March 28 Daily Devotional

1 Samuel 11–12

When Saul became king of Israel, he had a real job on his hands. The Ammonites, old enemies of God’s people, began to trouble them again. Nabash, the king of the Ammonites, attacked Jabesh-gilead and said to the men of that city, I will “thrust out all your right eyes.” His cruel threat filled the people of Jabesh with alarm. They sent messengers to Gibeah, where Saul lived. When the people heard the pitiful story, they wept with a loud noise. Saul returning from the field, enquired, “What aileth the people that they weep?” When he heard about the matter, the Spirit of the Lord came upon him and his anger was kindled greatly. He took a yoke of oxen and cut them in pieces. These he sent to all the sections of Israel with the message, “Whosoever cometh not forth after Saul and after Samuel, so shall it be done to his oxen.”

And the fear of the Lord fell upon the people. The men left their homes and came to Saul, and soon he had a large army. The messengers of Jabesh were dismissed with the instruction, “Thus shall ye say unto the men of Jabesh-gilead, Tomorrow, by the time the sun be hot, ye shall have help.” It was a glad message for the people of Jabesh. And so it happened. Early the next day Saul arranged the huge army into three companies and led them against the Ammonites. Already at the heat of the clay they were defeated. And in the course of the clay the enemy was scattered to the extent “that two of them were not left together.”

Then Samuel said to the people, “Come let us go to Gilgal and renew the kingdom there.” It was the memorable place where the twelve stones had been erected after Israel crossed the Jordan. They came there and offered sacrifice to the Lord and worshipped him. Samuel gave over to the new king the rule over the land. The people rejoiced and listened to the stirring farewell message of their departing leader. “Behold,” he said, “I have hearkened unto your voice in all that ye have said unto me, and have made a king over you … I am old and gray headed … I have walked before you from my childhood to this day.” He called to their minds all that God had clone for his people since he had led them out of Egypt; how he had delivered them from their enemies and given them judges. He said, “If ye will fear the Lord… and obey his voice it shall be well with you, but if ye will not obey, then the hand of the Lord shall be against you, as it was against your fathers.” Then Samuel called upon God, and he sent thunder and rain that day. The people were filled with fear and cried to Samuel, “Pray for thy servants unto the Lord.” Samuel comforted the people and said, “The Lord will not forsake his people for his great name’s sake: because it hath pleased the Lord to make you his people.”