Episode 105: Just another God-inspired body part message

1 Samuel 11-12

The men of Jabesh make a deal with the Ammonites

11 ¹ The men of Jabesh-gilead said to the leader of the Ammonites (Nahash),

We will serve you if you make a deal with us.

² Nahash answered,

Okay, I'll make a deal with you, if I can thrust out all of your right eyes.

³ The elders of Jabesh replied,

Give us seven days to find someone who can save us.

If we can't find anyone, you can thrust out our eyes.

⁴ Some of the messengers came to Saul. And all the people cried.

Saul chops up some oxen (and sends the pieces to the twelve tribes of Israel)

^6-7 The Spirit of God came upon Saul, and he took two oxen and hacked them into pieces, sending the pieces throughout Israel, with this message:

Whoever doesn't come to Saul and Samuel will have this happen to their oxen.

And the fear of the Lord fell on all the people.

⁸ And everyone came to Saul -- 300,000 from Israel, 30,000 from Judah.

⁹ So Saul sent messengers to Jabesh-gilead, saying, "We we’ll help you tomorrow."

¹⁰ And the men of Jabesh told Nahash, "Tomorrow you can poke out our eyes."

Saul and 330,000 Israelites slaughter the Ammonites

¹¹ The next day, Saul and his army of 330,000 killed Ammonites until the heat of the day.

When Saul was finished, all the Ammonites were dead.

¹² The people said to Samuel, "Let's kill whoever didn't want Saul to be king."

¹³ But Saul said, "No one else will die today. Today God has saved Israel."

¹⁴ Saul said to the people, "Let's go to Gilgal and renew the kingdom there."

¹⁵ So all of the Israelites went to Gilgal and made Saul king (again).

Then they rejoiced and sacrificed some animals.

Samuel and God make it thunder and rain

12 ^1-3 Samuel spoke to everyone in Israel, saying:

I did what you asked me to do and made a king for you.

Now that I'm old and gray, I have one question for you:

Have I ever done anything wrong to any of you?

⁴ Everyone in Israel answers him:

No, you've never done anything wrong to us.

¹⁶ Then Samuel said to the people,

Stand back and watch what God is going to do.

¹⁷ I'll call God and he'll send thunder and rain -- so you can see how wicked it was for you to ask for a king.

¹⁸ And God sent thunder and rain. And all the people feared Samuel and God.

¹⁹ They said to Samuel, "Ask God not to kill us for asking him for a king."

^20-22 Samuel said to them,

Don't be afraid. You’ve been wicked, but God won't kill you because you are his people.

²⁵ But if you’re wicked again, God will kill you and your king.