Study Desk

"At this time tomorrow I will send a man to you. He will be from the tribe of Benjamin. You must anoint him and make him the new leader over my people Israel. This man will save my people from the Philistines. I have seen my people suffering, and I have heard their cries for help."

Samuel answered, "I am the seer. Go on up ahead of me to the place for worship. You and your servant will eat with me today. I will let you go home tomorrow morning. I will answer all your questions.

And don't worry about the donkeys that you lost three days ago. They have been found. Now, there is something that everyone in Israel is looking for and that something is you and your family."

The cook brought out the thigh and put it on the table in front of Saul. Samuel said, "Eat the meat that was put in front of you. It was saved for you for this special time when I called the people together." So Saul ate with Samuel that day.

After they finished eating, they came down from the place for worship and went back to town. Samuel made a bed for Saul on the roof,

Saul, his servant, and Samuel were walking together near the edge of town. Samuel said to Saul, "Tell your servant to go on ahead of us. I have a message for you from God." So the servant walked ahead of them.

After you leave me today, you will meet two men near Rachel's tomb on the border of Benjamin at Zelzah. The two men will say to you, ‘Someone found the donkeys you were looking for. Your father stopped worrying about his donkeys. Now he is worrying about you. He is saying: What will I do about my son?'"

These three men will say hello to you. They will offer you two bread offerings reserved for priests, and you will accept that bread.

Then you will go to Gibeath Elohim. There is a Philistine fort in that place. When you come to this town, a group of prophets will come out. These prophets will come down from the place for worship. They will be prophesying. They will be playing harps, tambourines, flutes, and lyres.

Saul's uncle asked Saul and his servant, "Where have you been?" Saul said, "We were looking for the donkeys. When we couldn't find them, we went to see Samuel."

Samuel told each family in the tribe of Benjamin to pass by. Matri's family was chosen. Then Samuel told each man in Matri's family to walk by. Saul son of Kish was chosen. But when the people looked for Saul, they could not find him.

Now, stand there. I will accuse you before the Lord and I will tell you about the good things the Lord did for you and your ancestors.

"Jacob went to Egypt. Later, the Egyptians made life hard for his descendants. So they cried to the Lord for help. The Lord sent Moses and Aaron, and they took your ancestors out of Egypt and led them to live in this place.

But your ancestors cried to the Lord for help. They said, ‘We have sinned. We left the Lord , and we served the false gods Baal and Ashtoreth. But now save us from our enemies, and we will serve you.'

Now is the time of the wheat harvest. I will pray to the Lord and ask him to send thunder and rain. Then you will know you did a very bad thing against the Lord when you asked for a king."

All the people said to Samuel, "Pray to the Lord your God for us, your servants. Don't let us die! We have sinned many times. And now we have added to these sins—we have asked for a king."

"But the Lord won't leave his people. No, the Lord was pleased to make you his own people. So for his own good name, he won't leave you.

And as for me, I would never stop praying for you. If I stopped praying for you, I would be sinning against the Lord . I will continue to teach you the right way to live a good life.

But you must honor the Lord . You must serve him sincerely with all your heart. Remember the wonderful things he has done for you.

But now your kingdom won't continue. The Lord was looking for a man who wants to obey him. He has found that man—and the Lord has chosen him to be the new leader of his people, because you didn't obey his command."