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![Sunrise on Temple Mount in Jerusalem; Back to Previous Devotion](../images/sunrise-previous.jpg)
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March 30 - Morning
"The Lord said to Samuel,
'How long will you mourn for Saul, since I have rejected him as king over Israel? Fill your horn with oil and be on your way; I am sending you to Jesse of Bethlehem. I have chosen one of his sons to be king.'
But Samuel said,
'How can I go? If Saul hears about it, he will kill me.'
The Lord said,
'
Take a heifer with you and say,
"I have come to sacrifice to the Lord."
Invite Jesse to the sacrifice, and I will show you what to do. You are to anoint for me the one I indicate.'
Samuel did what the Lord said. When he arrived at Bethlehem, the elders of the town trembled when they met him. They asked, 'Do you come in peace?'
Samuel replied, 'Yes, in peace; I have come to sacrifice to the Lord. Consecrate yourselves and come to the sacrifice with me.'
Then he consecrated Jesse and his sons and
invited them to the sacrifice."
- First Samuel 16:1-5 |
![Sunset on the Sea of Galilee; Click to go to next devotion](../images/sunset-previous.jpg) |
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Samuel Anoints a New King |
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Samuel continued to morn the failure of the monarchy and his rebuke of Saul long after the Lord had rejected Saul as king. Samuel may have thought all was lost since as a child, he had grown up in a dark and apostate nation, announced the rejection of the priesthood and had seen the destruction of the Tabernacle. Now, after years of service, teaching, counseling and leading Israel into an age of restored understanding and faith, Samuel had anointed, installed and instructed the king who was to lead the people of God. But, in the end, after all he had seen and done, Samuel had to reject the very man the Lord has chosen to lead Israel as a king. Now, the Lord speaks to Samuel to tell him all was not lost, because the Lord’s plan was moving forward.
God rebukes his prophet for being out of touch with what the Lord is doing and tells Samuel to refill his flask of oil and go anoint the next king. When Samuel is told to go to Bethlehem he rightfully fears Saul’s response if his intentions of anointing a new king are discovered. So, Samuel uses the semblance of officiating a local sacrifice as a cover for visiting one of the leading families of Bethlehem of Judah. Likewise, Samuel himself, the legendary prophet who has been the instrument of judgment on priests, kings, armies, communities and nations, causes the elders of Bethlehem to tremble when they meet him.
Samuel relieves the fear of the elders and the suspicion of Saul by announcing he had come in peace to sacrifice to the Lord. The elders are invited to consecrate themselves while Samuel himself oversees the consecration of Jesse and his sons. One of the sons of Jesse will be anointed as the next king of Israel. But, in such an age of darkness and fear it will not be an easy time to be king. |
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![Christian Quote from Church History](../images/quote-box.jpg) |
"In Faith and Hope the
world will disagree,
But all mankind's
concern is charity."
- Alexander Pope |
![Something to Ponder??](../images/ponder-box.jpg) |
The staurogram was used by the early church when they wrote the Greek letter rho over the Greek letter tau. The tau is the "t" sound and looks like a cross or T. The rho is the "r" sound and is written like a P. When the P (rho) is written over a T (tau) the image is
that of a man on a cross.
This pictograph representing a crucified man on a cross appeared in Greek manuscripts beginning in
150 AD in words like
"crucify" and "cross."
(Details here; Image here) |
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![Personal Prayer](../images/personal-prayer-box.jpg) |
![Church Prayer Item](../images/church-prayer-box.jpg) |
![National Prayer Concerns](../images/nation-prayer-box.jpg) |
![World Prayer Concerns](../images/world-prayer-box.jpg) |
Right words for the right moment |
Increase Spiritual hunger |
Police |
Cape Verde Island
Cayman Islands |
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Reps & Sets is a daily Bible devotional for Christians from Generation Word Bible Teaching used each morning and evening. |
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