Study Desk

They said to Samuel, "Don't stop praying to the Lord our God for us! Ask him to save us from the Philistines!"

But the servant answered, "A man of God is in this town. People respect him because everything he says comes true. Let's go into the town now. Maybe he can tell us something about the journey we have taken."

Again the servant answered Saul. "Look, I have one-tenth of an ounce of silver. Give it to the man of God. Then he will tell us about our journey."

(In the past, if someone in Israel wanted to ask something from God, he would say, "Let's go to the seer." We call the person a prophet today, but in the past he was called a seer.)

Saul said to his servant, "That's a good idea. Come, let's go." So they went toward the town where the man of God was.

As Saul, his servant, and Samuel were getting near the edge of the city, Samuel said to Saul, "Tell the servant to go on ahead of us, but you stay, because I have a message from God for you."

"Then you will go on until you reach the big tree at Tabor. Three men on their way to worship God at Bethel will meet you there. One man will be carrying three goats. Another will be carrying three loaves of bread. And the third will have a leather bag full of wine.

Then you will go to Gibeah of God, where a Philistine camp is. When you approach this town, a group of prophets will come down from the place of worship. They will be playing harps, tambourines, flutes, and lyres, and they will be prophesying.

After these signs happen, do whatever you find to do, because God will help you.

When Saul turned to leave Samuel, God changed Saul's heart. All these signs came true that day.

When Saul and his servant arrived at Gibeah, Saul met a group of prophets. The Spirit of God rushed upon him, and he prophesied with the prophets.

He said, "This is what the Lord , the God of Israel, says: ‘I led Israel out of Egypt. I saved you from Egypt's control and from other kingdoms that were troubling you.'

But now you have rejected your God. He saves you from all your troubles and problems, but you said, ‘No! We want a king to rule over us.' Now come, stand before the Lord in your tribes and family groups."

Saul also went to his home in Gibeah. God touched the hearts of certain brave men who went along with him.

"But they forgot the Lord their God. So he handed them over as slaves to Sisera, the commander of the army of Hazor, and as slaves to the Philistines and the king of Moab. They all fought against your ancestors.

But when you saw Nahash king of the Ammonites coming against you, you said, ‘No! We want a king to rule over us!'—even though the Lord your God was your king.

You must honor the Lord and serve him. You must obey his word and not turn against his commands. Both you and the king ruling over you must follow the Lord your God. If you do, it will be well with you.

They said to Samuel, "Pray to the Lord your God for us, your servants! Don't let us die! We've added to all our sins the evil of asking for a king."

Samuel said, "You acted foolishly! You haven't obeyed the command of the Lord your God. If you had obeyed him, the Lord would have made your kingdom continue in Israel always,

All the Philistine soldiers panicked—those in the camp and those in the raiding party. The ground itself shook! God had caused the panic.