WEBVTT NOTE This file was generated by Descript 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:03.140 Ethan: Welcome to Immerse: the daily bible reading experience. 00:00:03.257 --> 00:00:04.537 Day 100 and 88 00:00:05.114 --> 00:00:09.674 Later, Samuel called all the people of Israel to meet before the Lord at Mizpah. 00:00:10.274 --> 00:00:15.354 And he said, This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, has declared, I 00:00:15.354 --> 00:00:19.674 brought you from Egypt and rescued you from the Egyptians and from all of 00:00:19.674 --> 00:00:21.364 the nations that were oppressing you. 00:00:22.094 --> 00:00:25.999 But though I have rescued you from your misery and distress, You have 00:00:25.999 --> 00:00:30.559 rejected your God today and have said, no, we want a king instead 00:00:31.399 --> 00:00:35.899 now, therefore, present yourselves before the Lord by tribes and clans. 00:00:36.939 --> 00:00:40.769 So Samuel brought all the tribes of Israel before the Lord and the 00:00:40.769 --> 00:00:42.839 tribe of Benjamin was chosen by lot. 00:00:43.679 --> 00:00:46.519 Then he brought each family of the tribe of Benjamin before the Lord. 00:00:47.244 --> 00:00:49.444 And the family of the Maitrites was chosen. 00:00:49.914 --> 00:00:53.814 And finally, Saul, son of Kish, was chosen from among them. 00:00:54.494 --> 00:00:57.014 But when they looked for him, he had disappeared. 00:00:57.464 --> 00:00:59.754 So they asked the Lord, Where is he? 00:01:00.824 --> 00:01:04.124 And the Lord replied, He is hiding among the baggage. 00:01:04.664 --> 00:01:07.954 So they found him and brought him out, and he stood head and 00:01:07.954 --> 00:01:09.774 shoulders above anyone else. 00:01:10.684 --> 00:01:14.024 Then Samuel said to all the people, This is the man the 00:01:14.024 --> 00:01:15.954 Lord has chosen as your king. 00:01:16.489 --> 00:01:18.949 No one in all Israel is like him. 00:01:19.719 --> 00:01:22.789 And all the people shouted, Long live the king! 00:01:23.919 --> 00:01:28.119 Then Samuel told the people what the rights and duties of a king were. 00:01:28.749 --> 00:01:32.299 He wrote them down on a scroll and placed it before the Lord. 00:01:32.729 --> 00:01:34.939 Then Samuel sent the people home again. 00:01:35.859 --> 00:01:39.849 When Saul returned to his home at Gibeah, a group of men whose hearts 00:01:39.869 --> 00:01:41.539 God had touched went with him. 00:01:42.169 --> 00:01:46.029 But there were some scoundrels who complained, How can this man save us? 00:01:46.569 --> 00:01:49.299 And they scorned him and refused to bring him gifts. 00:01:49.994 --> 00:01:51.294 But Saul ignored them. 00:01:52.934 --> 00:01:56.954 Nahash, king of the Ammonites, had been grievously oppressing 00:01:56.954 --> 00:02:00.624 the people of Gad and Reuben, who lived east of the Jordan River. 00:02:01.224 --> 00:02:05.694 He gouged out the right eye of each of the Israelites living there, and he didn't 00:02:05.704 --> 00:02:07.764 allow anyone to come and rescue them. 00:02:08.259 --> 00:02:13.279 In fact, of all the Israelites east of the Jordan, there wasn't a single one 00:02:13.279 --> 00:02:16.179 whose right eye Nahash had not gouged out. 00:02:16.919 --> 00:02:21.419 But there were 7, 000 men who had escaped from the Ammonites, and 00:02:21.419 --> 00:02:23.654 they had settled in Jabesh Gilead. 00:02:24.464 --> 00:02:29.224 About a month later, King Nahash of Ammon led his army against the 00:02:29.224 --> 00:02:31.704 Israelite town of Jabesh Gilead. 00:02:32.084 --> 00:02:35.114 But all the citizens of Jabesh asked for peace. 00:02:35.584 --> 00:02:38.934 Make a treaty with us and we will be your servants, they pleaded. 00:02:39.534 --> 00:02:43.494 All right, Nahash said, but only on one condition. 00:02:43.954 --> 00:02:48.874 I will gouge out the right eye of every one of you as a disgrace to all Israel. 00:02:50.134 --> 00:02:53.204 Give us seven days to send messengers throughout Israel. 00:02:53.654 --> 00:02:57.404 Replied the elders of Jabesh, If no one comes to save us, 00:02:57.514 --> 00:02:59.094 we will agree to your terms. 00:03:00.244 --> 00:03:04.494 When the messengers came to Gibeah of Saul and told the people about their 00:03:04.494 --> 00:03:07.064 plight, everyone broke into tears. 00:03:07.714 --> 00:03:11.624 Saul had been plowing a field with his oxen, and when he returned to 00:03:11.624 --> 00:03:13.714 town, he asked, What's the matter? 00:03:13.924 --> 00:03:15.384 Why is everyone crying? 00:03:16.054 --> 00:03:18.414 So they told him about the message from Jabesh. 00:03:19.594 --> 00:03:24.644 Then the Spirit of God came powerfully upon Saul, and he became very angry. 00:03:25.319 --> 00:03:30.219 He took two oxen and cut them into pieces and sent the messengers to carry them 00:03:30.229 --> 00:03:32.069 throughout Israel with this message. 00:03:32.699 --> 00:03:37.059 This is what will happen to the oxen of anyone who refuses to 00:03:37.059 --> 00:03:39.559 follow Saul and Samuel into battle. 00:03:40.419 --> 00:03:43.509 And the Lord made the people afraid of Saul's anger, and all 00:03:43.509 --> 00:03:45.399 of them came out together as one. 00:03:46.069 --> 00:03:49.299 When Saul mobilized them at Bezek, he found that there 00:03:49.299 --> 00:03:51.999 were 300, 000 men from Israel. 00:03:52.224 --> 00:03:54.104 and 30, 000 men from Judah. 00:03:55.394 --> 00:03:59.554 So Saul sent the messengers back to Jabesh Gilead to say, We will 00:03:59.554 --> 00:04:01.714 rescue you by noontime tomorrow. 00:04:02.224 --> 00:04:05.504 There was great joy throughout the town when that messenger arrived. 00:04:06.254 --> 00:04:11.054 The men of Jabesh then told their enemies, Tomorrow we will come out to you, and 00:04:11.054 --> 00:04:12.894 you can do to us whatever you wish. 00:04:13.574 --> 00:04:17.834 But before dawn the next morning, Saul arrived, having divided 00:04:17.834 --> 00:04:19.694 his army into three detachments. 00:04:20.484 --> 00:04:24.254 He launched a surprise attack against the Ammonites and 00:04:24.254 --> 00:04:25.814 slaughtered them the whole morning. 00:04:26.494 --> 00:04:29.954 The remnant of their army was so badly scattered that no two 00:04:29.954 --> 00:04:31.174 of them were left together. 00:04:32.264 --> 00:04:36.434 Then the people exclaimed to Samuel, Now where are those men who said, 00:04:36.484 --> 00:04:38.414 Why should Saul rule over us? 00:04:38.664 --> 00:04:40.414 Bring them here and we will kill them. 00:04:41.484 --> 00:04:46.094 But Saul replied, No one will be executed today, for today 00:04:46.154 --> 00:04:48.074 the Lord has rescued Israel. 00:04:49.584 --> 00:04:55.044 Then Samuel said to the people, Come, let us all go to Gilgal to renew the kingdom. 00:04:55.794 --> 00:04:59.564 So they all went to Gilgal, and in a solemn ceremony before 00:04:59.564 --> 00:05:01.734 the Lord, they made Saul king. 00:05:02.444 --> 00:05:06.374 Then they offered peace offerings to the Lord, and Saul and all the 00:05:06.374 --> 00:05:08.284 Israelites were filled with joy. 00:05:09.324 --> 00:05:14.944 Then Samuel addressed all Israel, I have done as you asked, and given you a king. 00:05:15.494 --> 00:05:17.104 Your king is now your leader. 00:05:17.904 --> 00:05:21.324 I stand here before you, an old, gray haired man. 00:05:21.829 --> 00:05:23.289 And my sons serve you. 00:05:24.189 --> 00:05:28.469 I have served as your leader from the time I was a boy to this very day. 00:05:29.269 --> 00:05:34.189 Now, testify against me in the presence of the Lord and before his anointed one. 00:05:34.699 --> 00:05:37.149 Whose ox or donkey have I stolen? 00:05:37.759 --> 00:05:39.709 Have I ever cheated any of you? 00:05:40.209 --> 00:05:41.719 Have I ever oppressed you? 00:05:42.289 --> 00:05:45.039 Have I ever taken a bribe and perverted justice? 00:05:45.679 --> 00:05:49.169 Tell me, and I will make right whatever I have done wrong. 00:05:50.209 --> 00:05:55.219 No, they replied, you have never cheated or oppressed us, and you 00:05:55.219 --> 00:05:57.429 have never taken even a single bribe. 00:05:58.339 --> 00:06:02.429 The Lord and his anointed one are my witnesses today, Samuel 00:06:02.429 --> 00:06:05.169 declared, that my hands are clean. 00:06:05.859 --> 00:06:08.549 Yes, he is a witness, they replied. 00:06:10.099 --> 00:06:14.419 It was the Lord who appointed Moses and Aaron, Samuel continued. 00:06:15.159 --> 00:06:17.969 He brought your ancestors out of the land of Egypt. 00:06:18.569 --> 00:06:23.669 Now stand here quietly before the Lord, as I remind you of all the great things the 00:06:23.669 --> 00:06:25.969 Lord has done for you and your ancestors. 00:06:26.939 --> 00:06:31.919 When the Israelites were in Egypt and cried out to the Lord, He sent Moses 00:06:31.939 --> 00:06:36.079 and Aaron to rescue them from Egypt and to bring them into this land. 00:06:36.639 --> 00:06:39.209 But the people soon forgot about the Lord their God. 00:06:39.664 --> 00:06:45.124 So he handed them over to Sisera, the commander of Hazor's army, and also 00:06:45.124 --> 00:06:49.174 to the Philistines, and to the king of Moab, who fought against them. 00:06:50.234 --> 00:06:55.024 Then they cried to the Lord again, and confessed, We have sinned by turning 00:06:55.024 --> 00:06:59.474 away from the Lord, and worshiping the images of Baal and Ashtoreth. 00:07:00.314 --> 00:07:05.064 But we will worship you and you alone, if you will rescue us from our enemies. 00:07:05.754 --> 00:07:12.454 Then the Lord sent Gideon, Bedan, Jha and Samuel to save you, and you lived 00:07:12.454 --> 00:07:18.614 in safety, but when you were afraid of Nahash, the King of Amon, you came 00:07:18.614 --> 00:07:23.024 to me and said that you wanted a king to reign over you, even though the 00:07:23.029 --> 00:07:25.244 Lord your God was already your king. 00:07:26.034 --> 00:07:26.694 All right? 00:07:27.114 --> 00:07:28.134 Here is the king. 00:07:28.134 --> 00:07:28.974 You have chosen. 00:07:29.524 --> 00:07:33.254 You asked for him, and the Lord has granted your request. 00:07:33.964 --> 00:07:39.184 Now, if you fear and worship the Lord and listen to his voice, and if you do 00:07:39.184 --> 00:07:44.154 not rebel against the Lord's commands, Then both you and your king will show 00:07:44.154 --> 00:07:46.504 that you recognize the Lord as your God. 00:07:47.524 --> 00:07:51.534 But if you rebel against the Lord's commands and refuse to listen to Him, 00:07:51.924 --> 00:07:56.564 then His hand will be as heavy upon you as it was upon your ancestors. 00:07:57.239 --> 00:08:01.039 Now stand here and see the great thing the Lord is about to do. 00:08:01.819 --> 00:08:05.669 You know that it does not rain at this time of the year during the wheat harvest. 00:08:06.219 --> 00:08:09.579 I will ask the Lord to send thunder and rain today. 00:08:10.219 --> 00:08:15.029 Then you will realize how wicked you have been in asking the Lord for a king. 00:08:16.089 --> 00:08:17.834 So Samuel called to the Lord. 00:08:18.104 --> 00:08:22.474 And the Lord sent thunder and rain that day, and all the people were 00:08:22.474 --> 00:08:24.934 terrified of the Lord and of Samuel. 00:08:25.824 --> 00:08:30.264 Pray to the Lord your God for us, or we will die, they all said to Samuel. 00:08:30.834 --> 00:08:34.504 For now we have added to our sins by asking for a king. 00:08:35.564 --> 00:08:38.454 Don't be afraid, Samuel reassured them. 00:08:39.064 --> 00:08:43.114 You have certainly done wrong, but make sure now that you worship 00:08:43.114 --> 00:08:46.764 the Lord with all your heart, and don't turn your back on Him. 00:08:47.464 --> 00:08:51.954 Don't go back to worshiping worthless idols that cannot help or rescue you. 00:08:52.194 --> 00:08:53.774 They are totally useless. 00:08:54.424 --> 00:08:57.704 The Lord will not abandon His people, because that would 00:08:57.714 --> 00:08:59.504 dishonor His great name. 00:09:00.284 --> 00:09:03.954 For it has pleased the Lord to make you His very own people. 00:09:05.064 --> 00:09:09.414 As for me, I will certainly not sin against the Lord by ending my 00:09:09.414 --> 00:09:14.014 prayers for you, and I will continue to teach you what is good and right. 00:09:14.784 --> 00:09:18.324 But be sure to fear the Lord and faithfully serve Him. 00:09:19.274 --> 00:09:24.214 Think of all the wonderful things He has done for you, but if you continue to sin, 00:09:24.774 --> 00:09:27.834 you and your King will be swept away. 00:09:27.844 --> 00:09:27.874 This 00:09:30.034 --> 00:09:32.874 concludes today's Immerse Reading Experience. 00:09:33.004 --> 00:09:34.214 Thank you for joining us.