Page 206 - Bible History

SA , THE ]'IRST KING OF THE ISRAELITES 179
captain of Saul's army. He and Jonathan trained the army, and th it Saul drove back his enemies, the Moabites, the Ammonites, and the Syrians.
The Amalecites were annoying the Jews in the south, and Saul was sent by God to make war upon them in their own country and to destroy them and
their possessions. Saul won a great victory over the Amalecites, but he did not obey God completely. He took for himself the best of their ocks and their orna­ ments. He spared their king in spite of God's command.
Samuel reproved Saul for his disobedience, but Saul laid the blame on the people. He was lling to o er the in sacri ce, but God had not asked for acri ce. He had asked for obedience.
''Doth the Lord desire holocausts and victims,', asked Samuel, ''and not rather that the voice of the Lord should be obeyed? For obedience is better than sacri ces. . . . Therefore, as thou hast rejected the word of the Lord, the Lord hath also rejected thee
from being king.'' Saul's disobedience was soon punished.
God sent Samuel to Bethlehem to o er sacri ce and A aew to seek out and anoint the man o was to succeed :1:ed Saul as king. Samuel went to the home of a man called
Isai and called him and his sons to the sacri ce. After
the sacr ce Samuel asked Isai whether or not all his
sons were present. All were there but the youngest, who was in the elds tending the ocks. His name was David. At Samuel's command, David was brought to him.