An old feeble man was slowly climbing up towards the town.
But the people whispered together that the old man was none other than Samuel, the prophet of the Lord, who carried God’s messages. He must be bringing a message to them, and who knew if it was good or evil. They tried with uneasy minds to remember if they had been doing anything wrong of late as they watched the old man drawing nearer and nearer. Then at last the chief men of the town went out to meet him.
“Comest thou peaceably?” they asked anxiously.
The old man lifted his head and looked at them kindly as he echoed their words.
[folio 8]
“Peaceably,” he answered at once; “I am come to sacrifice unto the Lord.”
A great sigh of relief went up from the people. The visit was a mark of God’s favour and not of His displeasure.
It was true, indeed, that Samuel had come to offer sacrifice, but he had come also on a secret errand about which no man knew but himself. God had bidden him take his horn of oil and anoint one of the sons of Jesse to be king over His people instead of Saul, the present king, who had displeased Him. But it was to be done secretly. Saul must not hear of it, or his vengeance would be swift.
It was in Jesse’s house that the feast of the sacrifice was prepared, and Samuel ordered that all the sons of the house should pass before him as they went to attend the sacrifice.
The first to come was Eliab, Jesse’s eldest son, and when Samuel saw him he felt sure that this was the man who was to be anointed king. He was a splendid young man, tall and strong and handsome, looking almost as kingly as Saul himself.