And he said unto them, "The LORD is witness against you, and his anointed is witness this day, that ye have not found aught in my hand." And they answered, "He is witness." And Samuel said unto the people, "It is the LORD that advanced Moses and Aaron, and that brought your fathers up out of the land of Egypt. Now therefore stand still, that I may reason with you before the LORD of all the righteous acts of the LORD, which he did to you and to your fathers. "When Jacob was come into Egypt, and your fathers cried unto the LORD, then the LORD sent Moses and Aaron, which brought forth your fathers out of Egypt, and made them dwell in this place. And when they forgat the LORD their God, he sold them into the hand of Sisera, captain of the host of Hazor, and into the hand of the Philistines, and into the hand of the king of Moab, and they fought against them. And they cried unto the LORD, and said, 'We have sinned, because we have forsaken the LORD, and have served Baalim and Ashtaroth: but now deliver us out of the hand of our enemies, and we will serve thee.' And the LORD sent Jerubbaal, and Bedan, and Jephthah, and Samuel, and delivered you out of the hand of your enemies on every side, and ye dwelled safe. "And when ye saw that Nahash, the king of the children of Ammon, came against you, ye said unto me, 'Nay; but a king shall reign over us': when the LORD your God was your king. Now therefore behold the king whom ye have chosen, and whom ye have desired! And, behold, the LORD hath set a king over you. If ye will fear the LORD, and serve him, and obey his voice, and not rebel against the commandment of the LORD, then shall both ye and also the king that reigneth over you continue following the LORD your God: but if ye will not obey the voice of the LORD, but rebel against the commandment of the LORD, then shall the hand of the LORD be against you, as it was against your fathers. "Now therefore stand and see this great thing, which the LORD will do before your eyes. Is it not wheat harvest to-day? I will call unto the LORD, and he shall send thunder and rain; that ye may perceive and see that your wickedness is great, which ye have done in the sight of the LORD, in asking you a king. So Samuel called unto the LORD; and the LORD sent thunder and rain that day: and all the people greatly feared the LORD and Samuel. And all the people said unto Samuel, "Pray for thy servants unto the LORD thy God, that we die not: for we have added unto all our sins this evil, to ask us a king." And Samuel said unto the people, "Fear not: ye have done all this wickedness: yet turn not aside from following the LORD, but serve the LORD with all your heart; and turn ye not aside: for then should ye go after vain things, which cannot profit nor deliver; for they are vain. For the LORD will not forsake his people for his great name's sake: because it hath pleased the LORD to make you his people. Moreover as for me, God forbid that I should sin against the LORD in ceasing to pray for you: but I will teach you the good and the right way: only fear the LORD, and serve him in truth with all your heart: for consider how great things he hath done for you. But if ye shall still do wickedly, ye shall be consumed, both ye and your king." QUESTIONS - I Samuel 12. What were the characteristics of the age of the Judges? Name the Judges. What was the nature of their work? Which Judge was left-handed? What women were heroines of this period? Who were the Kenites? the Midianites? the Ammonites? Describe the battle of Kishon. Who was Sisera? Tell the story of Jael. What farmer delivered Israel? What was he doing when the call came? How did he choose his army? Describe his victory. Who were Zebah and Zalmunna? Tell Jotham's story. Who was Abimelech? Who was Zebul? What woman killed a great leader with a mill-stone? What was the vow of Jephthah? How did he carry it out? Who was the strongest man in the Bible? What was his riddle? What were his exploits? What was the name of the woman who betrayed him? What was his punishment in captivity? How did he get revenge upon his enemies? Did the act atone for his former failure in character? Who was the greatest of the Judges? Who were his father and mother? What did his mother bring him each year? Who spoke to him in the night? Who was the priest who brought him up? What was the character of the priests' sons? How was the worship corrupted? Was it the father's fault? What great defeat did Israel suffer? How did it affect the old priest? What happened to the ark in the country of the Philistines? How did the ark come home again? Why is Samuel called the King-maker? What was Saul doing when he visited Samuel? Why did the people demand a king? What evils did Samuel tell them would follow? When was this prophecy fulfilled? What qualifications had Saul for leadership? What was the farewell address of Samuel? Compare it with that of Moses; Joshua; Washington. NOTES The "Gideon" organization of Christian business men takes its name from the great Judge of Israel, and has a pitcher for its emblem. It is part of their work to place copies of the Bible in hotels and other public places. Compare the classic story of Iphigenia and Agamemnon as told in the "Iphigenia" of Euripides with that of Jephthah's daughter. The story of Samson contains many of the elements of a great dramatic poem. The great poet Milton often used the figure of Samson, as when he sees in his mind a noble and puissant nation rousing herself like a strong man after sleep and shaking her invincible locks. In his poem, "Samson Agonistes," the story of the last days of the blind captive are described. The opera "Samson and Delilah" was written by Saint-Saens. |