Righteousness exalts a nation, but sin is a disgrace to any people. Proverbs 14:34
1 Samuel 8-9
1 Samuel 8
Israel Demands a King
1 When Samuel was old, he made his sons judges over Israel. 2 Now the name of his firstborn was Joel, and the name of his second, Abijah. They were judges in Beersheba. 3 His sons did not walk in his ways, but turned away after dishonest gain, took bribes, and perverted justice.
4 Then all the elders of Israel gathered together and came to Samuel to Ramah. 5 They said to him, âYou are old, and your sons do not walk in your ways. Now make us a king to judge us like all the nations.â 6 But this displeased Samuel, when they said, âGive us a king to judge us.â
Samuel prayed to the Lord.
7 The Lord said to Samuel, âListen to the voice of the people in all that they tell you, for they have not rejected you, but they have rejected me as the king over them. 8 According to all the works which they have done since the day that I brought them up out of Egypt to this day, in that they have forsaken me and served other gods, so they also do to you. 9 Now therefore listen to their voice. However you shall protest solemnly to them, and shall show them the way of the king who will reign over them.â
Samuel’s Warning about Kings
10 Samuel told everything that the Lord spoke, to the people who asked him for a king. 11 He said, âThis will be the way of the king who shall reign over you: He will take your sons and appoint them as his servants, for his chariots, and to be his horsemen; and they will run before his chariots.
12 He will appoint them to himself as captains of thousands and captains of fifties, and he will assign some to plow his ground and to reap his harvest and to make them his instruments of war and the instruments of his chariots.
13 He will take your daughters to be perfumers, to be cooks, and to be bakers. 14 He will take your fields, your vineyards, and your olive groves; their best, and give them to his servants.
15 He will take ten percent of your seed and of your vineyards and give it to his officers and to his servants.
16 He will take your male servants, your female servants, your best young men, and your donkeys, and assign them to his own work.
17 He will take ten percent of your flocks, and you will be his servants. 18 You will cry out in that day because of your king whom you will have chosen for yourselves, and the Lord will not answer you in that day.â
The Lord Grants the Request
19 But the people refused to listen to the voice of Samuel, and they said, âNo, but we will have a king over us, 20Â that we also may be like all the nations, and that our king may judge us and go out before us, and fight our battles.â
21 Samuel heard all the words of the people, and he rehearsed them in the ears of the Lord. 22 The Lord said to Samuel, âListen to their voice and make them a king.â Samuel said to the men of Israel, âEveryone go to your own city.â
1 Samuel 9
Saul Chosen as King
1 Now there was a man of Benjamin, whose name was Kish, the son of Abiel, the son of Zeror, the son of Becorath, the son of Aphiah, the son of a Benjamite, a great man of valor. 2Â He had a son, whose name was Saul, an impressive young man; and there was not among the Israelites a better person than he. He was a head taller than any of the people.
3Â The donkeys of Kish, Saulâs father, were lost. Kish said to Saul his son, âNow take one of the servants with you, get up, and go look for the donkeys.â 4Â He passed through the hill country of Ephraim and passed through the land of Shalishah, but they did not find them. Then they passed through the land of Shaalim, and they were not there. Then he passed through the land of the Benjamites, but they did not find them.
5Â When they had come to the land of Zuph, Saul said to his servant who was with him, âCome! Letâs return, lest my father stop caring about the donkeys and be anxious for us.â
6Â The servant said to him, âNow, there is a man of God in this city, and he is a man who is held in honor. All that he says surely happens. Now letâs go there. Perhaps he can tell us which way to go.â
7Â Then Saul said to his servant, âBut if we go, what should we bring the man? For the bread is spent in our sacks, and there is not a present to bring to the man of God. What do we have?â
8Â The servant answered Saul again and said, âI have in my hand one fourth of a shekel of silver. I will give that to the man of God, to tell us our way.â 9 (In earlier times in Israel, when a man went to inquire of the Lord, he said, âCome! Letâs go to the seer,â for he who is now called a prophet was before called a seer.)
10Â Then Saul said to his servant, âWell said. Come! Letâs go.â So they went to the city where the man of God was. 11 As they went up the ascent to the city, they found young maidens going out to draw water and said to them, âIs the seer here?â
12 They answered them and said, âHe is. He is before you. Hurry now, for he has come today into the city, for the people have a sacrifice today in the high place. 13 As soon as you have come into the city, you will immediately find him, before he goes up to the high place to eat; for the people will not eat until he comes because he blesses the sacrifice. Afterwards those who are invited eat. Now therefore go up, for at this time you will find him.â
14Â They went up to the city. As they came within the city Samuel came out toward them, to go up to the high place.
15Â Now the Lord had revealed to Samuel a day before Saul came, saying, 16 âTomorrow about this time I will send you a man out of the land of Benjamin, and you shall anoint him to be ruler over my people Israel. He will save my people from the hand of the Philistines, for I have looked upon my people because their cry has come to me.â
17Â When Samuel saw Saul, the Lord said to him, âHere is the man of whom I have spoken to you! He will have authority over my people.â
18 Then Saul approached Samuel in the gateway and said, âPlease tell me where the seerâs house is.â
19Â Samuel answered Saul and said, âI am the seer. Go up before me to the high place, for you are to eat with me today. In the morning I will let you go and will tell you all that is in your heart. 20 As for your donkeys who were lost three days ago, do not set your mind on them, for they have been found. For whom is it that all that Israel desires? Is it not you and all your fatherâs house?â
21Â Saul answered, âAm I not a Benjamite, of the smallest of the tribes of Israel? And my family the least of all the families of the tribe of Benjamin? Why then do you speak to me like this?â
22 Samuel took Saul and his servant and brought them into the guest room and made them sit in the best place among those who were invited, who were about 30 people. 23Â Samuel said to the cook, âBring the portion which I gave you, the one I said to you, âSet it aside.â â 24 The cook took up the thigh and that which was on it and set it before Saul. Samuel said, âThat which has been reserved is set before you. Eat, because it has been kept for you since the appointed time when I said, âI have invited the people.â â So Saul ate with Samuel that day.
25Â When they had come down from the high place into the city, he talked with Saul on the housetop. 26Â They rose early, and about daybreak Samuel called to Saul on the housetop, saying, âGet up, that I may send you on your way.â Saul arose, and they both went outside, he and Samuel, together. 27Â As they were going down at the end of the city, Samuel said to Saul, âTell the servant to go on ahead of us,â and he went ahead. Then Samuel said, âBut stand here a while, that I may make known to you the Lordâs message.â
John 6:22-42
22Â The next day, the multitude that stood on the other side of the sea saw that there was no other boat there, except the one in which his disciples had embarked and that Jesus had not entered with his disciples into the boat, but his disciples had gone away alone. 23Â However boats from Tiberias came near to the place where they ate the bread after the Lord had given thanks. 24 When the multitude therefore saw that Jesus was not there, nor his disciples, they themselves got into the boats and came to Capernaum, seeking Jesus. 25Â When they found him on the other side of the sea, they asked him, âRabbi, when did you come here?â
Jesus the Bread of Life
26Â Jesus answered them, âMost certainly I tell you, you seek me, not because you saw signs, but because you ate of the loaves, and were filled. 27Â Do not work for the food which perishes, but for the food which remains to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give to you. For God the Father has sealed him.â
28 They said therefore to him, âWhat must we do, that we may do the work of God?â
29Â Jesus answered them, âThis is the work of God, that you believe in him whom he has sent.â
30Â They said therefore to him, âWhat then do you do for a sign, that we may see and believe you? What work do you do? 31Â Our fathers ate the manna in the wilderness. As it is written, âHe gave them bread from heaven to eat.â â
32Â Jesus therefore said to them, âMost certainly, I tell you, it was not Moses who gave you the bread from heaven, but my Father gives you the true bread from heaven. 33Â For the bread of God is that which comes down from heaven, and gives life to the world.â
34Â They said therefore to him, âLord, always give us this bread.â 35Â Jesus said to them, âI am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will not be hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty. 36Â But I told you that you have seen me, and yet you donât believe. 37Â All those whom the Father gives me will come to me. He who comes to me I will in no way throw out. 38Â For I have come down from heaven, not to do my own will, but the will of him who sent me. 39Â This is the will of my Father who sent me, that of all he has given to me I should lose nothing, but should raise him up at the last day. 40Â This is the will of the one who sent me, that everyone who sees the Son, and believes in him, should have eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day.â
41Â The Jews therefore murmured concerning him, because he said, âI am the bread which came down out of heaven.â 42 They said, âIsnât this Jesus, the son of Joseph, whose father and mother we know? How then does he say, âI have come down from heaven?â â
Psalm 106:32-48
32Â They angered the Lord at the waters of Meribah,
so that Moses suffered because of them.
33Â Because they provoked his spirit,
from Moses’ own lips, came rash words.
34Â They did not destroy the peoples,
as the Lord commanded them,
35Â but mingled with other nations,
and learned their ways.
36Â They served their idols,
which became a snare to them.
37Â Indeed, they sacrificed their sons and their daughters to demons.
38Â They shed innocent blood,
even the blood of their sons and of their daughters,
whom they sacrificed to the idols of Canaan.
The land was polluted with blood.
39Â Thus they were defiled with their ways,
and prostituted themselves in their deeds.
40Â Therefore the Lord burned with anger against his people.
He abhorred his inheritance.
41Â He gave them into the hand of the nations.
Those who hated them ruled over them.
42Â Their enemies also oppressed them.
They were brought into submission under their hand.
43Â He rescued them many times,
but they were rebellious in their counsel,
and were brought low in their iniquity.
44Â Nevertheless he regarded their distress,
when he heard their cry.
45Â He remembered for them, his covenant,
and relented according to the abundance of his loving kindnesses.
46Â He made them also to be pitied
by all those who took them captive.
47Â Save us, Lord, our God,
gather us from among the nations,
to give thanks to your holy name,
to triumph in your praise!
48Â Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel,
from everlasting to everlasting!
Let all the people say, âAmen.â
Hallelujah!
Proverbs 14:34-35
34Â Righteousness exalts a nation,
but sin is a disgrace to any people.
35Â The kingâs favor is toward a servant who deals wisely, but his wrath is toward one who causes shame.