162 BATTLES OF THE BIBLE.

newly elected king. Although a king, he followed the oc-
cupation to which he had been accustomed. He was com-
ing out of the field after his herds, when he heard a noise
of weeping and lamenting. He asked the reason, and
in reply was told the tidings that had come from Jabesh-
Gilead. His indignation was roused. He took a yoke
of oxen, and cut them in pieces, and employed messen-
gers to carry these pieces through all the coasts of Israel,
saying to the people, “ Whosoever cometh not forth after
Saul and after Samuel, so shall it be done unto his oxen.”
The Spirit of the Lord guided Saul, so that he acted
wisely. The fear of the Lord was on the people, so
that they obeyed willingly. This shews us that it is the
wisdom that cometh from above that teaches how to
command as well as how to obey. When the people
had assembled, as the king commanded, he numbered his
forces, and found that they amounted to three hundred
thousand of the men of Israel, and thirty thousand of the
men of Judah. Without delay, he sent off the messen-
gers who had come from Jabesh-Gilead to comfort their
distressed townsmen with these words, “ To-morrow by
that time the sun be hot, ye shall have help.” Saul
was better than his word; he came before he had pro-
mised. He divided his men into three companies, and
in the morning watch, before the men of Nahash had
roused themselves from their slumbers, the children of
Israel fell upon the children of Ammon, and utterly de-
stroyed their army. By this victory the people’s opinion
of Saul was raised considerably, and they spoke to Samuel