God said He would not reign through the "king" that the people wanted. He brought them out of Egypt and they turned their backs on Him. They put their trust in other gods. They abandoned the Lord and demanded a king to rule over them. So God said, "Give them what they want, I just won't be reigning through that king". << (paraphrased)
Nowhere does it mention the plural "Kings". This was a single incident, a one time event.
1 Samuel 8
6 But the thing displeased Samuel when they said, “Give us a king to judge us.” So Samuel prayed to the Lord.
7 And the Lord said to Samuel, “Heed the voice of the people in all that they say to you; for they have not rejected you, but they have rejected Me, that I should not reign over them.
8 According to all the works which they have done since the day that I brought them up out of Egypt, even to this day—with which they have forsaken Me and served other gods—so they are doing to you also.
9 Now therefore, heed their voice. However, you shall solemnly forewarn them, and show them the behavior of the king who will reign over them.”
No contradiction there.
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Job, you want so bad to justify Paul and thus your beliefs, that you will mishandle all the evidence that is clearly before you. What will you do with these words from Daniel 9?
6Neither have we hearkened unto thy servants the prophets, which spake in thy name to our kings, our princes, and our fathers, and to all the people of the land.
7O Lord, righteousness
belongeth unto thee, but unto us confusion of faces, as at this day; to the men of Judah, and to the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and unto all Israel,
that are near, and
that are far off, through all the countries whither thou hast driven them, because of their trespass that they have trespassed against thee.
8O Lord, to us
belongeth confusion of face, to our kings, to our princes, and to our fathers, because we have sinned against thee.
9To the Lord our God
belong mercies and forgivenesses, though we have rebelled against him;
10Neither have we obeyed the voice of the LORD our God, to walk in his laws, which he set before us by his servants the prophets.
Notice Daniel states God's laws are set, not by their Kings, but by God's servants the Prophets.
Now try and excuse Paul some more, while you are blind to everything about earthly governments being from Satan and not from God.
God said they have rejected him, by asking for a king. Do you think only one king is the issue and not the idea of man ruling them: instead of God ruling them through his prophets? Maybe you can explain how they have rejected God by asking for a King and how that same statement "they have rejected me, that I should not reign over them", is no longer valid: by the same kings they asked for.
Go ahead and twist God's words to satisfy your beliefs: I am looking forward to hearing more. Of course you could always admit you and Paul erred, but that would mean Paul's words are not inspired by God, and that, despite all the evidence to the contrary, is something you are unwilling to do, so instead you will take others words, who really actually spoke for God, and make them a lie.
