Jewish tradition explores this feeling on a national scale, focusing on the ancient Israelites' request for a human king.
Imagine this: God, the ultimate King, has been leading the Israelites. But they look around at other nations and think, "Hey, they have kings! We want one too!" As we read in the book of Deuteronomy (Devarim), "I will set a king over me." But according to Devarim Rabbah, a collection of rabbinic teachings on Deuteronomy, this request wasn't exactly a home run.
Why? Because, according to this midrash (interpretive story), these kings, instead of leading Israel to glory, brought them a whole lot of pain. The midrash doesn't pull any punches. It lays out the consequences: Saul? He led them to defeat on Mount Gilboa. We see this in 1 Samuel 4:17: "Israel has fled before the Philistines." David? He brought a plague, as we learn in 2 Samuel 24:15: "The Lord sent pestilence in Israel." Ahab? He caused a drought, as it says in 1 Kings 17:1: "There will not be dew or rain during these years…" And Zedekiah? He was king when the Temple was destroyed. A pretty grim scorecard, wouldn't you say?
So, what was the result of all this royal-induced suffering? The Israelites, finally realizing the error of their ways, cried out: "We don’t want a king of Israel! We want our original King!" They yearned for God, as expressed in Isaiah 33:22: "For the Lord is our Judge, the Lord is our Lawgiver, the Lord is our King; He will save us."
And what was God's response to this heartfelt plea? God essentially said, "You got it. By your lives, I will do so." The promise is found in Zechariah 14:9: "The Lord will be King over the entire earth…"
This midrash isn't just a history lesson. It's a powerful reminder about leadership, about the choices we make, and about where we place our trust. It asks us: who do we rely on to lead us? What qualities do we seek in our leaders? And ultimately, where does true authority reside? Perhaps, like the ancient Israelites, we sometimes need to learn the hard way that the most effective and compassionate leadership comes from a source far greater than ourselves. Perhaps it comes from the Divine.