If you haven't read I Samuel 8 in a while, you might want to revisit it. I am greatly bothered by people who look for some political savior to rise up from among us and fight our battles for us.

That's not to say that we don't need or can't have political leaders... but whatever government we have should leave us free to walk with God as we choose. We don't need a king. We need freedom.

And if there is freedom to be had, then it's our job to obtain it and we're to elect those who will protect that freedom. Which means work. I detest laziness.

There is a lot of lesson to be learned in that part of the bible, so here's my slight paraphrasing:

Israel gathered together and came to Samuel. They said to him, "Appoint a king to lead us, like the other nations have."

This bothered Samuel, so he prayed to the Lord. And the Lord told him: "Listen, they do not reject you, but they reject me as their king - like they always do, forsaking me and serving other gods. Listen to them, but warn them and let them know that here's what they give away..."

Samuel told those asking for a king, "This is what your king will claim as his right: He will take your sons and make them serve with his chariots and horses. Some he will assign to be commanders of thousands and commanders of fifties, and others to plow his ground and reap his harvest, and still others to make weapons of war and equipment for his chariots. He will take your daughters to be perfumers and cooks and bakers. He will take the best of your fields and vineyards and olive groves and give them to his attendants. He will take a tenth of your grain and of your vintage and give it to his officials and attendants. Your male and female servants and the best of your cattle and donkeys he will take for his own use. He will take a tenth of your flocks, and you yourselves will become his slaves. When that day comes, you will cry out for relief from the king you have chosen, but the Lord will not answer you in that day."

But the people refused to listen to Samuel. "No!" they said. "We want a king over us. Then we will be like all the other nations, with a king to lead us and to go out before us and fight our battles."

When Samuel heard all that the people said, he repeated it before the Lord. The Lord answered, "Fair enough - give them a king."

The king Samuel warned them about would take their freedom from them.

No kings. Just freedom and the bare minimum government to protect that freedom.