It took some time for the Chosen People to become the kingdom God promised them. Through that time, God raised up leaders for the Israelites when they were needed! These leaders called the people to right worship and relationship with God. Eventually, the people demanded that God give them a king so they could be like the other peoples around them. And so, God raised up Saul to be the first king of Israel. Saul was selfish and disobedient to God, and his dynasty and kingdom were removed from him. Then, God chose David, a “man after God’s own heart” to be king; with David He would enter into the final covenant of the Old Testament. God promised David an everlasting dynasty of kings descended from him. Over the next millennia, the Hebrew people endured many highs and lows in their relationship with God, who sent many prophets to speak for Him and call His people to repentance and to proclaim the coming of the Messiah.

Joshua, Judges, and Saul

Moses was unable to enter the Promised Land because of his own sin and failure. After Moses’ death, Joshua, the new leader of the Israelites, fulfilled all that Moses could not or did not fulfill in the covenant. Joshua circumcised the nation, marking them as God’s possession once again, and then he lead them across the Jordan River into the Promised Land. These actions make Joshua a type of Christ, who fulfills all that was lacking in the Old Testament covenants.

Over the next period of centuries, God raised up temporary leaders for the people as they settled into the Promised Land. These leaders, called judges, won military victories against foreign invaders, settled debts between the tribes, and called the people continually to right worship and relationship with God. For the Israelites, a circle of sin set in. Without faithful leadership and faith in God, the people of God continually fell into temptation, sin, and idol worship, and chaos reigned. Even though God provided for the Israelites’ needs, the people still rejected God as their king and demanded that Samuel, the last judge, give them an earthly king.

Saul was chosen to be Israel’s first king because of his physical prowess, but he proved to be a poor king. Saul failed to unify the people and selfishly disobeyed God on multiple occasions. This disobedience led God to withdraw Saul’s dynasty and kingship from him. God led Samuel to anoint a new king, one who was “a man after God’s own heart.”

David

David was chosen to be the second king of Israel. Although he had his flaws, David sought to be faithful to God and His commands and keep His people faithful to God. God entered into a new covenant with David, the final covenant of the Old Testament. God promised David that he would be the first in an everlasting line of kings. David’s son would be a son to God and would build a dwelling place for God among His people. This promise, of course, was fulfilled by God’s true Son, Jesus Christ.

The Prophets

The prophets were men and women who were called by God to experience deeply God’s saving presence in the historical situation of their times and who were given a mission to make known the message of God’s saving power. Over the next millennia until the coming of Christ, the Chosen People suffered many ups and downs in their relationship with God. Eventually, the kingdom was conquered by foreign powers and the people were scattered in exile. For centuries the people lamented their loss and wandered far from God. The prophets called the people back to right worship of God and warned of doom and consequences if they did not change their ways. They delivered a message of hope and prophesied of the coming of the Messiah. Over the centuries, God prepared for and announced the coming of Christ through the prophets, who awoke in the hearts of the people an expectation of His coming. The messages of repentance, hope, and salvation were central to the ministry of the prophets and prepared the way for Christ’s mission among us in the New Covenant.