Immerse: Kingdoms Full Volume - Flipbook - Page 119
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S am u el – K I N G S
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up in revolt!” All Israel heard the news that Saul had destroyed the Philis
tine garrison at Geba and that the Philistines now hated the Israelites more
than ever. So the entire Israelite army was summoned to join Saul at Gilgal.
The Philistines mustered a mighty army of 3,000 chariots, 6,000 char
ioteers, and as many warriors as the grains of sand on the seashore! They
camped at Micmash east of B
eth-aven. The men of Israel saw what a tight
spot they were in; and because they were hard pressed by the enemy, they
tried to hide in caves, thickets, rocks, holes, and cisterns. Some of them
crossed the Jordan River and escaped into the land of Gad and Gilead.
Meanwhile, Saul stayed at Gilgal, and his men were trembling with fear.
Saul waited there seven days for Samuel, as Samuel had instructed him
earlier, but Samue l still didn’t come. Saul realized that his troops were rapidly slipping away. So he demanded, “Bring me the burnt offering and the
peace offerings!” And Saul sacrificed the burnt offering himself.
Just as Saul was finishing with the burnt offering, Samue l arrived. Saul
went out to meet and welcome him, but Samue l said, “What is this you
have done?”
Saul replied, “I saw my men scattering from me, and you didn’t arrive
when you said you would, and the Philistines are at Micmash ready for
battle. So I said, ‘The Philistines are ready to march against us at Gilgal,
and I haven’t even asked for the Lord’s help!’ So I felt compelled to offer
the burnt offering myself before you came.”
“How foolish!” Samue l exclaimed. “You have not kept the command
the Lord your God gave you. Had you kept it, the Lord would have established your kingdom over Israel forever. But now your kingdom must
end, for the Lord has sought out a man after his own heart. The Lord has
already appointed him to be the leader of his people, because you have not
kept the Lord’s command.”
Samue l then left Gilgal and went on his way, but the rest of the troops
went with Saul to meet the army. They went up from Gilgal to Gibeah in
the land of Benjamin. When Saul counted the men who were still with
him, he found only 600 were left! Saul and Jonathan and the troops with
them were staying at Geba in the land of Benjamin. The Philistines set up
their camp at Micmash. Three raiding parties soon left the camp of the
Philistines. One went north toward Ophrah in the land of Shual, another
went west to Beth-horon, and the third moved toward the border above
the valley of Zeboim near the wilderness.
There were no blacksmiths in the land of Israel in those days. The Phi
listines wouldn’t allow them for fear they would make swords and spears
for the Hebrews. So whenever the Israelites needed to sharpen their
plowshares, picks, axes, or sickles, they had to take them to a Philistine