Immerse Kingdoms Day 188 Year 1 Bible Reading

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If you are following along in the Immerse Kingdoms Bible, we are on day 26 in week 6 of the 16 week plan

Welcome to Immerse: Kingdoms!

Joshua, Judges, Ruth, Samuel–Kings 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.

QUICK START GUIDE
3 ways to get the most out of your experience

1. Use Immerse: Messiah instead of your regular chapter-and-verse Bible. This special reader’s edition restores the Bible to its natural simplicity and beauty by removing chapter and verse numbers and other historical additions. Letters look like letters, songs look like
   songs, and the original literary structures are visible in each book. 
2. Commit to making this a community experience. Immerse is designed for groups to encounter large portions of the Bible together
   for 8 weeks—more like a book club, less like a Bible study. By meeting every week in small groups and discussing what you read in open, honest conversations, you and your community can come together to be transformed through an authentic experience with the Scriptures.
3. Aim to understand the big story. Read through “The Stories and the Story” (p. 483) to see how the books of the Bible work together
   to tell God’s story of his creation’s restoration. As you read through Immerse: Messiah, rather than ask, “How do I fit God into my busy life?” begin asking, “How can I join in God’s great plan by living out my part in his story?”

4 Questions to get your conversations started:

1. What stood out to you this week?
2. Was there anything confusing or troubling?
3. Did anything make you think differently about God?
4. How might this change the way we live?

The Immerse Bible Series is the proud winner of the prestigious Bible of the Year award from the ECPA Christian Book Awards. Immerse: The Reading Bible is specially crafted for a distraction-free listening and reading experience, helping you dive in and get immersed in Scripture. You’ll have a great experience using Immerse by yourself. But for an even richer experience, try reading with friends.

Immerse: The Bible Reading Experience is an invitation to a different kind of community interaction with the Bible. Less like a Bible study, more like a book club.

– 8 or 16-week Bible listening plans take you through a large section of the Bible like the New Testament or the Torah
– Meet once a week for a free-flowing discussion about the text
– Wrestle with questions and celebrate ‘aha!’ moments together

Nothing impacts spiritual growth more than spending time in Scripture. Immerse removes many of the barriers that make Bible reading difficult and invites communities to become transformed together through the power of God’s word.

For more great resources for your church or small group, visit https://www.immersebible.com/

And for more amazing podcasts, check out https://lumivoz.com or search for Lumivoz in your podcast app of choice!

What is Immerse: Bible Reading Experience - NLT Daily Bible In A Year?

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 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.