Study Desk

Saul also went back home to Gibeah. Some powerful men, whose hearts God had touched, went with him.

When Saul heard this, the spirit of God took control of him, and he became furious.

But the people forgot the Lord their God, and so he let the Philistines and the king of Moab and Sisera, commander of the army of the city of Hazor, fight against your ancestors and conquer them.

All will go well with you if you honor the Lord your God, serve him, listen to him, and obey his commands, and if you and your king follow him.

and they said to Samuel, "Please, sir, pray to the Lord your God for us, so that we won't die. We now realize that, besides all our other sins, we have sinned by asking for a king."

"That was a foolish thing to do," Samuel answered. "You have not obeyed the command the Lord your God gave you. If you had obeyed, he would have let you and your descendants rule over Israel forever.

Saul said to his men, "Let's go down and attack the Philistines in the night, plunder them until dawn, and kill them all." "Do whatever you think best," they answered. But the priest said, "Let's consult God first."

So Saul asked God, "Shall I attack the Philistines? Will you give us victory?" But God did not answer that day.

Saul said to the Lord , the God of Israel, " Lord , why have you not answered me today? Lord , God of Israel, answer me by the sacred stones. If the guilt is Jonathan's or mine, answer by the Urim; but if it belongs to your people Israel, answer by the Thummim." The answer indicated Jonathan and Saul; and the people were cleared.

Saul said to him, "May God strike me dead if you are not put to death!"

Saul answered, "My men took them from the Amalekites. They kept the best sheep and cattle to offer as a sacrifice to the Lord your God, and the rest we have destroyed completely."

But my men did not kill the best sheep and cattle that they captured; instead, they brought them here to Gilgal to offer as a sacrifice to the Lord your God."

Israel's majestic God does not lie or change his mind. He is not a human being—he does not change his mind."

"I have sinned," Saul replied. "But at least show me respect in front of the leaders of my people and all of Israel. Go back with me so that I can worship the Lord your God."

His servants said to him, "We know that an evil spirit sent by God is tormenting you.

From then on, whenever the evil spirit sent by God came on Saul, David would get his harp and play it. The evil spirit would leave, and Saul would feel better and be all right again.

David asked the men who were near him, "What will the man get who kills this Philistine and frees Israel from this disgrace? After all, who is this heathen Philistine to defy the army of the living God?"

I have killed lions and bears, and I will do the same to this heathen Philistine, who has defied the army of the living God.

He said to David, "What's that stick for? Do you think I'm a dog?" And he called down curses from his god on David.

David answered, "You are coming against me with sword, spear, and javelin, but I come against you in the name of the Lord Almighty, the God of the Israelite armies, which you have defied.