of whether we live in a representative republic, in a constitutional monarchy, or under a dictatorship, God wants to rule among his people. The text presents Israel’s request for a king as shameless rebellion against God’s will, reminiscent of her idolatrous behavior after the Exodus (8:8). God set out to create a nation in his image (Ex. 19:5–6), but now Israel wants to create a king in her image. There are at least three ways in which Israel’s request for a king may be critiqued. (1) The demand