The enemy each judge had to combat. (3) What each judge
accomplished against the enemy and what weapon he used-an oxgoad or
what? (4) The elements of strength and weakness in the character of
the principal men of the period. (5) The New Testament truths
illustrated in the life and work of Gideon and Samson. (6) The lessons
of practical life illustrated by the stories of Jephthah and Deborah.
(7) The facts of the story of Micah and Gibeah. (8) The career of
Samuel as found so far. (9) The value of a trusting soul as seen in
Ruth. (10) The main element in their religion. (11) The condition of
Israel at the beginning and at the end of this period. (12) The
subject of good and successful parents with bad and unsuccessful
children. The importance they attached to the Ark of the Covenant.

Chapter X.

The Reign of Saul.

I Sam. 8-31; I Chron. 10

The Demand for a King. The last period saw one tribe after another
come to the front and assert itself through some leading man as an
emergency arose, but now the tribes are to be united into a monarchy
and this, too, at their own request made in the form of a desire for a
king. Several things no doubt influenced them to make this request.
(1) From the days of Joshua there had been no strong national bond.
They were only held together by the law of Moses and the annual
assemblages at Shiloh. But the wise reign of Samuel had given an
enlarged national consciousness and led to a desire for a stable
government with the largest possible national unity. (2) The failure
of the sons of Samuel, who had been entrusted with some power and who
would naturally succeed him, led them to feel that provision for the
welfare of the nation must be made before the death of Samuel or ruin
would come. (3) The attitude of the nations around Israel suggested
the need of a strong government headed by a leader of authority. The
Philistines and Ammonites had already made incursions into their land
and threatened at any time to further oppress them. The new
organization, therefore, seemed necessary as a national protection.
(4) The faith of Jehovah was threatened. The victories of the
Philistines would be interpreted to mean that Jehovah was powerless or
else did not care for his people. This would lead them to turn to
other gods. Then too they were greatly tempted by the religion of the
Canaanite to turn from Jehovah. It was, therefore, a religious crisis
that made it essential that the Hebrews un