Ramah; and they said to him: "You are growing old, and your sons do not
rule as well as you ruled. All the lands around us have kings. Let us
have a king also; and do you choose the king for us."
This was not pleasing to Samuel. He tried to make the people change
their minds, and showed them what trouble a king would bring them.
But they would not follow his advice. They said: "No; we will have a
king to reign over us."
So Samuel chose as their king a tall young man named Saul, who was a
farmer's son of the tribe of Benjamin. When Saul was brought before the
people he stood head and shoulders above them all. And Samuel said:
"Look at the man whom the Lord has chosen! There is not another like him
among all the people!"
And all the people shouted, "God save the king! Long live the king!"
Then Samuel told the people what should be the laws for the king and for
the people to obey. He wrote them down in a book, and placed the book
before the Lord. Then Samuel sent the people home; and Saul went back to
his own house at a place called Gibeah; and with Saul went a company of
men to whose hearts God had given a love for the king.
So after three hundred years under the fifteen Judges, Israel now had a
king. But among the people there were some who were not pleased with the
new king, because he was an unknown man from the farm. They said:
"Can such a man as this save us?"
They showed no respect to the king, and in their hearts looked down upon
him. But Saul said nothing, and showed his wisdom by appearing not to
notice them. But in another thing he was not so wise. He forgot to heed
the old prophet's advice and instructions about ruling wisely and doing
as the Lord said. It was not long before Samuel told him that he had
disobeyed God and would lose his kingdom.
When Samuel told Saul that the Lord would take away the kingdom from
him, he did not mean that Saul should lose the kingdom at once. He was
no longer God's king; and as soon as the right man in God's sight should
be found, and should be trained for his duty as king, then God would
take away Saul's power, and would give it to the man whom God had
chosen. But it was years before this came to pass.
The Lord said to Samuel: "Do not weep and mourn any longer over Saul,
for I have refused him as king. Fill the horn with oil, and go to
Bethlehem in Judah. There find a man named Jesse, for I have chosen a
king among his sons."
But Samuel knew that Saul would be very angry, if he should learn that
Samuel had named any other man as king. He said to the Lord:
"How can I go? If Saul hears of it, he will kill me."
The Lord said to Samuel: "Take a young cow with you; and tell the people
that you have come to make an offering to the Lord. And call Jesse and
his sons to the sacrifice. I will tell you what to do, and you shall
anoint the one whom I name to you."
Samuel went over the mountains southward from Ramah to Bethlehem, about
ten miles, leading a cow. The rulers of the town were alarmed at his
coming, for they feared that he had come to judge the people for some
evil-doing. But Samuel said:
"I have come in peace to make an offering and to hold a feast to the
Lord. Prepare yourselves and come to the sacrifice."
And he invited Jesse and his sons to the service. When they came, he
looked at the sons of Jesse very closely. The oldest was named Eliab,
and he was so tall and noble-looking that Samuel thought:
"Surely this young man must be the one whom God has chosen."
But the Lord said to Samuel:
"Do not look on his face, nor on the height of his body, for I have not
chosen him. Man judges by the outward looks, but God looks at the
heart."
Then Jesse's second son, named Abinadab, passed by. And the Lord said:
"I have not chosen this one." Seven young men came and Samuel said:
"None of these is the man whom God has chosen. Are these all your
children?"
"There is one more," said Jesse. "The youngest of all. He is a boy, in
the field caring for the sheep."
And Samuel said:
"Send for him; for we will not sit down until he comes." So after a time
the youngest son was brought in. His name was David, a word that means
"darling," and he was a beautiful boy, perhaps fifteen years old, with
fresh cheeks and bright eyes.
As soon as the young David came, the Lord said to Samuel:
"Arise, anoint him, for this is the one whom I have chosen."
Then Samuel poured oil on David's head, in the presence of all his
brothers. But no one knew at that time the anointing to mean that David
was to be the king. Perhaps they thought that David was chosen to be a
prophet like Samuel.
From that time the Spirit of God came upon David, and he began to show
signs of coming greatness. He went back to his sheep on the hillsides
around Bethlehem, but God was with him.
David grew up strong and brave, not afraid of the wild beasts which
prowled around and tried to carry away his sheep. More than once he
fought with lions, and bears, and killed them, when they seized the
lambs of his flock. And David, alone all day, practiced throwing stones
in a sling, until he could strike exactly the place for which he aimed.
When he swung his sling, he knew that the stone would go to the very
spot at which he was throwing it.
[Illustration: _Then Samuel poured oil on David's head_]
And young as he was, David thought of God, and talked with God, and God
talked with David, and showed to David His will.
After Saul had disobeyed the voice of the Lord, the Spirit of the Lord
left Saul, and no longer spoke to him. And Saul became very sad of
heart. At times a madness would come upon him, and at all times he was
very unhappy. The servants of Saul noticed that when some one played on
the harp and sang, Saul's spirit was made more cheerful; and the sadness
of soul left him. At one time Saul said: "Find some one who can play
well, and bring him to me. Let me listen to music; for it drives away my
sadness."
One of the young men said: "I have seen a young man, a son of Jesse in
Bethlehem, who can play well. He is handsome in his looks, and agreeable
in talking. I have also heard that he is a brave young man, who can
fight as well as he can play, and the Lord is with him."
Then Saul sent a message to Jesse, David's father. He said: "Send me
your son David, who is with the sheep. Let him come and play before me."
Then David came to Saul, bringing with him a present for the king from
Jesse. When Saul saw him, he loved him, as did everybody who saw the
young David. And David played on the harp, and sang before Saul. And
David's music cheered Saul's heart, and drove away his sad feelings.
Saul liked David so well that he made him his armorbearer; and David
carried the shield and spear, and sword for Saul, when the king was
before his army. But Saul did not know that David had been anointed by
Samuel.
After a time, Saul seemed well; and David returned to Bethlehem and was
once more among his sheep in the field. Perhaps it was at this time that
David sang his shepherd song, or it may have been long afterward, when
David looked back in thought to those days when he was leading his
sheep. This is the song, which you have heard often:
"The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.
He maketh me to lie down in green pastures;
He leadeth me beside the still waters,
He restoreth my soul;
He leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake.
Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,
I will fear no evil; for thou art with me;
Thy rod and thy staff, they comfort me.
Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies;
Thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over.
Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life:
And I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever."
THE STORY OF THE FIGHT WITH THE GIANT
All through the reign of Saul, there was constant war with the
Philistines, who lived upon the lowlands west of Israel. At one time,
when David was still with his sheep, a few years after he had been
anointed by Samuel, the camps of the Philistines and the Israelites were
set against each other on opposite sides of the valley of Elah. In the
army of Israel were the three oldest brothers of David.
Every day a giant came out of the camp of the Philistines, and dared
some one to come from the Israelites' camp and fight with him. The
giant's name was Goliath. He was nine feet high; and he wore armor from
head to foot, and carried a spear twice as long and as heavy as any
other man could hold; and his shield bearer walked before him. He came
every day and called out across the little valley:
"I am a Philistine, and you are servants of Saul. Now choose one of your
men, and let him come out and fight with me. If I kill him; then you
shall submit to us; and if he kills me, then we will give up to you.
Come, now, send out your man!"
But no man in the army, not even King Saul, dared to go out and fight
with the giant. Forty days the camps stood against each other, and the
Philistine giant continued his call.
One day, old Jesse, the father of David, sent David from Bethlehem to
visit his three brothers in the army. David came, and spoke to his
brothers; and while he was talking with them, Goliath the giant came out
as before in front of the camp calling for some one to fight with him.
They said one to another:
"If any man will go out and kill this Philistine, the king will give him
a great reward and a high rank; and the king's daughter shall be his
wife."
And David said:
"Who is this man that speaks in this proud manner against the armies of
the living God? Why does not some one go out and kill him?"
David's brother Eliab said to him:
"What are you doing here, leaving your sheep in the field? I know that
you have come down just to see the battle."
But David did not care for his brother's words. He thought he saw a way
to kill this boasting giant; and he said:
"If no one else will go, I will go out and fight with this enemy of the
Lord's people."
They brought David before King Saul. Some years had passed since Saul
had met David, and he had grown from a boy to a man, so that Saul did
not know him as the shepherd who had played on the harp before him in
other days.
Saul said to David:
"You cannot fight with this great giant. You are very young; and he is a
man of war, trained from his youth."
And David answered King Saul:
"I am only a shepherd, but I have fought with lions and bears, when they
have tried to steal my sheep. And I am not afraid to fight with this
Philistine."
Then Saul put his own armor on David--a helmet on his head, and a coat
of mail on his body, and a sword at his waist. But Saul was almost a
giant, and his armor was far too large for David. David said:
"I am not used to fighting with such weapons as these. Let me fight in
my own way."
So David took off Saul's armor. While everybody in the army had been
looking on the giant with fear, David had been thinking out the best way
for fighting him; and God had given to David a plan. It was to throw the
giant off his guard, by appearing weak and helpless; and while so far
away that the giant could not reach him with sword or spear, to strike
him down with a weapon which the giant would not expect and would not
be prepared for.
David took his shepherd's staff in his hand, as though that were to be
his weapon. But out of sight, in a bag under his mantle, he had five
smooth stones carefully chosen, and a sling,--the weapon that he knew
how to use. Then he came out to meet the Philistine.
The giant looked down on the youth and despised him, and laughed.
[Illustration: _The giant looked down on the youth and despised
him_]
"Am I a dog?" he said, "that this boy comes to me with a staff? I will
give his body to the birds of the air, and the beasts of the field."
And the Philistine cursed David by the gods of his people. And David
answered him:
"You come against me with a sword, and a spear, and a dart; but I come
to you in the name of the Lord of hosts, the God of the armies of
Israel. This day will the Lord give you into my hand. I will strike you
down, and take off your head, and the host of the Philistines shall be
dead bodies, to be eaten by the birds and the beasts; so that all may
know that there is a God in Israel, and that He can save in other ways
besides with sword and spear."
[Illustration: _David drew out the giant's own sword_]
And David ran toward the Philistine, as if to fight him with his
shepherd's staff. But when he was just near enough for a good aim, he
took out his sling, and hurled a stone aimed at the giant's forehead.
David's aim was good; the stone struck the Philistine in his forehead.
It stunned him, and he fell to the ground.
While the two armies stood wondering, and scarcely knowing what had
caused the giant to fall so suddenly, David ran forward, drew out the
giant's own sword, and cut off his head. Then the Philistines knew that
their great warrior in whom they trusted was dead. They turned to flee
to their own land; and the Israelites followed after them, and killed
them by the hundred and the thousand, even to the gates of their own
city of Gath.
So in that day David won a great victory and stood before all the land
as the one who had saved his people from their enemies.
THE STORY OF THE CAVE OF ADULLAM
Now Saul had a son, Jonathan, near David's own age. He and David became
fast friends and loved one another as brothers. Saul the king became
very jealous of David because the people praised him after his fight
with Goliath. He even threatened to take David's life. He tried to catch
him in his own house, but David's wife let him down from a window by a
rope and he escaped. He met his friend Jonathan, who told him that he
should flee. They renewed their promises of friendship, which they kept
ever afterward.
From his meeting with Jonathan, David went forth to be a wanderer,
having no home as long as Saul lived. He found a great cave, called the
cave of Adullam, and hid in it. Soon people heard where he was, and from
all parts of the land, especially from his own tribe of Judah, men who
were not satisfied with the rule of King Saul gathered around David.
Saul soon heard that David, with a band of men, was hiding among the
mountains of Judah, and that among those who aided him were certain
priests.
This enraged King Saul, and he ordered his guards to kill all the
priests. The guards would not obey him, for they felt that it was a
wicked thing to lay hands upon the priests of the Lord.
But he found one man whose name was Doeg, an Edomite, who was willing to
obey the king. And Doeg, the Edomite, killed eighty-five men who wore
the priestly garments.
All through the land went the news of Saul's dreadful deed, and
everywhere the people began to turn from Saul, and to look toward David
as the only hope of the nation.
When Saul died he was followed by David, the shepherd boy, now grown to
manhood and greatly loved by the people. He had many battles to fight
with the Philistines and was nearly always victorious. He was a warrior
king; but he was more than a warrior. He played on his harp and composed
many beautiful hymns and songs, which are collected in the book of
Psalms. He was a good king and tried to obey God's command. He had a
long reign and his people were happy and prosperous. He had many sons
and daughters and beautiful palaces for them to live in.
THE STORY OF SOLOMON AND HIS TEMPLE
During the later years of David's reign, he laid up great treasure of
gold and silver, and brass, and iron, for the building of a house to the
Lord on Mount Moriah. This house was to be called "The Temple"; and it
was to be made very beautiful, the most beautiful building, and the
richest in all the land. David had greatly desired to build this house
while he was king of Israel, but God said to him:
"You have been a man of war, and have fought many battles, and shed much
blood. My house shall be built by a man of peace. When you die, your son
Solomon shall reign, and he shall have peace, and shall build my house."
So David made ready great store of precious things for the temple; also
stone and cedar to be used in the building. And David said to Solomon,
his son: "God has promised that there shall be rest and peace to the
land while you are king; and the Lord will be with you, and you shall
build a house, where God shall live among His people."
But David had other sons who were older than Solomon; and one of these
sons, whose name was Adonijah, formed a plan to make himself king.
David was now very old; and he was no longer able to go out of his
palace, and to be seen among the people.
Adonijah gathered his friends; and among them were Joab, the general of
the army, and Abiathar, one of the two high-priests. They met at a place
outside the wall, and had a great feast, and were about to crown
Adonijah as king, when word came to David in the palace. David, though
old and feeble, was still wise. He said:
"Let us make Solomon king at once, and thus put an end to the plans of
these men."
So at David's command they brought out the mule on which no one but the
king was allowed to ride; and they placed Solomon upon it; and with the
king's guards, and the nobles, and the great men, they brought the young
Solomon down to the valley of Gihon, south of the city.
And Zadok, the priest, took from the Tabernacle the horn filled with
holy oil, that was used for anointing or pouring oil on the head of the
priests when they were set apart for their work. He poured oil from this
horn on the head of Solomon, and then the priests blew the trumpets, and
all the people cried aloud, "God save King Solomon."
All this time Adonijah and Joab, and their friends were not far away,
almost in the same valley, feasting and making merry, intending to make
Adonijah king. They heard the sound of the trumpets, and the shouting of
the people. Joab said: "What is the cause of all this noise and uproar?"
A moment later, Jonathan, the son of Abiathar, came running in. Jonathan
said to the men who were feasting:
"Our lord King David has made Solomon king, and he has just been
anointed in Gihon; and all the princes, and the heads of the army, are
with him, and the people are shouting, 'God save King Solomon!' And
David has sent from his bed a message to Solomon, saying, 'May the Lord
make your name greater than mine has been! Blessed be the Lord, who has
given me a son to sit this day on my throne!'"
When Adonijah and his friends heard this they were filled with fear.
Every man went at once to his house, except Adonijah. He hastened to the
altar of the Lord, and knelt before it, and took hold of the horns that
were on its corners in front. This was a holy place, and he hoped that
there Solomon might have mercy on him. And Solomon said:
"If Adonijah will do right, and be faithful to me as the king of Israel,
no harm shall come to him; but if he does wrong, he shall die."
Then Adonijah came and bowed down before King Solomon, and promised to
obey him, and Solomon said, "Go to your own house."
[Illustration: _Solomon on his throne_]
Not long after this David sent for Solomon, and from his bed he gave his
last advice to Solomon. And soon after that David died, an old man,
having reigned in all forty years, seven years over the tribe of Judah,
at Hebron, and thirty-three years over all Israel, in Jerusalem. He was
buried in great honor on Mount Zion, and his tomb remained standing for
many years.
The great work of Solomon's reign was the building of the House of God.
It was generally called the Temple. It was built on Mount Moriah, one of
the hills of Jerusalem. King David had prepared for it by gathering
great stores of silver, stone and cedar-wood. The walls were made of
stone and the roof of cedar. Solomon had great ships which visited other
lands and brought precious stones and fine woods for the building.
Seven years were spent in building the Temple, and it was set apart to
the worship of God with beautiful ceremonies in which Solomon, in his
robes of state, took part.
[Illustration: _Supposed form of Solomon's temple_]
Solomon was indeed a great king, and it was said that he was also the
wisest man in all the world. He wrote many of the wise sayings in the
Book of Proverbs, and many more that have been lost.
[Illustration: _Ship in Solomon's time_]
THE STORY OF ELIJAH, THE PROPHET
One of the greatest of all the kings of the Ten Tribes was Jeroboam the
second. Under him the kingdom of Israel grew rich and strong. He
conquered nearly all Syria, and made Samaria the greatest city of all
those lands.
But though Syria went down, another nation was now rising to
power--Assyria, on the eastern side of the river Tigris. Its capital was
Nineveh, a great city, so vast that it would take three days for a man
to walk around its walls. The Assyrians were beginning to conquer all
the lands near them, and Israel was in danger of falling under their
power.
One of the kings who ruled over Israel was named Ahab. He provoked the
anger of the Lord. His wife, Jezebel, who was a worshiper of Baal,
persuaded him to build an altar to the false god.
Elijah, a prophet of the Lord, was sent to him and proposed a test. Two
altars were built; one to Jehovah and one to Baal. The priests of Baal
called upon their god to send down fire; but there was no answer. Then
Elijah called upon the Lord God of Abraham, Isaac and Israel, and fire
came down and burnt up the offering.
The people turned upon the priests of Baal and killed them all. Later
the wicked queen, Jezebel, coveted a vineyard for Ahab, and she caused
Naboth, the owner of the vineyard, to be placed in front of the battle.
When he was slain Ahab took the vineyard.
[Illustration: _Denounced Ahab and Jezebel_]
Once more Elijah came and denounced Ahab and Jezebel, telling them that
they had done wickedly, and that the Lord would punish them.
[Illustration: _Made king when he was only seven years old_]
In a little while the prophet's words came true, for Ahab was slain in
battle and Jezebel was put to death by order of King Jehu. Elijah was
taken up to heaven in a chariot of fire.
There was another prophet, a companion of Elijah, whose name was Elisha,
a brave and courageous man who did not fail to deliver God's message.
It happened that when Elisha was an old man there can to him King Joash,
who had been made king when he was only seven years old. Joash was now a
young man and was trying to do right in the sight of the Lord. But he
felt the need of the prophet's aid, and he came to Elisha and said:
"My father, my father, you are more to Israel than its chariots and
horsemen."
[Illustration: _"This is the arrow of victory"_]
Elisha, though weak in body, was yet strong in soul. He told Joash to
bring him a bow and arrows, and to open the window to the east, looking
toward the land of Syria. Then Elisha caused the king to draw the bow;
and he placed his hands on the king's hands. And as the king shot an
arrow, Elisha said:
"This is the arrow of victory; of victory over Syria; for you shall
smite the Syrians in Aphek and shall destroy them."
It happened as Elisha had foretold and the Syrians were defeated and
their cities taken.
THE STORY OF JONAH AND THE WHALE
At this time another prophet, named Jonah, was giving the word of the
Lord to the Israelites. To Jonah the Lord spoke, saying:
"Go to Nineveh, that great city, and preach to it; for its wickedness
rises up before me."
But Jonah did not wish to preach to the people of Nineveh; for they were
the enemies of his land, the land of Israel. He wished Nineveh to die in
its sins, and not to turn to God and live. So Jonah tried to go away
from the city where God had sent him. He went down to Joppa and took a
ship for Tarshish.
But the Lord saw Jonah on the ship; and the Lord sent a great storm upon
the sea, so that the ship seemed as though it would go to pieces. The
sailors threw overboard everything on the ship; and when they could do
no more, every man prayed to his god to save the ship and themselves.
Jonah was now lying fast asleep, and the ship's captain came to him, and
said:
"What do you mean by sleeping in such a time as this? Awake, rise up,
and call upon your God. Perhaps He will hear you and save our lives."
But the storm continued to rage around the ship; and they said:
"There is some man on this ship who has brought upon us this trouble.
Let us cast lots and find who it is."
Then they cast lots, and the lot fell on Jonah. They said to him, all at
once:
"Tell us, who are you? From what country do you come? What is your
business? To what people do you belong? Why have you brought all this
trouble upon us?"
Then Jonah told them the whole story, how he came from the land of
Israel, and that he had fled away from the presence of the Lord. And
they said to him:
"What shall we do to you, that the storm may cease?"
Then said Jonah: