The Role of the King In Old Testament Worship

Despite the predominant function of the king as a military leader, the Bible records many occasions when the kings of Israel and Judah fulfilled a significant role in the leadership of the nation's worship. The King As Warrior In the ancient world, kings were primarily military leaders, commanding their armies in warfare (Gen. 14:89:2; Josh. 12; 1 Sam. 11:1; 2 Sam. 8:16; Job 15:24; Prov. 30:29-31). The kings of Israel and Judah were no exceptions; their major preoccupation was the defense of their nation or the conquest of neighboring kingdoms. Their association with warfare, as well as their lack of priestly status, normally precluded their involvement in the leadership of worship. Saul, fresh from victory over the Philistines, felt the wrath of Samuel because he had offered a burnt offering himself when Samuel's arrival at Gilgal was delayed (1 Sam. 13:8-14). David was told not to build the temple because he was a man of war who had shed much blood (1 Chron. 22:8; 28:3). Uzziah w…