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Take a breath, find your place, and read deeply. Discover the joy of reading God’s word with the Immerse New Living Translation (NLT) Bible.
This daily Bible podcast will take you through the Bible in a year following the Immerse Bible Reading Experience. So grab your family and small group and go through the Bible in a year together with Immerse. Each of the 6 volumes is available online or at your favorite Christian bookstore.
Ethan: Welcome to Immerse: the
daily bible reading experience.
Day 100 and 90
one day Samuel said to Saul, It
was the Lord who told me to anoint
you as king of his people, Israel.
Now listen to this message from the Lord.
This is what the Lord of
heaven's armies has declared.
I have decided to settle accounts
with the nation of Amalek for opposing
Israel when they came from Egypt.
Now go and completely destroy
the entire Amalekite nation.
Men, women, children, babies, cattle,
sheep, goats, camels, and donkeys.
So Saul mobilized his army at Talaim.
There were 200, 000 soldiers from
Israel and 10, 000 men from Judah.
Then Saul and his army went
to a town of the Amalekites
and lay in wait in the valley.
Saul sent this warning to the Kenites,
Move away from where the Amalekites
live, or you will die with them.
For you showed kindness to all the people
of Israel when they came up from Egypt.
So the Kenites packed up and left.
Then Saul slaughtered the
Amalekites from Havilah all
the way to Shur, east of Egypt.
He captured Agag, the Amalekite king,
but completely destroyed everyone else.
Saul and his men spared Agag's life and
kept the best of the sheep and goats, the
cattle, the fat calves, and the lambs.
Everything, in fact,
that appealed to them.
They destroyed only what was
worthless or of poor quality.
Then the Lord said to Samuel, I am
sorry that I ever made Saul king,
for he has not been loyal to me
and has refused to obey my command.
Samuel was so deeply moved when
he heard this that he cried
out to the Lord all night.
Early the next morning,
Samuel went to find Saul.
Someone told him, Saul went to the town
of Carmel to set up a monument to himself.
Then he went on to Gilgal.
When Samuel finally found him,
Saul greeted him cheerfully.
May the Lord bless you, he said.
I have carried out the Lord's command.
Then what is all the bleeding of
sheep and goats, and the lowing of
cattle, I hear, Samuel demanded.
It's true that the army spared
the best of the sheep, goats,
and cattle, Saul admitted.
But they're going to sacrifice
them to the Lord your God.
We have destroyed everything else.
Then Samuel said to Saul, Stop.
Listen to what the Lord
told me last night.
What did he tell you?
Saul asked.
And Samuel told him, Although you may
think little of yourself, are you not
the leader of the tribes of Israel?
The Lord has anointed you king of Israel.
And the Lord sent you on a
mission and told you go and
completely destroy the sinners, the
Amalekites, until they are all dead.
Why haven't you obeyed the Lord?
Why did you rush for the plunder and
do what was evil in the Lord's sight?
But I did obey the Lord, Saul insisted.
I carried out the mission he gave me.
I brought back King Agag, but
I destroyed everyone else.
Then my troops brought in the best of
the sheep, goats, cattle, and plunder to
sacrifice to the Lord your God in Gilgal.
But Samuel replied, What is
more pleasing to the Lord, your
burnt offerings and sacrifices?
or your obedience to his voice.
Listen, obedience is better than
sacrifice, and submission is better
than offering the fat of rams.
Rebellion is as sinful as witchcraft, and
stubbornness as bad as worshiping idols.
So because you have rejected the command
of the Lord, he has rejected you as king.
Then Saul admitted to
Samuel, Yes, I have sinned.
I have disobeyed your instructions and
the Lord's command, for I was afraid of
the people and did what they demanded.
But now please forgive my
sin and come back with me so
that I may worship the Lord.
But Samuel replied, I will not
go back with you, since you have
rejected the Lord's command.
He has rejected you as King of Israel.
As Samuel turned to go, Saul tried to hold
him back and tore the hem of his robe.
And Samuel said to him, The Lord has
torn the kingdom of Israel from you
today and has given it to someone else.
One who is better than you.
And he who is the glory of Israel
will not lie, nor will he change
his mind, for he is not human
that he should change his mind.
Then Saul pleaded again, I know I have
sinned, but please at least honor me
before the elders of my people and
before Israel by coming back with me,
so that I may worship the Lord your God.
So Samuel finally agreed and went back
with him, and Saul worshipped the Lord.
Then Samuel said, Bring King Agag to me.
Agag arrived full of hope, for
he thought, Surely the worst is
over, and I have been spared.
But Samuel said, As your sword has
killed the sons of many mothers,
now your mother will be childless.
And Samuel cut Agag to pieces
before the Lord at Gilgal.
Then Samuel went home to Ramah, and Saul
returned to his house at Gibeah of Saul.
Samuel never went to meet with Saul
again, but he mourned constantly
for him, and the Lord was sorry he
had ever made Saul king of Israel.
Now the Lord said to Samuel, You
have mourned long enough for Saul.
I have rejected him as king of
Israel, so fill your flask with
olive oil and go to Bethlehem.
Find a man named Jesse, who
lives there, for I have selected
one of his sons to be my king.
But Samuel asked, How can I do that?
If Saul hears about it, he will kill me.
Take a heifer with you, the Lord
replied, and say that you have come
to make a sacrifice to the Lord.
Invite Jesse to the sacrifice,
and I will show you which of
his sons to anoint for me.
So Samuel did as the Lord instructed.
When he arrived at Bethlehem, the elders
of the town came trembling to meet him.
What's wrong?
they asked.
Do you come in peace?
Yes, Samuel replied.
I have come to sacrifice to the Lord.
Purify yourselves and come
with me to the sacrifice.
Then Samuel performed the purification
rite for Jesse and his sons and
invited them to the sacrifice too.
When they arrived, Samuel took
one look at Eliab and thought,
Surely this is the Lord's anointed.
But the Lord said to Samuel,
Don't judge by his appearance or
height, for I have rejected him.
The Lord doesn't see things
the way you see them.
People judge by outward appearance,
but the Lord looks at the heart.
Then Jesse told his son Abinadab to step
forward and walk in front of Samuel.
But Samuel said, This is not
the one the Lord has chosen.
Next, Jesse summoned Shimeah.
But Samuel said, Neither is this
the one the Lord has chosen.
In the same way, all seven of Jesse's
sons were presented to Samuel.
But Samuel said to Jesse, The
Lord has not chosen any of these.
Then Samuel asked, Are
these all the sons you have?
There is still the
youngest, Jesse replied.
But he's out in the fields
watching the sheep and goats.
Send for him at once, Samuel said.
We will not sit down to
eat until he arrives.
So Jesse sent for him.
He was dark and handsome,
with beautiful eyes.
And the Lord said, This
is the one, anoint him.
So as David stood there among his
brothers, Samuel took the flask
of olive oil he had brought,
and anointed David with the oil.
And the Spirit of the Lord came
powerfully upon David from that day on.
Then Samuel returned to Ramah.
Now the Spirit of the Lord had left Saul,
and the Lord sent a tormenting spirit
that filled him with depression and fear.
Some of Saul's servants said
to him, A tormenting spirit
from God is troubling you.
Let us find a good musician
to play the harp whenever the
tormenting spirit troubles you.
He will play soothing music and
you will soon be well again.
All right.
Saul said, Find me someone who
plays well and bring him here.
One of the servants said to Saul,
One of Jesse's sons from Bethlehem
is a talented harp player.
Not only that, he is a brave warrior,
a man of war, and has good judgment.
He is also a fine looking young
man, and the Lord is with him.
So Saul sent messengers to Jesse to say,
Send me your son David, the shepherd.
Jesse responded by sending David to Saul,
along with a young goat, a donkey loaded
with bread, and a wineskin full of wine.
So David went to Saul
and began serving him.
Saul loved David very much, and
David became his armor bearer.
Then Saul sent word to Jesse, asking,
Please let David remain in my service,
for I am very pleased with him.
And whenever the tormenting
spirit from God troubled Saul,
David would play the harp.
Then Saul would feel better, and
the tormenting spirit would go away.
This concludes today's
Immerse Reading Experience.
Thank you for joining us.