Anarchy1 often conjures images of chaos, but at its root, it simply means “without a ruler.” That’s a more familiar story than we might think – one that traces all the way back to Eden and runs straight through our own hearts.
Individualism comes to mind. American individualism for sure. We really don’t want anyone telling us what to do. We don’t like big government, except when we want it to provide for our individual needs.
But Americans don’t have a corner on the market. It seems anarchism has been the Achilles’ heel of humanity through the ages, starting with Adam and Eve, the original individualists who preferred to reign in their own corner of the kingdom instead of submitting to God. And humanity has maintained a pattern of anarchy.
Yahweh, sovereign over all creation, is not unaware of humanity’s innate inclination toward disorder and self-rule. Nevertheless, as we have been discovering in previous blog posts, he chose flawed people through whom to initiate the redemption of a broken world. Upon the Israelites’ settlement in Canaan, God instituted a distinctive system of governance.
He appointed judges – not through human election or self-appointment, but by divine calling. Unlike other nations, Israel had no centralized army, no system of taxation, and no bureaucratic administration – only tribes trying, however imperfectly, to live in covenant with the One who had delivered them from bondage.
But as we read in 1 Samuel 8, everything changed. The people said to Samuel, 2 “Now appoint for us a king to judge us like all the nations” (v. 5). They were willing to trade faith for familiarity – to be like everyone else, even if it meant rejecting the One who had rescued them.
Samuel was crushed. So was God.
“They have not rejected you,” God told Samuel, “but they have rejected me from being king over them.” (1 Samuel 8:7)
Let that sink in: the desire for a human king is framed as a rejection of divine kingship. God even warned them exactly what would be coming – a king would take their sons for war, their daughters for labor, their fields, their income, their freedom. “And you shall be his slaves” (v. 17).
It’s as if God were saying: You’re asking for your own oppression.
And they still said yes.
There’s an echo here of something deeply anarchist – not in the chaotic, lawless sense – but in the conviction that concentrated human power inevitably corrupts. True community doesn’t require coercion, but covenant. God’s intent was not empire, but a people shaped by justice, humility, and mutual care.
In their demand for a king, Israel was opting out of covenant trust and into tyranny. They chose domination over dependence. Control over communion. And God didn’t force them. He gave them what they asked for – and allowed them to live with the consequences.
The question lingers for us:
– Are we still choosing kings over covenant?
– Power over presence?
– Control over trust?
Maybe God’s “no” in 1 Samuel 8 isn’t just about ancient Israel. The kingdom Jesus proclaimed was never meant to mirror our systems – it was meant to subvert them. No golden thrones. No iron swords. Just a cross, a basin, and a table.
A little upside-down.
A little unsettling.
A little… anarchist.
1 Anarchy comes from the Greek anarkhia, meaning “without a ruler” (an- = without, arkhos = ruler). It has several uses depending on context – political, philosophical, social critique, etc. – but at its core, anarchy refers to the absence of formal government or authority.
2 Samuel was a prophet, judge, and faithful leader of the Israelites. He prayed when others panicked, listened when others rebelled, and helped a restless nation find its footing. His story can be found in 1 Samuel.
Practical Theology Today 