A powerful prophet, a promising potentate, a perishing Philistine, and
persistent paranoia - welcome to the Book of I Samuel. This book tells us the
transition from the time of the judges to the birth of Israel’s monarchy.
Another way to look at it is the theocracy of Israel, where God was king,
evolved into a man-led monarchy. Seen in this context, Israel’s monarchy is not
a sign of progress nor a divine promotion.
I Samuel starts with the birth of the most credible prophet in Israel
since the time of Moses - Samuel. Following this is the birth of the Israelite
monarchy, the rise of Saul and David, and their bizarre interaction. Highlights
include the rise of Samuel, the destruction of Shiloh and journeys of the Ark,
the temporary neutralising of the Philistine threat, David’s victorious
confrontation of Goliath, and David’s life as a fugitive from Saul. As usual in
Scripture, there is no whitewash of the main characters. The story is told as
it is. The book ends with the death of king Saul and his sons by the hand of
the Philistines on the slopes of Mount Gilboa in northern Israel.
HEBREW
The original name of the book comes from Samuel, or shmu’el.
This can be translated ‘heard of God,’ ‘petitioned of God,’ or even ‘his
name is God.’ Though it, along with II Samuel, were originally one account in
Hebrew, in the 285 BC Greek language translation of the Hebrew Bible, known as
the Septuagint (LXX), separates the two books.
AUTHOR
The person who wrote I Samuel is anonymous. The Talmud nominates Samuel,
who could have easily written part of it (though it is unlikely he wrote about
his own death in Chapter 25 or of the encounter with the witch at En Dor in
Chapter 28). I Chronicles 29:29 speaks of the books of Samuel the seer, Nathan
the prophet and Gad and Gad the prophet. Possibly all three were involved in
the authorship of I Samuel, with Samuel writing the earlier portions and the
other prophets writing the latter.
PORTRAIT OF CHRIST
There were three categories of ‘anointed’ ones in ancient Israel. The
prophets, priests and kings. All three are part of I Samuel: Eli the priest,
Saul the king, and Samuel the prophet.
While these three offices involved anointed ones, only in Jesus do you
have ‘the Anointed One’ (Messiah in Hebrew, Christ in Greek) or ‘the
King of kings, Lord of lords, Anointed of the anointed.
As we learn elsewhere in Scripture, Jesus is:
• Anointed a prophet like Moses (Deuteronomy 18:15);
• Anointed a priest like Melchizedek (Psalm 110:; Hebrews xxx);
• Anointed a king like David (II Samuel 7; I Chronicles 17)
THEME OF I SAMUEL
It tells the story of transition from the time of theocracy, where God
ruled through the judges, to the monarchy where a man is king. This
centralisation of power into human hands came with demands and risks, including
the lack of balance of power and accountability. You will learn about a
corrupted priesthood under Eli, reprobate sons who were incapable of succeeding
him, a rising monarchy and prophets who provided ‘checks and balances.’ For
centuries prophets were ‘oral’ and later they became the written prophets, whom
are featured in the Old Testament.
The time will come that the theocracy and monarchy will combine in One
Person, Jesus Christ, when He comes to earth to reign again in the period we
know as ‘The Millennium’ or 1,000 year reign (Revelation 20:4-6). Every
believer should long for that day!
KEY VERSES
I Samuel 13:14: But now thy kingdom
shall not continue: the LORD hath sought him a man after his own heart, and the
LORD hath commanded him to be captain over his people, because thou hast not
kept that which the LORD commanded thee.
I Samuel 15:22: And Samuel said, Hath
the LORD as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the
voice of the LORD? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken
than the fat of rams.
DISTINCTIVES
Revival in I Samuel
•
Hannah’s prayer (1)
•
A humbled people (2)
•
A prophet’s prayer (7)
Backsliding of Saul
•
God promised all would
be well if Israel and her king would fear Him (I Sam 12:12-15). Yet, Saul
failed God. Here’s how:
•
1. Sin of presumption by assuming the priests
function at the altar (13:11-13);
•
2. Unjust to Jonathan (14:44);
•
3. Partial obedience - which is always
disobedience - in the matter of Amalek (15:23);
•
4. Mistreatment and persecution of David
(18:29);
•
5. The final straw: communing with a witch
(28:7).
•
OUTLINE OF I SAMUEL
I.
From Eli the judge to
Samuel the prophet (1:1-3:21)
•
Hannah’s masterful
prayer
•
Eli’s sinful sons
•
The call of Samuel
II. Samuel the Judge (4:1-7:17)
•
Philistine conquest of
Israel
•
Eli and sons die
•
Shiloh destroyed
•
Ark of God taken and
returned
•
Israel repents and
revives under Samuel
•
Philistines subdued
III. From Samuel the prophet to Saul the king (8:1-12:25)
•
Samuel’s sons are
rejected
•
God is rejected in
favour of a human king
•
Samuel warns Israel
about the manner of a king
•
Samuel anoints Saul
•
Saul coronated
•
Saul’s victory on behalf
of Jabesh-Gilead
IV. Early reign of Saul (13:1-15:9)
•
Presumption at the
altar
•
Foolish curse
•
Disobedience
V. Saul and the rise of David (15:10-31:13)
•
Saul rejected by God
•
David anointed by
Samuel
•
David slays Goliath
•
Saul persecutes David
(18-26)
•
David goes to Philistia
•
Saul visits the witch
and dies on Mount Gilboa
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