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First Reading: 1 Samuel Chapter 9 and 101 Samuel 9
9:1 There was a Benjamite, a man of standing, whose name was Kish son of Abiel,
the son of Zeror, the son of Becorath, the son of Aphiah of Benjamin. 2 He had
a son named Saul, an impressive young man without equal among the Israelites-a
head taller than any of the others.
3 Now the donkeys belonging to Saul's father Kish were lost, and Kish said to
his son Saul, "Take one of the servants with you and go and look for the
donkeys." 4 So he passed through the hill country of Ephraim and through
the area around Shalisha, but they did not find them. They went on into the
district of Shaalim, but the donkeys were not there. Then he passed through
the territory of Benjamin, but they did not find them.
5 When they reached the district of Zuph, Saul said to the servant who was with
him, "Come, let's go back, or my father will stop thinking about the donkeys
and start worrying about us."
6 But the servant replied, "Look, in this town there is a man of God; he
is highly respected, and everything he says comes true. Let's go there now.
Perhaps he will tell us what way to take."
7 Saul said to his servant, "If we go, what can we give the man? The food
in our sacks is gone. We have no gift to take to the man of God. What do we
have?"
8 The servant answered him again. "Look," he said, "I have a
quarter of a shekel of silver. I will give it to the man of God so that he will
tell us what way to take." 9(Formerly in Israel, if a man went to inquire
of God, he would say, "Come, let us go to the seer," because the prophet
of today used to be called a seer.)
10 "Good," Saul said to his servant. "Come, let's go." So
they set out for the town where the man of God was.
11 As they were going up the hill to the town, they met some girls coming out
to draw water, and they asked them, "Is the seer here?"
12 "He is," they answered. "He's ahead of you. Hurry now; he
has just come to our town today, for the people have a sacrifice at the high
place. 13 As soon as you enter the town, you will find him before he goes up
to the high place to eat. The people will not begin eating until he comes, because
he must bless the sacrifice; afterward, those who are invited will eat. Go up
now; you should find him about this time."
14 They went up to the town, and as they were entering it, there was Samuel,
coming toward them on his way up to the high place.
15 Now the day before Saul came, the LORD had revealed this to Samuel: 16 "About
this time tomorrow I will send you a man from the land of Benjamin. Anoint him
leader over my people Israel; he will deliver my people from the hand of the
Philistines. I have looked upon my people, for their cry has reached me."
17 When Samuel caught sight of Saul, the LORD said to him, "This is the
man I spoke to you about; he will govern my people."
18 Saul approached Samuel in the gateway and asked, "Would you please tell
me where the seer's house is?"
19 "I am the seer," Samuel replied. "Go up ahead of me to the
high place, for today you are to eat with me, and in the morning I will let
you go and will tell you all that is in your heart. 20 As for the donkeys you
lost three days ago, do not worry about them; they have been found. And to whom
is all the desire of Israel turned, if not to you and all your father's family?"
21 Saul answered, "But am I not a Benjamite, from the smallest tribe of
Israel, and is not my clan the least of all the clans of the tribe of Benjamin?
Why do you say such a thing to me?"
22 Then Samuel brought Saul and his servant into the hall and seated them at
the head of those who were invited-about thirty in number. 23 Samuel said to
the cook, "Bring the piece of meat I gave you, the one I told you to lay
aside."
24 So the cook took up the leg with what was on it and set it in front of Saul.
Samuel said, "Here is what has been kept for you. Eat, because it was set
aside for you for this occasion, from the time I said, 'I have invited guests.'"
And Saul dined with Samuel that day.
25 After they came down from the high place to the town, Samuel talked with
Saul on the roof of his house. 26 They rose about daybreak and Samuel called
to Saul on the roof, "Get ready, and I will send you on your way."
When Saul got ready, he and Samuel went outside together. 27 As they were going
down to the edge of the town, Samuel said to Saul, "Tell the servant to
go on ahead of us"-and the servant did so-"but you stay here awhile,
so that I may give you a message from God."
1 Samuel 10
10:1 Then Samuel took a flask of oil and poured it on Saul's head and kissed
him, saying, "Has not the LORD anointed you leader over his inheritance?
2 When you leave me today, you will meet two men near Rachel's tomb, at Zelzah
on the border of Benjamin. They will say to you, 'The donkeys you set out to
look for have been found. And now your father has stopped thinking about them
and is worried about you. He is asking, "What shall I do about my son?"'
3 "Then you will go on from there until you reach the great tree of Tabor.
Three men going up to God at Bethel will meet you there. One will be carrying
three young goats, another three loaves of bread, and another a skin of wine.
4 They will greet you and offer you two loaves of bread, which you will accept
from them.
5 "After that you will go to Gibeah of God, where there is a Philistine
outpost. As you approach the town, you will meet a procession of prophets coming
down from the high place with lyres, tambourines, flutes and harps being played
before them, and they will be prophesying. 6 The Spirit of the LORD will come
upon you in power, and you will prophesy with them; and you will be changed
into a different person. 7 Once these signs are fulfilled, do whatever your
hand finds to do, for God is with you.
8 "Go down ahead of me to Gilgal. I will surely come down to you to sacrifice
burnt offerings and fellowship offerings, but you must wait seven days until
I come to you and tell you what you are to do."
9 As Saul turned to leave Samuel, God changed Saul's heart, and all these signs
were fulfilled that day. 10 When they arrived at Gibeah, a procession of prophets
met him; the Spirit of God came upon him in power, and he joined in their prophesying.
11 When all those who had formerly known him saw him prophesying with the prophets,
they asked each other, "What is this that has happened to the son of Kish?
Is Saul also among the prophets?"
12 A man who lived there answered, "And who is their father?" So it
became a saying: "Is Saul also among the prophets?" 13 After Saul
stopped prophesying, he went to the high place.
14 Now Saul's uncle asked him and his servant, "Where have you been?"
"Looking for the donkeys," he said. "But when we saw they were
not to be found, we went to Samuel."
15 Saul's uncle said, "Tell me what Samuel said to you."
16 Saul replied, "He assured us that the donkeys had been found."
But he did not tell his uncle what Samuel had said about the kingship.
17 Samuel summoned the people of Israel to the LORD at Mizpah 18 and said to
them, "This is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says: 'I brought Israel
up out of Egypt, and I delivered you from the power of Egypt and all the kingdoms
that oppressed you.' 19 But you have now rejected your God, who saves you out
of all your calamities and distresses. And you have said, 'No, set a king over
us.' So now present yourselves before the LORD by your tribes and clans."
20 When Samuel brought all the tribes of Israel near, the tribe of Benjamin
was chosen. 21 Then he brought forward the tribe of Benjamin, clan by clan,
and Matri's clan was chosen. Finally Saul son of Kish was chosen. But when they
looked for him, he was not to be found. 22 So they inquired further of the LORD,
"Has the man come here yet?"
And the LORD said, "Yes, he has hidden himself among the baggage."
23 They ran and brought him out, and as he stood among the people he was a head
taller than any of the others. 24 Samuel said to all the people, "Do you
see the man the LORD has chosen? There is no one like him among all the people."
Then the people shouted, "Long live the king!"
25 Samuel explained to the people the regulations of the kingship. He wrote
them down on a scroll and deposited it before the LORD. Then Samuel dismissed
the people, each to his own home.
26 Saul also went to his home in Gibeah, accompanied by valiant men whose hearts
God had touched. 27 But some troublemakers said, "How can this fellow save
us?" They despised him and brought him no gifts. But Saul kept silent.
Luke 21
21:1 As he looked up, Jesus saw the rich putting their gifts into the temple
treasury. 2 He also saw a poor widow put in two very small copper coins. 3 "I
tell you the truth," he said, "this poor widow has put in more than
all the others. 4 All these people gave their gifts out of their wealth; but
she out of her poverty put in all she had to live on."
5 Some of his disciples were remarking about how the temple was adorned with
beautiful stones and with gifts dedicated to God. But Jesus said, 6 "As
for what you see here, the time will come when not one stone will be left on
another; every one of them will be thrown down."
7 "Teacher," they asked, "when will these things happen? And
what will be the sign that they are about to take place?"
8 He replied: "Watch out that you are not deceived. For many will come
in my name, claiming, 'I am he,' and, 'The time is near.' Do not follow them.
9 When you hear of wars and revolutions, do not be frightened. These things
must happen first, but the end will not come right away."
10 Then he said to them: "Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom
against kingdom. 11 There will be great earthquakes, famines and pestilences
in various places, and fearful events and great signs from heaven.
12 "But before all this, they will lay hands on you and persecute you.
They will deliver you to synagogues and prisons, and you will be brought before
kings and governors, and all on account of my name. 13 This will result in your
being witnesses to them. 14 But make up your mind not to worry beforehand how
you will defend yourselves. 15 For I will give you words and wisdom that none
of your adversaries will be able to resist or contradict. 16 You will be betrayed
even by parents, brothers, relatives and friends, and they will put some of
you to death. 17 All men will hate you because of me. 18 But not a hair of your
head will perish. 19 By standing firm you will gain life.
20 "When you see Jerusalem being surrounded by armies, you will know that
its desolation is near. 21 Then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains,
let those in the city get out, and let those in the country not enter the city.
22 For this is the time of punishment in fulfillment of all that has been written.
23 How dreadful it will be in those days for pregnant women and nursing mothers!
There will be great distress in the land and wrath against this people. 24 They
will fall by the sword and will be taken as prisoners to all the nations. Jerusalem
will be trampled on by the Gentiles until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled.
25 "There will be signs in the sun, moon and stars. On the earth, nations
will be in anguish and perplexity at the roaring and tossing of the sea. 26
Men will faint from terror, apprehensive of what is coming on the world, for
the heavenly bodies will be shaken. 27 At that time they will see the Son of
Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. 28 When these things begin
to take place, stand up and lift up your heads, because your redemption is drawing
near."
29 He told them this parable: "Look at the fig tree and all the trees.
30 When they sprout leaves, you can see for yourselves and know that summer
is near. 31 Even so, when you see these things happening, you know that the
kingdom of God is near.
32 "I tell you the truth, this generation will certainly not pass away
until all these things have happened. 33 Heaven and earth will pass away, but
my words will never pass away.
34 "Be careful, or your hearts will be weighed down with dissipation, drunkenness
and the anxieties of life, and that day will close on you unexpectedly like
a trap. 35 For it will come upon all those who live on the face of the whole
earth. 36 Be always on the watch, and pray that you may be able to escape all
that is about to happen, and that you may be able to stand before the Son of
Man."
37 Each day Jesus was teaching at the temple, and each evening he went out to
spend the night on the hill called the Mount of Olives, 38 and all the people
came early in the morning to hear him at the temple.
SUPER HEROES OF THE BIBLE
SAUL
Super "hero" is probably not a good term for Saul. What is unique about Saul was the opportunity he was given but ultimately failed in. When the people of Israel asked for a king, Saul became the first king by the anointing process of God. His life is a lesson in what not to do. He started out with humility but ran from the responsibility given him. Instead of leading the people to God, he allowed them to lead him into disobedience. Out of fear he tried to retain the kingship and tried to kill David who had been anointed by Samuel to succeed him. It was to him that these words were originally spoken that are such a warning to us:
"Does the LORD delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices as much as in obeying the voice of the LORD? To obey is better than sacrifice, and to heed is better than the fat of rams. For rebellion is like the sin of divination and arrogance like the evil of idolatry. Because you have rejected the word of the LORD, he has rejected you as king." I Samuel 15:22-23 (NIV)
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