The Bible Story Part 159

[Ill.u.s.tration]

THE ANCIENT MIZPAH, LOOKING FROM THE SOUTH.

It is situated on a high hill to the northwest of Jerusalem.

From a photograph taken by Prof. H. G. Mitch.e.l.l, and used by his kind permission.

There were many places in Palestine called Mizpah, "watch tower,"

but it seems probable that the location shown in the picture was the site of Samuel's home.

[End ill.u.s.tration]

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And Saul arose, and they went out both of them, he and Samuel, abroad.

As they were going down at the end of the city, Samuel said to Saul, "Bid the servant pa.s.s on before us" (and he pa.s.sed on), "but stand thou still that I may cause thee to hear the word of G.o.d."

Then Samuel took the vial of oil, and poured it upon his head, and kissed him, and said, "Is it not that the Lord hath anointed thee to be prince over his inheritance?" And Saul departed from Samuel.

And when Saul reached home his uncle said to him and to his servant, "Whither went ye?" And he said, "To seek the a.s.ses: and when we saw that they were not found, we came to Samuel."

And Saul's uncle said, "Tell me, I pray thee, what Samuel said to you." And Saul said to his uncle, "He told us plainly that the a.s.ses were found." But concerning the matter of the kingdom, whereof Samuel spoke, he told him not.

SAUL IS PUBLICLY PROCLAIMED KING.

"_G.o.d Save the King!_"

And Samuel called the people together to the Lord to Mizpah; and he said to the children of Israel, "Thus saith the Lord, the G.o.d of Israel, I brought up Israel out of Egypt, and I delivered you out of the hand of the Egyptians, and out of the hand of all the kingdoms that oppressed you: but ye have this day rejected your G.o.d, who himself saveth you out of all your calamities and your distresses; and ye have said to him, 'Nay, but set a king over us.' Now {358} therefore present yourselves before the Lord by your tribes, and by your thousands."

So Samuel brought all the tribes of Israel near, and the tribe of Benjamin was chosen. And he brought the tribe of Benjamin near by their families, and the family of the Matrites was chosen: and Saul the son of Kish was chosen; but when they sought him, he could not be found. Therefore they asked of the Lord further, "Is the man yet come hither?"

And the Lord answered, "Behold, he hath hid himself in the camp."

And they ran and fetched him thence; and when he stood among the people, he was higher than any of the people from his shoulders and upward. And Samuel said to all the people, "See ye him whom the Lord hath chosen, that there is none like him among all the people?"

And all the people shouted, and said,--

"G.o.d save the king!"

Then Samuel told the people the manner of the kingdom, and wrote it in a book, and laid it up before the Lord. And Samuel sent all the people away, every man to his house. And Saul also went to his house to Gibeah; and there went with him the host, whose hearts G.o.d had touched.

But certain worthless fellows said, "How shall this man save us?"

And they despised him, and brought him no present. But he held his peace.

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SAUL IS TRIED AND IS NOT FOUND WANTING.

_The First Battle of the New King_.

Then Nahash the Ammonite came up, and encamped against Jabesh-gilead: and all the men of Jabesh said to Nahash, "Make a covenant with us, and we will serve thee."

And Nahash the Ammonite said unto them, "On this condition will I make it with you, that all your right eyes be put out; and I will lay it for a reproach upon all Israel."

And the elders of Jabesh said to him, "Give us seven days' respite, that we may send messengers to all the borders of Israel: and then, if there be none to save us, we will come out to thee."

Then came the messengers to Gibeah of Saul, and spoke these words in the ears of the people: and all the people lifted up their voice, and wept. And, behold, Saul came following the oxen out of the field; and Saul said, "What aileth the people that they weep?"

And they told him the words of the men of Jabesh. And the spirit of G.o.d came mightily upon Saul when he heard those words, and his anger was kindled greatly. And he took a yoke of oxen, and cut them in pieces, and sent them throughout all the borders of Israel by the hand of messengers, saying, "Whosoever cometh not forth after Saul and after Samuel, so shall it be done to his oxen."

And the dread of the Lord fell on the people, and they came out as one man. And he numbered them in Bezek; and the children of Israel were three hundred thousand, and the men of Judah thirty thousand. And they said {360} to the messengers that came, "Thus shall ye say unto the men of Jabesh-gilead, 'To-morrow, by the time the sun is hot, ye shall have deliverance.'"

And the messengers came and told the men of Jabesh; and they were glad. Therefore the men of Jabesh said, "To-morrow we will come out unto you, and ye shall do with us all that seemeth good unto you."

And it was so on the morrow, that Saul put the people in three companies; and they came into the midst of the camp in the morning watch, and smote the Ammonites until the heat of day: and it came to pa.s.s, that they which remained were scattered, so that two of them were not left together.

And the people said to Samuel, "Who is he that said, 'Shall Saul reign over us?' bring the men, that we may put them to death."

And Saul said, "There shall not a man be put to death this day: for to-day the Lord hath wrought deliverance in Israel."

SAUL THE WARRIOR.

_Battles and Victories_.

Saul was thirty years old when he began to reign; and he reigned two years over Israel. And Saul chose him three thousand men of Israel; whereof two thousand were with Saul in Michmash and in the mount of Beth-el, and a thousand were with Jonathan in Gibeah of Benjamin: and the rest of the people he sent every man to his tent. And Jonathan smote the garrison of the Philistines that was in Geba, and the Philistines heard of it. And Saul {361} blew the trumpet throughout all the land, saying, "Let the Hebrews hear." And all Israel heard that Saul had smitten the garrison of the Philistines, and that Israel also was held in abomination by the Philistines. And the people were gathered together after Saul to Gilgal.

And the Philistines a.s.sembled themselves together to fight with Israel, thirty thousand chariots, and six thousand hors.e.m.e.n, and people as the sand which is on the sea sh.o.r.e in mult.i.tude: and they came up and pitched in Michmash, eastward of Beth-aven. When the men of Israel saw that they were in a strait (for the people were distressed), then the people hid themselves in caves, and in thickets, and in rocks, and in holds, and in pits. Now some of the Hebrews had gone over Jordan to the land of Gad and Gilead; but as for Saul, he was yet in Gilgal, and all the people followed him trembling.

And he tarried seven days, according to the set time that Samuel had appointed: but Samuel came not to Gilgal; and the people were scattered from him. And Saul said, "Bring hither the burnt offering to me, and the peace offerings." And he offered the burnt offering. And it came to pa.s.s that, as soon as he had made an end of offering the burnt offering, behold, Samuel came; and Saul went out to meet him, that he might salute him. And Samuel said, "What hast thou done?" And Saul said, "Because I saw that the people were scattered from me, and that thou earnest not within the days appointed, and that the Philistines a.s.sembled themselves together at Michmash; therefore said I, 'Now will the Philistines come {362} down upon me to Gilgal, and I have not intreated the favor of the Lord': I forced myself therefore to do it, and offered the burnt offering."

And Samuel said to Saul, "Thou hast done foolishly: thou hast not kept the commandment of the Lord thy G.o.d, which he commanded thee: for now would the Lord have established thy kingdom upon Israel forever. But now thy kingdom shall not continue: the Lord hath sought him a man after his own heart, and the Lord hath appointed him to be prince over his people, because thou hast not kept that which the Lord commanded thee."

And Samuel arose, and went up from Gilgal to Gibeah of Benjamin. And Saul numbered the people that were present with him, about six hundred men. And Saul, and Jonathan his son, and the people that were present with them, abode in Geba of Benjamin: but the Philistines encamped in Michmash. And bands of the Philistines came out and ravaged the country all about.

Now there was no blacksmith found throughout all the land of Israel: for the Philistines said, "There shall be no blacksmith, lest the Hebrews make them swords or spears": but all the Israelites went down to the Philistines, to sharpen their axes and ploughshares and other tools.

So it came to pa.s.s in the day of battle, that there was neither sword nor spear found in the hand of any of the people that were with Saul and Jonathan; except in the hands of Saul and Jonathan his son. And the garrison of the Philistines went out unto the pa.s.s of Michmash.

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[Ill.u.s.tration]

THE VALLEY OF AIJALON

"Throughout history we see hosts swarming up this avenue or swept down it in flight. Joshua drove the Canaanites down this valley.