You asked

how do old testament kings or prophets embody or challenge the idea of 'serving' as leadership?

The passage, plainly, with room to sit with it.

1 Samuel 8:6-7

“But the thing displeased Samuel, when they said, "Give us a king to judge us." Samuel prayed to Yahweh. Yahweh said to Samuel, "Listen to the voice of the people in all that they tell you; for they have not rejected you, but they have rejected me, that I should not be king over them."”

This passage is from the book of 1 Samuel, where the people of Israel, having been led by judges for centuries, demand a king. Samuel, the last judge and a prophet, is displeased, and he takes their request to God.

What does this passage suggest about the ultimate source of true leadership and its responsibilities?

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Read alongside it

Deuteronomy 17:14-20
This passage outlines specific warnings and responsibilities for any future king of Israel.
Mark 10:42-45
Jesus teaches his disciples that true greatness and leadership come through serving others, not ruling over them.
Psalm 72:1-4
This psalm describes the ideal king who rules with justice and cares for the poor and oppressed, embodying serving leadership.

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