Nahash the Ammonite besieged Jabesh Gilead so that the people proposed a treaty with him involving their subservience to him. Nahash struck a hard bargain saying he would only make a treaty if he could gouge out the right eye of the entire population of Jabesh Gilead! When word reached Saul of this the Spirit of God came upon him with power and he burned with anger. He cut a pair of oxen into pieces and dispatched them throughout Israel saying that whoever didn't follow Saul and Samuel would see their oxen suffer the same fate. The terror of the Lord fell on the people and united them so that when Saul mustered them at Bezek there were 300,000 from Israel and 30,000 from Judah, and they sent word to Jabesh Gilead that the following day they would be delivered. Saul divided his men into 3 divisions and broke into the camp of the Ammonites and slaughtered most of them.
After this great victory the people wanted to kill those who had doubted Saul's capacity as King, but Saul did not allow it. So Samuel called all to go to Gilgal and there reaffirm Saul's kingship with great celebration and sacrifices of fellowship offerings in the presence of the Lord!
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