Immerse Kingdoms Day 188 Year 2 Bible Reading

Immerse: Israel Demands a King and Saul’s Rise

On Day 188 of the Immerse Bible reading experience, the script recounts the story from the biblical book of Samuel where the prophet Samuel gathers the tribes of Israel at Mizpah to declare God's message. Despite having been saved from Egypt and oppression, the Israelites request a king. Through God's direction, Saul, son of Kish, is chosen as king, though he initially hides. Once confirmed, Saul overcomes skepticism and unites the Israelites to defeat the Ammonites who were grievously oppressing them. Samuel then reminds the people of their history of neglecting God despite His continued deliverance and cautions them to obey God's commands to ensure their prosperity. The script culminates with Samuel's warning that if they and their king continue to sin, they will face dire consequences. The episode ends with a reminder of the importance of faithful worship and the rejection of idols.

00:00 Introduction to Immerse: Day 188
00:04 Samuel's Declaration and Israel's Request for a King
00:36 Saul Chosen as King
01:52 Saul's Early Challenges and Victories
04:32 Saul's Confirmation as King
05:09 Samuel's Farewell Address
07:57 Samuel's Warning and God's Power
08:35 Final Encouragement and Conclusion

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Volume 3 — Joshua, Judges, Ruth, Samuel–Kings

Kingdoms

Immerse: Kingdoms is the third of six volumes in Immerse: The Bible Reading Experience. Kingdoms presents a new and unique journey through the story of Israel from the time of its conquest of Canaan (Joshua) through its struggle to settle the land (Judges, Ruth) and the establishment of Israel’s kingdom, which ends in a forced exile (Samuel–Kings). The nation of Israel, commissioned to be God’s light to the nations, falls to division and then foreign conquest for rejecting God’s rule.

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Ethan: Welcome to Immerse: the
daily bible reading experience.

Day 100 and 88

Later, Samuel called all the people of
Israel to meet before the Lord at Mizpah.

And he said, This is what the Lord,
the God of Israel, has declared, I

brought you from Egypt and rescued
you from the Egyptians and from all of

the nations that were oppressing you.

But though I have rescued you from
your misery and distress, You have

rejected your God today and have
said, no, we want a king instead

now, therefore, present yourselves
before the Lord by tribes and clans.

So Samuel brought all the tribes
of Israel before the Lord and the

tribe of Benjamin was chosen by lot.

Then he brought each family of the
tribe of Benjamin before the Lord.

And the family of the
Maitrites was chosen.

And finally, Saul, son of Kish,
was chosen from among them.

But when they looked for
him, he had disappeared.

So they asked the Lord, Where is he?

And the Lord replied, He is
hiding among the baggage.

So they found him and brought
him out, and he stood head and

shoulders above anyone else.

Then Samuel said to all the
people, This is the man the

Lord has chosen as your king.

No one in all Israel is like him.

And all the people shouted,
Long live the king!

Then Samuel told the people what the
rights and duties of a king were.

He wrote them down on a scroll
and placed it before the Lord.

Then Samuel sent the people home again.

When Saul returned to his home at
Gibeah, a group of men whose hearts

God had touched went with him.

But there were some scoundrels who
complained, How can this man save us?

And they scorned him and
refused to bring him gifts.

But Saul ignored them.

Nahash, king of the Ammonites,
had been grievously oppressing

the people of Gad and Reuben, who
lived east of the Jordan River.

He gouged out the right eye of each of
the Israelites living there, and he didn't

allow anyone to come and rescue them.

In fact, of all the Israelites east of
the Jordan, there wasn't a single one

whose right eye Nahash had not gouged out.

But there were 7, 000 men who had
escaped from the Ammonites, and

they had settled in Jabesh Gilead.

About a month later, King Nahash
of Ammon led his army against the

Israelite town of Jabesh Gilead.

But all the citizens of
Jabesh asked for peace.

Make a treaty with us and we will
be your servants, they pleaded.

All right, Nahash said,
but only on one condition.

I will gouge out the right eye of every
one of you as a disgrace to all Israel.

Give us seven days to send
messengers throughout Israel.

Replied the elders of Jabesh,
If no one comes to save us,

we will agree to your terms.

When the messengers came to Gibeah of
Saul and told the people about their

plight, everyone broke into tears.

Saul had been plowing a field with
his oxen, and when he returned to

town, he asked, What's the matter?

Why is everyone crying?

So they told him about
the message from Jabesh.

Then the Spirit of God came powerfully
upon Saul, and he became very angry.

He took two oxen and cut them into pieces
and sent the messengers to carry them

throughout Israel with this message.

This is what will happen to the
oxen of anyone who refuses to

follow Saul and Samuel into battle.

And the Lord made the people
afraid of Saul's anger, and all

of them came out together as one.

When Saul mobilized them at
Bezek, he found that there

were 300, 000 men from Israel.

and 30, 000 men from Judah.

So Saul sent the messengers back
to Jabesh Gilead to say, We will

rescue you by noontime tomorrow.

There was great joy throughout the
town when that messenger arrived.

The men of Jabesh then told their enemies,
Tomorrow we will come out to you, and

you can do to us whatever you wish.

But before dawn the next morning,
Saul arrived, having divided

his army into three detachments.

He launched a surprise attack
against the Ammonites and

slaughtered them the whole morning.

The remnant of their army was
so badly scattered that no two

of them were left together.

Then the people exclaimed to Samuel,
Now where are those men who said,

Why should Saul rule over us?

Bring them here and we will kill them.

But Saul replied, No one will
be executed today, for today

the Lord has rescued Israel.

Then Samuel said to the people, Come, let
us all go to Gilgal to renew the kingdom.

So they all went to Gilgal,
and in a solemn ceremony before

the Lord, they made Saul king.

Then they offered peace offerings
to the Lord, and Saul and all the

Israelites were filled with joy.

Then Samuel addressed all Israel, I have
done as you asked, and given you a king.

Your king is now your leader.

I stand here before you,
an old, gray haired man.

And my sons serve you.

I have served as your leader from the
time I was a boy to this very day.

Now, testify against me in the presence
of the Lord and before his anointed one.

Whose ox or donkey have I stolen?

Have I ever cheated any of you?

Have I ever oppressed you?

Have I ever taken a bribe
and perverted justice?

Tell me, and I will make right
whatever I have done wrong.

No, they replied, you have never
cheated or oppressed us, and you

have never taken even a single bribe.

The Lord and his anointed one
are my witnesses today, Samuel

declared, that my hands are clean.

Yes, he is a witness, they replied.

It was the Lord who appointed
Moses and Aaron, Samuel continued.

He brought your ancestors
out of the land of Egypt.

Now stand here quietly before the Lord, as
I remind you of all the great things the

Lord has done for you and your ancestors.

When the Israelites were in Egypt and
cried out to the Lord, He sent Moses

and Aaron to rescue them from Egypt
and to bring them into this land.

But the people soon forgot
about the Lord their God.

So he handed them over to Sisera, the
commander of Hazor's army, and also

to the Philistines, and to the king
of Moab, who fought against them.

Then they cried to the Lord again, and
confessed, We have sinned by turning

away from the Lord, and worshiping
the images of Baal and Ashtoreth.

But we will worship you and you alone,
if you will rescue us from our enemies.

Then the Lord sent Gideon, Bedan, Jha
and Samuel to save you, and you lived

in safety, but when you were afraid
of Nahash, the King of Amon, you came

to me and said that you wanted a king
to reign over you, even though the

Lord your God was already your king.

All right?

Here is the king.

You have chosen.

You asked for him, and the
Lord has granted your request.

Now, if you fear and worship the Lord
and listen to his voice, and if you do

not rebel against the Lord's commands,
Then both you and your king will show

that you recognize the Lord as your God.

But if you rebel against the Lord's
commands and refuse to listen to Him,

then His hand will be as heavy upon
you as it was upon your ancestors.

Now stand here and see the great
thing the Lord is about to do.

You know that it does not rain at this
time of the year during the wheat harvest.

I will ask the Lord to send
thunder and rain today.

Then you will realize how wicked you
have been in asking the Lord for a king.

So Samuel called to the Lord.

And the Lord sent thunder and rain
that day, and all the people were

terrified of the Lord and of Samuel.

Pray to the Lord your God for us, or
we will die, they all said to Samuel.

For now we have added to our
sins by asking for a king.

Don't be afraid, Samuel reassured them.

You have certainly done wrong,
but make sure now that you worship

the Lord with all your heart,
and don't turn your back on Him.

Don't go back to worshiping worthless
idols that cannot help or rescue you.

They are totally useless.

The Lord will not abandon His
people, because that would

dishonor His great name.

For it has pleased the Lord to
make you His very own people.

As for me, I will certainly not
sin against the Lord by ending my

prayers for you, and I will continue
to teach you what is good and right.

But be sure to fear the Lord
and faithfully serve Him.

Think of all the wonderful things He has
done for you, but if you continue to sin,

you and your King will be swept away.

This

concludes today's Immerse
Reading Experience.

Thank you for joining us.