jearim came and carried up the ark of Jehovah, and brought it into the house of Abinidab on the hill and consecrated Eleazar his son to guard it.

74. THE PERILS INHERENT IN THE CENTRALIZED FORM OF GOVERNMENT

When Samuel was old he appointed his sons judges over Israel; but they did not follow his example but went in pursuit of gain, took bribes, and perverted justice.

So all the elders of Israel came together to Samuel at Ramah and said to him, 'See, you have and your sons do not follow your example. vide us a ruler to govern us like all the nations.'

grown old Now pro

But it displeased Samuel when they said, ‘Give us a ruler to govern us'; so he prayed to Jehovah, but Jehovah said to him, 'Listen to the voice of the people in all that they say to you, for it is not you but me whom they have rejected from being their ruler. Now therefore listen to their one 'demand; you shall solemnly warn them and shall show them what the ruler who shall reign over them will do.'

So Samuel told all the words of Jehovah to the people who were asking of him a ruler; and he said, 'This is what the ruler who shall reign over you will do: he will take your sons and place them in his own chariots and among his horsemen, and they shall run before his chariots. He will also appoint them commanders of thousands and commanders of hundreds, and some to plough his ground and to reap his harvest and to make his implements of war and the furnishings for his chariots. He will take your daughters as perfumers, as cooks, and as bakers. He will take the best of your fields, your vineyards, and your oliveyards, and

give them to his servants. He will also take a tenth of the products of your grain fields and your vineyards and give to his court attendants and to his servants. He will take your male and female servants and the best of your cattle and your asses and use them for his work. He will take the tenth of the increase of your flocks; and you will become his slaves. Then you will complain on account of the ruler whom you shall have chosen for yourselves; and at that time Jehovah will not answer you.' But the people refused to listen to the advice of Samuel and said, 'No, but a ruler shall be over us that we also may be like all the nations, and he shall govern us and go out before us and fight our battles.' Samuel listened to all the demands of the people and laid them before Jehovah, Then Jehovah said to Samuel, 'Give heed to their demand, and set a ruler over them.'

75. THE SELECTION OF SAUL AS RULER

There was a citizen of Gibeah of Benjamin named Kish, who was a man of wealth and ability. He had a son named Saul, a man in the prime of life and handsome; no one among the Israelites was more handsome than he; from his shoulders and upward he was taller than any of the people.

Now the asses of Kish, Saul's father, were lost; so Kish said to Saul, 'Take one of the servants with you and go, seek the asses.' They went through the highlands of Ephraim and the land of Shalishah, but did not find them. Then they crossed into the land of Shaalim, but the asses were not there. They also went through the land of Benjamin, but did not find them.

They had come into the land of Zuph when Saul

said to his servant who was with him, 'Come, let us return, that my father may not stop thinking of the asses and be anxious about us.' The servant answered him, "There is a man of God in this town who is held in honor; all that he says surely comes true. Now let us go there; perhaps he can tell us the way we should go.' Saul said to his servant, 'But, suppose we go, what shall we take the man, for the bread is gone from our sacks, and there is no present to take to the man of God? What have we?? The servant answered Saul again and said, 'See I have with me in silver a quarter of a shekel; you shall give it to the man of God that he may tell us our way.' Then Saul said to his servant, "Your advice is good; come, let us go.' So they went to the town where the man of God was.

As they were going up the ascent to the town, they met young women going out to draw water and said to them, 'Is the seer here?' They answered them, 'He is there; he is before you. Make haste, for he has just come into the town, for the people have a sacrificial feast to-day at the sanctuary on the high place. As soon as you come to the town, you will find him before he goes up to the high place to eat, for the people will not eat until he comes, for he blesses the sacrifice, and then the guests eat. Therefore go up now, for at this time you will find him.'

So they went up to the town, and when they came inside the gate, Samuel was just coming out toward them to go up to the high place. Now Jehovah had told Samuel the day before Saul came, 'About this time to-morrow I will send you a man out of the land of Benjamin, and you shall anoint him to be a prince over my people Israel. He shall deliver my people from the power of the Philistines; for I have seen the affliction of my people, because their cry has come to

me.'

When Samuel saw Saul, Jehovah indicated to him, "This is the man of whom I spoke to you! He it is who shall rule over my people.' So when Saul met Samuel in the gate, and said, "Tell me, if you will, where the seer's house is,' Samuel answered Saul, 'I am the seer; go up before me to the high place, for you shall eat with me to-day; and in the morning I will let you go and will tell you all that is in your mind. As for your asses that were lost three days ago, do not trouble yourself about them for they have been found. And to whom belongs all that is desirable in Israel? Does it not belong to you and to your father's house?' Saul answered and said, 'Am I not a Benjamite, of the smallest of the tribes of Israel, and is not my clan the least of all the clans of the tribe of Benjamin? Why then do you speak to me in this way?'

But Samuel took Saul and his servant and brought them into the hall and made them sit at the head of the guests (who were about thirty in number). Samuel also said to the cook, 'Bring the portion which I gave you and told you to put aside.' So the cook took up the leg and what was on it and placed them before Saul. Then Samuel said, 'See what has been reserved! Set it before you and eat, for it was kept for you until the appointed time, that you might eat with the people whom I have invited.' So Saul ate with Samuel that day.

After they came down from the high place into the town, they spread a bed for Saul on the roof, and he lay down. Then at daybreak Samuel called to Saul on the roof, saying, ‘Rise, that I may send you away.? So Saul rose, and he and Samuel went out into the street. As they were going down through the outskirts of the town, Samuel said to Saul, 'Tell the servant to go on before us, but you stand here that I may tell you the message from God.'

Then Samuel took the flask of oil and poured it on Saul's head, and kissed him and said, 'Has not Jehovah anointed you to be a prince over his people Israel? You shall rule over Jehovah's people and deliver them from the power of their enemies on every side. This is the sign that Jehovah has anointed you to be a prince over his own people: when you go from me today you shall find two men at Rachel's tomb, on the boundary of Benjamin at Zelzah; and they will say to you, "The asses that you went to seek are found, and now your father has ceased to think about the asses and is anxious about you, saying, 'What shall I do for my son?"" Then you shall go on from there and come to the oak of Tabor. There three men going up to God at Bethel will meet you, one carrying three kids, another carrying three loaves of bread, and another carrying a skin of wine. They will greet you and give you two loaves of bread which you shall take from their hand. After that you shall come to Gibeah, where there is a garrison of the Philistines. As you come to the city you will meet a band of prophets coming down from the high place with a lyre, a tambourine, a flute, and a harp before them, while they give themselves up to prophetic ecstasy. Then the spirit of Jehovah will come suddenly upon you, and you will share their prophetic ecstasy, and will be transformed into another man. When these signs come to you, do as the occasion offers, for God is with you.' So when Saul turned away from Samuel, God gave him a new heart, and all those signs came to pass that day.

Saul's uncle also said to him and to his servant, 'Where did you go?' He said, 'To seek the asses; and when we saw that they were not to be found, we went to Samuel.' Saul's uncle said, "Tell me what Samuel