Then let us bring back the ark of our God, for we did not inquire of Him in Saul’s days. (1 Chronicles 13:3)

The people of Israel demanded a king. God gave them Saul, which seemed to please the majority of the people. However, King Saul soon got himself into trouble with God. I believe this verse touches on the heart of the matter. Saul failed to seek the Lord.

Strong’s Hebrew Dictionary says that the Hebrew word used here for inquire also means to consult; to seek in prayer and worship; to practice, study or follow. King Saul failed to do this and as a result he and his descendants would be removed from the throne and replaced by David and his lineage.

David was hardly perfect. He committed some grievous sins. However, when he did, he turned from where he missed the mark. He would repent and diligently seek the Lord. Not coincidentally, David’s reign would unite the Israelites and forge them into a great nation.

Subsequent kings would sometimes fall far from the Godly way and the nation would be plunged into deeper depths. Some kings would, to various degrees, seek the Lord and the Kingdom would be righted, for a time.

These are examples to which we should pay attention. The leaders of a nation, especially one in which the people ultimately choose those leaders, are a reflection of the cultural, ethical, and moral strengths and weaknesses of that people. When a people seek and value answers from a man or a group of men, instead of God, the nation and that people cannot avoid being pulled into decay and darkness.

The Good News is this: the Bible is clear on the way out. “If my people who are called by my name will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land.” (2 Chronicles 7:14). Enough said.