WEBVTT 00:00:00.040 --> 00:00:06.440 So get the picture. It's the LifeSpring One Year Bible Rewind and coming to you from Riverside, 00:00:06.680 --> 00:00:13.780 California, podcasting since 2004. I'm Steve Webb, your OG Godcaster. This is the podcast that comes 00:00:13.780 --> 00:00:18.540 to you every day and we're reading the entire Bible together in a year. I'm so glad you're here. 00:00:18.780 --> 00:00:25.340 Welcome. The website is lifespringmedia.com. This is National Bean Day. I'll leave the comments to 00:00:25.360 --> 00:00:31.540 you. This is also History Tuesday. We'll read 1 Samuel 6-10, after which, of course, we'll have 00:00:31.760 --> 00:00:36.880 On This Date in Church History. Let's begin. Our Heavenly Father, we love you and we thank you for 00:00:36.900 --> 00:00:42.100 our time together. We pray, God, that as we read today, you would teach us. We pray this in Jesus' 00:00:42.400 --> 00:00:52.080 name. Amen. 1 Samuel 6. After the sacred chest had been in Philistia for seven months, 00:00:52.500 --> 00:00:55.540 The Philistines called in their priests and fortune-tellers and asked, 00:00:55.810 --> 00:00:59.740 What should we do with this sacred chest? Tell us how to send it back where it belongs. 00:01:00.700 --> 00:01:04.000 Don't send it back without a gift, the priests and fortune-tellers answered. 00:01:04.739 --> 00:01:09.000 Send along something to Israel's God to make up for taking the chest in the first place. 00:01:09.620 --> 00:01:13.520 Then you will be healed, and you will find out why the Lord was causing you so much trouble. 00:01:14.560 --> 00:01:16.640 What should we send? the Philistines asked. 00:01:17.480 --> 00:01:19.120 The priests and fortune-tellers answered, 00:01:19.720 --> 00:01:23.460 There are five Philistine rulers, and they all have the same disease that you have. 00:01:24.120 --> 00:01:29.280 So make five gold models of the sores and five gold models of the rats that are wiping out your crops. 00:01:30.040 --> 00:01:36.120 If you honor the God of Israel with this gift, maybe he will stop causing trouble for you and your gods and your crops. 00:01:36.980 --> 00:01:38.740 Don't be like the Egyptians and their king. 00:01:39.150 --> 00:01:43.340 They were stubborn, but when Israel's God was finished with them, they had to let Israel go. 00:01:44.060 --> 00:01:48.040 Get a new cart in two cows that have young calves that have never pulled a cart. 00:01:48.740 --> 00:01:51.840 Hitch the cows to the cart, but take the calves back to their barn. 00:01:52.740 --> 00:01:54.200 Then put the chest on their cart. 00:01:54.640 --> 00:01:59.040 Put the gold rats and sores into a bag and put it on the cart next to the chest. 00:01:59.560 --> 00:02:00.640 Then send it on its way. 00:02:01.600 --> 00:02:05.940 Watch to see if the chest goes on up the road to the Israelite town of Beth Shemesh. 00:02:06.860 --> 00:02:11.440 If it goes back to its own country, you will know that it was the Lord who made us suffer so badly. 00:02:12.160 --> 00:02:14.560 But if the chest doesn't go back to its own country, 00:02:15.090 --> 00:02:17.640 then the Lord had nothing to do with the disease that hit us. 00:02:17.860 --> 00:02:23.820 It was simply bad luck. The Philistines followed their advice. They hitched up the two cows to the 00:02:23.960 --> 00:02:29.000 cart, but they kept their calves in a barn. Then they put the chest on the cart, along with the 00:02:29.100 --> 00:02:35.060 bag that had the gold rats and sores in it. The cows went straight up the road toward Beth Shemesh, 00:02:35.460 --> 00:02:40.160 mooing as they went. The Philistine rulers followed them until they got close to Beth Shemesh. 00:02:41.040 --> 00:02:45.659 The people of Beth Shemesh were harvesting their wheat in the valley. When they looked up and saw 00:02:45.680 --> 00:02:51.440 the chest, they were so happy that they stopped working and started celebrating. The cows left 00:02:51.440 --> 00:02:56.260 the road and pulled the cart into a field that belonged to Joshua from Beth Shemesh, and they 00:02:56.460 --> 00:03:02.260 stopped beside a huge rock. Some men from the tribe of Levi were there, so they took the chest 00:03:02.460 --> 00:03:07.200 off the cart and placed it on the rock, and then they did the same thing with the bag of gold rats 00:03:07.360 --> 00:03:13.419 and sores. A few other people chopped up the cart and made a fire. They killed the cows and burned 00:03:13.440 --> 00:03:20.080 them as sacrifices to the Lord. After that, they offered more sacrifices. When the five rulers of 00:03:20.080 --> 00:03:26.020 the Philistines saw what had happened, they went back to Ekron that same day. That is how the 00:03:26.240 --> 00:03:31.560 Philistines sent gifts to the Lord to make up for taking the sacred chest. They sent five gold 00:03:31.680 --> 00:03:39.799 swords, one each for their towns of Ashdod, Gaza, Ashkelon, Gath, and Ekron. They also sent one gold 00:03:39.820 --> 00:03:44.520 rat for each walled town and for every village that the five Philistine rulers controlled. 00:03:45.700 --> 00:03:50.880 The huge stone where the Levites set the chest is still there in Joshua's field as a reminder of 00:03:50.980 --> 00:03:56.180 what happened. Some of the men of Beth Shemesh looked inside the sacred chest, and the Lord God 00:03:56.360 --> 00:04:01.740 killed seventy of them. This made the people of Beth Shemesh very sad, and they started saying, 00:04:02.240 --> 00:04:08.239 No other god is like the Lord. Who can go near him and stay alive? We'll have to send the chest away 00:04:08.260 --> 00:04:14.140 from here, but where can we send it? They sent messengers to tell the people of Kiriath-Jerim, 00:04:14.340 --> 00:04:19.040 The Philistines have sent back the sacred chest. Why don't you take it and keep it there with you? 00:04:20.079 --> 00:04:26.500 1 Samuel chapter 7. The people of Kiriath-Jerim got the chest and took it to Abinadab's house, 00:04:26.680 --> 00:04:31.380 which was on a hill in their town. They chose his son Eleazar to take care of it, 00:04:31.520 --> 00:04:37.099 and it stayed there for twenty years. During this time everyone in Israel was very sad 00:04:37.380 --> 00:04:41.680 and begged the Lord for help. One day Samuel told all the people of Israel, 00:04:41.960 --> 00:04:46.420 If you really want to turn back to the Lord, then prove it. Get rid of your foreign idols, 00:04:46.880 --> 00:04:50.980 including the ones of the goddess Astarte. Turn to the Lord with all your heart, 00:04:51.200 --> 00:04:54.860 and worship only Him. Then He will rescue you from the Philistines. 00:04:56.260 --> 00:05:00.680 The people got rid of their idols of Baal and Astarte and began worshiping only the Lord. 00:05:01.540 --> 00:05:05.700 Then Samuel said, Tell everyone in Israel to meet together at Mizpah, 00:05:05.940 --> 00:05:11.360 and I will pray to the Lord for you. The Israelites met together at Mizpah with Samuel as their leader. 00:05:12.140 --> 00:05:15.400 They drew water from the well and poured it out as an offering to the Lord. 00:05:16.280 --> 00:05:20.760 On that same day they went without eating to show their sorrow, and they confessed they had been 00:05:20.940 --> 00:05:26.040 unfaithful to the Lord. When the Philistine rulers found out about the meeting at Mizpah, 00:05:26.540 --> 00:05:31.419 they sent an army there to attack the people of Israel. The Israelites were afraid when they heard 00:05:31.440 --> 00:05:36.700 what the Philistines were doing. Don't stop praying, they told Samuel. Ask the Lord our God 00:05:36.700 --> 00:05:43.120 to rescue us. Samuel begged the Lord to rescue Israel. Then he sacrificed a young lamb to the 00:05:43.260 --> 00:05:48.820 Lord. Samuel had not even finished offering the sacrifice when the Philistines started to attack, 00:05:49.560 --> 00:05:54.780 but the Lord answered his prayer and made thunder crash all around them. The Philistines panicked and 00:05:54.860 --> 00:06:00.720 ran away. The men of Israel left Mezpah and went after them as far as the hillside below Beth-kar, 00:06:01.120 --> 00:06:06.580 killing every enemy soldier they caught. The Philistines were so badly beaten that it was 00:06:06.760 --> 00:06:12.440 quite a while before they attacked Israel again. After the battle, Samuel set up a monument between 00:06:12.640 --> 00:06:18.840 Mizpah and the rocky cliffs. He named it Help Monument to remind Israel how much the Lord had 00:06:18.980 --> 00:06:24.400 helped them. For as long as Samuel lived, the Lord helped Israel fight the Philistines. 00:06:25.180 --> 00:06:30.400 The Israelites were even able to recapture their towns and territory between Ekron and Gath. 00:06:31.120 --> 00:06:37.180 Israel was also at peace with the Amorites. Samuel was a leader in Israel all his life. 00:06:37.980 --> 00:06:42.920 Every year he would go around to the towns of Bethel, Gilgal, and Mizpah, where he served as 00:06:43.120 --> 00:06:47.660 judge for the people. Then he would go back to his home in Ramah and do the same thing there. 00:06:48.300 --> 00:06:53.000 He also had an altar built for the Lord at Ramah. 1 Samuel 8 00:06:54.440 --> 00:06:59.500 Samuel had two sons. The older one was Joel, and the younger one was Abijah. 00:07:00.680 --> 00:07:05.720 When Samuel was getting old, he let them be leaders at Beersheba, but they were not like 00:07:05.720 --> 00:07:09.980 their father. They were dishonest and accepted bribes to give unfair decisions. 00:07:11.580 --> 00:07:17.320 One day the nation's leaders came to Samuel at Ramah and said, You are an old man. You set a 00:07:17.320 --> 00:07:22.320 good example for your sons, but they haven't followed it. Now we want a king to be our leader, 00:07:22.720 --> 00:07:28.959 just like all the other nations. Choose one for us. Samuel was upset to hear the leaders say they 00:07:28.980 --> 00:07:35.080 wanted a king, so he prayed about it. The Lord answered, Samuel, do everything they want you to 00:07:35.160 --> 00:07:40.820 do. I am really the one they rejected as their king. Ever since the day I rescued my people from 00:07:40.940 --> 00:07:46.440 Egypt, they have turned from me to worship idols. Now they're turning away from you. Do everything 00:07:46.520 --> 00:07:52.640 they ask, but warn them and tell them how a king will treat them. Samuel told the people who were 00:07:52.760 --> 00:07:58.940 asking for a king what the Lord had said. If you have a king, this is how he will treat you. He 00:07:58.960 --> 00:08:04.440 your sons to join his army. Some of them will ride in his chariots, some will serve in the 00:08:04.720 --> 00:08:10.040 cavalry, and others will run ahead of his own chariot. Some of them will be officers in charge 00:08:10.200 --> 00:08:15.540 of a thousand soldiers, and others will be in charge of fifty. Still others will have to farm 00:08:15.600 --> 00:08:21.500 the king's land and harvest his crops, or make weapons and parts for his chariots. Your daughters 00:08:21.600 --> 00:08:27.400 will have to make perfume, or do his cooking and baking. The king will take your best fields, 00:08:27.680 --> 00:08:33.419 as well as your vineyards and olive orchards, and give them to his own officials. He will also take 00:08:33.419 --> 00:08:39.200 a tenth of your grain and grapes, and give it to his officers and officials. The king will take your 00:08:39.400 --> 00:08:44.940 slaves and your best young men and your donkeys and make them do his work. He will also take a 00:08:44.960 --> 00:08:50.860 tenth of your sheep and goats. You will become the king's slaves, and you will finally cry out for 00:08:50.860 --> 00:08:55.000 the Lord to save you from the king you wanted, but the Lord won't answer your prayers. 00:08:56.300 --> 00:09:02.040 The people would not listen to Samuel. No, they said, we want to be like other nations. We want 00:09:02.040 --> 00:09:07.880 a king to rule us and to lead us in battle. Samuel listened to them and then told the Lord 00:09:08.220 --> 00:09:12.980 exactly what they had said. Do what they want, the Lord answered. Give them a king. 00:09:14.540 --> 00:09:19.460 Samuel told the people to go back to their homes. 1 Samuel 9 00:09:21.400 --> 00:09:25.860 There was a man of Benjamin whose name was Kish, the son of Abiel, the son of Zeror. 00:09:26.260 --> 00:09:31.380 the son of Bekorath, the son of Aphiah, a Benjaminite, a mighty man of power. 00:09:31.940 --> 00:09:34.800 And he had a choice and handsome son whose name was Saul. 00:09:35.620 --> 00:09:39.000 There was not a more handsome person than he among the children of Israel. 00:09:39.680 --> 00:09:42.520 From his shoulders upward he was taller than any of the people. 00:09:43.900 --> 00:09:46.720 Now the donkeys of Kish, Saul's father, were lost. 00:09:47.400 --> 00:09:48.960 And Kish said to his son Saul, 00:09:49.700 --> 00:09:53.620 Please take one of the servants with you, and arise, go and look for the donkeys. 00:09:54.580 --> 00:09:59.520 So he passed through the mountains of Ephraim, and through the land of Shalisha, but they did not 00:09:59.660 --> 00:10:05.000 find them. Then they passed through the land of Shalem, and they were not there. Then he passed 00:10:05.020 --> 00:10:10.040 through the land of the Benjaminites, but they did not find them. When they had come to the land of 00:10:10.200 --> 00:10:15.900 Zoph, Saul said to his servant who was with him, Come, let us return, lest my father cease caring 00:10:16.100 --> 00:10:22.339 about the donkeys, and become worried about us. And he said to him, Look now, there is in this city 00:10:22.360 --> 00:10:29.480 a man of God, and he is an honorable man. All that he says surely comes to pass. So let us go there. 00:10:29.970 --> 00:10:36.020 Perhaps he can show us the way that we should go. Then Saul said to his servant, But look, if we go, 00:10:36.360 --> 00:10:41.380 what shall we bring the man? For the bread in our vessels is all gone, and there is no present to 00:10:41.500 --> 00:10:47.839 bring to the man of God. What do we have? And the servant answered Saul again and said, Look, I have 00:10:47.860 --> 00:10:53.360 here at hand one-fourth of a shekel of silver. I will give that to the man of God, to tell us our 00:10:53.500 --> 00:11:00.080 way. Formerly in Israel, when a man went to inquire of God, he spoke thus, Come, let us go to the seer. 00:11:00.860 --> 00:11:07.040 For he who is now called a prophet was formerly called a seer. Then Saul said to the servant, 00:11:07.600 --> 00:11:12.380 Well said, come, let us go. So they went to the city where the man of God was. 00:11:13.540 --> 00:11:18.000 As they went up the hill to the city, they met some young women going out to draw water, 00:11:18.320 --> 00:11:19.960 and said to them, Is this here? 00:11:21.020 --> 00:11:24.720 And they answered them, and said, Yes, there he is, just ahead of you. 00:11:25.160 --> 00:11:29.140 Hurry now, for today he came to this city, because there is a sacrifice of the people 00:11:29.320 --> 00:11:30.800 today on the high place. 00:11:31.320 --> 00:11:35.360 As soon as you come into the city, you will surely find him before he goes up to the high 00:11:35.620 --> 00:11:36.180 place to eat. 00:11:36.800 --> 00:11:40.980 For the people will not eat until he comes, because he must bless the sacrifice. 00:11:42.000 --> 00:11:44.100 Afterward, those who are invited will eat. 00:11:44.640 --> 00:11:47.560 Now therefore go up, for about this time you will find him. 00:11:48.200 --> 00:11:49.280 So they went up to the city. 00:11:49.840 --> 00:11:52.000 As they were coming into the city, there was Samuel, 00:11:52.520 --> 00:11:55.100 coming out toward them on his way up to the high place. 00:11:56.520 --> 00:12:00.020 Now the Lord had told Samuel in his ear the day before Saul came, 00:12:00.240 --> 00:12:02.060 saying, Tomorrow, about this time, 00:12:02.470 --> 00:12:04.520 I will send you a man from the land of Benjamin, 00:12:04.970 --> 00:12:07.640 and you shall anoint him commander over my people Israel, 00:12:08.220 --> 00:12:11.080 that he may save my people from the hand of the Philistines. 00:12:11.700 --> 00:12:14.920 for I have looked upon my people, because their cry has come to me. 00:12:16.480 --> 00:12:22.080 So when Samuel saw Saul, the Lord said to him, There he is, the man of whom I spoke to you, 00:12:22.460 --> 00:12:27.600 this one shall reign over my people. Then Saul drew near to Samuel in the gate, and said, 00:12:28.140 --> 00:12:34.300 Please tell me, where is the seer's house? Samuel answered Saul, and said, I am the seer. 00:12:34.780 --> 00:12:40.380 Go up before me to the high place, for you shall eat with me today, and tomorrow I will let you go, 00:12:40.560 --> 00:12:45.480 and will tell you all that is in your heart. But as for your donkeys that were lost three days ago, 00:12:45.860 --> 00:12:51.060 do not be anxious about them, for they have been found. And on whom is all the desire of Israel? 00:12:51.660 --> 00:12:58.280 Is it not on you and on all your father's house? And Saul answered and said, Am I not a Benjaminite 00:12:58.360 --> 00:13:03.220 of the smallest of the tribes of Israel, and my family the least of all the families of the tribe 00:13:03.220 --> 00:13:09.240 of Benjamin? Why then do you speak like this to me? Now Samuel took Saul and his servant, 00:13:09.600 --> 00:13:13.940 and brought them into the hall, and had them sit at the place of honor among those who were invited. 00:13:14.540 --> 00:13:20.220 There were about thirty persons. And Samuel said to the cook, Bring the portion which I gave you, 00:13:20.340 --> 00:13:26.040 of which I said to you, set it apart. So the cook took up the thigh with its upper part, 00:13:26.340 --> 00:13:33.480 and set it before Saul. And Samuel said, Here it is what was kept back. It was set apart for you. 00:13:34.100 --> 00:13:38.940 Eat, for until this time it has been kept for you, since I said I invited the people. 00:13:39.980 --> 00:13:41.980 So Saul ate with Solomon that day. 00:13:43.300 --> 00:13:48.440 When they had come down from the high place into the city, Samuel spoke with Saul on the top of the house. 00:13:49.360 --> 00:13:55.460 They arose early, and it was about the dawning of the day that Samuel called to Saul on the top of the house, saying, 00:13:56.180 --> 00:13:58.220 Get up, that I may send you on your way. 00:13:59.280 --> 00:14:02.960 And Saul arose, and both of them went outside, he and Samuel. 00:14:04.120 --> 00:14:07.900 As they were going down to the outskirts of the city, Samuel said to Saul, 00:14:08.700 --> 00:14:10.500 Tell the servant to go on ahead of us. 00:14:10.890 --> 00:14:11.720 And he went on. 00:14:12.220 --> 00:14:16.140 But you stand here a while, that I may announce to you the word of God. 00:14:16.960 --> 00:14:18.340 1 Samuel 10 00:14:19.500 --> 00:14:23.980 Then Samuel took a flask of oil and poured it on his head, and kissed him, and said, 00:14:24.400 --> 00:14:28.000 Is it not because the Lord has anointed you commander over his inheritance? 00:14:29.120 --> 00:14:33.200 When you have departed from me today, you will find two men by Rachel's tomb in the 00:14:33.460 --> 00:14:36.780 territory of Benjamin at Zelzah, and they will say to you, 00:14:37.260 --> 00:14:39.580 The donkeys which you went to look for have been found. 00:14:40.260 --> 00:14:42.760 And now your father has ceased caring about the donkeys, 00:14:43.140 --> 00:14:44.920 and is worrying about you, saying, 00:14:45.380 --> 00:14:46.920 What shall I do about my son? 00:14:47.820 --> 00:14:49.620 Then you shall go on forward from there, 00:14:49.860 --> 00:14:51.700 and come to the terebinth tree of Tabor. 00:14:52.660 --> 00:14:55.860 There three men going up to God at Bethel will meet you, 00:14:56.500 --> 00:14:58.060 one carrying three young goats, 00:14:58.720 --> 00:15:00.440 another carrying three loaves of bread, 00:15:00.840 --> 00:15:02.640 and another carrying a skin of wine. 00:15:03.320 --> 00:15:05.740 And they will greet you and give you two loaves of bread, 00:15:06.080 --> 00:15:11.080 which you shall receive from their hands. After that you shall come to the hill of God, 00:15:11.200 --> 00:15:15.700 where the Philistine garrison is. And it will happen, when you have come there to the city, 00:15:16.160 --> 00:15:20.320 that you will meet a group of prophets coming down from the high place with a stringed instrument, 00:15:20.760 --> 00:15:25.760 a tambourine, a flute, and a harp before them, and they will be prophesying. 00:15:26.620 --> 00:15:30.460 Then the Spirit of the Lord will come upon you, and you will prophesy with them, 00:15:30.860 --> 00:15:36.400 and be turned into another man. And let it be when these signs come to you, that you do as the 00:15:36.620 --> 00:15:43.080 occasion demands, for God is with you. You shall go down before me to Gilgal, and surely I will 00:15:43.080 --> 00:15:49.000 come down to you to offer burnt offerings, and make sacrifices of peace offerings. Seven days 00:15:49.060 --> 00:15:55.279 you shall wait, till I come to you and show you what you should do. So it was when he had turned 00:15:55.300 --> 00:16:01.460 back to go from Samuel, that God gave him another heart, and all those signs came to pass that day. 00:16:02.120 --> 00:16:06.840 When they came there to the hill, there was a group of prophets to meet him. Then the Spirit 00:16:06.850 --> 00:16:12.180 of God came upon him, and he prophesied among them. And it happened, when all who knew him 00:16:12.520 --> 00:16:17.340 formally saw that he had indeed prophesied among the prophets, that the people said to one another, 00:16:17.660 --> 00:16:22.540 What is this that has come upon the son of Kish? Is Saul also among the prophets? 00:16:23.780 --> 00:16:27.340 Then a man from there answered and said, But who is their father? 00:16:28.400 --> 00:16:31.620 Therefore it became a proverb, Is Saul also among the prophets? 00:16:32.860 --> 00:16:35.640 And when he had finished prophesying, he went to the high place. 00:16:37.200 --> 00:16:40.400 Then Saul's uncle said to him and his servant, Where did you go? 00:16:41.120 --> 00:16:43.340 So he said, To look for the donkeys. 00:16:43.850 --> 00:16:46.660 When we saw that they were nowhere to be found, we went to Samuel. 00:16:47.920 --> 00:16:51.300 And Saul's uncle said, Tell me, please, what Samuel said to you. 00:16:52.120 --> 00:16:56.560 So Saul said to his uncle, He told us plainly that the donkeys had been found, 00:16:57.200 --> 00:17:00.500 but about the matter of the kingdom he did not tell him what Samuel had said. 00:17:01.940 --> 00:17:06.920 Then Samuel called the people together to the Lord at Mizpah, and said to the children of Israel, 00:17:07.540 --> 00:17:13.339 Thus says the Lord God of Israel, I brought up Israel out of Egypt, and delivered you from the 00:17:13.480 --> 00:17:18.120 hands of the Egyptians, and from the hand of all kingdoms, and from those who oppressed you. 00:17:18.880 --> 00:17:24.020 But you have today rejected your God, who himself saved you from all your adversaries and your 00:17:24.180 --> 00:17:30.360 tribulations. And you have said to him, No, set a king over us. Now therefore present yourselves 00:17:30.700 --> 00:17:37.460 before the Lord by your tribes and by your clans. And when Samuel had caused all the tribes of Israel 00:17:37.520 --> 00:17:43.439 to come near, the tribe of Benjamin was chosen. When he had caused the tribe of Benjamin to come 00:17:43.460 --> 00:17:49.040 near by their families, the family of Matri was chosen. And Saul the son of Kish was chosen. 00:17:49.640 --> 00:17:54.460 But when they sought him, he could not be found. Therefore they inquired of the Lord further, 00:17:54.820 --> 00:18:00.400 Has the man come here yet? And the Lord answered, There he is, hidden among the equipment. 00:18:01.400 --> 00:18:05.860 So they ran and brought him there. And when he stood among the people, he was taller than any 00:18:06.000 --> 00:18:11.919 of the people from his shoulders upward. And Samuel said to all the people, Do you see him 00:18:11.940 --> 00:18:17.460 whom the Lord has chosen, that there is no one like him among all the people? So all the people 00:18:17.700 --> 00:18:24.160 shouted and said, Long live the king! Then Samuel explained to the people the behavior of royalty, 00:18:24.680 --> 00:18:30.080 and wrote it in a book, and laid it up before the Lord. And Samuel sent all the people away, 00:18:30.600 --> 00:18:36.120 every man to his house. And Saul also went home to Gibeah, and valiant men went with him, 00:18:36.440 --> 00:18:41.620 whose hearts God had touched. But some rebels said, How can this man save us? 00:18:42.080 --> 00:18:46.520 So they despised him and brought him no presents, but he held his peace. 00:18:48.520 --> 00:18:52.880 Why do you suppose Saul was hiding among the equipment when it was time for the people to 00:18:53.020 --> 00:18:58.280 see who it was that God had chosen to be their king? Doesn't that strike you as an odd thing 00:18:58.420 --> 00:19:04.760 for Saul to do at this particular time? So get the picture. Samuel has already anointed Saul's 00:19:04.880 --> 00:19:10.259 head with oil and confirmed that he was the one whom God had chosen. But this was done when it 00:19:10.280 --> 00:19:16.540 was just the two of them. There were no witnesses. And then Saul had had several miraculous things 00:19:16.800 --> 00:19:22.160 happen that have really transformed him. And now Samuel has called all the nation of Israel to 00:19:22.280 --> 00:19:27.840 Mizpah, and he has given them a message from God. I brought up Israel out of Egypt, and delivered 00:19:27.860 --> 00:19:32.560 you from the hand of the Egyptians, and from the hand of all kingdoms, and from those who oppressed 00:19:32.620 --> 00:19:38.679 you. But you have today rejected your God, who himself saved you from all your adversaries and 00:19:38.700 --> 00:19:45.400 your tribulations. And you have said to him, No, set a king over us. So, beloved, what do you think 00:19:45.400 --> 00:19:49.480 is going through Saul's mind at this point? I don't know about you, but I'd be thinking, 00:19:50.240 --> 00:19:55.220 Wait a minute. God has just announced through Samuel that these people, who are about to become 00:19:55.230 --> 00:20:01.560 my responsibility, have up until now been taken care of by the Lord God Almighty. He took them 00:20:01.720 --> 00:20:06.299 out of Egypt after bringing some terrible consequences to Pharaoh. He brought them to 00:20:06.320 --> 00:20:10.700 this land that had been inhabited by some very scary people, and he defeated those people 00:20:11.100 --> 00:20:15.880 to give the land to them. How in the world am I going to even begin to be worthy to be their 00:20:16.120 --> 00:20:21.200 leader? Oh, and God isn't very happy with them by the sound of things. They've just insulted him by 00:20:21.320 --> 00:20:26.080 their rejection of his leadership. Do I really want this job? And by the way, the Philistines 00:20:26.120 --> 00:20:31.320 have been a real problem lately. How am I going to deal with them? Maybe I'll just hide over here. 00:20:31.840 --> 00:20:34.920 Maybe if I don't show myself, God will have to choose someone else. 00:20:36.020 --> 00:20:37.920 Well, does that sound about right to you, beloved? 00:20:38.410 --> 00:20:41.080 It'll be fun to see how Saul's reign progresses, won't it? 00:20:41.600 --> 00:20:42.660 I'd love to hear your comments. 00:20:43.300 --> 00:20:46.240 Tomorrow, we'll read Psalms 33 through 35. 00:20:47.280 --> 00:20:49.560 Here's the verse of the day. 00:20:52.500 --> 00:20:53.960 1 Samuel 8.18 00:20:54.980 --> 00:20:59.020 When that day comes, you will cry out because of the king you've chosen for yourselves, 00:20:59.380 --> 00:21:01.520 but the Lord won't answer you on that day. 00:21:02.210 --> 00:21:03.739 1 Samuel 8.18 00:21:05.840 --> 00:21:09.760 And speaking of verses, there will be a new episode of Verses We Missed tomorrow. 00:21:10.360 --> 00:21:16.220 We're just starting a new year, and many of us feel the urge to reset, to refocus, and to do better. 00:21:16.760 --> 00:21:19.220 But Scripture offers something deeper than resolutions. 00:21:20.260 --> 00:21:25.120 In this week's episode of Verses We Missed, we take a closer look at Micah 6-8 00:21:25.490 --> 00:21:27.960 and discover a foundation for a faithful life. 00:21:28.060 --> 00:21:34.700 not a checklist, not a performance, a way of living shaped by justice, mercy, and humility. 00:21:35.900 --> 00:21:41.520 If you're asking what faith looks like in ordinary days, in small choices, and in the year ahead, 00:21:42.000 --> 00:21:45.760 this episode is for you. Listen to Verses We Missed at 00:21:46.040 --> 00:21:52.120 lifespringmedia.com or wherever you get your podcasts. It's a midweek breath of Scripture and Grace. 00:21:59.520 --> 00:22:02.380 On this date in Church History, January 6th. 00:22:02.980 --> 00:22:06.040 What the Church anticipated yesterday, it celebrates today. 00:22:07.140 --> 00:22:10.580 January 6th is known across the Christian world as Epiphany, 00:22:10.850 --> 00:22:16.100 the day the Church remembers the visit of the Magi and the revelation of Jesus Christ to the nations. 00:22:17.200 --> 00:22:22.280 Rooted in the Gospel of Matthew, Epiphany celebrates the moment when Gentile seekers 00:22:22.740 --> 00:22:28.240 recognized who Jesus truly was and came to worship Him. From the earliest centuries, 00:22:28.920 --> 00:22:34.600 Christians marked Epiphany as a declaration that the Gospel is not confined to one people or one 00:22:34.800 --> 00:22:40.320 place. The Magi, guided by a star, symbolized the widening scope of God's salvation, 00:22:40.900 --> 00:22:46.460 a Savior revealed not only to Israel but to the whole world. In many traditions, 00:22:47.080 --> 00:22:52.240 Epiphany also points beyond the manger toward Christ's public ministry, reminding believers 00:22:52.580 --> 00:22:58.840 that Jesus was revealed not just to be admired, but to be followed. The light that led the Magi 00:22:59.080 --> 00:23:04.720 still shines, calling people from every nation to recognize the King and respond in faith. 00:23:09.080 --> 00:23:13.660 Remember that Wednesday is our next time to bring our praises and prayer requests to God as a family. 00:23:14.260 --> 00:23:18.100 If you have a prayer request or praise that you'd like to share with the Lifespring family, 00:23:18.170 --> 00:23:20.940 you can do that at prayer.lifespringmedia.com, 00:23:21.620 --> 00:23:24.340 or you can email me at steve at lifespringmedia.com, 00:23:24.760 --> 00:23:27.140 or you can text me or leave a voicemail at 00:23:27.420 --> 00:23:34.020 Lifespring Family Hotline 951-732-8511 00:23:34.740 --> 00:23:37.380 If you enjoy the show, tell someone. 00:23:47.820 --> 00:23:48.860 It was great seeing you today. 00:23:49.460 --> 00:23:50.200 Let's do it tomorrow. 00:23:50.740 --> 00:23:52.480 Until then, I'm Steve Webb, 00:23:52.620 --> 00:23:55.180 and this has been the LifeSpring One Year Bible Rewind. 00:23:55.480 --> 00:23:58.140 There's lots more to hear at LifespringMedia.com. 00:23:58.740 --> 00:24:00.040 May God bless you richly. 00:24:00.560 --> 00:24:00.740 Bye. 00:24:02.820 --> 00:24:05.459 All the programs in the LifeSpring Media family 00:24:05.460 --> 00:24:08.620 are made possible by your value for value support. 00:24:09.360 --> 00:24:09.660 Thank you.