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King Saul gains and loses his crown

King Saul disobeys and God takes the crown from his family.
Story also available on our translated websites: Spanish, Polish, German, Hindi
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Samuel was God’s appointed judge of Israel. He assembled all the people of Israel at Mizpah and prayed for them. He told them to get rid of false gods, commit themselves to God, and then God would deliver them from the Philistines who kept invading their land. The people repented and turned back to God. – Slide 1
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While Samuel was offering sacrifices, the Philistines attacked but they were repelled by the Israelites. – Slide 2
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But as Samuel grew older the people became restless and demanded that they were ruled by a King just like the other nations. – Slide 3
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Samuel warned them, ‘Have you rejected the Lord as your King? A human king will be a selfish ruler and only enrich a few people at the cost of many. You will cry out to be delivered from such tyranny.’ But the people insisted and demanded that they had a King.’ – Slide 4
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‘Do as they say,’ the Lord told Samuel, ‘for I am the one they are rejecting, not you. They don’t want me to be their king any longer.’ – Slide 5
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Now there was a man from the tribe of Benjamin, called Saul who was a whole head taller than anyone else. When his father’s donkeys went missing he set out with his servant to search for them. When they could not find them, Saul’s servant suggested they go to the nearby town where Samuel lived to ask for his help. – Slide 6
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As they entered the town, they saw Samuel, coming towards them on his way up to the high place. Now the Lord had told Samuel that He would send him a man from the tribe of Benjamin to anoint as the first King of Israel. – Slide 7
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When Samuel caught sight of Saul, the Lord said to him, ‘This is the man who will govern my people.’ – Slide 8
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Samuel told Saul, ‘Go up ahead of me to the high place, for today you are to eat with me, and in the morning I will send you on your way. Don’t worry about the missing donkeys, they have been found.’ – Slide 9
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Samuel brought Saul and his servant into a hall and seated them at the head of a table of thirty guests. Later he spoke with Saul on the roof of his house. – Slide 10
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The next day Samuel took a flask of olive oil and poured it on Saul’s head, ‘The Lord has anointed you ruler over Israel,’ he declared. – Slide 11
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Later the newly crowned King Saul led an army to rescue the people of Jabesh-Gilead who were being besieged by invading Ammorites. – Slide 12
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Saul separated his men into three divisions. During the last watch of the night they broke into the camp of the Ammonites and slaughtered them until the heat of the day. – Slide 13
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The people went to Gilgal and made Saul king in the presence of the Lord. They sacrificed fellowship offerings before the Lord and Saul and all the Israelites held a great celebration. Saul was now in control. – Slide 14
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Soon after, a powerful Philistine army assembled to fight Israel. Saul assembled his army at Gilgal but they were quaking with fear. Samuel had promised to be at Gilgal within 7 days to make offerings to God for victory. But as time passed the troops became more afraid and some started deserting. Saul panicked and did not want to wait any longer. – Slide 15
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Frustrated at waiting for Samuel, Saul decided to make the offerings himself. Just as he finished making the offering, Samuel arrived. ‘You have done a foolish thing,’ Samuel told the King. ‘You have disobeyed God by making these offerings. If you obeyed, he would have established your kingdom over Israel for all time. Now your kingdom will come to an end and God will appoint a new King to take over from you.’ – Slide 16
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Many battles later, Samuel had a message for Saul, ‘The Lord says you are to totally destroy the wicked Amalekites and not spare any of them or their cattle. – Slide 17
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Saul gathered a large army and set an ambush in the ravine near Amalek. They were victorious, but instead of destroying their emmies and cattle, Saul decided to spare the Amalekite King Agag and keep the best sheep and cattle as plunder. – Slide 18
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When God saw Saul’s disobedience He said, ‘I regret that I have made Saul king, because he has turned away from me and has not carried out my instructions.’ Samuel was angry, and he cried out to the Lord all that night. The next day Samuel travelled to confront Saul. ‘The Lord anointed you king and sent you on a mission, to completely destroy those wicked people, the Amalekites. – Slide 19
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’Why did you disobey the Lord? Why did you plunder their cattle?’<br/>As Samuel turned to leave, Saul caught hold of the hem of his robe, and it tore. Samuel said to him, ‘The Lord has torn the kingdom of Israel from you today and has given it to one someone better than you.’ – Slide 20
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Samuel later anointed David as the next King of Israel. David became king after King Saul was killed in battle. Just as God had warned, Saul’s dynasty came to an end and King David became God’s choice as ruler. – Slide 21
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