Today continued on with more fighting and battles. First, Saul defeated the Ammonites. Before this though, he apparently took a yoke of oxen and cut them into pieces and sent them throughout all the territories of Israel. This was a warning for anyone who would not come out to face them; that they would do that to their oxen.
From the dread of the Lord, all the people mustered together. The people of Israel were three hundred thousand and the men of Judah thirty thousand. They defeated their enemies the next day, and struck them all down. Those who survived were scattered, so that no two of them were left together.
Then they renewed the kingdom and Saul was made king over that land too. They sacrificed peace offerings before the Lord, and Saul and all the men of Israel rejoiced greatly.
I really enjoyed Samuel’s farewell address, mainly because it gave a little recap of what’s been going on, and Samuel’s advice to the people.
Samuel’s Farewell Address
“The Lord is witness, who appointed Moses and Aaron and brought your fathers up out of the land of Egypt. Now therefore stand still that I may plead with you before the Lord concerning all the righteous deeds of the Lord that he performed for you and for your fathers.
When Jacob went into Egypt, and the Egyptians oppressed them, then your fathers cried out to the Lord and the Lord sent Moses and Aaron, who brought your fathers out of Egypt and made them dwell in this place. But they forgot the Lord their God.
And he sold them into the hands of Sisera, commander of the army of Hazor, and into the hand of the Philistines, and into the hand of the king of Moab. And they fought against them.
And they cried out to the Lord and said, ‘We have sinned, because we have forsaken the Lord and have served the Baals and the Ashtaroth. But now deliver us out of the hand of our enemies, that we may serve you.’
And the Lord sent Jerubbal and Barak and Jephthah and Samuel and delivered you out of the hand of your enemies on every side, and you lived in safety.
And when you saw that Nahash the king of the Ammonites came against you, you said to me, ‘No, but a king shall reign over us,’ when the Lord your God was king.
And now behold the king whom you have chosen, for whom you have asked; behold, the Lord has set a king over you.
If you will fear the Lord and serve him and obey his voice and not rebel against the commandment of the Lord, and if both you and the king who reigns over you follow the Lord your God, it will be well.
But if you will not obey the voice of the Lord, but rebel against the commandment of the Lord, then the hand of the Lord will be against you and your king. Now therefore stand still and see this great thing that the Lord will do before your eyes.
Is it not wheat harvest today? I will call upon the Lord, that he may send thunder and rain. And you shall know and see that your wickedness is great, which you have done in the sight of the Lord, in asking for yourselves a king.”
The Lord sent thunder and rain that day, and all the people greatly feared the Lord and Samuel. They asked Samuel to pray for them to the Lord so they would not die for all their sins and evil by asking for a king. Samuel continued speaking to the people.
“Do not be afraid; you have done all this evil. Yet do not turn aside from following the Lord, but serve the Lord with all your heart. And do not turn aside after empty things that cannot profit or deliver, for they are empty.
For the Lord will not forsake his people, for his great name’s sake, because it has pleased the Lord to make you a people for himself.
Moreover, as for me, far be it from me that I should sin against the Lord by ceasing to pray for you, and I will instruct you in the good and the right way.
Only fear the Lord and serve him faithfully with all your heart. For consider what great things he has done for you. But if you still will do wickedly, you shall be swept away, both you and your king.”
At this point now, the Philistines were preparing to fight with Israel. Saul chose three thousand men and the rest of the people he sent home. The Philistines mustered to fight with Israel, thirty thousand chariots and six thousand horsemen and troops.
When the people of Israel saw that they were in trouble, they hid themselves in caves, holes, rocks, and tombs. Some people even crossed the Jordan to the land of Gad and Gilead. Saul was still at Gilgal, and all the people followed him trembling.
He waited seven days, the time appointed by Samuel, but Samuel didn’t come and the people were scattering from him. Saul decided to offer a burnt offering. As soon as he offered the burnt offering, Samuel came. Saul went out to meet him.
Samuel was asking him what he had done. He was supposed to keep the command of the Lord, but instead he acted foolishly and had forced himself and offered the burnt offering. If Saul had followed the command of the Lord, the Lord would have established his kingdom over Israel forever. But now the kingdom would not continue.
The Lord had sought out a man after his own heart, and the Lord commanded him to be prince over his people, because he did not keep what the Lord commanded.
Enjoyed reading.
Thank you! 😀❤