Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)

³⁴ Samuel then went to Ramah, while Saul went up to his house in Gibeah of Saul. ³⁵ Samuel never did see Saul again until the day of his death. Yet Samuel mourned over Saul, while Adonai regretted that He had made Saul king over Israel.

Samuel Anoints David

16 Now Adonai said to Samuel, “How long will you grieve over Saul, since I have rejected him as king over Israel? Fill your horn with oil and go. I am sending you to Jesse the Beth-lehemite, for I have selected for Myself a king among his sons.”

² But Samuel replied, “How can I go? If Saul hears of it, he will kill me.”

Adonai said, “Take a heifer with you and say: ‘I have come to sacrifice to Adonai.’ ³ Then invite Jesse to the sacrifice, and I will let you know what you are to do. You will anoint for Me whom I tell you.”

⁴ So Samuel did what Adonai said and went to Beth-lehem. The elders of the town came out to meet him trembling, and asked, “Do you come in shalom?”

⁵ “In shalom,” he said. “I have come to sacrifice to Adonai. Consecrate yourselves and come with me to the sacrifice.” He also consecrated Jesse and his sons and invited them to the sacrifice. ⁶ Upon their arrival, he saw Eliab and thought, “Surely, Adonai’s anointed one is before Him.”

⁷ But Adonai said to Samuel, “Do not look at his appearance or his stature, because I have already refused him. For He does not see a man as man sees, for man looks at the outward appearance, but Adonai looks into the heart.”

⁸ Then Jesse called Abinadab and made him pass before Samuel. But he said, “Neither has Adonai chosen this one.” ⁹ Then Jesse made Shammah pass by and again he said, “Neither has Adonai chosen this one.” ¹⁰ Thus Jesse made seven of his sons pass before Samuel. But Samuel said to Jesse, “Adonai has not chosen any of these.” ¹¹ Then Samuel asked Jesse, “Are these all the boys you have?”

“There’s still the youngest,” he replied. But right now, he’s tending the sheep.”

“Send and bring him,” Samuel said to Jesse, “for we will not sit down until he comes here.” ¹² So he sent word and had him come. Now he was ruddy-cheeked, with beautiful eyes and a handsome appearance.

Then Adonai said, “Arise, anoint him, for this is the one.” ¹³ So Samuel took the horn of oil and anointed him in the midst of his brothers. From that day on Ruach Adonai came mightily upon David. Then Samuel rose up and went to Ramah.

Adonai-Nissi

Psalm 20

⁶ Therefore we are always confident and know that while we are at home in the body, we are absent from the Lord. ⁷ For we walk by faith, not by sight. ⁸ We are confident, I say, and prefer rather to be absent from the body and at home with the Lord. ⁹ So whether at home or absent, we make it our aim to be pleasing to Him. ¹⁰ For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Messiah, so that each one may receive what is due for the things he did while in the body—whether good or bad.

Ambassadors for Messiah

¹¹ Therefore, knowing the fear of the Lord,^[a] we are trying to persuade people, but what we are is known to God—and I hope it is known to your consciences as well. ¹² For we are not commending ourselves to you again, but giving you an opportunity for boasting about us, so that you may have something to answer those who boast in outward appearance and not in the heart. ^{[b] 13} For if we are out of our minds, it is for God; if we are in our right mind, it is for you.

¹⁴ For the love of Messiah compels us, since we have concluded that One died for all; as a result all died. ¹⁵ And He died for all so that those who live might no longer live for themselves, but for the One who died for them and was raised.

¹⁶ So from now on we recognize no one according to the flesh. Even though we have known Messiah according to the flesh, yet now we no longer know Him this way. ¹⁷ Therefore if anyone is in Messiah, he is a new creation. The old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.

What Is the Kingdom of God Like?

²⁶ And He was saying, “The kingdom of God is like when a man spreads seed on the soil ²⁷ and falls asleep at night and gets up by day, and the seed sprouts and grows. He himself doesn’t know how. ²⁸ Automatically, the earth brings forth a crop—first the blade, then the head, then the full grain in the head. ²⁹ But when the grain is ready, at once he sends in the sickle, for the harvest has come.”

³⁰ Yeshua also said, “How should we picture the kingdom of God? Or by what story shall we present it? ³¹ It is like a mustard seed when it’s planted in the ground. Though the smallest of all seeds in the earth, ³² yet when planted it grows up and becomes the largest of all the herbs. It puts forth big branches, so the birds of the air can nest in its shade.”^[a]

³³ With many such parables He used to tell them the word, as much as they were able to hear. ³⁴ But apart from a parable, He wasn’t speaking to them. Yet when they were alone, to His own disciples He would explain everything.