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Page 34
But they would not follow his advice. They said: "No; we will have a
king to reign over us."
So Samuel chose as their king a tall young man named Saul, who was a
farmer's son of the tribe of Benjamin. When Saul was brought before the
people he stood head and shoulders above them all. And Samuel said:
"Look at the man whom the Lord has chosen! There is not another like him
among all the people!"
And all the people shouted, "God save the king! Long live the king!"
Then Samuel told the people what should be the laws for the king and for
the people to obey. He wrote them down in a book, and placed the book
before the Lord. Then Samuel sent the people home; and Saul went back to
his own house at a place called Gibeah; and with Saul went a company of
men to whose hearts God had given a love for the king.
So after three hundred years under the fifteen Judges, Israel now had a
king. But among the people there were some who were not pleased with the
new king, because he was an unknown man from the farm. They said:
"Can such a man as this save us?"
They showed no respect to the king, and in their hearts looked down upon
him. But Saul said nothing, and showed his wisdom by appearing not to
notice them. But in another thing he was not so wise. He forgot to heed
the old prophet's advice and instructions about ruling wisely and doing
as the Lord said. It was not long before Samuel told him that he had
disobeyed God and would lose his kingdom.
When Samuel told Saul that the Lord would take away the kingdom from
him, he did not mean that Saul should lose the kingdom at once. He was
no longer God's king; and as soon as the right man in God's sight should
be found, and should be trained for his duty as king, then God would
take away Saul's power, and would give it to the man whom God had
chosen. But it was years before this came to pass.
The Lord said to Samuel: "Do not weep and mourn any longer over Saul,
for I have refused him as king. Fill the horn with oil, and go to
Bethlehem in Judah. There find a man named Jesse, for I have chosen a
king among his sons."
But Samuel knew that Saul would be very angry, if he should learn that
Samuel had named any other man as king. He said to the Lord:
"How can I go? If Saul hears of it, he will kill me."
The Lord said to Samuel: "Take a young cow with you; and tell the people
that you have come to make an offering to the Lord. And call Jesse and
his sons to the sacrifice. I will tell you what to do, and you shall
anoint the one whom I name to you."
Samuel went over the mountains southward from Ramah to Bethlehem, about
ten miles, leading a cow. The rulers of the town were alarmed at his
coming, for they feared that he had come to judge the people for some
evil-doing. But Samuel said:
"I have come in peace to make an offering and to hold a feast to the
Lord. Prepare yourselves and come to the sacrifice."
And he invited Jesse and his sons to the service. When they came, he
looked at the sons of Jesse very closely. The oldest was named Eliab,
and he was so tall and noble-looking that Samuel thought:
"Surely this young man must be the one whom God has chosen."
But the Lord said to Samuel:
"Do not look on his face, nor on the height of his body, for I have not
chosen him. Man judges by the outward looks, but God looks at the
heart."
Then Jesse's second son, named Abinadab, passed by. And the Lord said:
"I have not chosen this one." Seven young men came and Samuel said:
"None of these is the man whom God has chosen. Are these all your
children?"
"There is one more," said Jesse. "The youngest of all. He is a boy, in
the field caring for the sheep."
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