"*** Samuel04 ***"
"The cows pull the Ark directly to Israel The Philistine kings did as their priests and diviners advised. They put the Ark on the cart along with a chest containing the gold objects and yoked the cows to the cart. The cows immediately started pulling the cart along the road leading toward Israel. They did not turn to the right or to the left and lowed all the way. The kings of the Philistines followed as far as Beth Shemesh, a Levite town of Judah on the border of Israel. The Ark of the Lord had been in Philistine territory for seven months. The cart stops in a Levite field The Levites of Beth"
"Shemesh were harvesting their wheat when they looked up and saw the Ark coming toward them. They rejoiced at the sight. The cart stopped in the field of Joshua, beside a large rock. The Levites sacrifice the cows The Levites lifted the Ark and the chest containing the gold objects off the cart and placed them on the rock. Then they chopped up the wood of the cart and sacrificed the two ox cows as a burnt offering to the Lord. Seventy Levites die for looking into the Ark But God killed seventy of the men of Beth Shemesh because they looked inside the Ark. The people mourned because of the heavy"
"blow the Lord had dealt them and sent messengers up to the people of the nearby town of Kiriath Jearim saying, Why the Philistines have returned the Ark of the Lord. Come down and take it. The Ark kept at Kiriath Jearim So the men of Kiriath Jearim came and took the Ark of the Lord up to Abinadabs house on the hill and consecrated Eleazar his son to guard it. The Israelites mourn and repent of idolatry The Ark remained at Kiriath Jearim twenty years, and all the people of Israel mourned and sought the Lord. Samuel said to the people, If you are returning to the Lord with all your hearts, then rid"
"yourselves of all foreign gods and serve Jehovah only and he will deliver you from the Philistines. So the Israelites put away their Baals and Ashtoreths. Samuel calls all Israel together at Mizpah to intercede with the Lord for them Then Samuel commanded all Israel saying, Assemble at Mizpah and I will intercede with the Lord for you. The people fast and confess their sins So all Israel assembled at Mizpah, fasting and confessing, We have sinned against the Lord. The Philistines prepare to attack Israel again When the Philistines heard that all Israel had gathered at Mizpah they came up to"
"attack them. The Israelites heard that the Philistines were coming and were afraid. They said to Samuel, Cry out to the Lord for us, so he will save us from the Philistines. Samuel sacrifices a lamb and cries to the Lord for help So Samuel took a lamb and offered it up as a whole burnt offering to the Lord, then he cried out on Israels behalf and the Lord answered him. The Philistines are thrown into a panic by loud thunder from the Lord As the Philistines drew near to fight, the Lord thundered with a loud thunder against them, which terrified them and threw them into a panic, and they"
"fled. The Israelites pursue and slaughter the Philistines Then the men of Israel arose and pursued them, slaughtering them all the way to the border. Afterward Samuel set up a stone and named it Ebenezer saying, Jehovah has helped us. So the Philistines were subdued at that time and did not renew their attack and the towns they had formerly taken from Israel were recaptured again."
"*** Samuel05 ***"
"Samuel judged Israel all his life Samuel judged Israel all the days of his life. He went on a circuit year by year to Bethel, Gilgal and Mizpah and judged Israel in all these places. Then he would return to his home town of Ramah where he built an altar to the Lord. Samuel appoints his two sons as judges but they are dishonest When Samuel grew old he appointed his two sons as judges. But his sons did not walk in his ways, they were dishonest and accepted bribes. The Israelites ask Samuel for a king So the elders of Israel gathered together and came to Samuel at Ramah and said to him, You are old and"
"your sons do not walk in your ways. Appoint a king to lead us, such as the other nations have. Samuel enquires of the Lord This displeased Samuel, so he enquired of the Lord and the Lord answered, Do as the people ask, they have not rejected you but have rejected me as their king, as they have done from the day I brought them up out of Egypt. But warn them solemnly what the king who will reign over them will do. Samuel prophesies of the disadvantages of a king So Samuel said to the elders who had asked him for a king, This is what the king who will reign over you will do: He will take your sons"
"and make them serve in his army with his chariots and horses. He will assign others to make weapons of war and chariots. Still others he will have plough his ground and reap his harvest. He will take your daughters to be perfumers and cooks and bakers. He will take the best of your fields and vineyards and olive groves and give them to his officials. The best of your servants and your cattle and donkeys he will take for his own use, and he will also tax a tenth of your flocks and grain and wine to support his officials. Even you yourselves will become his servants, and when that day comes you"
"will cry out to the Lord for relief from the king you have chosen, but Jehovah will not answer you. The elders persist in asking for a king But the elders answered Samuel, We want to be like the other nations and have a king to rule us and go out before us to fight our battles. The Lord tells Samuel to give Israel a king When Samuel heard this he again took it to the Lord. The Lord answered, Give them a king. Saul sent to search for his fathers donkeys There was a Benjamite, a man of standing whose name was Kish. He had a son named Saul, a man of handsome appearance without equal among the"
"Israelites and a head taller than any other man. Now some donkeys belonging to Kish became lost, so he sent his son Saul and a servant to search for them. They searched widely throughout the hill country of Ephraim but did not find them. Finally Saul said to the servant, Let us return home or my father will cease worrying about the donkeys and begin to worry about us. Saul and his servant visit Samuel the prophet The servant replied, A prophet of God lives in a nearby town. Everything he says comes to pass. Perhaps he will tell us where to find the donkeys. Saul said, But what have we to give"
"the man? The food in our sacks is gone? The servant answered, I have a quarter of a shekel of silver. We can give that to the man of God. Very well then, let us go, Saul said. So they went to Ramah where Samuel the prophet lived. As they were going up the hill to the town they met some girls coming down to draw water, so they asked them, Is the seer in the town? They answered, He is, if you hurry you will find him before he goes up to the high place to bless the sacrifice and eat. So they hurried up the hill to the town. Just as they entered they saw the prophet Samuel coming toward them, on"
"his way to the high place. Samuel tells Saul he is to become king of Israel Now the previous day the Lord had said to Samuel, About this time tomorrow I will send you a man of Benjamin. Anoint him king. He will deliver my people Israel from the hand of the Philistines for their cry has reached me. When Samuel saw Saul, the word of the Lord came to him again saying, This is the man of whom I spoke. He will rule my people. So Samuel said to Saul. Go up ahead of me to the high place. Today you will eat with me and tomorrow I will tell you whatever you wish to know. As for the donkeys you lost"
"three days ago, they have been found. On whom is all the desire of Israel fixed, if not you and your family? Saul answered, Am I not a Benjamite, the smallest tribe of Israel and my clan the least of the clans of Benjamin? Why then do you speak such words to me? Saul eats with Samuel and sleeps at his house When Samuel had blessed the sacrifice at the high place he took Saul and his servant into the eating hall and seated them at the head of those who were invited, about thirty in number and they ate with him. After they had returned back down to the town Samuel spoke with Saul on the roof"
"of his house and Saul slept there that night. Saul is anointed king by Samuel Early next morning Saul left to return home. Samuel escorted him to the edge of the town and said to him, Command your servant to go on ahead. And the servant did so. Then Samuel took a flask of oil and poured it on Sauls head and kissed him saying, Jehovah has anointed you king over Israel. You will reign over the people of the Lord and save them from their enemies. Samuel prophesies three signs for Saul Now this shall be a sign to you: Today on your way home you will meet two men near Rachels tomb. They will say"
"to you, The donkeys you set out to look for have been found and now your father is worried about you. When you reach the great oak of Tabor, three men going to Bethel will meet you there. One will be carrying three young goats, another three loaves of bread and another a skin of wine. They will greet you and offer you two loaves of bread which you shall accept from them. The Spirit of the Lord to come upon Saul As you approach your home town of Gibeah you will meet a company of prophets coming down from the high place, with lyres, tambourines, flutes and harps being played before them."
"They will be prophesying and the Spirit of the Lord will come upon you in power and you will prophesy with them. You will be changed into a different person. Once these signs are fulfilled, do whatever you feel is right, for God will be with you. The signs are fulfilled and Saul prophesies Saul left Samuel and that day all the signs were fulfilled. When he arrived at his home town of Gibeah a company of prophets met him and the Spirit of God came upon Saul and he joined in their prophesying. When those who knew him, saw him prophesying with the prophets they said to each other, What has"
"happened to the son of Kish? Is Saul also a prophet? Saul is silent about his anointing Sauls uncle said to him, What did the prophet Samuel say to you? Saul replied, He told us that the donkeys had been found. He did not tell his uncle what Samuel had said about the kingship."