Scions of Josiah (Paperback)

Prologue

"The Manner of a King"

There was a day when Israel had no king.

Their nation was led by their God.

At times, their God would call on individuals to lead.

This calling fell on people called "judges" - ordinary men and women called and empowered to do extraordinary things.

People like Deborah the wise ...

Gideon the humble ...

A SWORD FOR THE LORD!

AND FOR GIDEON!

Jephthah the outcast ...

PLEASE, LEAD OUR MEN AND HELP US FIGHT THE AMMONITES ...

WAS I NOT HATED BY YOU AND CAST OUT BECAUSE MY MOTHER WAS A PROSTITUTE?

AND YET YOU COME TO ME NOW?

PLEASE, WE HAVE NOWHERE ELSE TO TURN ...

HMMM ...

And Samson the strong

The final judge - and some would say the greatest - was Samuel.

Place in the care of the priest Eli and called to serve as a young child ...

... Samuel's words carried great power, because he did not speak his own words ...

SPEAK, LORD, FOR YOUR SERVANT LISTENS.

SAMUEL, IS IT TRUE?

I AM ABOUT TO DO SOMETHING IN ISRAEL THAT WILL MAKE THE EARS OF ALL WHO HEAR OF IT TINGLE.

DID THE LORD SPEAK TO YOU LAST NIGHT?!?

WHAT DID HE SAY?

YOUR FAMILY, ELI, AND ALL OF ISRAEL ARE ABOUT TO BE JUDGED ...

... he spoke the words of God.

THE LORD SAYS THAT YOUR SONS ARE CONTEMPTIBLE, AND BECAUSE YOU DID NOT RESTRAIN THEM, NO SACRIFICE OR OFFERING CAN ATONE FOR THE SINS OF YOUR HOUSE.

BUT ... I ...

... HE IS THE LORD; LET HIM DO WHAT IS GOOD IN HIS EYES.

And it came to pass, just as Samuel said, that the people of God were oppressed by the Philistines.

The ark of the covenant was brought to the war camp of the Israelites.

They were sure this would guarantee victory.

They were wrong.

They assumed they could simply follow the physical manifestation of their God on the battle field ... without needing to truly follow God himself with their hearts.

That assumption proved disastrous ...

Over thirty thousand Israelites were killed, and the ark was captured.

(Continues...)