The Bible Study Podcast, episode 512. Today, the Bible Study podcast continues a study on the Kings of Israel and Judah with Saul.

Welcome to the Bible Study podcast. I'm your host, Chris Christensen. I say we continue with Saul.

We're going to continue with Saul with the good times.

And the good times in the reign of King Saul in the Bible only last one chapter.

We're going to do 1st Samuel 11.

In 1st Samuel 12, Samuel is going to give a farewell speech, which we're going to skip over.

And then in 1 Samuel 13, Saul is already in trouble.

So we're going to get into Saul being in trouble next week, but first we're going to have some good news for Saul and some good news for Israel because of Saul.

1 Samuel 11.

Nahash the Amorite went up and besiege Jabesh Gilead, and all the men of Jabesh said to him,

make a treaty with us, and we will be subject to you.

But Nahash the Ammonite replied, I will make a treaty with you only on the condition that I gouge out the right eye of every one of you, and so bring

disgrace to all Israel. The elders of Jabesh said to him, give us seven days so we can send

messengers throughout Israel. If no one comes to rescue us, we will surrender to you. When the messengers

came to Gibia of Saul and reported these terms to the people, they all

wept aloud. Just then Saul was returning from the fields behind his oxen, and he asked,

what is wrong with everyone? Why are they weeping? Then they repeated to him what the men of

Jabesh had said. When Saul heard their words, the spirit of God came powerfully

on him, and he burned with anger. He took a pair of oxen, cut them into pieces, and sent the pieces

by messengers throughout Israel, proclaiming this is what will be done to the oxen of anyone who

does not follow Saul and Samuel. Then the terror of the Lord fell on the people, and they came out

together as one. When Saul mustered them at Bzek, the men of Israel numbered 300,000, and those of

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