1 Samuel 8
- Israel rejects God as King, chooses to have a human king instead.
- God warns the people if they chose a human king they will become tax slaves to him.
- The People chose a human king anyways.
- God warns the people that if they and their king don't obey him they will both be swept away (1 Samuel 12:25)
1 2 Samuel, 1 2 Kings
- Israel gets human kings.
- God makes an everlasting covenant with David and his sons.
- Despite this, Israelite monarchy eventually splits into 2 because sinful men can't rule over sinful men.
- Israel and Judah both get exiled because of their rebellion and covenant breaking.
- During this period prophets come promising the coming of a savior King who would be born in Bethlehem to save Israel and the world from their rebellion. (Isaiah 53, Micah 5:2)
Luke 2
- The mother of Jesus, while pregnant with Jesus, is summoned to be counted for the census with Joseph her husband in Joseph's hometown, Bethlehem, AKA the City of DAVID.
- Census' were for registering people for TAXATION purposes.
- Israel was in their land but being occupied by a powerful foreign empire because of their sin and rebellion.
- Everything that God said would come upon Israel if they rejected Him as King for a human king, did and more.
- It was in this context that the King they rejected for a human, Jesus, the God-man, was born AS A HUMAN, to the house of David in fulfillment to His word, to save and redeem the entire world. 🤯
Isn’t it so appropriate that the God who warned Israel that if they chose a human king he would tax them, fulfilled His own prophecy to be born in Bethlehem because of a Roman census for tax purposes?
