The Bible Story Part 161

And Samuel said, "What meaneth then this bleating of the sheep in mine ears, and the lowing of the oxen which I hear?"

And Saul said, "They have brought them from the Amalekites: for the people spared the best of the sheep and of the oxen, to sacrifice to the Lord thy G.o.d; and the rest we have utterly destroyed."

Then Samuel said to Saul, "Stay, and I will tell thee what the Lord hath said to me this night."

And he said unto him, "Say on."

And Samuel said, "Though thou wast little in thine own sight, wast thou not made the head of the tribes of Israel? And the Lord anointed thee king over Israel; and the Lord sent thee on a journey, and said, 'Go and utterly destroy the sinners the Amalekites, and fight against them until they be consumed.' Wherefore then didst thou not obey {374} the voice of the Lord, but didst fly upon the spoil, and didst that which was evil in the sight of the Lord?"

And Saul said unto Samuel, "Yea, I have obeyed the voice of the Lord, and have gone the way which the Lord sent me, and have brought Agag the king of Amalek, and have utterly destroyed the Amalekites. But the people took of the spoil, sheep and oxen, the chief of the devoted things, to sacrifice unto the Lord thy G.o.d in Gilgal."

And Samuel said, "Hath the Lord as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the Lord? Behold,--

"To obey is better than sacrifice, and to harken than the fat of rams."

"For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness is as idolatry and image wors.h.i.+p. Because thou hast rejected the word of the Lord, he hath also rejected thee from being king."

And Saul said to Samuel, "I have sinned: for I have transgressed the commandment of the Lord, and thy words: because I feared the people, and obeyed their voice. Now therefore, I pray thee, pardon my sin, and turn again with me, that I may wors.h.i.+p the Lord."

And Samuel said to Saul, "I will not return with thee: for thou hast rejected the word of the Lord, and the Lord hath rejected thee from being king over Israel."

And as Samuel turned about to go away, he laid hold upon the skirt of his robe, and it rent. And Samuel said to him, "The Lord hath rent the kingdom of Israel from {375} thee this day, and hath given it to a neighbor of thine, that is better than thou. And also the Strength of Israel will not lie nor repent: for he is not a man, that he should repent."

Then he said, "I have sinned: yet honor me now, I pray thee, before the elders of my people, and before Israel; and turn again with me, that I may wors.h.i.+p the Lord thy G.o.d."

So Samuel turned again after Saul; and Saul wors.h.i.+ped the Lord.

Then said Samuel, "Bring ye hither to me Agag the king of the Amalekites." And Agag came unto him cheerfully. And Agag said, "Surely the bitterness of death is past."

And Samuel said, "As thy sword hath made women childless, so shall thy mother be childless among women."

And Samuel hewed Agag in pieces before the Lord in Gilgal.

Then Samuel went to Ramah; and Saul went up to his house to Gibeah of Saul. And Samuel came no more to see Saul until the day of his death; for Samuel mourned for Saul: and the Lord repented that he had made Saul king over Israel.

THE DOWNFALL OF THE KING.

"_G.o.d is Departed from Me_."

(For some time after this Saul continued to be king over Israel, but he had many troubles. These troubles made him sad {376} and despondent, so that often the people thought him insane. At last war broke out again with the fierce and powerful Philistines, who lived on the plains to the west of the hill-country which was the home of the Israelites. Saul was very much discouraged at the beginning of this war. The story of what he did, and how he died at last like a hero on the battle-field, is as follows.)

Now Samuel was dead, and all Israel had lamented him, and buried him in Ramah, even in his own city. And Saul had put away those that had familiar spirits, and the wizards, out of the land. And the Philistines gathered themselves together, and came and camped in Shunem: and Saul gathered all Israel together, and they camped in Gilboa. And when Saul saw the host of the Philistines, he was afraid, and his heart trembled greatly. And when Saul inquired of the Lord, the Lord answered him not.

Then said Saul to his servants, "Seek me a woman that hath a familiar spirit, that I may go to her, and inquire of her."

And his servants said to him, "Behold, there is a woman that hath a familiar spirit at En-dor."

And Saul disguised himself and put on other raiment, and went, he and two men with him, and they came to the woman by night: and he said, "Divine unto me, I pray thee, by the familiar spirit, and bring me up whomsoever I shall name unto thee."

And the woman said unto him, "Behold, thou knowest what Saul hath done, how he hath cut off those that have familiar spirits, and the wizards, out of the land: wherefore then layest thou a snare for my life, to cause me to die?"

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[Ill.u.s.tration]

EN-DOR

This was where the great king came at night, in despair, to consult the woman "with the familiar spirit."

[End ill.u.s.tration]

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And Saul swore to her by the Lord, saying, "As the Lord liveth, there shall no punishment happen to thee for this thing."

Then said the woman, "Whom shall I bring up unto thee?"

And he said, "Bring me up Samuel."

And when the woman saw Samuel, she cried with a loud voice: and the woman spoke to Saul, saying, "Why hast thou deceived me? for thou art Saul."

And the king said to her, "Be not afraid: for what seest thou?"

And the woman said to Saul, "I see one like a G.o.d coming up out of the earth."

And he said unto her, "What form is he of?"

And she said, "An old man cometh up; and he is covered with a robe."

And Saul perceived that it was Samuel, and he bowed with his face to the ground, and did obeisance. And Samuel said to Saul, "Why hast thou disquieted me, to bring me up?"

And Saul answered, "I am sore distressed; for the Philistines make war against me, and G.o.d is departed from me, and answereth me no more, neither by prophets, nor by dreams: therefore I have called thee, that thou mayest make known to me what I shall do."

And Samuel said, "Wherefore dost thou ask of me, seeing the Lord is departed from thee, and is become thine {380} adversary? And the Lord hath done unto thee as he spoke by me: and the Lord hath rent the kingdom out of thine hand, and given it to thy neighbor, even to David. Because thou obeyedst not the voice of the Lord, and didst not execute his fierce wrath upon Amalek, therefore hath the Lord done this thing unto thee this day. Moreover the Lord will deliver Israel also with thee into the hand of the Philistines: and to-morrow shalt thou and thy sons be with me: the Lord shall deliver the host of Israel also into the hand of the Philistines."

Then Saul fell straightway his full length upon the earth, and was sore afraid, because of the words of Samuel; and there was no strength in him; for he had eaten no food all the day, nor all the night.

THE FATAL FIELD OF GILBOA.

_The Tide of Battle Rolls Over King Saul and His Sons_.

Now the Philistines fought against Israel: and the men of Israel fled from before the Philistines, and fell down slain in Mount Gilboa. And the Philistines followed hard upon Saul, and upon his sons; and the Philistines slew Jonathan, and Abinadab, and Malchi-shua, the sons of Saul. And the battle went sore against Saul, and the archers overtook him; and he was greatly distressed by reason of the archers.

Then said Saul to his armorbearer, "Draw thy sword, and thrust me through therewith; lest the Philistines come and thrust me through, and maltreat me."

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