Study Desk

Then Saul said to his servant, "But if we go, what can we bring the man? The bread in our bags is gone. There is no gift to bring to the man of God. What do we have?"

As they were going out of the city, Samuel said to Saul, "Tell the servant to go on before us, but you stand here. Then I will make the Word of God known to you."

Saul said to his father's brother, "He told us that the donkeys had been found." But he did not tell him what Samuel had told him about being king.

But today you have turned away from your God, Who saves you from all your troubles. You have said, ‘No! Have a king rule over us!' So now come before the Lord, by your family groups and by your thousands."

Then he brought the family group of Benjamin near by its families, and the name of the Matrite family was drawn. Then the name of Saul the son of Kish was drawn. But when they looked for him, he could not be found.

But some men of no worth said, "How can this man save us?" They hated him and did not bring him any gift. But he kept quiet.

But Nahash the Ammonite said to them, "I will make an agreement with you only if I may cut out the right eye of every one of you. This way I will put all Israel to shame."

But Saul said, "No man will be put to death this day. For today the Lord has saved Israel."

Now see, the king walks in front of you. But I am old. My hair is growing white. See, my sons are with you. I have walked in front of you since I was young, until this day.

But they forgot the Lord their God. So He sold them into the hand of Sisera, captain 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.

Then they cried out to the Lord and said, ‘We have sinned because we have turned away from the Lord. We have worshiped the false gods, the Baals and the Ashtaroth. But now save us from the power of those who hate us, and we will worship You.'

But then you saw that Nahash the king of the Ammonites came against you. So you said to me, ‘No! A king must rule over us,' when the Lord your God was your King.

But if you will not listen to the voice of the Lord, and go against the Lord's Word, then the hand of the Lord will be against you, as it was against your fathers.

Samuel said to the people, "Do not be afraid. You have done all these sins. But do not turn aside from following the Lord. Worship the Lord with all your heart.

And as for me, far be it from me that I should sin against the Lord by not praying for you. But I will teach you the good and the right way.

But if you still sin, both you and your king will be destroyed."

Saul chose 3,000 men of Israel. There were 2,000 of them with Saul in Michmash and in the hill country of Bethel. And 1,000 were with Jonathan at Gibeah of Benjamin. But he sent away the rest of the people, each to his tent.

Some of the Hebrews crossed the Jordan to the land of Gad and Gilead. But as for Saul, he was still in Gilgal, and all the people followed him in fear.

Saul waited seven days, the time set by Samuel, but Samuel did not come to Gilgal. And the people were leaving him.

But Samuel said, "What have you done?" Saul said, "I saw that the people were leaving me. You did not come when you said you would. And the Philistines were gathering at Michmash.