Essentially the same principle obtained in regard to their highest human executive officer. They did not nominate and choose Moses of their own motion. No caucus, no primary meeting, no formal election brought out his name as the choice of the people. The Lord alone raised up Moses, prepared him for the position he was to hold and brought him before the people. Then they received him as their leader (Ex. 4: 29–31 and 20: 19 and Deut. 5: 27). In the same manner they accepted Joshua (Josh. 1: 16–18). In the case of Saul, their first king, the Lord nominated, and the people ratified his nomination (1 Sam. 10: 24 and 11: 14, 15). The Lord called David also (1 Sam. 16: 1–12), but the people accepted him as king and cordially ratified his divine nomination (2 Sam. 5: 1–3). Through his prophet Nathan the Lord gave the kingdom to David’s posterity (2 Sam. 7) and prophetically indicated Solomon (1 Chron. 22: 8, 9 and 1 Kings 1: 13, 29, 30); but the people still gave their full-hearted consent (1 Kings 1: 39, 40). The same powers were asserted by the people in the case of Rehoboam (1 Kings 12: 1–20). It should be specially noted that when the government assumed the form of a _human_ monarchy――an earthly king reigning under God in this real theocracy, it was a limited, not an absolute monarchy. The Mosaic law anticipated this change and imposed certain constitutional limitations upon the prospective king (Deut. 17: 14–20). He must be one whom the Lord should choose; of native and not foreign birth; must not multiply horses, nor wives, nor treasures of silver and gold; must keep by him a copy of the law given through Moses, must read it and regard it as the constitution under which he reigned. When the demand for a king arose Samuel forewarned the people of the assumptions of power which, by the usages of mankind, they must expect in their king (1 Sam. 8: 10–17), and took the precaution to put in writing “the manner of the kingdom”――the constitutional provisions and safe-guards under which he was to reign (1 Sam. 10: 25). No copy of this constitution has come down to us; but it doubtless corresponded essentially with the limitations made by the law of Moses as in Deut. 17: 14–20.