Judges ends with, “In those days there was no king in Israel:every man did which was right in his own eyes (JUDGES 21:25)
The “king” is literal and symbolic. God warned Israel not to have a king like the other pagan nations that surrounded them because He desired to be their King. “...for they have not rejected you, but they have rejected me from being king over them”(1 SAMUEL 8:7). When you don't make God the Lord of your life, you can be sure there is no sufficient substitute for the Creator of all things who knows you better than yourself.
God told Abraham and Jacob that “kings” would come from them, so why is this a problem?
You have to look at the motive and timing. Does it seem to be God's timing within His will, or the people demanding a king motivated by what everybody else is doing? After the recent Judges it's hard to blame the people. Then they see Samuel appoint his ungodly sons, so it is no wonder they wanted a change. The problem is they don’t cry out for God to bring them a leader or king because they trust Him. Instead they reject God and look to the world for answers.
Behold, you are old and your sons do not walk in your ways. Now appoint for us a king to judge us like all the nations (1 Samuel 8:5).
No! But there shall be a king over us, that we also may be like all the nations, and that our king may judge us and go out before us and fight our battles (1 Samuel 8:19-20).
How easily they forgot all the battles God had fought for them. How easily we forget our answered prayers. Are you counting your blessings, remembering in thankfulness, and looking forward with praise for the Lord our God?
Or, are you looking to the world for answers? Does the world decide what is right and wrong for you? Do you base your morality on how you feel, what the world feels, or what our Creator tells us is just? These are not always easy questions to answer, but we should always be in prayer, be in the Word, discuss thoughts among other believers, and trust that the Lord will lead us where he wills us to go.