People of the World where are you going? Turn back to God! Back to your faithful principles!
SAUL CHOSEN TO BE KING OVER ISRAEL
Saul Chosen to Be King over Israel. Kish had a son named Saul, a choice and handsome man; among the sons of Israel there was not a man more handsome than he. From his shoulders and up he was [a head] taller than any of the people.
SAMUEL’S WARNING AGAINST KINGS
Samuel’s Warning Against Kings. So Samuel told all the words of the LORD to the people who were asking him for a king. He said, “These will be the ways of the king who will reign over you: he will take your sons and appoint them for himself to his chariots and among his horsemen and they will run before his chariots.
ISRAEL DEMANDS A KING
Israel Demands a King. Then all the elders of Israel gathered together and came to Samuel at Ramah and said to him, “Look, you have grown old, and your sons do not walk in your ways. Now appoint us a king to judge us [and rule over us] like all the other nations
LEADING THE NATION IN GOD’S WAYS
Leading The Nation In God’s Ways. Then Samuel said to all the house of Israel, “If you are returning to the LORD with all your heart, remove the foreign gods and the Ashtaroth (pagan goddesses) from among you and direct your hearts to the LORD and serve Him only; and He will rescue you from the hand of the Philistines.”
RASHNESS PUNISHED; REVERENCE BLESSED
Rashness Punished; Reverence Blessed. The LORD struck down some of the men of Beth-shemesh because they had looked into the ark of the LORD. He struck down 50,070 men among the people, and the people mourned because the LORD had struck the people with a great slaughter
THE ARK RETURNED TO ISRAEL
The Ark Returned To Israel. And the cows went straight toward Beth-shemesh along the highway, lowing as they went, and did not turn away to the right or the left. And the Philistine lords (governors) followed them to the border of Beth-shemesh.
THE PHILISTINES AND THE ARK
The Philistines And The Ark. When the people of Ashdod got up early the next day, behold, Dagon had fallen on his face on the ground before the ark of the LORD. So they took Dagon and returned him to his place.
THE GLORY DEPARTED FROM ISRAEL
The Glory Departed From Israel. She said, “The glory has left Israel, for the ark of God has been taken.”
THE PHILISTINES CAPTURE THE ARK
The Philistines Capture the Ark. So the Philistines fought; Israel was defeated and every man fled to his tent. It was a very great defeat, for thirty thousand foot soldiers of Israel fell.
Also the ark of God was taken; and the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, were killed.
A MESSAGE THROUGH A CHILD
A Message Through A Child. The LORD said to Samuel, “Behold, I am about to do a thing in Israel at which both ears of everyone who hears it will ring. On that day I will carry out against Eli everything that I have spoken concerning his house (family), from beginning to end.