Second Thursday of Advent - The Beginning of the Kingdom

1 Samuel 3:1-21 (Holman Christian Standard Bible)

1 Samuel 3

Samuel's Call

 ¹ The boy Samuel served the LORD in Eli's presence. In those days the word of the LORD was rare and prophetic visions were not widespread.     ² One day Eli, whose eyesight was failing, was lying in his room. ³ Before the lamp of God had gone out, Samuel was lying down in the tabernacle of the LORD where the ark of God was located.
    ⁴ Then the LORD called Samuel, and he answered, "Here I am." ⁵ He ran to Eli and said, "Here I am; you called me."
    "I didn't call," Eli replied. "Go and lie down." So he went and lay down.
    ⁶ Once again the LORD called, "Samuel!"
    Samuel got up, went to Eli, and said, "Here I am; you called me."
    "I didn't call, my son," he replied. "Go and lie down."
    ⁷ Now Samuel had not yet experienced the LORD, because the word of the LORD had not yet been revealed to him. ⁸ Once again, for the third time, the LORD called Samuel. He got up, went to Eli, and said, "Here I am; you called me."
    Then Eli understood that the LORD was calling the boy. ⁹ He told Samuel, "Go and lie down. If He calls you, say, 'Speak, LORD, for Your servant is listening.' " So Samuel went and lay down in his place.
    ¹⁰ The LORD came, stood there, and called as before, "Samuel, Samuel!"
    Samuel responded, "Speak, for Your servant is listening."
    ¹¹ The LORD said to Samuel, "I am about to do something in Israel that everyone who hears about it will shudder. ¹² On that day I will carry out against Eli everything I said about his family, from beginning to end. ¹³ I told him that I am going to judge his family forever because of the iniquity he knows about: his sons are defiling the sanctuary, and he has not stopped them. ¹⁴ Therefore, I have sworn to Eli's family: The iniquity of Eli's family will never be wiped out by either sacrifice or offering."
    ¹⁵ Samuel lay down until the morning; then he opened the doors of the LORD's house. He was afraid to tell Eli the vision, ¹⁶ but Eli called him and said, "Samuel, my son."
    "Here I am," answered Samuel.
    ¹⁷ "What was the message He gave you?" Eli asked. "Don't hide it from me. May God punish you and do so severely if you hide anything from me that He told you." ¹⁸ So Samuel told him everything and did not hide anything from him. Eli responded, "He is the LORD. He will do what He thinks is good."
    ¹⁹ Samuel grew, and the LORD was with him and let nothing he said prove false. ²⁰ All Israel from Dan to Beer-sheba knew that Samuel was a confirmed prophet of the LORD.  ²¹ The LORD continued to appear in Shiloh, because there He revealed Himself to Samuel by His word.

1 Samuel 9:15-10:9 (Holman Christian Standard Bible)

¹⁵ Now the day before Saul's arrival, the LORD had informed Samuel, ¹⁶ "At this time tomorrow I will send you a man from the land of Benjamin. Anoint him ruler over My people Israel. He will save them from the hand of the Philistines because I have seen [the affliction of] My people, for their cry has come to Me." ¹⁷ When Samuel saw Saul, the LORD told him, "Here is the man I told you about;  he will rule over My people."
    ¹⁸ Saul approached Samuel in the gate area and asked, "Would you please tell me where the seer's house is?"
    ¹⁹ "I am the seer," Samuel answered. "Go up ahead of me to the high place and eat with me today. When I send you off in the morning, I'll tell you everything that's in your heart. ²⁰ As for the donkeys that wandered away from you three days ago,  don't worry about them because they've been found. And who does all Israel desire but you and all your father's family?"
    ²¹ Saul responded, "Am I not a Benjaminite from the smallest of Israel's tribes and isn't my clan the least important of all the clans of the Benjaminite tribe? So why have you said something like this to me?"
    ²² Samuel took Saul and his attendant, brought them to the banquet hall, and gave them a place at the head of the 30 ^[c] or so men who had been invited. ²³ Then Samuel said to the cook, "Get the portion of meat that I gave you and told you to set aside."
    ²⁴ The cook picked up the thigh ^(I) and what was attached to it and set it before Saul. Then Samuel said, "Notice that the reserved piece is set before you. Eat it because it was saved for you for this solemn event at the time I said, 'I've invited the people.' " So Saul ate with Samuel that day. ²⁵ Afterwards, they went down from the high place to the city, and Samuel spoke with Saul on [the] roof.
    ²⁶ They got up early, and just before dawn, Samuel called to Saul on the roof, "Get up, and I'll send you on your way!" Saul got up, and both he and Samuel went outside. ²⁷ As they were going down to the edge of the city, Samuel said to Saul, "Tell the attendant to go on ahead of us, but you stay for awhile, and I'll reveal the word of God to you." So the attendant went on.

1 Samuel 10

 ¹ Samuel took the flask of oil, poured it out on Saul's head, kissed him, and said, "Hasn't the LORD anointed you ruler over His inheritance? ² Today when you leave me, you'll find two men at Rachel's Grave at Zelzah in the land of Benjamin. They will say to you, 'The donkeys you went looking for have been found, and now your father has stopped being concerned about the donkeys and is worried about you, asking: What should I do about my son?'
    ³ "You will proceed from there until you come to the oak of Tabor. Three men going up to God at Bethel will meet you there, one bringing three goats, one bringing three loaves of bread, and one bringing a skin of wine. ⁴ They will ask how you are and give you two [loaves of] bread, which you will accept from them.
    ⁵ "After that you will come to the Hill of God where there are Philistine garrisons. When you arrive at the city, you will meet a group of prophets coming down from the high place prophesying. They will be preceded by harps, tambourines, flutes, and lyres. ⁶ The Spirit of the LORD will control you,  you will prophesy with them, and you will be transformed into a different person. ⁷ When these signs have happened to you, do whatever your circumstances require because God is with you. ⁸ Afterwards, go ahead of me to Gilgal. I will come to you to offer burnt offerings and to sacrifice fellowship offerings. Wait seven days until I come to you and show you what to do."
    ⁹ When Saul turned around to leave Samuel, God changed his heart, and all the signs came about that day.