I and II Samuel strongly condemn open rebellion, and do so through a religious standpoint in that it is God who legitimizes it. According to the text, rebellion is unacceptable against God or his chosen ruler There are several instances in which the text implies that rebellion against a king, if God chooses that king, is wrong. In the beginning of the text, the Israelites are no longer content with the governmental structure they’ve been living under. Samuel warns them, but they are insistent. “…and they said, ‘No! But we will have a king over us, that we also may be like all the nations and that our king may govern us and…fight our battles’” (29-30). They chose to have a king, and they have to live with this choice. An example of the negative