Study Desk

When they came there to the hill, behold, a group of prophets met him; and the Spirit of God rushed upon him, so that he prophesied among them.

and he said to the sons of Israel, "This is what the LORD, the God of Israel says: 'I brought Israel up from Egypt, and I rescued you from the hand of the Egyptians and from the power of all the kingdoms that were oppressing you.'

"But today you have rejected your God, who saves you from all your catastrophes and your distresses; yet you have said, 'No, but put a king over us!' Now then, present yourselves before the LORD by your tribes and by your groups of thousands."

Saul also went to his house in Gibeah; and the valiant men whose hearts God had touched went with him.

Then the Spirit of God rushed upon Saul when he heard these words, and he became very angry.

"But they forgot the LORD their God, so He sold them into the hand of Sisera, commander of the army of Hazor, and into the hand of the Philistines, and into the hand of the king of Moab, and they fought against them.

"But when you saw that Nahash the king of the sons of Ammon was coming against you, you said to me, 'No, but a king shall reign over us!' Yet the LORD your God was your king.

"If you will fear the LORD and serve Him, and listen to His voice and not rebel against the command of the LORD, then both you and the king who reigns over you will follow the LORD your God.

Then all the people said to Samuel, "Pray to the LORD your God for your servants, so that we do not die; for we have added to all our sins this evil, by asking for ourselves a king."

But Samuel said to Saul, "You have acted foolishly! You have not kept the commandment of the LORD your God, which He commanded you, for the LORD would now have established your kingdom over Israel forever.

Then Saul said to Ahijah, "Bring the ark of God here." For at that time the ark of God was with the sons of Israel.

Then Saul said, "Let's go down after the Philistines by night and take plunder among them until the morning light, and let's not leave a man among them alive." And they said, "Do whatever seems good to you." So the priest said, "Let's approach God here."

So Saul inquired of God: "Shall I go down after the Philistines? Will You hand them over to Israel?" But He did not answer him on that day.

Therefore, Saul said to the LORD, the God of Israel, "Give a perfect lot." And Jonathan and Saul were selected by lot, but the people were exonerated.

And Saul said, "May God do the same to me and more also, for you shall certainly die, Jonathan!"

But the people said to Saul, "Must Jonathan die, he who has brought about this great victory in Israel? Far from it! As the LORD lives, not even a hair of his head shall fall to the ground, because he has worked with God this day." So the people rescued Jonathan and he did not die.

Saul said, "They have brought them from the Amalekites, for the people spared the best of the sheep and oxen to sacrifice to the LORD your God; but the rest we have completely destroyed."

"But the people took some of the spoils, sheep and oxen, the choicest of the things designated for destruction, to sacrifice to the LORD your God at Gilgal."

Then Saul said, "I have sinned; but please honor me now before the elders of my people and before all Israel, and go back with me, so that I may worship the LORD your God."

But the LORD said to Samuel, "Do not look at his appearance or at the height of his stature, because I have rejected him; for God does not see as man sees, since man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart."