Study Desk

You asked for a king, and you chose one. Now he stands here where all of you can see him. But it was really the Lord who made him your king.

Isn't this the dry season? I'm going to ask the Lord to send a thunderstorm. When you see it, you will realize how wrong you were to ask for a king.

They told Samuel, "Please, pray to the Lord your God for us! We don't want to die. We have sinned many times in the past, and we were very wrong to ask for a king."

I would be disobeying the Lord if I stopped praying for you! I will always teach you how to live right.

You also must obey the Lord —you must worship him with all your heart and remember the great things he has done for you.

Saul was a young man when he became king, and he ruled Israel for two years.

Finally, Saul commanded, "Bring me some animals, so we can offer sacrifices to please the Lord and ask for his help." Saul killed one of the animals,

and I was worried that they would attack me here at Gilgal. I hadn't offered a sacrifice to ask for the Lord 's help, so I forced myself to offer a sacrifice on the altar fire."

and Saul was in Geba with his six hundred men. Saul's own tent was set up under a fruit tree by the threshing place at the edge of town. Ahijah was serving as priest, and one of his jobs was to get answers from the Lord for Saul. Ahijah's father was Ahitub, and his father's brother was Ichabod. Ahijah's grandfather was Phinehas, and his great-grandfather Eli had been the Lord 's priest at Shiloh. One day, Jonathan told the soldier who carried his weapons that he wanted to attack the Philistine camp on the other side of the valley. So they slipped out of the Israelite camp without anyone knowing it. Jonathan didn't even tell his father he was leaving.

At that time, Ahijah was serving as priest for the army of Israel, and Saul told him, "Come over here! Let's ask God what we should do."

There were also some hired soldiers in the Philistine camp, who now switched to Israel's side and fought for Saul and Jonathan.

It was the first altar Saul had built for offering sacrifices to the Lord .

"No!" the soldiers shouted. "God helped Jonathan win the battle for us. We won't let you kill him. We swear to the Lord that we won't let you kill him or even lay a hand on him!" So the army kept Saul from killing Jonathan.

Saul was at war with the Philistines for as long as he lived. Whenever he found a good warrior or a brave man, Saul made him join his army.

Early the next morning he went to talk with Saul. Someone told him, "Saul went to Carmel, where he had a monument built so everyone would remember his victory. Then he left for Gilgal."

Rebelling against God or disobeying him because you are proud is just as bad as worshiping idols or asking them for advice. You refused to do what God told you, so God has decided that you can't be king."

Do you have any more sons?" "Yes," Jesse answered. "My youngest son David is out taking care of the sheep." "Send for him!" Samuel said. "We won't start the ceremony until he gets here."

Jesse sent for David. He was a healthy, good-looking boy with a sparkle in his eyes. As soon as David came, the Lord told Samuel, "He's the one! Get up and pour the olive oil on his head."

"Your Majesty, let us go and look for someone who is good at playing the harp. He can play for you whenever the evil spirit from God bothers you, and you'll feel better."

David went to Saul and started working for him. Saul liked him so much that he put David in charge of carrying his weapons.