The transition from wandering Israel to monarchical Israel is completed in today's reading.
After the Ark is returned to Israel, and after constant persecution by the Philistines, the people call out to Samuel who tells them how to come back to the God of Israel. The destroy their shrines and idols and begin to worship Jehovah.. They are given a great victory over the Philistines when Samuel prays.Throughout the rest of Samuel's lifetime he judged Israel and served the Lord and they lived in relative peace.
As Samuel got older, the people come to him (in chapter 8) and ask that he pray that the Lord would give them a king "like all the other nations have." Samuel is hurt, but the Lord tells Samuel (8:7) "for it is me they are rejecting, not you. They don't want me to be their king any longer." Israel wanted to conform to the image of other nations and have a person to whom they could go with all their problems. They did not want to have to directly rely on God, but wanted a person to do this for them.
The Lord allowed Saul, a man of great physical stature and good looks, to be anointed king over Israel. This was a three step process: first, he was anointed by Samuel (10:16), then he was appointed by lot (10:24), then in chapter 11, we will read about a great battle he wins against the Ammonites.
May God bless you and bless the reading of His Word.
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