WEBVTT 00:00:01.080 --> 00:00:03.700 Hello, this is Father Paul, and I'm glad we're 00:00:03.700 --> 00:00:05.740 taking this journey together to read the Bible 00:00:05.740 --> 00:00:09.859 in a year. Today's reading is from 1 Samuel 7 00:00:09.859 --> 00:00:14.199 -9. Chapter 7 Then the men of Kirjah's dream 00:00:14.199 --> 00:00:16.859 came and took the ark of the Lord, and brought 00:00:16.859 --> 00:00:19.179 it into the house of Abinadab on the hill, and 00:00:19.179 --> 00:00:21.780 consecrated Eleazar his son to keep the ark of 00:00:21.780 --> 00:00:24.519 the Lord. So it was that the ark remained in 00:00:24.519 --> 00:00:26.920 Kirjah's dream a long time, it was there twenty 00:00:26.920 --> 00:00:29.739 years. And all the house of Israel lamented after 00:00:29.739 --> 00:00:32.140 the Lord. Then Samuel spoke to all the house 00:00:32.140 --> 00:00:34.439 of Israel, saying, If you return to the Lord 00:00:34.439 --> 00:00:36.640 with all your hearts, then put away the foreign 00:00:36.640 --> 00:00:39.119 gods and the Ashtarothis from among you, and 00:00:39.119 --> 00:00:41.320 prepare your hearts for the Lord, and serve him 00:00:41.320 --> 00:00:44.340 only, and he will deliver you from the hand of 00:00:44.340 --> 00:00:46.840 the Philistines. So the children of Israel put 00:00:46.840 --> 00:00:49.020 away the Baals and the Ashtarothis, and served 00:00:49.020 --> 00:00:52.119 the Lord only. And Samuel said, Gather all Israel 00:00:52.119 --> 00:00:54.479 to Mizpah, and I will pray to the Lord for you. 00:00:54.640 --> 00:00:57.200 So they gathered together at Mizpah, drew water, 00:00:57.280 --> 00:00:59.600 and poured it out before the Lord. And they fasted 00:00:59.600 --> 00:01:01.820 that day and said there, We have sinned against 00:01:01.820 --> 00:01:04.359 the Lord. And Samuel judged the children of Israel 00:01:04.359 --> 00:01:06.799 at Mizpah. Now when the Philistines heard that 00:01:06.799 --> 00:01:08.359 the children of Israel had gathered together 00:01:08.359 --> 00:01:10.579 at Mizpah, the lords of the Philistines went 00:01:10.579 --> 00:01:13.049 up against Israel. And when the children of Israel 00:01:13.049 --> 00:01:15.390 heard of it, they were afraid of the Philistines. 00:01:15.430 --> 00:01:17.709 So the children of Israel said to Samuel, Do 00:01:17.709 --> 00:01:20.329 not cease to cry out to the Lord our God for 00:01:20.329 --> 00:01:22.530 us, that he may save us from the hand of the 00:01:22.530 --> 00:01:24.989 Philistines. And Samuel took a suckling lamb 00:01:24.989 --> 00:01:27.390 and offered it as a whole burnt offering to the 00:01:27.390 --> 00:01:29.849 Lord. Then Samuel cried out to the Lord of Israel, 00:01:29.989 --> 00:01:32.480 and the Lord answered him, Now as Samuel was 00:01:32.480 --> 00:01:34.500 offering up the burnt offering, the Philistines 00:01:34.500 --> 00:01:37.239 drew near to battle against Israel. But the Lord 00:01:37.239 --> 00:01:39.700 thundered with a loud thunder upon the Philistines 00:01:39.700 --> 00:01:42.319 that day and so confused them that they were 00:01:42.319 --> 00:01:44.620 overcome before Israel. And the men of Israel 00:01:44.620 --> 00:01:47.040 went out of Mizpah and pursued the Philistines 00:01:47.040 --> 00:01:49.560 and drove them back as far as below Beth -kar. 00:01:49.859 --> 00:01:52.500 Then Samuel took a stone and set it up between 00:01:52.500 --> 00:01:55.299 Mizpah and Shen and called its name Ebenezer, 00:01:55.400 --> 00:01:58.920 saying, Thus far the Lord has helped us. So the 00:01:58.920 --> 00:02:01.150 Philistines were subdued. and they did not come 00:02:01.150 --> 00:02:03.489 any more into the territory of Israel. And the 00:02:03.489 --> 00:02:05.230 hand of the Lord was against the Philistines 00:02:05.230 --> 00:02:07.640 all the days of Samuel. Then the cities which 00:02:07.640 --> 00:02:09.759 the Philistines had taken from Israel were restored 00:02:09.759 --> 00:02:13.159 to Israel, from Ekron to Gath. And Israel recovered 00:02:13.159 --> 00:02:15.300 its territory from the hands of the Philistines. 00:02:15.460 --> 00:02:17.900 Also there was peace between Israel and the Amorites. 00:02:18.060 --> 00:02:20.479 And Samuel judged Israel all the days of his 00:02:20.479 --> 00:02:22.740 life. He went from year to year on a circuit 00:02:22.740 --> 00:02:26.099 to Bethel, Gilgal, and Mizpah, and judged Israel 00:02:26.099 --> 00:02:28.599 in all those places. But he always returned to 00:02:28.599 --> 00:02:31.280 Ramah, for his home was there. There he judged 00:02:31.280 --> 00:02:33.759 Israel, and there he built an altar to the Lord. 00:02:36.219 --> 00:02:38.620 Now it came to pass, when Samuel was old, that 00:02:38.620 --> 00:02:41.180 he made his sons judges over Israel, the name 00:02:41.180 --> 00:02:43.620 of his firstborn was Joel, and the name of his 00:02:43.620 --> 00:02:46.759 second, Abijah. They were judges in Beersheba. 00:02:47.080 --> 00:02:49.840 But his sons did not walk in his ways. They turned 00:02:49.840 --> 00:02:52.960 aside after dishonest gain, took bribes, and 00:02:52.960 --> 00:02:55.539 perverted justice. Then all the elders of Israel 00:02:55.539 --> 00:02:57.639 gathered together and came to Samuel at Ramah, 00:02:57.719 --> 00:03:00.300 and said to him, Look, you are old, and your 00:03:00.300 --> 00:03:02.879 sons do not walk in your ways. Now make us a 00:03:02.879 --> 00:03:06.030 king to judge us like all the nations. But the 00:03:06.030 --> 00:03:08.169 thing displeased Samuel when they said, Give 00:03:08.169 --> 00:03:10.629 us a king to judge us. So Samuel prayed to the 00:03:10.629 --> 00:03:12.949 Lord. And the Lord said to Samuel, Heed the voice 00:03:12.949 --> 00:03:15.210 of the people in all that they say to you. For 00:03:15.210 --> 00:03:17.590 they have not rejected you, but they have rejected 00:03:17.590 --> 00:03:20.310 me, that I should not reign over them, according 00:03:20.310 --> 00:03:22.669 to all the works which they have done since the 00:03:22.669 --> 00:03:25.389 day that I brought them up out of Egypt, even 00:03:25.389 --> 00:03:28.090 to this day, with which they have forsaken me 00:03:28.090 --> 00:03:30.770 and served other gods. So they are doing to you 00:03:30.770 --> 00:03:33.270 also. Now therefore heed their voice. However, 00:03:33.490 --> 00:03:35.969 you shall solemnly forewarn them and show them 00:03:35.969 --> 00:03:37.909 the behavior of the king who will reign over 00:03:37.909 --> 00:03:40.270 them. So Samuel told all the words of the Lord 00:03:40.270 --> 00:03:42.949 to the people who asked him for a king. And he 00:03:42.949 --> 00:03:45.409 said, This will be the behavior of the king who 00:03:45.409 --> 00:03:47.550 will reign over you. He will take your sons and 00:03:47.550 --> 00:03:50.069 appoint them for his own chariots and to be his 00:03:50.069 --> 00:03:52.770 horsemen, and some will run before his chariots. 00:03:52.909 --> 00:03:55.250 He will appoint captains over his thousands and 00:03:55.250 --> 00:03:58.590 captains over his fifties. will set some to plow 00:03:58.590 --> 00:04:01.009 his ground and reap his harvest, and some to 00:04:01.009 --> 00:04:03.229 make his weapons of war and equipment for his 00:04:03.229 --> 00:04:06.030 chariots. He will take your daughters to be perfumers, 00:04:06.110 --> 00:04:08.669 cooks, and bakers. And he will take the best 00:04:08.669 --> 00:04:10.689 of your fields, your vineyards, and your olive 00:04:10.689 --> 00:04:13.430 groves, and give them to his servants. He will 00:04:13.430 --> 00:04:15.689 take a tenth of your grain and your vintage, 00:04:15.870 --> 00:04:18.589 and give it to his officers and servants. And 00:04:18.589 --> 00:04:20.509 he will take your male servants, your female 00:04:20.509 --> 00:04:23.589 servants, your finest young men, and your donkeys, 00:04:23.689 --> 00:04:26.339 and put them to his work. He will take a tenth 00:04:26.339 --> 00:04:28.980 of your sheep, and you will be his servants. 00:04:29.319 --> 00:04:32.259 And you will cry out in that day because of your 00:04:32.259 --> 00:04:34.579 king, whom you have chosen for yourselves, and 00:04:34.579 --> 00:04:37.199 the Lord will not hear you in that day. Nevertheless, 00:04:37.480 --> 00:04:39.279 the people refused to obey the voice of Samuel, 00:04:39.399 --> 00:04:42.379 and they said, No, but we will have a king over 00:04:42.379 --> 00:04:44.720 us, that we may also be like all the nations, 00:04:44.879 --> 00:04:47.920 and that our king may judge us and go out before 00:04:47.920 --> 00:04:50.819 us and fight our battles. And Samuel heard all 00:04:50.819 --> 00:04:53.240 the words of the people, and he repeated them 00:04:53.240 --> 00:04:55.579 in the hearing of the Lord. So the Lord said 00:04:55.579 --> 00:04:57.680 to Samuel, Heed their voice and make them a king. 00:04:57.920 --> 00:05:00.259 And Samuel said to the men of Israel, Every man 00:05:00.259 --> 00:05:05.000 go to his city. Chapter 9 There was a man of 00:05:05.000 --> 00:05:07.860 Benjamin, whose name was Kish, the son of Abiel, 00:05:07.980 --> 00:05:11.199 the son of Zeror, the son of Bekorah, the son 00:05:11.199 --> 00:05:14.240 of Aphia, a Benjamite, a mighty man of power. 00:05:14.439 --> 00:05:16.939 And he had a choice and handsome son, whose name 00:05:16.939 --> 00:05:19.560 was Saul. There was not a more handsome person 00:05:19.560 --> 00:05:22.680 than he among the children of Israel. From his 00:05:22.680 --> 00:05:24.879 shoulders upward he was taller than any of the 00:05:24.879 --> 00:05:27.439 people. Now the donkeys of Kish, Saul's father, 00:05:27.579 --> 00:05:30.600 were lost. And Kish said to his son Saul, Please 00:05:30.600 --> 00:05:32.439 take one of the servants with you, and arise, 00:05:32.699 --> 00:05:34.740 go and look for the donkeys. So he passed through 00:05:34.740 --> 00:05:36.519 the mountains of Ephraim, and through the land 00:05:36.519 --> 00:05:38.959 of Shalisha, but they did not find him. Then 00:05:38.959 --> 00:05:40.620 he passed through the land of Shalim, and they 00:05:40.620 --> 00:05:42.660 were not there. Then he passed through the land 00:05:42.660 --> 00:05:44.600 of the Benjamites, but they did not find him. 00:05:45.139 --> 00:05:47.759 When he had come to the land of Zuth, Saul said 00:05:47.759 --> 00:05:50.100 to his servant, who was with him, Come, let us 00:05:50.100 --> 00:05:52.319 return, lest my father cease caring about the 00:05:52.319 --> 00:05:54.660 donkeys and become worried about us. And he said 00:05:54.660 --> 00:05:57.240 to him, Look now, there is in this city a man 00:05:57.240 --> 00:05:59.540 of God, and he is an honorable man. All that 00:05:59.540 --> 00:06:02.480 he says surely comes to pass. So let us go there, 00:06:02.579 --> 00:06:04.540 perhaps he can show us the way that we should 00:06:04.540 --> 00:06:07.199 go. Then Saul said to his servant, But look, 00:06:07.300 --> 00:06:10.000 if we go, what shall we bring the man? For the 00:06:10.000 --> 00:06:12.120 bread in our vessels is all gone, and there is 00:06:12.120 --> 00:06:14.500 no present to bring to the man of God. What do 00:06:14.500 --> 00:06:16.899 we have? And the servant answered Saul again 00:06:16.899 --> 00:06:19.959 and said, Look, I have here at hand one -fourth 00:06:19.959 --> 00:06:22.160 of a shekel of silver. I will give that to the 00:06:22.160 --> 00:06:25.100 man of God to tell us our way. Formerly in Israel, 00:06:25.199 --> 00:06:27.519 when a man went to inquire of God, he spoke thus, 00:06:27.779 --> 00:06:30.639 Come, let us go to the seer. For he who is now 00:06:30.639 --> 00:06:33.199 called a prophet was formerly called a seer. 00:06:33.620 --> 00:06:36.279 Then Saul said to his servant, Well said, come, 00:06:36.319 --> 00:06:38.839 let us go. So they went to the city where the 00:06:38.839 --> 00:06:41.560 man of God was. As they went up the hill to the 00:06:41.560 --> 00:06:43.839 city, they met some young women going out to 00:06:43.839 --> 00:06:46.240 draw water and said to them, Is the seer here? 00:06:46.480 --> 00:06:49.180 And they answered them and said, Yes, there he 00:06:49.180 --> 00:06:51.839 is, just ahead of you. Hurry now, for today he 00:06:51.839 --> 00:06:54.019 came to this city because there is a sacrifice 00:06:54.019 --> 00:06:57.139 of the people today on the high place. As soon 00:06:57.139 --> 00:06:59.319 as you come into the city, you will surely find 00:06:59.319 --> 00:07:01.759 him before he goes up to the high place to eat. 00:07:02.000 --> 00:07:04.860 For the people will not eat until he comes, because 00:07:04.860 --> 00:07:07.740 he must bless the sacrifice. Afterward, those 00:07:07.740 --> 00:07:10.779 who are invited will eat. Now therefore go up, 00:07:10.839 --> 00:07:13.259 for about this time you will find him. So they 00:07:13.259 --> 00:07:15.620 went up to the city. As they were coming into 00:07:15.620 --> 00:07:17.759 the city, there was Samuel. coming out toward 00:07:17.759 --> 00:07:20.439 them on his way up to the high place. Now the 00:07:20.439 --> 00:07:22.720 Lord had told Samuel in his ear the day before 00:07:22.720 --> 00:07:25.959 Saul came, saying, Tomorrow about this time I 00:07:25.959 --> 00:07:28.139 will send you a man from the land of Benjamin, 00:07:28.319 --> 00:07:30.860 and you shall anoint him commander over my people 00:07:30.860 --> 00:07:33.300 Israel, that he may save my people from the hand 00:07:33.300 --> 00:07:35.600 of the Philistines. For I have looked upon my 00:07:35.600 --> 00:07:38.300 people, because their cry has come to me. So 00:07:38.300 --> 00:07:41.100 when Samuel saw Saul, the Lord said to him, There 00:07:41.100 --> 00:07:43.860 he is, the man of whom I spoke to you. This one 00:07:43.860 --> 00:07:46.600 shall reign over my people. Then Saul drew near 00:07:46.600 --> 00:07:49.079 to Samuel in the gate and said, Please tell me, 00:07:49.139 --> 00:07:52.279 where is the seer's house? Samuel answered Saul 00:07:52.279 --> 00:07:55.319 and said, I am the seer. Go up before me to the 00:07:55.319 --> 00:07:57.259 high place, for you shall eat with me today. 00:07:57.600 --> 00:08:00.040 And tomorrow I will let you go and will tell 00:08:00.040 --> 00:08:02.259 you all that is in your heart. But as for your 00:08:02.259 --> 00:08:04.319 donkeys that were lost three days ago, do not 00:08:04.319 --> 00:08:06.439 be anxious about them, for they have been found. 00:08:06.860 --> 00:08:09.740 And on whom is all the desire of Israel? Is it 00:08:09.740 --> 00:08:12.740 not on you and on all your father's house? And 00:08:12.740 --> 00:08:15.139 Saul answered and said, Am I not a Benjamite, 00:08:15.220 --> 00:08:17.519 of the smallest of the tribes of Israel, and 00:08:17.519 --> 00:08:19.420 my family the least of all the families of the 00:08:19.420 --> 00:08:21.839 tribe of Benjamin? Why then do you speak like 00:08:21.839 --> 00:08:24.779 this to me? Now Samuel took Saul and his servant 00:08:24.779 --> 00:08:27.319 and brought them into the hall and had them sit 00:08:27.319 --> 00:08:29.759 in the place of honor among those who were invited. 00:08:30.120 --> 00:08:32.620 There were about thirty persons. And Samuel said 00:08:32.620 --> 00:08:34.879 to the cook, Bring the portion which I gave you, 00:08:34.919 --> 00:08:37.679 of which I said to you, Set it apart. So the 00:08:37.679 --> 00:08:39.980 cook took up the thigh with its upper part and 00:08:39.980 --> 00:08:42.679 set it before Saul. And Samuel said, Here it 00:08:42.679 --> 00:08:45.490 is. What was kept back, it was set apart for 00:08:45.490 --> 00:08:48.490 you. Eat, for until this time it has been kept 00:08:48.490 --> 00:08:51.549 for you, since I said I invited the people. So 00:08:51.549 --> 00:08:53.750 Saul ate with Samuel that day. When they had 00:08:53.750 --> 00:08:55.710 come down from the high place into the city, 00:08:55.789 --> 00:08:58.190 Samuel spoke with Saul on the top of the house. 00:08:58.429 --> 00:09:00.830 They arose early, and it was about the dawning 00:09:00.830 --> 00:09:03.009 of the day that Samuel called to Saul on the 00:09:03.009 --> 00:09:05.269 top of the house, saying, Get up, that I may 00:09:05.269 --> 00:09:07.909 send you on your way. And Saul arose, and both 00:09:07.909 --> 00:09:10.789 of them went outside, he and Samuel. As they 00:09:10.789 --> 00:09:12.669 were going down to the outskirts of the city, 00:09:12.789 --> 00:09:15.629 Samuel said to Saul, Tell the servant to go on 00:09:15.629 --> 00:09:18.549 ahead of us. And he went on, But you stand here 00:09:18.549 --> 00:09:20.950 a while, that I may announce to you the word 00:09:20.950 --> 00:09:28.269 of God. I hope you enjoyed today's reading as 00:09:28.269 --> 00:09:30.470 much as I did, and I look forward to seeing you 00:09:30.470 --> 00:09:32.870 again tomorrow to continue on our journey. God 00:09:32.870 --> 00:09:34.169 bless you and have a great day.