Depending on men has been the great weakness of the church. Men have dishonored God by failing to appreciate His sufficiency, by coveting the influence of men. Thus Israel became weak. The people wanted to be like the other nations of the world, and they asked for a king. They desired to be guided by human power which they could see, rather than by the divine, invisible power that till that time had led and guided them, and had given them victory in battle. They made their own choice, and the result was seen in the destruction of Jerusalem and the dispersion of the nation. {6T 249.4}

Afhængighed af mennesker har været menighedens store svaghed. Mennesker vanærede Gud da de ikke værdsatte hans mægtighed og i stedet for tragtede efter menneskelig indflydelse. På denne måde blev Israel svag. Folket ønskede at være ligesom andre folkeslag i verden og de bad om en konge. De ønskede mere at blive ledt af menneskelig kraft, som de (250) kunne se, end af den guddommelige, usynlige kraft, som til den tid havde ledt og ført dem og havde givet dem sejr i kamp. De gjorde deres eget valg og resultatet kunne ses ved Jerusalems ødelæggelse og spredningen af folket.