Ethan: Welcome to Immerse: the daily bible reading experience.
Day 100 and 87
as Samuel grew old, he appointed his sons to be judges over Israel, Joel and Aja.
His oldest sons held court in Beersheba, but they were not like their father
for they were greedy for money.
They accepted bribes and perverted justice.
Finally, all the elders of Israel met at Rama to discuss the matter with Samuel.
Look, they told him, you are now old and your sons are not like you.
Give us a king to judge us like all the other nations have.
Samuel was displeased with their request and went to the Lord for guidance.
Do everything they say to you, the Lord replied for they're rejecting me, not you.
They don't want me to be their king any longer.
Ever since I brought them from Egypt, they have continually
abandoned me and followed other gods.
And now they are giving you the same treatment.
Do as they ask, but solemnly warn them about the way a king will reign over them.
So Samuel passed on the Lord's warning to the people who were asking
him for a king, this is how a king will reign over you, Samuel said.
The king will draft your sons and assign them to his chariots and his charioteers,
making them run before his chariots.
Some will be generals and captains in his army.
Some will be forced to plow in his fields and harvest his crops, and some will
make his weapons and chariot equipment.
The king will take your daughters from you and force them to cook
and bake and make perfumes for him.
He will take away the best of your fields and vineyards and olive groves.
And give them to his own officials.
He will take a 10th of your grain and your grape harvest and distribute it
among his officers and at attendants.
He will take your male and female slaves and demand the finest of your
cattle and donkeys for his own use.
He will demand a 10th of your flocks and you will be his
slaves when that day comes.
You will beg for relief from this king.
You are demanding.
Then the Lord will not help you.
But the people refuse to listen to Samuel's warning,
even so we still want a king.
They said, we want to be like the nations around us.
Our king will judge us and lead us into battle.
So Samuel repeated to the Lord with the people had said, and the Lord replied,
do as they say and give them a king.
Then Samuel agreed and sent the people home.
There was a wealthy, influential man named Kish from the tribe of Benjamin.
He was the son of a b l son of zero, son of Borth, son of
Aya, of the tribe of Benjamin.
His son, Saul, was the most handsome man in Israel, head and shoulders
taller than anyone else in the land.
One day, K's donkeys straight away.
And he told Saul, take a servant with you and go look for the donkeys.
So Saul took one of the servants and traveled through the hill country of
Efram, the land of Shalisha, the Shalim area, and the entire land of Benjamin, but
they couldn't find the donkeys anywhere.
Finally, they entered the region of Zf and Saul said to his servant, let's go home.
By now, my father will be more worried about us than about the donkeys.
But the servant said, I've just thought of something.
There is a man of God who lives here in this town.
He is held in high honor by all the people because everything he says comes true.
Let's go find him.
Perhaps he can tell us which way to go, but we don't have anything to offer him.
Saul replied, even our food is gone and we don't have a thing to give him.
Well, the servant said, I have one small silver piece.
We can at least offer it to the man of God and see what happens.
In those days, if people wanted a message from God, they
would say, let's go and ask.
The seer for prophets used to be called Sears.
All right, Saul agreed.
Let's try it.
So they started into the town where the Man of God lived.
As they were climbing the hill to the town, they met some young
women coming out to draw water.
So Salin, his servant asked, is the SS seer here today?
Yes.
They replied, stay right on this road.
He is at the town gates.
He has just arrived to take part in a public sacrifice up at the
place of worship, hurry and catch him before he goes up there to eat.
The guests won't begin eating until he arrives to bless the food.
So they entered the town and as they passed through the gates,
Samuel was coming out toward them to go up to the place of worship.
Now, the Lord had told Samuel the previous day about this time
tomorrow, I will send you a man from the land of Benjamin, anoint him to
be the leader of my people, Israel.
He will rescue them for the Philistines for.
I have looked down on my people in mercy and have heard their cry.
When Samuel saw Saul, the Lord said, that's the man I told you about.
He will rule my people.
Just then Saul approached Samuel at the gateway and asked, can you please
tell me where the Sears' house is?
I am the Seer.
Samuel replied, go up to the place of worship ahead of me.
We will eat there together, and in the morning, I'll tell you what you
want to know and send you on your way.
And don't worry about those donkeys that were lost three days
ago for they have been found.
And I am here to tell you that you and your family are the
focus of all Israel's hopes.
Saul replied, but I'm only from the tribe of Benjamin, the smallest tribe in Israel,
and my family is the least important of all the families of that tribe.
Why are you talking like this to me?
Then Samuel brought Saul and his servant into the hall and placed them
at the head of the table, honoring them above the 30 special guests.
Samuel then instructed the cook to bring Saul the finest cut of
meat, the piece that had been set aside for the guest of honor.
So the cook brought in the meat and placed it before Saul.
Go ahead and eat it.
Samuel said I was saving it for you even before I invited these others.
So Saul ate with Samuel that day when they came down from the place
of worship and returned to town.
Samuel took Saul up to the roof of the house and prepared a
bed for him there at Daybreak.
The next morning, Samuel called to Saul, get up.
It's time you were on your way.
So Saul got ready and he and Samuel left the house together.
When they reached the edge of town, Samuel told Saul to send his servant on a head.
After the servant was gone, Samuel said, stay here for I have received
a special message for you from God.
Then Samuel took a flask of olive oil and poured it over Saul's head.
He kissed Saul and said, I am doing this because the Lord has
appointed you to be the ruler over Israel, his special possession.
When you leave me today, you will see two men beside Rachel's tomb at
Zelzah on the border of Benjamin.
They will tell you that the donkeys have been found and that your
father has stopped worrying about them and is now worried about you.
He is asking, have you seen my son?
When you get to the oak of Tabor, you will see three men coming toward you who were
on their way to worship God At Bethel, one will be bringing three young goats.
Another will have three loaves of bread, and the third will be
carrying a wine skin full of wine.
They will greet you and offer you two of the loaves, which you are to accept.
When you arrive at Gibbon of God, where the garrison of the Philistines is
located, you will meet a band of prophets coming down from the place of worship.
They will be playing a harp, a tambourine, a flute, and a liar, and
they will be prophesying at that time.
The spirit of the Lord will come powerfully upon you and
you'll prophesy with them.
You will be changed into a different person after these signs take place, do
what must be done for God is with you.
Then go down to Gilgal ahead of me.
I will join you there to sacrifice burnt offerings and peace offerings.
You must wait for seven days until I arrive and give you further instructions.
As Saul turned and started to leave, God gave him a new heart, and all
Samuel's signs were fulfilled that day.
When Saul and his servant arrived at Gibbon, they saw a group of
prophets coming toward them.
Then the spirit of God came powerfully upon Saul and he too began to prophesy.
When those who knew Saul heard about it, they exclaimed
What is even Saul, a prophet.
How did the son of Kish become a prophet and one of those standing
there said, can anyone become a prophet no matter who his father is?
So that is the origin of the saying is even Saul, a prophet, when
Saul had finished prophesying, he went up to the place of worship.
Where have you been?
Saul's uncle asked him and his servant.
We were looking for the donkeys.
Saul replied, but we couldn't find them, so we went to Samuel
to ask him where they were.
Oh, and what did he say?
His uncle asked.
He told us that the donkeys had already been found.
Saul replied, but Saul didn't tell his uncle what Samuel said about the kingdom.
This concludes today's immerse reading experience.
Thank you for joining us.