Study Desk

So the Philistines were subdued and didn't invade Israel again for some time. And throughout Samuel's lifetime, the Lord 's powerful hand was raised against the Philistines.

So Samuel passed on the Lord 's warning to the people who were asking him for a king.

But the people refused to listen to Samuel's warning. "Even so, we still want a king," they said.

So Samuel repeated to the Lord what the people had said,

So Saul took one of the servants and traveled through the hill country of Ephraim, the land of Shalishah, the Shaalim area, and the entire land of Benjamin, but they couldn't find the donkeys anywhere.

"All right," Saul agreed, "let's try it!" So they started into the town where the man of God lived.

As they were climbing the hill to the town, they met some young women coming out to draw water. So Saul and his servant asked, "Is the seer here today?"

So they entered the town, and as they passed through the gates, Samuel was coming out toward them to go up to the place of worship.

So the cook brought in the meat and placed it before Saul. "Go ahead and eat it," Samuel said. "I was saving it for you even before I invited these others!" So Saul ate with Samuel that day.

At daybreak the next morning, Samuel called to Saul, "Get up! It's time you were on your way." So Saul got ready, and he and Samuel left the house together.

And one of those standing there said, "Can anyone become a prophet, no matter who his father is?" So that is the origin of the saying "Is even Saul a prophet?"

"Where have you been?" Saul's uncle asked him and his servant. "We were looking for the donkeys," Saul replied, "but we couldn't find them. So we went to Samuel to ask him where they were."

So Samuel brought all the tribes of Israel before the Lord , and the tribe of Benjamin was chosen by lot.

So they asked the Lord , "Where is he?" And the Lord replied, "He is hiding among the baggage."

So they found him and brought him out, and he stood head and shoulders above anyone else.

Saul had been plowing a field with his oxen, and when he returned to town, he asked, "What's the matter? Why is everyone crying?" So they told him about the message from Jabesh.

So Saul sent the messengers back to Jabesh-gilead to say, "We will rescue you by noontime tomorrow!" There was great joy throughout the town when that message arrived!

But before dawn the next morning, Saul arrived, having divided his army into three detachments. He launched a surprise attack against the Ammonites and slaughtered them the whole morning. The remnant of their army was so badly scattered that no two of them were left together.

So they all went to Gilgal, and in a solemn ceremony before the Lord they made Saul king. Then they offered peace offerings to the Lord , and Saul and all the Israelites were filled with joy.

But the people soon forgot about the Lord their God, so he handed them over to Sisera, the commander of Hazor's army, and also to the Philistines and to the king of Moab, who fought against them.