There was a man of Benjamin, whose name was Kish, and he had a son, whose name was Saul, a choice young man, and a goodly; and there was not among the children of Israel a goodlier person than he; from his shoulders upwards he was higher than any of the people. The asses of Kish were lost, and Saul was sent, with one of his father's servants, to seek them. God had told Samuel the day before, that he was about to send to him the man whom he had chosen to be king over Israel; and he now informed Samuel that Saul was the man. Samuel met Saul, and told him that the asses were found, and that on him was the desire of all Israel. Saul abode with Samuel that day. And Samuel took a vial of oil, and poured it on Saul's head, saying, "The LORD hath anointed thee to be captain over his inheritance." He then told Saul that when he left him he would be met by a company of prophets, and that the Spirit of God would come on him, and that he should prophesy.

Samuel assembled the people together at Mispeh, and said, "Thus saith the LORD God of Israel, I brought up Israel out of

SAUL CHOSEN KING. SAMUEL'S JUSTIFICATION. [1095-975 B.c. Egypt, and delivered you out of the hand of the Egyptians, and out of the hand of all kingdoms, and of them that oppressed you; and ye have this day rejected your God, who himself saved you out of all your adversities and your tribulations; and ye have said unto him, Nay, but set a king over us. Now therefore present yourselves before the LORD by your tribes, and by your thousands." And when Samuel had caused all the tribes of Israel to come near, the tribe of Benjamin was taken. When he had caused the tribe of Benjamin to come near by their families, the family of Matri was taken, and Saul the son of Kish was taken. When Saul stood among the people, he was higher than any of them from his shoulders upwards, and when the people saw him, they shouted: "God save the king." Samuel wrote the laws of the kingdom in a book, and sent the people away. Saul went home to Gibeah, and a band of men with him, whose hearts God had touched. But the children of Belial despised Saul.

The Ammonites made war against Jabesh-gilead; but Saul raised a large army of Israelites, and went against them and conquered them. The people went with Samuel to Gilgal, and they made Saul king before the Lord.

When Samuel was old and gray-headed, he said to all Israel, "Behold, here I am: witness against me before the LORD, and before his anointed: whose ox have I taken? or whose ass have I taken? or whom have I defrauded? whom have I oppressed? or of whose hand have I received any bribe to blind mine eyes therewith? and I will restore it to you." And they said, "Thou hast not defrauded us, nor oppressed us, neither hast thou taken ought of any man's hand." Afterwards, to show the people their wickedness in asking for a king, he called unto the Lord, and the Lord sent thunder and rain that day: and all the people greatly feared the Lord and Samuel.

PERIOD V.] SAUL DISOBEYS GOD AND IS REJECTED.

LESSON 45.

1 SAMUEL Xiii-xvi.

Saul is Reproved. David is Anointed.

Saul gathered the people together at Gilgal, and when Samuel came not, at the end of seven days, he offered a burnt-offering to God. It was not lawful for Saul to do this, and when Samuel came he reproved him, and said, "Thou hast done foolishly: thou hast not kept the commandment of the LORD thy God, which he commanded thee: for now would the LORD have established thy kingdom upon Israel for ever. But now thy kingdom shall not continue, the LORD hath sought him a man after his own heart, and the LORD hath commanded him to be captain over his people, because thou hast not kept that which the Lord commanded thee." The Philistines at this time overran the country. Jonathan and his armour-bearer went into their garrison, and slew twenty men; the Philistines were alarmed, slew each other, and many fled. Saul had adjured the people to eat nothing that day. Jonathan had not heard his father's curse, and had eaten. When Saul found that Jonathan had tasted food, he would have put him to death, to fulfil his oath; but the people rescued Jonathan, who had that day wrought a great salvation for Israel.

Samuel commanded Saul to go and destroy the Amalekites utterly. Saul allowed the Kenites to depart, because they had shown kindness to the Israelites. He then smote the Amalekites, but he spared Agag the king, and the best of the sheep and oxen. When Samuel came to Saul he reproved him for his disobedience. Saul said he had saved the best of the cattle for burnt-offerings. Samuel replied, "Hath the LORD as great delight in burntofferings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the LORD? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of rams. ... Because thou hast rejected the word of the LORD, he hath also rejected thee from being king." Samuel commanded

66

DAVID ANOINTED.

GOLIATH'S DEFIANCE. [1095-975 B.C.

Agag to be brought to him. Agag came delicately, and said, Surely the bitterness of death is past." Samuel then slew Agag, after reproaching him with his many cruelties.

Samuel mourned for Saul's disobedience. God told him he would send him to Jesse the Bethlehemite, for he had chosen one of his sons to be king. Jesse had eight sons. When Eliab, the eldest, passed before Samuel, he thought the Lord had chosen him, but the Lord told Samuel he had not. Abinadab, Shammah, and the rest of Jesse's sons, except the youngest, passed before Samuel, but the Lord had not chosen any of them. At Samuel's command, Jesse sent for David, who was with the sheep. When Samuel saw him, the Lord told him to arise and anoint him. Samuel anointed him there, and the Spirit of the Lord came upon David.

LESSON 46.

1 SAMUEL Xvii.

Goliath defies Israel. David slays Goliath.

The Philistines gathered their armies to battle, and pitched between Shochoh and Azekah. Saul and his army were in the valley of Elah. The champion of the Philistines was Goliath, a giant of Gath, whose height was six cubits and a span. And he had a helmet of brass upon his head, and he was armed with a coat of mail; and the weight of the coat was five thousand shekels of brass. And he had greaves of brass upon his legs, and a target of brass between his shoulders. And the staff of his spear was like a weaver's beam; and his spear's head weighed six hundred shekels of iron: and one bearing a shield went before him. And he stood and cried unto the armies of Israel, and said unto them, "Why are ye come out to set your battle in array? am not I a Philistine, and ye servants to Saul? choose you a man for you, and let him come down to me. If he be able to fight with me, and to kill me, then will we be your servants: but if I prevail against him, and kill

PERIOD V.]

DAVID SLAYS GOLIATH.

him, then shall ye be our servants, and serve us." And the Philistine said, "I defy the armies of Israel this day; give me a man, that we may fight together."

Jesse sent David to the camp with provisions for his brethren. David heard Goliath defy the armies of Israel; and also that Saul had promised to give his daughter in marriage, and to enrich and honour the man who should slay this Philistine. Eliab saw David, and reproved him for leaving his sheep in the wilderness.

David came to Saul and said, 66 Let no man's heart fail because of him; thy servant will go and fight with this Philistine." And Saul said to David, "Thou art not able to go against this Philistine to fight with him: for thou art but a youth, and he a man of war from his youth." And David said unto Saul, "Thy servant kept his father's sheep, and there came a lion, and a bear, and took a lamb out of the flock; and I went out after him, and smote him, and delivered it out of his mouth: and when he arose against me, I caught him by his beard, and smote him, and slew him. Thy servant slew both the lion and the bear: and this uncircumcised Philistine shall be as one of them, seeing he hath defied the armies of the living God." David said moreover, "The Lord that delivered me out of the paw of the lion, and out of the paw of the bear, he will deliver me out of the hand of this Philistine." Saul said unto David, "Go, and the Lord be with thee."

And

Saul then armed David with armour; but David put off the armour, and took five smooth stones out of the brook, and his sling in his hand. Goliath disdained David and cursed him, but when he arose, David ran to meet him, and slang a stone, which smote the Philistine, and sank into his forehead, so that he fell with his face to the earth. David took the sword of Goliath, and cut off his head. The Philistines fled, and the men of Israel and Judah pursued them to the gates of Ekron. Saul afterwards asked David whose son he was? David told him he was the son of Jesse the Bethlehemite.