17 Samuel sent a message to the Israelites. He told them to meet with the Lord at Mizpah. 18 He said to them, “The Lord is the God of Israel. He says, ‘Israel, I brought you up out of Egypt. I saved you from their power. I also saved you from the power of all the kingdoms that had treated you badly.’ 19 But now you have turned your backs on your God. He saves you out of all your trouble and suffering. In spite of that, you have said, ‘We refuse to listen. Place a king over us.’ So now gather together to meet with the Lord. Do it tribe by tribe and family group by family group.” 20 Then Samuel had each tribe of Israel come forward. The tribe of Benjamin was chosen by casting lots. 21 Next he had the tribe of Benjamin come forward, family group by family group. Matri’s group was chosen. Finally Saul, the son of Kish, was chosen. But when people looked for him, they realized he wasn’t there. 22 They needed more help from the Lord. So they asked him, “Has the man come here yet?” The Lord said, “Yes. He has hidden himself among the supplies.” 23 So they ran over there and brought him out. When he stood up, the people saw that he was a head taller than any of them. 24 Samuel spoke to all the people. He said, “Look at the man the Lord has chosen! There isn’t anyone like him among all the people.” Then the people shouted, “May the king live a long time!” 25 Samuel explained to the people the rights and duties of the king who ruled over them. He wrote them down in a book. He placed it in front of the Lord in the holy tent. Then he sent the people away. He sent each of them to their own homes. 26 Saul also went to his home in Gibeah. Some brave men whose hearts God had touched went with Saul. 27 But some people who wanted to stir up trouble said, “How can this fellow save us?” They looked down on him. They didn’t bring him any gifts. But Saul kept quiet about it.

In order to be like the nations around them, God’s people called on him to give them a king. A leader, and as verse 27 suggests many looked to this king to be their savior. So God calls them through Samuel to Mizpah, a place of discipline and intercession. Yahweh, the I am, confronts his people with his covenant promises. He is their God, who has delivered them, time and time again. Then come the chilling words – “But you have rejected your God who saves you out of all your calamities and distresses.” By calling for a king, God’s people were rejecting the covenant, when God had chosen them and promised to be their Lord forever. They were rejecting his leadership and governance over them.

And incredibly this faithful, covenant God accedes to their request. Not half heartedly but with the best, a man unique amongst God’s people, and a man in whom God had placed his Spirit. Saul.

Two things speak to me in this passage: where is my salvation found, and who is my King?

God has promised salvation for me and everyone who believes in him. Why then am I tempted to replace him with other things to “save” me like money, education, career? Why do I want to replace him with something I have achieved myself? Isn’t he enough for me to know my present and future is secure?

Rejecting God. It is ultimately displayed in people putting Jesus on trial and killing him. Our covenant God who saves, saved us all, by blameless, sinless Jesus dying in our place. God has appointed Jesus King and he sits at his right hand in glory. He is the King I want to lead my life!

Written by Claire Moore

27 As they were on their way down to the edge of town, Samuel spoke to Saul. He said, “Tell the servant to go ahead of us.” So the servant went on ahead. Then Samuel continued, “Stay here for a while. I’ll give you a message from God.” 10 Then Samuel took a bottle of olive oil. He poured it on Saul’s head and kissed him. He said, “The Lord has anointed you to be the king of his people. 2 When you leave me today, you will meet two men. They will be near Rachel’s tomb at Zelzah on the border of Benjamin. They’ll say to you, ‘The donkeys you have been looking for have been found. Now your father has stopped thinking about them. Instead, he’s worried about you. He’s asking, “What can I do to find my son?” ’ 3 “You will go on from Zelzah until you come to the large tree at Tabor. Three men will meet you there. They’ll be on their way up to Bethel to worship God. One of them will be carrying three young goats. Another will be carrying three loaves of bread. A third will be carrying a bottle of wine. It will be a bottle made out of animal skin. 4 The men will greet you. They’ll offer you two loaves of bread. You will accept the loaves from them. 5 “After that, you will go to Gibeah of God. Some Philistine soldiers are stationed there. As you approach the town, you will meet a group of prophets. They’ll be coming down from the high place where they worship. People will be playing lyres, tambourines, flutes and harps at the head of the group. The prophets will be prophesying. 6 The Spirit of the Lord will come powerfully on you. Then you will prophesy along with them. You will become a different person. 7 All these things will happen. Then do what you want to do. God is with you. 8 “Go down ahead of me to Gilgal. You can be sure that I’ll come down to you there. I’ll come and sacrifice burnt offerings and friendship offerings. But you must wait there for seven days until I come to you. Then I’ll tell you what to do.”

Samuel tells Saul that he has a special message for him. He anoints Saul and tells him that the Lord as appointed him as ruler over Israel.

That would be very surprising news as Israel had never had a king before. But to help Saul know that this really was from God, Samuel then told him three signs that would happen immediately to remove any doubt. Samuel says to Saul, “After these signs take place, do what must be done, for God is with you”.

These three signs happened exactly as Samuel told him, confirming to Saul that God was really with him. (Years later, the kingdom was taken from Saul basically because he doubted that God was actually with him).

Why? Perhaps Saul forgot about the signs.

Jesus resisted giving a sign to the crowds who demanded one, except the only sign that truly matters – his resurrection. Jesus resurrection is the one sign that separates Christianity from all other faiths, and it is this that answers all doubts that we will ever have. It is this sign that proves who Jesus is who he said he is.

Whenever I doubt, which includes worry and being anxious, it’s really because I have forgotten what Jesus has said he would do, that he will never leave me or abandon me. It is at those times that I really need to remind myself of the sign that Jesus gave, his death and resurrection. That is proof that what Jesus has said is true. Then, I can overcome my doubts.

Thank you Jesus for the greatest sign of all – your death and resurrection. You truly are King of Kings and Lord of Lords, and all your words are true. Help me never to forget them, and to believe them.

Written by Andrew Martin

9 There was a man named Kish from the tribe of Benjamin. Kish was a very important person. He was the son of Abiel, the son of Zeror. Zeror was the son of Bekorath, the son of Aphiah from the tribe of Benjamin. 2 Kish had a son named Saul. Saul was a handsome young man. He was more handsome than anyone in Israel. And he was a head taller than anyone else. 3 The donkeys that belonged to Saul’s father Kish were lost. So Kish spoke to his son Saul. He said, “Go and look for the donkeys. Take one of the servants with you.” 4 Saul and his servant went through the hill country of Ephraim. They also went through the area around Shalisha. But they didn’t find the donkeys. So they went on into the area of Shaalim. But the donkeys weren’t there either. Then Saul went through the territory of Benjamin. But they still didn’t find the donkeys. 5 When Saul and the servant with him reached the area of Zuph, Saul spoke to the servant. He said, “Come on. Let’s go back. If we don’t, my father will stop thinking about the donkeys. Instead, he’ll start worrying about us.” 6 But the servant replied, “There’s a man of God here in Ramah. People have a lot of respect for him. Everything he says comes true. So let’s go and see him now. Perhaps he’ll tell us which way to go.” 7 Saul said to his servant, “If we go to see the man, what can we give him? There isn’t any food in our sacks. We don’t have a gift for the man of God. So what can we give him?” 8 The servant answered Saul again. “Look,” he said. “I’ve got a tenth of an ounce of silver. I’ll give it to the man of God. Then maybe he’ll tell us which way to go.” 9 In Israel, prophets used to be called seers. So if someone wanted to ask God for advice, they would say, “Come on. Let’s go to the seer.” 10 Saul said to his servant, “That’s a good idea. Come on. Let’s go and ask the seer.” So they started out for the town where the man of God lived.

Saul and his companion end up in Zuph by way of a search for lost livestock. We see a gentler, more considerate character than we come to know later in Saul’s story. Tall and handsome; thoughtful and clever – Saul becomes transformed over the course of his life into a tragic and wretched figure… but this is getting ahead of ourselves.

Our lives are laid out in front of God. We do well to seek God’s wisdom as we conduct our daily business. Whether we are involved in humble nonsense ‘donkey-work’ or moving amidst the lofty halls of ‘royalty’ and power, let us end as we have begun, in Jesus. Put in other words: I want to move in the direction and into the full completion of my potential in God.

“…he can shew us our way that we should go.” (v6 KJV)

Lord, my life is in your hands. May my story be the story that you write – a story that ends in you, as it was begun in you: full of potential, full of promise. Guide my steps. I open my life to good spiritual council. In faith, I receive the fullness of the good future you have prepared for me. Amen.

Written by Sam Stewart

3 So Samuel spoke to all the Israelites. He said, “Do you really want to return to the Lord with all your hearts? If you do, get rid of your false gods. Get rid of your statues of female gods that are named Ashtoreth. Commit yourselves to the Lord. Serve him only. Then he will save you from the power of the Philistines.” 4 So the Israelites put away their statues of gods that were named Baal. They put away their statues of female gods that were named Ashtoreth. They served the Lord only. 5 Then Samuel said, “Gather all the Israelites together at Mizpah. I will pray to the Lord for you.” 6 When the people had come together at Mizpah, they went to the well and got water. They poured it out in front of the Lord. On that day they didn’t eat any food. They admitted they had sinned. They said, “We’ve sinned against the Lord.” Samuel was serving as the leader of Israel at Mizpah. 7 The Philistines heard that Israel had gathered together at Mizpah. So the Philistine rulers came up to attack them. When the Israelites heard about it, they were afraid. 8 They said to Samuel, “Don’t stop crying out to the Lord our God to help us. Keep praying that he’ll save us from the power of the Philistines.” 9 Then Samuel got a very young lamb. He sacrificed it as a whole burnt offering to the Lord. He cried out to the Lord to help Israel. And the Lord answered his prayer. 10 The Philistines came near to attack Israel. At that time Samuel was sacrificing the burnt offering. But that day the Lord thundered loudly against the Philistines. He threw them into such a panic that the Israelites were able to chase them away. 11 The men of Israel rushed out of Mizpah. They chased the Philistines all the way to a point below Beth Kar. They killed them all along the way. 12 Then Samuel got a big stone. He set it up between Mizpah and Shen. He named it Ebenezer. He said, “The Lord has helped us every step of the way.” 13 So the Philistines were brought under Israel’s control. The Philistines didn’t attack their territory again. The Lord used his power against the Philistines as long as Samuel lived. 14 The Philistines had captured many towns between Ekron and Gath. But they had to give all of them back. Israel took back the territories near those towns from the control of the Philistines. During that time Israel and the Amorites were friendly toward each other. 15 Samuel continued to lead Israel all the days of his life. 16 From year to year he traveled from Bethel to Gilgal to Mizpah. He served Israel as judge in all those places. 17 But he always went back to Ramah. That’s where his home was. He served Israel as judge there too. And he built an altar there to honor the Lord.

As I read the Old Testament more and more, the challenge of “foreign gods” and their distracting and destructive influence on the people of God is a clear constant. We are all worshipers of something – either the real and living God, or something or someone “foreign”. I see from the associations in this passage that what we worship is ultimately what we believe will bring our protection and deliverance. Israel was being encouraged by Samuel to move from holding to their Baals and Ashtoreths as their saving protection, back to God as their saving protection.

This passage makes me question – what alternatives do I look to for protection and deliverance in challenging, hard, or dangerous situations, other than God? For me, the alternative protections tend to be money, certain relationships, and even my own human understanding.  I must respond to such awareness by allowing the Holy Spirit to search my heart for such foreign dependencies, rid myself of these foreign gods and commit myself to God in serving him only.

Lord, search my heart and see if there are any foreign gods that I am worshipping! Who or what am I looking to for my protection and deliverance other than you? I turn back to you with all my heart, ridding myself of these foreign gods and committing myself to serving You only. Amen.

Written by Ps. Rob Waugh

6 The ark of the Lord had been in Philistine territory for seven months. 2 The Philistines called for the priests and for those who practice evil magic. They wanted their advice. They said to them, “What should we do with the ark of the Lord? Tell us how we should send it back to its place.” 3 They answered, “If you return the ark of the god of Israel, don’t send it back to him without a gift. Be sure you send a guilt offering to their god along with it. Then you will be healed. You will find out why his power has continued to be against you.” 4 The Philistines asked, “What guilt offering should we send to him?” Their advisers replied, “There are five Philistine rulers. So send five gold rats. Also send five gold models of the growths in your bodies. Do it because the same plague has struck you and your rulers alike. 5 Make models of the rats and the growths that are destroying the country. Give honor to Israel’s god. Then perhaps his power will no longer be against you, your gods and your land. 6 Why are you stubborn, as Pharaoh and the people of Egypt were? Israel’s god was very hard on them. Only then did they send the Israelites out. Only then did they let them go on their way. 7 “Now then, get a new cart ready. Get two cows that have just had calves. Be sure the cows have never pulled a cart before. Tie the cart to them. But take their calves away and put them in a pen. 8 Then put the ark of the Lord on the cart. Put the gold models in a chest beside the ark. Send them back to the Lord as a guilt offering. Send the cart on its way. 9 But keep an eye on the cart. See if it goes up toward Beth Shemesh to its own territory. If it does, then it’s the Lord who has brought this horrible trouble on us. But if it doesn’t, then we’ll know it wasn’t his hand that struck us. We’ll know it happened to us by chance.” 10 So that’s what they did. They took the two cows and tied the cart to them. They put the calves in a pen. 11 They placed the ark of the Lord on the cart. They put the chest there along with it. The chest held the gold models of the rats and of the growths. 12 Then the cows went straight up toward Beth Shemesh. They stayed on the road. They were mooing all the way. They didn’t turn to the right or the left. The Philistine rulers followed them all the way to the border of Beth Shemesh. 13 The people of Beth Shemesh were working in the valley. They were gathering their wheat crop. They looked up and saw the ark. When they saw it, they were filled with joy. 14 The cart came to the field of Joshua of Beth Shemesh. It stopped there beside a large rock. The people chopped up the wood the cart was made out of. They sacrificed the cows as a burnt offering to the Lord. 15 Some Levites had taken the ark of the Lord off the cart. They had also taken off the chest that held the gold models. They placed them on the large rock. On that day the people of Beth Shemesh offered burnt offerings to the Lord. They also made sacrifices to him. 16 The five Philistine rulers saw everything that happened. On that same day they returned to Ekron. 17 The Philistines sent gold models of growths as a guilt offering to the Lord. There was one each for Ashdod, Gaza, Ashkelon, Gath and Ekron. 18 They also sent five gold models of rats. There was one for each of the Philistine towns that belonged to the five rulers. Each of those towns had high walls around it. The towns also had country villages around them. The Levites set the ark of the Lord on the large rock. To this day the rock is a witness to what happened there. It’s in the field of Joshua of Beth Shemesh.

At the time that this was written, the Ark of the Covenant represented God’s presence on earth. When the Philistines first captured the ark, they thought it was a great victory over the God of Israel. They had “captured God” and felt they had power over him. But then God sent plagues to every city where the ark came to rest, and the Philistines became less smug about their prized possession and eventually decided they didn’t want the ark around anymore.

Interestingly, it took the Philistines about 7 months to decide to send it back. Sometimes our in our stubbornness, it can take us a long time to face up to the truth!  In fact, in this instance, the Philistines were still not 100% convinced that the plagues were from God – they still wondered if it was “by chance”.

So the Philistines devised a way to test out their theory by sending the Ark of the Covenant on the backs of cows who had calves. The natural inclination of the cows would be to head back home to their calves, so if the cows headed the other direction it would be an act of God. As it turned out, the cows did go straight to the people of Israel, and in doing so went completely against their natural instincts.

We see here, that the idea of people being able to outsmart God or push God out of your life is not a new concept. At first they tried to tame Him, and when they couldn’t do that, they just wanted to be rid of Him! Even in the face of overwhelming evidence, the Philistines were still not willing to submit to God. Unbelief is generally not a result of lack of evidence – it is a result of stubbornness of heart.

Keeping our hearts soft and humble before God is so important. I cannot “capture” or tame God to make Him do what I want. Anyway, what’s the appeal of having a God who’s that weak? Today I gratefully submit once again to His wisdom, His power and His goodness in my life.

Written by Shelley Witt