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as well as the Philistines, gave to Israel prestige as a people to be reckoned with. Her king felt more and more his power and the favor of Jehovah which was manifested in successful wars. He had still to learn the strength of Samuel, jealously guarding his ideal of the commands of Jehovah. The following story shows Samuel in the grandeur of his unflinching demands for obedience, before which even the king must weakly excuse himself, and finally humbly bow. In lines 50-55 we find the essence of the religion of Jehovah as conceived by Samuel. All other gods might be placated by great sacrifices, and external offerings. To Jehovah these were nothing if unaccompanied by the spirit of obedience.

2And Samuel said unto Saul, "Jehovah sent me to anoint thee to be king over his people, over Israel: now therefore hearken thou unto the voice of the words of Jehovah. Thus saith Jehovah of hosts, I have marked that which Amalek did to Israel, how he set 5 himself against him in the way, when he came up out of Egypt. Now go and smite Amalek, and utterly destroy all that they have, and spare them not; but slay both man and woman, infant and suckling, ox and sheep, camel and ass."

And Saul summoned the people, and numbered them in Telaim, 10 two hundred thousand footmen, and ten thousand men of Judah. And Saul came to the city of Amalek, and laid wait in the valley. And Saul said unto the Kenites,3 "Go, depart, get you down from among the Amalekites, lest I destroy you with them; for ye showed kindness to all the children of Israel, when they came up out of 15 Egypt." So the Kenites departed from among the Amalekites. And Saul smote the Amalekites, from Havilah as thou goest to Shur, that is before Egypt. And he took Agag the king of the Amalekites, alive,4 and utterly destroyed all the people with the

1 *Moabites, Ammonites, Edomites, Amalekites: Locate these on the map and notice their relation to the land of the Hebrews. The tribes on the southeast had interfered with Israel's progress in her endeavors to enter Palestine.

2 I Sam. 15:1-23, 5 (Am. Standard Rev. Ver., by permission).

3 *Kenites: a tribe connected with Moses by marriage, and tradition said always friendly to the Hebrews.

4 Took Agag alive: Nations were greatly enriched by the spoils of war. It was also customary to hold royal personages as captives for sale rather than to kill them. Samuel's command prohibited such profit. This was a most important victory, news of which would quickly be carried to every part of the kingdom. Samuel was probably watching for news of the outcome.

edge of the sword. But Saul and the people spared Agag, and the 20 best of the sheep, and of the oxen, and of the fatlings, and the lambs, and all that was good, and would not utterly destroy them: but everything that was vile and refuse, that they destroyed utterly.

Then came the word of Jehovah unto Samuel, saying, "It repenteth me that I have set up Saul to be king; for he is turned back 25 from following me, and hath not performed my commandments." And Samuel was wroth; and he cried unto Jehovah all night. And Samuel rose early to meet Saul in the morning;1 and it was told Samuel, saying, "Saul came to Carmel, and, behold, he set him up a monument, and turned, and passed on, and went down to Gilgal." 30 And Samuel came to Saul; and Saul said unto him,"Blessed be thou of Jehovah: I have performed the commandment of Jehovah." And Samuel said, "What meaneth then this bleating of the sheep in mine ears, and the lowing of the oxen which I hear?" And Saul said, "They have brought them from the Amalekites: for the peo35 ple spared the best of the sheep and of the oxen, to sacrifice unto Jehovah thy God; and the rest we have utterly destroyed." Then Samuel said unto Saul, "Stay, and I will tell thee what Jehovah hath said to me this night." And he said unto him, "Say on.

And Samuel said, "Though thou wast little in thine own sight, 40 wast thou not made the head of the tribes of Israel? And Jehovah anointed thee king over Israel; and Jehovah sent thee on a journey, and said, Go, and utterly destroy the sinners the Amalekites, and fight against them until they be consumed. Wherefore then didst thou not obey the voice of Jehovah, but didst fly upon the spoil, 45 and didst that which was evil in the sight of Jehovah?" And Saul said unto Samuel, "Yea, I have obeyed the voice of Jehovah, and have gone the way which Jehovah sent me, and have brought Agag the king of Amalek, and have utterly destroyed the Amalekites. But the people took of the spoil, sheep and oxen, the chief of the 50 devoted things, to sacrifice unto Jehovah thy God in Gilgal." And Samuel said, "Hath Jehovah as great delight in burnt-offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of Jehovah? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of rams.3 For rebellion is as sinful as witchcraft, and stubbornness as idolatry

I To meet Saul: Samuel doubtless expected Saul to come to him for the offering of the sacrifice in celebration of the victory.

2 Monument: to commemorate the victory.

3 Lines 50-55 represent the characteristic teaching of Samuel.

55 and teraphim.

Because thou hast rejected the word of Jehovah, he hath also rejected thee from being king."

And Samuel came no more to see Saul. And Samuel mourned on account of Saul, whom Jehovah repented that he had made king. Samuel Selects a New King. The withdrawal of the support of Samuel possibly had much to do with the attacks of melancholy and wild jealousy which made Saul's later years a burden, and left to posterity the memory of a morose and unjust persecutor of one who was to be his successor, rather than that of the valiant soldier which he as truly was.

But Samuel had not done with kings when from his point of view Saul proved to be a failure. We find him ready as before to seek the man for the times and to forestall the succession in Saul's family. That the following story does not represent Samuel's first introduction to the family of Jesse we can hardly doubt, since his mission to Bethlehem to offer the great sacrifice was probably

not an uncommon one.2

And Jehovah said unto Samuel, "How long wilt thou mourn for Saul, seeing I have rejected him from being king over Israel? fill thy horn with oil, and go: I will send thee to Jesse the Beth-lehemite; for I have provided me a king among his sons." And Samuel 5 said, "How can I go without Saul's knowledge? If he hear it, he will kill me."3 And Jehovah said, "Take a heifer with thee, and say, I am come to sacrifice to Jehovah. And call Jesse to the sacrifice, and I will show thee what thou shalt do: and thou shalt anoint unto me him whom I name unto thee." And Samuel did that which 10 Jehovah spake, and came to Bethlehem.4 And the elders of the city came to meet him trembling,5 and said, "Comest thou peace

1*Teraphim: a form of household idol.

2 I Sam. 16: 1–13 (Am. Standard Rev. Ver., by permission).

3 *He will kill me: showing how bitter was the estrangement between Samuel and Saul.

4 *Bethlehem, the birthplace of the man who became Israel's ideal king, became also in later prophecy the place from which the great king of the Hebrew ideal state should come. "But thou Bethlehem . . . out of thee shall one come forth unto

me that is to be ruler in Israel."

5 *Came to meet him trembling: The fear of the wrath of Jehovah was all-pervading in those days. Samuel's coming might mean some portentous announcement. He is met by the officials of the city.

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ably?" And he said, "Peaceably; I am come to sacrifice unto Jehovah: sanctify yourselves,1 and come with me to the sacrifice." And he sanctified Jesse and his sons, and called them to the sacrifice.

And it came to pass, when they were come, that he looked on Eliab, and said, "Surely Jehovah's anointed is before him." But Jehovah said unto Samuel, “Look not on his countenance, or on the height of his stature; because I have rejected him: for Jehovah seeth not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appear20 ance, but Jehovah looketh on the heart." Then Jesse called Abinadab, and made him pass before Samuel. And he said, "Neither hath Jehovah chosen this." Then Jesse made Shammah to pass by. And he said, "Neither hath Jehovah chosen this." And Jesse made seven of his sons to pass before Samuel. And Samuel said unto 25 Jesse, "Jehovah hath not chosen these." And Samuel said unto Jesse, "Are here all thy children?" And he said, "There remaineth yet the youngest, and, behold, he is keeping the sheep." And Samuel said unto Jesse, "Send and fetch him; for we will not sit down till he come hither." And he sent, and brought him in. Now he was 30 ruddy, and withal of a beautiful countenance, and goodly to look upon. And Jehovah said, "Arise, anoint him; for this is he." Then Samuel took the horn of oil, and anointed him in the midst of his brethren: and the Spirit of Jehovah came mightily upon David from that day forward. So Samuel rose up and went to Ramah.

In Death as in Life a Ruler of Kings.4—It is not our purpose in this volume to present a history of Israel and her kings, except in

1 *Sanctify yourselves: Perhaps by ablutions, and by abstinence from anything deemed ceremonially unclean.

2 Line 20: Join this clause in thought with 15: 226. Does the need of such sincerity as this standard demands enter into our modern life? If not, what reforms are necessary? What changes in methods from those used by Samuel would be desirable? Apply the test to politics and government, religion and the church, as we see them, the business world, individuals in society, ourselves and others.

3 *Line 28: "We will not sit down," meaning to the sacrificial meal.

4 *Although the monarchy was so new, it was natural to expect that Saul's son would succeed him. Jonathan, an honorable and lovable man, and no mean warrior, perished with his father in the battle on Mount Gilboa, and no other son of Saul seems to have been strong enough to forestall David in the confidence of the people. There was a futile attempt to set up a rival kingdom in the north, but it soon ended in disaster.

so far as the history was influenced by the prophets. David, coming into contact with Saul's court, was soon attached to his army and became the victorious leader of many battles. His popularity increased while that of Saul waned. Years of persecution followed, during which there was no hint of any sympathy with Saul on the part of Samuel; and David, ever loyal to his people, even when an exile, waited, probably with the expressed approval of Samuel, for his time of authority to come. Of the time or manner of the death of Samuel we have no record, but the last note of triumph for the prophet is given us in a story of Saul's tragic appeal to the spirit of Samuel in the face of an impending battle which he feared to enter without the assurance of Jehovah's assistance. Not even the spirit of Samuel could be prevailed upon to give comfort. Then as before," Because thou obeyedst not the voice of the Lord" sounded the death knell in the heart of Saul. Whether the visit of Saul to the witch of Endor2 be a fact or not, it is clear that to him the favor of the prophet meant the favor of God, without which he could no longer brave the perils of battle with his old undaunted spirit, and his tragic death in defeat soon follows.

Another View of Saul.-The lament of David over Saul and his son Jonathan helps us perhaps to do justice to a king whose lot fell in troubled times, and whose faults, pictured by prophetic writers, may have been made too greatly to overshadow his virtues.

1 The story of the changing relations of Saul and David is graphically told in I Sam. 16:14-II Sam., chap. I. The introduction of David to the court of Saul, his friendship with Jonathan, Saul's son, his successes as the leader of Saul's armies, his growing popularity with the people echoed in the ancient song of the streets and the camp,

"Saul hath slain his thousands,
And David his ten thousands,"

Saul's estrangement from Samuel, his fits of depression which David's music was said to charm away, his bitter jealousy of the popularity of David resulting in attempts upon the life of the latter by both stratagem and open attack, David's exile and outlaw life-these form a tragic story of unfulfilled hopes and failing courage.

2 The story of Saul's visit to the witch of Endor is found in I Sam. 28: 3-25, and that of the fatal battle with the Philistines in 31:1-13. Vs. of chap. 28 shows us that the practice of consulting spirits had been and probably still was common, although the influence of Samuel and the mandate of the king had placed such practices under a formal ban. In Saul's desperate state of mind there is nothing more improbable in this story than in the spiritualistic and clairvoyant tales of our own day, and doubtless the same possibility of deception.

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