel were specifically called "anointed" (Messiah/Christ) due to their consecration with holy oil, a term that also refers to the expected Prince who would fulfill God's purposes [7].
The expectation for these leaders was to "walk before Me as you have walked," as God promised David that his lineage would continue on the throne if his sons heeded this command [3]. This implied a responsibility to embody wisdom and righteousness. Ecclesiastes suggests that a "poor and wise youth" is preferable to an "old and foolish king who doesn't know how to receive admonition" [1]. The prophet Isaiah further describes the ideal kingly role, stating, "Kings shall be your nursing fathers, and their queens your nursing mothers," indicating a nurturing and protective responsibility towards the people [2].
However, the Old Testament also records instances where this leadership failed. The people of Israel were at times "without godly leadership," which led to a lack of adherence to the Lord's instructions [12]. The appointment of kings was often a direct divine act, as seen when God commanded Elijah to anoint Jehu as king over Israel [4]. The succession of kings was a matter of national importance, with "the eyes of all Israel" on the reigning king to name his successor [5].
The prophetic tradition looked forward to a future king, the Messiah, who would perfectly embody these expectations. This Messiah was prophesied to be a King who would establish an everlasting, righteous, and universal kingdom, ultimately absorbing all earthly kingdoms [8, 10, 14]. This future King, Christ, was to deliver his people from sin and establish a kingdom that would bring happiness and blessings [10]. The patristic writer Tertullian noted that the prophecies concerning the failure of rulers from Judah were fulfilled in Christ's coming [9, 11]. Augustine also observed that the prophecies of the Old Testament found their visible fulfillment in the Church under Christ's name [13].
Sources
- Ecclesiastes “Better is a poor and wise youth than an old and foolish king who doesn’t know how to receive admonition any more. -- Ecclesiastes 4:13”
- Isaiah “Kings shall be your nursing fathers, and their queens your nursing mothers: they shall bow down to you with their faces to the earth, and lick the dust of your feet; and you shall know that I am Yahweh; and those who wait for me shall not be disappointed.” -- Isaiah 49:23”
- 1 Kings “1 Kings 8:25 (NASB) — "Now therefore, O LORD, the God of Israel, keep with Your servant David my father that which You have promised him, saying, 'You shall not lack a man to sit on the throne of Israel, if only your sons take heed to their way to walk before Me as you have walked.'”
- 1 Kings “You shall anoint Jehu the son of Nimshi to be king over Israel; and you shall anoint Elisha the son of Shaphat of Abel Meholah to be prophet in your place. -- 1 Kings 19:16”
- 1 Kings “You, my lord the king, the eyes of all Israel are on you, that you should tell them who shall sit on the throne of my lord the king after him. -- 1 Kings 1:20”
- Smith's Bible Dictionary “Smith's Bible Dictionary: King — "a chief ruler, one invested with supreme authority over a nation, tribe or country."--Webster. In the Bible the word does not necessarily imply great power or great extent of country. Many persons are called kings whom we should rather call chiefs or leaders. The word is applied in the Bible to God as the sovereign and ruler of the universe, and to Christ the Son of God as the head and governor of the Church. The Hebrews were ruled by a king during a period of about 500 years previous to the destruction of Jerusalem, B.C. 586. The immediate occasion of the sub”
- Smith's Bible Dictionary “Smith's Bible Dictionary: Messiah — (anointed). This word (Mashiach) answers to the word Christ (Christos) in the New Testament, and is applicable in its first sense to any one anointed with the holy oil. The kings of Israel were called anointed, from the mode of their consecration. (1 Samuel 2:10,35; 12:3,5) etc. This word also refers to the expected Prince of the chosen people who was to complete God's purposes for them and to redeem them, and of whose coming the prophets of the old covenant in all time spoke. He was the Messiah, the Anointed, i.e. consecrated as the king and prophet by God'”
- Torrey's Topical Textbook “Torrey's Topical Textbook: Christ, the King — Foretold -- Nu 24:17; Ps 2:6; 45:1-17; Isa 9:7; Jer 23:5; Mic 5:2. Glorious -- Ps 24:7-10; 1Co 2:8; Jas 2:1. Supreme -- Ps 89:27; Re 1:5; 19:16. Sits in the throne of God -- Re 3:21. Sits on the throne of David -- Isa 9:7; Eze 37:24,25; Lu 1:32; Ac 2:30. Is King of Zion -- Ps 2:6; Isa 52:7; Zec 9:9; Mt 21:5; Joh 12:12-15. Has a righteous kingdom -- Ps 45:6; Heb 1:8,9; Isa 32:1; Jer 23:5. Has an everlasting kingdom -- Da 2:44; 7:14; Lu 1:33. Has an universal kingdom -- Ps 2:8; 72:8; Zec 14:9; Re 11:15. His kingdom not of this world -- Joh 18:36. Sai”
- Schaff ANF/NPNF (Patristic) “ANF Vol 4: Tertullian IV, Minucius Felix, Commodian, Origen — FROM THE GREEK.: say unto them, Depart from Me, ye workers of iniquity, I never knew you."[1] Wow it was perhaps (once) probable that, in uttering these words, He spoke them in vain, so that they were not true; but when that which was delivered with so much authority has come to pass, it shows that God, having really become man, delivered to men the doctrines of salvation.[4] 3. And what need is there to mention also that it was predicted of Christ s that then would the rulers fail from Judah, and the leaders from his thighs,[6] whe”
- CCEL (Reformed (Old Princeton)) “Charles Hodge, Systematic Theology, Vol. 3, section 84: Christ, the Old Testament prophecies rendered it certain that a great Redeemer was to appear; that He was to be a Prophet, Priest, and King; that He would deliver his people from their sins, and from the evils under which they groaned; that He was to establish a kingdom which should ultimately absorb all the kingdoms on earth; and that He would render all his people supremely happy and blessed. These predictions had the effect of turning the minds of the whole Jewish nation to the future, in confident expectation that the Deliverer would ”
- Schaff ANF/NPNF (Patristic) “ANF Vol 4: Tertullian IV, Minucius Felix, Commodian, Origen — FROM THE LATIN. (part 1): sayings, indeed, had been so uttered by Him, and yet if these predictions had not been fulfilled, they might perhaps appear to be untrue,[2] and not to possess any authority. But now, when His declarations do pass into fulfilment, seeing they were predicted with such power and authority, it is most clearly shown to be true that He, when He was made man, delivered to men the precepts of salvation.[3] 3. What, then, are we to say of this, which the prophets had beforehand foretold of Him, that princes would n”
- Micah (Protestant academic) “Tyndale House on Micah 4:9: 4:9 Israel’s king and wise people were supposed to provide leadership and embody the Lord’s instructions and covenant in their lives (Deut 17:18-20). Now, however, the people would be without godly leadership (cp. Judg 17:6; 18:1; 21:25).”
- Schaff ANF/NPNF (Patristic) “NPNF1 Vol 3: Augustine — On the Holy Trinity — CHAP. 27.--OF THE PROPHECIES OF THE OLD TESTAMENT IN THEIR VISIBLE FULFILLMENT IN THE CHURCH. (part 1): 53. "For all those things, which at present you witness in the Church of God, and which you see to be taking place under the name of Christ throughout the whole world, were predicted long ages ago. And even as we read of them, so also we now see them. And by means of these things we are built up unto faith. Once of old there occurred a flood over the whole earth, the object of which was that sinners might be destroyed. And, nevertheless, those w”
- CCEL (Reformed (Old Princeton)) “Charles Hodge, Systematic Theology, Vol. 2, section 122: in his character as king. In Daniel vii. 13, 14 , it is said, “One like the Son of Man came with the clouds of heaven, and came to the Ancient of days, and they brought him near before him. And there was given him dominion, and glory, and a kingdom, that all people, nations, and languages, should serve him; his dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and his kingdom that which shall not be destroyed.” The prophet Micah v. 2 , said, “Thou, Bethlehem, Ephratah, though thou be little among the thousands of Judah, yet”