April 17, 2025 • 13 mins
In this Bible Story, Israel, God’s chosen people, shout and beg for a king to rule over them. Despite Samuel’s warnings, Israel's demands for a king to reign over them completely and protect them from their enemies. This story is inspired by 1 Samuel 7-8. Go to BibleinaYear.com and learn the Bible in a Year.
Today's Bible verse is 1 Samuel 7:4 from the King James Version.
Episode 78: The Ark of God had been returned to Israel, but not every Israelite abandoned their idols, so Samuel spoke to the people, instructing and encouraging them to truly return to God. And they did! But as Israel was worshiping God, the Philistines launched an attack against them. However, this time, Israel sought God on His terms, instead of reacting out of fear, and God showed up. All was peaceful in Israel from that time, until the day they asked for a King.
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Let us pray. Then the children of Israel did put
away Baalim and Ashtaroth and served the Lord only first
Samuel seven. For dear Heavenly Father, to day is spring cleaning.
To day is the day that I am taking inventory
of what's in my heart. And if there are any
(00:22):
idols that I've allowed to stay, idols like jealousy, unforgiveness,
people pleasing, and spiritual compromise, I break at the altar
of your presence. I confess that if I'm not in
spiritual alignment, I lose battles that You've already spoken victory over. However,
(00:42):
the days of losing battles because of idols are gone.
I decree and declare that my heart only longs for
you and your ways. I declare that I am sinked
and aligned with your ways. I will will not fall
to fear when the clouds of trials descend upon me.
(01:05):
I know, like thunder, you will roll through my life
and hand victory to me. I declare that all fear, doubt, anxiety,
and worry will melt under the hand of the Almighty.
I will not look for any other king to rule
my life, but you lead me and guide me. To
(01:28):
your desired outcome for my life in Jesus name. Amen.
Thanks for making prayer a priority in your life. To
hear the Bible come to life. Stay tuned for the
Bible in a Year brought to you by Bible in
a Year dot com.
Speaker 2 (01:54):
Israel's return to God. In our last story, we learned
of God's victory over the Philistines and his return to Israel.
He plagued them with tumors and made it known that
he was the God above all other gods. Now we
see Israel turn away from their old idolatry and pursue
(02:14):
God with their whole heart. Victory and prosperity follows them,
but idolatry still creeps in the darkness of their hearts.
Inspired by the Book of First Samuel.
Speaker 3 (02:28):
Hello, this is Jack Graham with today's episode of the
Bible in a Year. In yesterday's reading, we heard about
how God punished the Philistines, judged them for stealing the
Ark and attempting to use God for their own benefit.
After being afflicted with terrible tumors in two different cities,
the terrified Philistines returned the Ark along with guilt offerings
(02:50):
to Israel. The people of God, rejoiced and praised God
for returning the Ark to them. Today, we'll hear how
they turn back to God and try to follow him
with the intilty of their hearts. They will experience prosperity
and success in battle as long as they remain committed
to the Lord. But Israel is still plagued by a
desire to be like other nations. They will insist on
(03:13):
a king, despite God's promise to rule over them. God
will hear them and eventually give them what they want,
but they don't understand for what they are asking or
what they will receive. Let's listen now to today's story.
Speaker 2 (03:29):
The Ark of the Covenant had been returned to Israel,
but the Philistine gods were not destroyed completely. Many Israelites
clung to many different gods. They kept idols in their
homes and used idle worship as an excuse to sin.
Samuel spoke to the people as a loving and strong leader. Listen,
(03:49):
he shouted among them. The crowd grew silent as they
listened to Samuel. They hung on every word he said.
Samuel spoke the word of God over the sea of people, saying,
if you truly want to return to the Lord. Direct
your hearts towards him, Pursue what is meaningful and good
for your souls. Serve Him only, and you will have
(04:12):
victory over the Philistines. So the people of Israel burned
their idols to Baal and Astrooth. It was as if
the walls of Jericho crumbled in their own hearts. The
heaviness of their idle worship dissipated, and they began to
worship God freely once again. Samuel took the children of
Israel to Mizpah to worship God. There they sang to him,
(04:36):
recounted his laws, and made sacrifices. However, the Philistine wolves
caught scent of their vulnerability and sought to attack Israel
while they were worshiping. The Philistine army gathered like storm
clouds across the valley below Mizpah. They rolled through in
great numbers, and their battle cries could be heard only
a few miles away. The Philistines were in hot pursuit.
(05:00):
Israelites grew terrified. Their marches shook the earth, and the
clanging of their armor pierced their ears. They were fast approaching.
If Israel had still been worshiping their idols, they would
have fallen to their fear. Instead, they brought their cries
before God. They bowed before him and asked Samuel to
(05:20):
continue to pray and make sacrifices. Samuel took a nursing
lamb and raised it high for all to see. Samuel
drove a blade across its throat. The blood of the
lamb was shed before the people. Years ago, the blood
of a lamb was shed to cover the door posts
in Egypt, and years before that, the blood of the
lamb was accepted by Abel before God. Deliverance followed the
(05:44):
blood of a lamb. The Philistines were close enough to
see the sweat on their brows and the glimmer of
their blades. As Samuel was sacrificing the lamb, the Lord
rolled into the valley like thunder, and a great boom
shook the earth in Skyes Philistines fell in every direction,
and the people of Israel descended upon them like the
(06:06):
armies of Heaven. Their swords swayed through the confused Philistines,
and victory was handed to Israel on a silver platter
by God. The Philistine army, once terrifying and powerful, melted
underneath the magnitude of the Almighty. Every city that the
Philistines had taken from Israel had been won back, and
(06:27):
slaves were set free. Freedom followed the blood of the Lamb.
Samuel judged over Israel and guided them with kindness and
wisdom until his old age. Israel prospered under him, and
the Lord was glorified amongst his people once again. When
Samuel grew too old to judge over Israel, he appointed
(06:49):
his two sons, Joel and Abijah, to judge over them.
Yet they did not share in their father's heart. They
quarreled with the people, took bribes, and dishonored God. God
God despised how they perverted justice and would rule unkindly.
The elders of Israel gathered together with Samuel. They were
irate at the state of Israel under his sons. Look
(07:11):
at your sons, Samuel, they yelled, They are nothing like you,
and judge unfairly. Appoint us a king to rule over
us like other nations. Samuel was devastated when he heard
these words. It grieved him that the people would want
a king like other nations. What have I done wrong?
Samuel thought to himself. God spoke kindly to Samuel, saying,
(07:34):
do as they ask, Samuel, for they have not rejected you,
but they have rejected me as their king. Though Samuel
did not hear the voice of God as Moses once did,
he could sense grief in God's words. He spoke, saying,
from the day I saved them from Egypt, till now
they have sought after other gods. Now they do the
(07:55):
same in wanting a king. Do as they say, but
warn them that they were I'll never have a king
like the lord. Samuel stood before the people, tears filled
his eyes and dripped down his old cheeks. You will
have a king, as you asked, but remember this. A
king takes more than he gives. Soon your property will
(08:17):
be his, and your goods will be taken as tax.
The best of your young men will be taken for
his armies, and your young women will be forced to
work to sell goods. And one day you will cry
out to God because of your king. You will ask
him to take your kings away, but you will not
be answered. The Israelites paid no attention to Samuel's warning.
(08:41):
They longed to be ruled by a king. They had
thrown away their old idols, and now their hearts desired
a king to worship instead. The human heart is in
constant pursuit of something to rule over it. It wants safety,
so it grasps for the easiest form of comfort. It confined.
God would allow the people to put their hope in
(09:02):
a kingdom. He is not a God that begs for relationship.
He would wait faithfully for their new idols to fail them.
He would raise up redemption for his people, as he
always has before, for God is glorified when his people
are redeemed.
Speaker 3 (09:21):
Today's scripture begins with the people turning back to God.
The ark has been restored to them. But God tells
the people through Samuel that the Philistines must still be
dealt with, and he says, as long as they abandon
their idolatry and look only to Him by faith, they
will have victory. So they burned their false idols and
devoted themselves to God and to Samuel's leadership as judge.
(09:46):
As they worshiped and offered sacrifices. The Philistines then attacked.
Their army was great and would have easily defeated the Israelites,
but this time God showed up for them, and with
thunderous sounds from the heaven, he confused the Philistine army.
Israel defeated their enemy that day and took back every
city and every slave taken by their pagan enemy. Samuel
(10:09):
then ruled as God's representative for many years. It was
a time of great prosperity. The people sought after God
and obeyed his commands, but there was still a seed
of doubt within them. They never stopped being jealous of
other nations who were led by mighty kings. So when
Samuel grew old and appointed his sons to judge over Israel,
(10:31):
things began to change. Samuel's sons weren't the noble, god
seeking rulers that their father had been. Much like Eli's sons,
they sought only their personal interests and indulgences, taking bribes
and making a mockery of justice. So now the people
tell Samuel that his sons weren't like him. They didn't
(10:52):
want another judge, they wanted a king. What they failed
to recognize was that God was already the king, and
unlike all the other nations, their king was always good
and always acted in their best interests. But none of
that mattered to the Israelites. They wanted to be like
everyone else. When we try to do things the world's way,
(11:15):
we are telling God that his best for us is
not good enough. We're not looking to him by faith
and finding fulfillment in the things that really matter. But
we're looking to the world and how the world can
satisfy the cravings of our heart. And that's where Israel's
heart was when they asked Samuel to give them a king,
just like the other nations, just like the world. Samuel
(11:38):
wasn't happy about this, and he went to God seeking wisdom.
Here is God's response in Fir Samuel eighty seven. Obey
the voice of the people in all that they say
to you, for they have not rejected you, but they
have rejected me from being king over them. God allowed
the children of Israel to have a king. He tells
(11:58):
Samuel to give them what they want, but Samuel is
to warn them. The clear warning was that the king
would not satisfy what they really wanted. He would not
treat them kindly and lovingly as God always does. Undeterred
by the warning that people insists give us what we want,
so God does. It's a case of be careful what
(12:20):
you wish for that will play out over many years,
and we'll hear about that the next time. Lord, we
believe that you are a perfect, good, loving and righteous king.
You are our Lord and Savior through Jesus Christ, and
you always know what is best for us. We ask
you to rule in us, govern our lives, and help
(12:41):
us not to look to the world for answers, but
only to you in Jesus' name. Amen. Thank you for
listening to today's Bible in a Year podcast. I'm pastor
Jack Graham from Dallas, Texas. Download Theprey dot com app
and make Bible study and prayer a priority in your life.
If you enjoyed this podcast, please share it with someone
(13:03):
you know because it can make a genuine, even eternal
difference in their lives. And if you want more resources
on how you can know the power of God through
Jesus Christ, than visit Jack Graham dot org.
Let us pray. Then the children of Israel did put
away Baalim and Ashtaroth and served the Lord only first
Samuel seven. For dear Heavenly Father, to day is spring cleaning.
To day is the day that I am taking inventory
of what's in my heart. And if there are any
(00:22):
idols that I've allowed to stay, idols like jealousy, unforgiveness,
people pleasing, and spiritual compromise, I break at the altar
of your presence. I confess that if I'm not in
spiritual alignment, I lose battles that You've already spoken victory over. However,
(00:42):
the days of losing battles because of idols are gone.
I decree and declare that my heart only longs for
you and your ways. I declare that I am sinked
and aligned with your ways. I will will not fall
to fear when the clouds of trials descend upon me.
(01:05):
I know, like thunder, you will roll through my life
and hand victory to me. I declare that all fear, doubt, anxiety,
and worry will melt under the hand of the Almighty.
I will not look for any other king to rule
my life, but you lead me and guide me. To
(01:28):
your desired outcome for my life in Jesus name. Amen.
Thanks for making prayer a priority in your life. To
hear the Bible come to life. Stay tuned for the
Bible in a Year brought to you by Bible in
a Year dot com.
Speaker 2 (01:54):
Israel's return to God. In our last story, we learned
of God's victory over the Philistines and his return to Israel.
He plagued them with tumors and made it known that
he was the God above all other gods. Now we
see Israel turn away from their old idolatry and pursue
(02:14):
God with their whole heart. Victory and prosperity follows them,
but idolatry still creeps in the darkness of their hearts.
Inspired by the Book of First Samuel.
Speaker 3 (02:28):
Hello, this is Jack Graham with today's episode of the
Bible in a Year. In yesterday's reading, we heard about
how God punished the Philistines, judged them for stealing the
Ark and attempting to use God for their own benefit.
After being afflicted with terrible tumors in two different cities,
the terrified Philistines returned the Ark along with guilt offerings
(02:50):
to Israel. The people of God, rejoiced and praised God
for returning the Ark to them. Today, we'll hear how
they turn back to God and try to follow him
with the intilty of their hearts. They will experience prosperity
and success in battle as long as they remain committed
to the Lord. But Israel is still plagued by a
desire to be like other nations. They will insist on
(03:13):
a king, despite God's promise to rule over them. God
will hear them and eventually give them what they want,
but they don't understand for what they are asking or
what they will receive. Let's listen now to today's story.
Speaker 2 (03:29):
The Ark of the Covenant had been returned to Israel,
but the Philistine gods were not destroyed completely. Many Israelites
clung to many different gods. They kept idols in their
homes and used idle worship as an excuse to sin.
Samuel spoke to the people as a loving and strong leader. Listen,
(03:49):
he shouted among them. The crowd grew silent as they
listened to Samuel. They hung on every word he said.
Samuel spoke the word of God over the sea of people, saying,
if you truly want to return to the Lord. Direct
your hearts towards him, Pursue what is meaningful and good
for your souls. Serve Him only, and you will have
(04:12):
victory over the Philistines. So the people of Israel burned
their idols to Baal and Astrooth. It was as if
the walls of Jericho crumbled in their own hearts. The
heaviness of their idle worship dissipated, and they began to
worship God freely once again. Samuel took the children of
Israel to Mizpah to worship God. There they sang to him,
(04:36):
recounted his laws, and made sacrifices. However, the Philistine wolves
caught scent of their vulnerability and sought to attack Israel
while they were worshiping. The Philistine army gathered like storm
clouds across the valley below Mizpah. They rolled through in
great numbers, and their battle cries could be heard only
a few miles away. The Philistines were in hot pursuit.
(05:00):
Israelites grew terrified. Their marches shook the earth, and the
clanging of their armor pierced their ears. They were fast approaching.
If Israel had still been worshiping their idols, they would
have fallen to their fear. Instead, they brought their cries
before God. They bowed before him and asked Samuel to
(05:20):
continue to pray and make sacrifices. Samuel took a nursing
lamb and raised it high for all to see. Samuel
drove a blade across its throat. The blood of the
lamb was shed before the people. Years ago, the blood
of a lamb was shed to cover the door posts
in Egypt, and years before that, the blood of the
lamb was accepted by Abel before God. Deliverance followed the
(05:44):
blood of a lamb. The Philistines were close enough to
see the sweat on their brows and the glimmer of
their blades. As Samuel was sacrificing the lamb, the Lord
rolled into the valley like thunder, and a great boom
shook the earth in Skyes Philistines fell in every direction,
and the people of Israel descended upon them like the
(06:06):
armies of Heaven. Their swords swayed through the confused Philistines,
and victory was handed to Israel on a silver platter
by God. The Philistine army, once terrifying and powerful, melted
underneath the magnitude of the Almighty. Every city that the
Philistines had taken from Israel had been won back, and
(06:27):
slaves were set free. Freedom followed the blood of the Lamb.
Samuel judged over Israel and guided them with kindness and
wisdom until his old age. Israel prospered under him, and
the Lord was glorified amongst his people once again. When
Samuel grew too old to judge over Israel, he appointed
(06:49):
his two sons, Joel and Abijah, to judge over them.
Yet they did not share in their father's heart. They
quarreled with the people, took bribes, and dishonored God. God
God despised how they perverted justice and would rule unkindly.
The elders of Israel gathered together with Samuel. They were
irate at the state of Israel under his sons. Look
(07:11):
at your sons, Samuel, they yelled, They are nothing like you,
and judge unfairly. Appoint us a king to rule over
us like other nations. Samuel was devastated when he heard
these words. It grieved him that the people would want
a king like other nations. What have I done wrong?
Samuel thought to himself. God spoke kindly to Samuel, saying,
(07:34):
do as they ask, Samuel, for they have not rejected you,
but they have rejected me as their king. Though Samuel
did not hear the voice of God as Moses once did,
he could sense grief in God's words. He spoke, saying,
from the day I saved them from Egypt, till now
they have sought after other gods. Now they do the
(07:55):
same in wanting a king. Do as they say, but
warn them that they were I'll never have a king
like the lord. Samuel stood before the people, tears filled
his eyes and dripped down his old cheeks. You will
have a king, as you asked, but remember this. A
king takes more than he gives. Soon your property will
(08:17):
be his, and your goods will be taken as tax.
The best of your young men will be taken for
his armies, and your young women will be forced to
work to sell goods. And one day you will cry
out to God because of your king. You will ask
him to take your kings away, but you will not
be answered. The Israelites paid no attention to Samuel's warning.
(08:41):
They longed to be ruled by a king. They had
thrown away their old idols, and now their hearts desired
a king to worship instead. The human heart is in
constant pursuit of something to rule over it. It wants safety,
so it grasps for the easiest form of comfort. It confined.
God would allow the people to put their hope in
(09:02):
a kingdom. He is not a God that begs for relationship.
He would wait faithfully for their new idols to fail them.
He would raise up redemption for his people, as he
always has before, for God is glorified when his people
are redeemed.
Speaker 3 (09:21):
Today's scripture begins with the people turning back to God.
The ark has been restored to them. But God tells
the people through Samuel that the Philistines must still be
dealt with, and he says, as long as they abandon
their idolatry and look only to Him by faith, they
will have victory. So they burned their false idols and
devoted themselves to God and to Samuel's leadership as judge.
(09:46):
As they worshiped and offered sacrifices. The Philistines then attacked.
Their army was great and would have easily defeated the Israelites,
but this time God showed up for them, and with
thunderous sounds from the heaven, he confused the Philistine army.
Israel defeated their enemy that day and took back every
city and every slave taken by their pagan enemy. Samuel
(10:09):
then ruled as God's representative for many years. It was
a time of great prosperity. The people sought after God
and obeyed his commands, but there was still a seed
of doubt within them. They never stopped being jealous of
other nations who were led by mighty kings. So when
Samuel grew old and appointed his sons to judge over Israel,
(10:31):
things began to change. Samuel's sons weren't the noble, god
seeking rulers that their father had been. Much like Eli's sons,
they sought only their personal interests and indulgences, taking bribes
and making a mockery of justice. So now the people
tell Samuel that his sons weren't like him. They didn't
(10:52):
want another judge, they wanted a king. What they failed
to recognize was that God was already the king, and
unlike all the other nations, their king was always good
and always acted in their best interests. But none of
that mattered to the Israelites. They wanted to be like
everyone else. When we try to do things the world's way,
(11:15):
we are telling God that his best for us is
not good enough. We're not looking to him by faith
and finding fulfillment in the things that really matter. But
we're looking to the world and how the world can
satisfy the cravings of our heart. And that's where Israel's
heart was when they asked Samuel to give them a king,
just like the other nations, just like the world. Samuel
(11:38):
wasn't happy about this, and he went to God seeking wisdom.
Here is God's response in Fir Samuel eighty seven. Obey
the voice of the people in all that they say
to you, for they have not rejected you, but they
have rejected me from being king over them. God allowed
the children of Israel to have a king. He tells
(11:58):
Samuel to give them what they want, but Samuel is
to warn them. The clear warning was that the king
would not satisfy what they really wanted. He would not
treat them kindly and lovingly as God always does. Undeterred
by the warning that people insists give us what we want,
so God does. It's a case of be careful what
(12:20):
you wish for that will play out over many years,
and we'll hear about that the next time. Lord, we
believe that you are a perfect, good, loving and righteous king.
You are our Lord and Savior through Jesus Christ, and
you always know what is best for us. We ask
you to rule in us, govern our lives, and help
(12:41):
us not to look to the world for answers, but
only to you in Jesus' name. Amen. Thank you for
listening to today's Bible in a Year podcast. I'm pastor
Jack Graham from Dallas, Texas. Download Theprey dot com app
and make Bible study and prayer a priority in your life.
If you enjoyed this podcast, please share it with someone
(13:03):
you know because it can make a genuine, even eternal
difference in their lives. And if you want more resources
on how you can know the power of God through
Jesus Christ, than visit Jack Graham dot org.
Host
Jack Graham
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