Immerse: Kingdoms Full Volume - Flipbook - Page 117
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S am u el – K I N G S
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The men of Jabesh then told their enemies, “Tomorrow we will come
out to you, and you can do to us whatever you wish.” But before dawn the
next morning, Saul arrived, having divided his army into three detachments. He launched a surprise attack against the Ammonites and slaughtered them the whole morning. The remnant of their army was so badly
scattered that no two of them were left together.
Then the people exclaimed to Samue l, “Now where are those men who
said, ‘Why should Saul rule over us?’ Bring them here, and we will kill
them!”
But Saul replied, “No one will be executed today, for today the Lord
has rescued Israel!”
Then Samuel said to the people, “Come, let us all go to Gilgal to renew the
kingdom.” So they all went to Gilgal, and in a solemn ceremony before the
Lord they made Saul king. Then they offered peace offerings to the Lord,
and Saul and all the Israelites were filled with joy.
Then Samuel addressed all Israel: “I have done as you asked and given
you a king. Your king is now your leader. I stand here before you—an old,
gray-haired m
an—and my sons serve you. I have served as your leader
from the time I was a boy to this very day. Now testify against me in the
presence of the Lord and before his anointed one. Whose ox or donkey
have I stolen? Have I ever cheated any of you? Have I ever oppressed you?
Have I ever taken a bribe and perverted justice? Tell me and I will make
right whatever I have done wrong.”
“No,” they replied, “you have never cheated or oppressed us, and you
have never taken even a single bribe.”
“The Lord and his anointed one are my witnesses today,” Samue l declared, “that my hands are clean.”
“Yes, he is a witness,” they replied.
“It was the Lord who appointed Moses and Aaron,” Samuel continued.
“He brought your ancestors out of the land of Egypt. Now stand here quietly before the Lord as I remind you of all the great things the Lord has
done for you and your ancestors.
“When the Israelites were in Egypt and cried out to the Lord, he sent
Moses and Aaron to rescue them from Egypt and to bring them into this
land. But the people soon forgot about the Lord their God, so he handed
them over to Sisera, the commander of Hazor’s army, and also to the Phi
listines and to the king of Moab, who fought against them.
“Then they cried to the Lord again and confessed, ‘We have sinned by
turning away from the Lord and worshiping the images of Baal and Ash
toreth. But we will worship you and you alone if you will rescue us from