Elijah is mentioned 99 times in the Bible. In the Old Testament, he is identified 69 times as Elijah, while in the New Testament, he is Elias. Elias is the Greek word for the Hebrew Elijah. The name, Peter, is used 158 times in the N.T.; whereas, the great Apostle—Paul—is mentioned, by name, 156 times. His birth name was Saul which is used 26 times. Thus, the combined use of both of his names is 182.

The elders of the Twelve Tribes were unyielding in their demand that Samuel find a king for them. They claimed they wanted Israel to be like other nations and  have a king rule over them. The Judges had been their rulers for four hundred-years. The Judges were the brightest and most qualified leaders the Ten Tribes produced. The elders were willing to swap freedom for a promise of security that a king, supposedly, could provide.

The words flesh, the flesh, after the flesh, and all flesh, when used of mankind, are a Figure of Speech—a Synecdoche of Genus (a class; kind; or sort). A Synecdoche is where a part of a thing (flesh) is put for the whole (man). Study of these occurrences has revealed that the meaning of “flesh,” as it refers to mankind, is the natural man.

The Judges ruled the Twelve Tribes of Israel for over four centuries.  In the days of the Judges, it was the LORD’s will that no king ruled over the Twelve Tribes. As I studied the Book of Judges, I saw that the early instruction I received concerning “The Judges” was faulty. I was taught that the reason there were major problems with the nations (i.e., Tribes) of Israel was because there was no king in Israel. Men just did as they pleased because there was no constabulary to enforce laws of personal behavior.

Mankind originally looked to the family for guidance. The Progenitor was usually the head of the family. The family insisted that its members follow the social traditions and procedures. As such, the family was not without government. Family rules, customs, and social graces produced the family’s orderly arrangement of life. The family’s character grew out of the experiences by the trial-and-error method which proved itself to be beneficial.