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.)
