71 And the men of Kirjath-jearim came, and fetched up the ark of Jehovah, and brought it into the house of Abinadab on the hill, and hallowed Eleazar his son to keep the ark of Jehovah. 2 And it came to pass, from the day that the ark abode in Kirjath-jearim, that the time was long; for it was twenty years. And all the house of Israel lamented after Jehovah.
3 And Samuel spoke to all the house of Israel, saying, If ye return to Jehovah with all your heart, put away the strange gods and the Ashtoreths from among you, and apply your hearts unto Jehovah, and serve him only; and he will deliver you out of the hand of the Philistines. 4 And the children of Israel put away the Baals and the Ashtoreths and served Jehovah only. 5 And Samuel said, Gather all Israel to Mizpah, and I will pray Jehovah for you. 6 And they gathered together to Mizpah, and drew water, and poured it out before Jehovah, and fasted on that day, and said there, We have sinned against Jehovah. And Samuel judged the children of Israel in Mizpah.
7 And the Philistines heard that the children of Israel were gathered together at Mizpah; and the lords of the Philistines went up against Israel; and the children of Israel heard [it], and were afraid of the Philistines. 8 And the children of Israel said to Samuel, Cease not to cry to Jehovah our God for us, that he will save us out of the hand of the Philistines. 9 And Samuel took a sucking-lamb, and offered it as a whole burnt-offering to Jehovah; and Samuel cried to Jehovah for Israel, and Jehovah answered him. 10 And as Samuel was offering up the burnt-offering, the Philistines advanced to battle against Israel. And Jehovah thundered with a great thunder on that day upon the Philistines, and discomfited them; and they were routed before Israel. 11 And the men of Israel went out of Mizpah, and pursued the Philistines, and smote them, as far as below Beth-car. 12 And Samuel took a stone and set it between Mizpah and Shen, and called the name of it Eben-ezer, and said, Hitherto Jehovah has helped us.
13 And the Philistines were subdued, and came no more into the borders of Israel; and the hand of Jehovah was against the Philistines all the days of Samuel. 14 And the cities that the Philistines had taken from Israel were restored to Israel, from Ekron even to Gath; and their territory did Israel deliver out of the hand of the Philistines. And there was peace between Israel and the Amorite. 15 And Samuel judged Israel all the days of his life. 16 And he went from year to year in circuit to Bethel, and Gilgal, and Mizpah, and judged Israel in all those places. 17 And his return was to Ramah; for there was his house, and there he judged Israel; and there he built an altar to Jehovah.
81 And it came to pass when Samuel was old, that he made his sons judges over Israel. 2 And the name of his firstborn was Joel; and the name of his second, Abijah; they judged in Beer-sheba. 3 And his sons walked not in his ways, but turned aside after lucre, and took bribes, and perverted justice.
4 Then all the elders of Israel gathered themselves together, and came to Samuel to Ramah, 5 and said to him, Behold, thou art become old, and thy sons walk not in thy ways: now appoint us a king to judge us, like all the nations. 6 And the thing displeased Samuel, when they said, Give us a king to judge us. And Samuel prayed to Jehovah. 7 And Jehovah said to Samuel, Hearken unto the voice of the people in all that they say unto thee: for they have not rejected thee, but they have rejected me, that I should not reign over them. 8 According to all the deeds that they have done since the day that I brought them up out of Egypt even unto this day, in that they have forsaken me and served other gods, so do they also unto thee. 9 And now hearken unto their voice; only, testify solemnly unto them, and declare unto them the manner of the king that shall reign over them. 10 And Samuel spoke all the words of Jehovah to the people that asked of him a king. 11 And he said, This will be the manner of the king that shall reign over you: he will take your sons, and appoint them for himself, on his chariot and among his horsemen, and they shall run before his chariots; 12 and [he will take them] that he may appoint for himself captains over thousands, and captains over fifties, and that they may plough his ground, and reap his harvest, and make his instruments of war and instruments of his chariots. 13 And he will take your daughters for perfumers, and cooks, and bakers. 14 And your fields, and your vineyards, and your oliveyards, the best, will he take and give to his servants. 15 And he will take the tenth of your seed and of your vineyards, and give to his chamberlains and to his servants. 16 And he will take your bondmen, and your bondwomen, and your comeliest young men, and your asses, and use them for his work. 17 He will take the tenth of your sheep. And ye shall be his servants. 18 And ye shall cry out in that day because of your king whom ye have chosen; and Jehovah will not answer you in that day. 19 And the people refused to hearken to the voice of Samuel; and they said, No, but there shall be a king over us, 20 that we also may be like all the nations; and our king shall judge us, and go out before us, and conduct our wars. 21 And Samuel heard all the words of the people, and he repeated them in the ears of Jehovah. 22 And Jehovah said to Samuel, Hearken unto their voice, and make them a king. And Samuel said to the men of Israel, Go ye every man to his city.
91 And there was a man of Benjamin whose name was Kish, the son of Abiel, the son of Zeror, the son of Bechorath, the son of Aphiah, the son of a Benjaminite, a mighty man of wealth. 2 And he had a son whose name was Saul, choice and comely; and there was not among the children of Israel a comelier person than he; from his shoulders and upward he was higher than any of the people.
3 And the asses of Kish Saul's father were lost; and Kish said to Saul his son, Take, I pray, one of the young men with thee, and arise, go seek the asses. 4 And he passed through mount Ephraim, and passed through the land of Shalishah, but they found [them] not; and they passed through the land of Shaalim, and they were not there; and they passed through the land of Benjamin, and they found [them] not. 5 They had come to the land of Zuph when Saul said to his servant that was with him, Come and let us return; lest my father give up the asses, and be anxious about us. 6 And he said to him, Behold now, a man of God is in this city, and the man is held in honour; all that he says comes surely to pass. Let us now go thither: perhaps he will shew us the way that we should go. 7 And Saul said to his servant, But if we go, what shall we bring the man? for the bread is spent in our vessels, and we have no present to give to the man of God: what have we? 8 And the servant answered Saul again and said, Behold, I have here at hand the fourth part of a shekel of silver; that will I give to the man of God, to tell us our way. 9 (In former time in Israel, when a man went to ask counsel of God, he said, Come and let us go to the seer; for he that is now called a Prophet was in former time called a Seer.) 10 And Saul said to his servant, Well said: come, let us go. So they went to the city where the man of God was.
11 As they went up the ascent to the city, they met maidens going forth to draw water; and they said to them, Is the seer here? 12 And they answered them and said, He is; behold, he is before thee: make haste now, for he came to-day to the city; for the people have a sacrifice to-day in the high place. 13 As soon as ye come into the city, ye shall straightway find him, before he goes up to the high place to eat; for the people eat not until he has come, because he blesses the sacrifice; afterwards they eat that are invited. And now go up; for this very day shall ye find him. 14 And they went up into the city. As they were coming into the midst of the city, behold, Samuel was coming out towards them, to go up to the high place. 15 Now Jehovah had apprised Samuel one day before Saul came, saying, 16 To-morrow about this time I will send thee a man out of the land of Benjamin, and thou shalt anoint him prince over my people Israel; and he will save my people out of the hand of the Philistines; for I have looked upon my people, because their cry is come unto me. 17 And as Samuel saw Saul, Jehovah answered him, Behold the man of whom I spoke to thee! this man shall rule over my people.
18 And Saul drew near to Samuel in the midst of the gate, and said, Tell me, I pray thee, where the seer's house is. 19 And Samuel answered Saul and said, I am the seer: go up before me to the high place, and ye shall eat with me to-day; and to-morrow I will let thee go, and will tell thee all that is in thy heart. 20 And as for the asses that thou didst lose three days ago, set not thy heart on them; for they are found. And on whom is all the desire of Israel [set]? Is it not on thee, and on all thy father's house? 21 And Saul answered and said, Am not I a Benjaminite, of the smallest of the tribes of Israel, and my family the least of all the families of the tribe of Benjamin? and why dost thou speak such words to me? 22 And Samuel took Saul and his servant, and brought them into the chamber, and gave them a place at the head of them that were invited; and they were about thirty persons. 23 And Samuel said to the cook, Bring the portion that I gave thee, of which I said to thee, Set it by thee. 24 And the cook took up the shoulder, and what was on it, and set [it] before Saul. And he said, Behold that which has been reserved! set it before thee, eat; for against the set time has it been kept for thee, since I said, I will invite the people. So Saul ate with Samuel that day. 25 And they came down from the high place into the city, and he spoke with Saul upon the roof. 26 And they arose early; and when it was about the dawning of the day, Samuel called to Saul on the roof, saying, Arise, that I may send thee away. And Saul arose, and they went out both of them, he and Samuel, into the street. 27 As they were going down to the end of the city, Samuel said to Saul, Tell the servant to pass on before us (and he passed on), but stand thou still now, that I may cause thee to hear the word of God.
18 And it came to pass as he was praying alone, his disciples were with him, and he asked them saying, Who do the crowds say that I am? 19 But they answering said, John the baptist; but others, Elias; and others, that one of the old prophets has risen again. 20 And he said to them, But ye, who do ye say that I am? And Peter answering said, The Christ of God.
21 But, earnestly charging them, he enjoined [them] to say this to no man, 22 saying, The Son of man must suffer many things, and be rejected of the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and the third day be raised up. 23 And he said to [them] all, If any one will come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me; 24 for whosoever shall desire to save his life shall lose it, but whosoever shall lose his life for my sake, he shall save it. 25 For what shall a man profit if he shall have gained the whole world, and have destroyed, or come under the penalty of the loss of himself? 26 For whosoever shall have been ashamed of me and of my words, of him will the Son of man be ashamed when he shall come in his glory, and [in that] of the Father, and of the holy angels. 27 But I say unto you of a truth, There are some of those standing here who shall not taste death until they shall have seen the kingdom of God.
28 And it came to pass after these words, about eight days, that taking Peter and John and James he went up into a mountain to pray. 29 And as he prayed the fashion of his countenance became different and his raiment white [and] effulgent. 30 And lo, two men talked with him, who were Moses and Elias, 31 who, appearing in glory, spoke of his departure which he was about to accomplish in Jerusalem. 32 But Peter and those with him were oppressed with sleep: but having fully awoke up they saw his glory, and the two men who stood with him. 33 And it came to pass as they departed from him, Peter said to Jesus, Master, it is good for us to be here; and let us make three tabernacles, one for thee, and one for Moses, and one for Elias: not knowing what he said. 34 But as he was saying these things, there came a cloud and overshadowed them, and they feared as they entered into the cloud: 35 and there was a voice out of the cloud saying, This is my beloved Son: hear him. 36 And as the voice was [heard] Jesus was found alone: and they kept silence, and told no one in those days any of the things they had seen.
(Read Luke 9:18-27)
It is an unspeakable comfort that our Lord Jesus is God's Anointed; this signifies that he was both appointed to be the Messiah, and qualified for it. Jesus discourses concerning his own sufferings and death. And so far must his disciples be from thinking how to prevent his sufferings, that they must prepare for their own. We often meet with crosses in the way of duty; and though we must not pull them upon our own heads, yet, when they are laid for us, we must take them up, and carry them after Christ. It is well or ill with us, according as it is well or ill with our souls. The body cannot be happy, if the soul be miserable in the other world; but the soul may be happy, though the body is greatly afflicted and oppressed in this world. We must never be ashamed of Christ and his gospel.
(Read Luke 9:28-36)
Christ's transfiguration was a specimen of that glory in which he will come to judge the world; and was an encouragement to his disciples to suffer for him. Prayer is a transfiguring, transforming duty, which makes the face to shine. Our Lord Jesus, even in his transfiguration, was willing to speak concerning his death and sufferings. In our greatest glories on earth, let us remember that in this world we have no continuing city. What need we have to pray to God for quickening grace, to make us lively! Yet that the disciples might be witnesses of this sign from heaven, after awhile they became awake, so that they were able to give a full account of what passed. But those know not what they say, that talk of making tabernacles on earth for glorified saints in heaven.
