Study Desk

So Saul said to Ahijah the priest, "Bring the Ark of God." (At that time it was with the Israelites.)

Saul said, "Let's go after the Philistines tonight and rob them. We won't let any of them live!" The men answered, "Do whatever you think is best." But the priest said, "Let's ask God."

So Saul asked God, "Should I chase the Philistines? Will you let us defeat them?" But God did not answer Saul at that time.

Then Saul prayed to the Lord , the God of Israel, "Give me the right answer." And Saul and Jonathan were picked; the other men went free.

Saul said, "Jonathan, if you don't die, may God punish me terribly."

Saul answered, "The soldiers took them from the Amalekites. They saved the best sheep and cattle to offer as sacrifices to the Lord your God, but we destroyed all the other animals."

The soldiers took the best sheep and cattle to sacrifice to the Lord your God at Gilgal."

But Samuel answered, "What pleases the Lord more: burnt offerings and sacrifices or obedience to his voice? It is better to obey than to sacrifice. It is better to listen to God than to offer the fat of sheep.

Saul answered, "I have sinned. But please honor me in front of the elders of my people and in front of the Israelites. Come back with me so that I can worship the Lord your God."

But the Lord said to Samuel, "Don't look at how handsome Eliab is or how tall he is, because I have not chosen him. God does not see the same way people see. People look at the outside of a person, but the Lord looks at the heart."

Saul's servants said to him, "See, an evil spirit from God is troubling you.

Give us the command to look for someone who can play the harp. When the evil spirit from God troubles you, he will play, and you will feel better."

When the evil spirit from God troubled Saul, David would take his harp and play. Then the evil spirit would leave him, and Saul would feel better.

David asked the men who stood near him, "What will be done to reward the man who kills this Philistine and takes away the shame from Israel? Who does this uncircumcised Philistine think he is? Does he think he can speak against the armies of the living God?"

I, your servant, have killed both a lion and a bear! This uncircumcised Philistine will be like them, because he has spoken against the armies of the living God.

But David said to him, "You come to me using a sword and two spears. But I come to you in the name of the Lord All-Powerful, the God of the armies of Israel! You have spoken against him.

Today the Lord will hand you over to me, and I'll kill you and cut off your head. Today I'll feed the bodies of the Philistine soldiers to the birds of the air and the wild animals. Then all the world will know there is a God in Israel!

The next day an evil spirit from God rushed upon Saul, and he prophesied in his house. David was playing the harp as he usually did, but Saul had a spear in his hand.

So he sent messengers to capture him. But they met a group of prophets prophesying, with Samuel standing there leading them. So the Spirit of God entered Saul's men, and they also prophesied.

When Saul went to Naioth at Ramah, the Spirit of God also rushed upon him. And he walked on, prophesying until he came to Naioth at Ramah.