1 Samuel

1 Samuel
This book begins, rather appropriately, with the birth of Samuel.  His mother's name was Hannah, and she was one of two wives of Elkanah.  He loved her very much and gave her a double portion of everything even though she was barren.  She was very upset but prayed and made a vow that if God would give her a son she would give him to the Lord and never cut his hair.  God gives her a son and she prays a beautiful prayer and once she had weaned the boy, she took him to the house of the Lord and left him with Eli.  One night when Samuel was still young, the Lord called him, but Sam thought it was Eli.  After the third try, Samuel finally responded to the Lord with, "Here I am."  And as he grew, the Lord was with him and he became a prophet of the Lord for all Israel.

During a battle with the Philistines, the ark of the covenant was stolen.  When Eli heard the news, he fell backward off his seat at the gate, broke his neck, and died.  The Philistines took the ark into the house of Dagon, one of their gods.  The next day, the statue of Dagon had fallen face downward on the ground before the ark.  They set it back up, but the next day, not only had it fallen over, its head and hands were cut off.  So, they decided it was time to get rid of the ark.  They were very much afraid of the Lord, so they put the ark on a cart and yoked two milk cows to it, and then just let the cows walk to talk the ark back to Israel.  So the ark was back with Israel, but it stayed at the house of Abinadab.

When Samuel got old, he made is sons judges over Israel.  But they did not follow the Lord and the people didn't like it, so they told Samuel to appoint a king.  Samuel tried to warn them about the down side to having a king, but the people were convinced they wanted to be like the other nations and have a king to rule over them.  The Lord told Samuel to obey the people and make them a king.  So Saul was chosen as king.  He honestly met no kingly requirements except for the fact that there was not one person more handsome than he, and he was head and shoulders taller than everyone else.  Saul was anointed and then later proclaimed to be king.  When Samuel was making the proclamation he told the people, "today you have rejected your God..."  I pray that the Lord will show me any place I have rejected Him for something that seems to be valuable to me.  Later on, Samuel gives his farewell address and I love his words... they still ring true.  "Do not be afraid; you have done all this evil.  Yet do not turn aside from following the Lord, but serve the Lord with all your heart.  And do not turn aside after empty things that cannot profit or deliver, for they are empty.  For the Lord will not forsake his people, for his great name's sake, because it has pleased the Lord to make you a people for himself. ... Only fear the Lord and serve him faithfully with all your heart.  For consider what great things he has done for you."

While Saul was facing a battle, he did not follow the Lord's commands and made unlawful sacrifices.  He was supposed to wait on Samuel, but went ahead and did it himself.  When Samuel arrived he told Saul that he had messed up and his kingdom would not continue forever as it would have if he had followed the commands of the Lord.  Saul's son, Jonathan, has now entered the scene as a military man.  He is brave and smart.  He does not follow in the ways of his father.  As time continues, Saul shows off what a poor king he is.  The Lord even says to Samuel at one point, "I regret that I have made Saul king..."  I long for God to call me righteous and be pleased with me.  May I never cause Him regret!