First and Second Samuel and First and Second Kings
1 and 2 Samuel begins the story of how the tribal league becomes one people united under a
king. The course of Israelite History becomes the story of its kings, but it is Samuel (not David
or Saul) whose name is affixed to the story of the rise of the monarchy, and the story belongs to
the category of scripture called the Prophets. The institution of the monarchy is depicted as a
response to the desire for military security and economic prosperity. There is no mythical
nationalism, no divinity or theology for the king. 1 Sam 8:7-8 indicates that human kingship
threatens to reject or deny Yaweh's kingship. Gideon rejects the title of king on this account
(Judges 8:23). The story of the kings found in 1 and 2 Samuel and 1 and 2 Kings must then be
read with disapproval rather than as heroic acts. All that Samuel warns about kings in 1 Sam
8:11-18 comes to pass. The kings' conduct must be judged by the standards set out in Deut
17:16-17. We must also note that 2 Sam 7:12-16 (cf. Ps. 89) indicates that the David monarchy
becomes the way in which God will relate to Israel. David becomes, for all his faults, the
paradigm of the ideal king. Walter Brueggemann contends that what God is doing is making a
commitment to protect and allow Israel to prosper (Theology of the Old Testament, p. 606).
Given the paradoxical nature of the story, modern readers are puzzled about how to approach it.
We will examine the sort of reader that the narrator cultivates in the way that the story is narrated
by attending to the system of gaps in the text and the play of perspectives at work. Read the story
of Samuel's birth and call (chapters 1-3). How is Samuel's story like Samson's? How is Samuel
different from Samson? Skip the chapters that describe the capture and return of the ark. Read
the story of the selection of the first king (8:1-10:27). What qualities do Samuel and the people
seem to expect a king to have? What sort of qualities does God look for in a king? Skip over the
stories of how Samuel fails as king (by performing unlawful sacrifices and then not taking
responsibility for his actions as king) and the stories of his victories. This section of the book
introduces the character of Saul's son Jonathan who is one of the truly virtuous people in the
Bible. Read the story of the end of God’s final rejection of Saul and the anointing of David
and his rise as a warrior (chapters 15:1-18:9). What does Saul do wrong in this story? What does
God say to Samuel when he almost picks the wrong son of Jesse as the next king? What does the
narrator tell us about David's appearance? How do we tend to make the same mistake as Samuel
when choosing leaders? What role does David first serve in Saul's household? What elements of
the Goliath story emphasize that God does not save us through military might? David becomes
Saul's son-in-law by marrying Micah but Saul's jealousy becomes murderous and David flees. 1
Sam 21:1-2 Sam 6:23: describes David's years as a wandering hero/bandit, his establishment of a
competing court in Hebron, Saul and Jonathan's death, and then the elimination of Saul's heirs
and the establishment of his court in Jerusalem. Read 2 Samuel chapters 7-12 (the stories about
David's attempt to build a temple, stories of his wars, and the first major crisis in his rule (his
adulterous relationship with Bathsheba). Why does God object to David building a temple? Why
might David not think that he has committed a crime when Uriah dies? What technique does
Nathan use to get David to recognize his own guilt? Skim over chapters 13-19 that tell the story
of Absalom's attempt to usurp his father's throne and chapters 20-24 that tell of David's wars and
an ill fated census.
1 Kings begins with the story of the struggle for succession to David's throne. Read chapters 1-3.
Who really chooses Solomon as king? What does Solomon do to secure his power? Jump over
the description of the building of the palace and temple to the story of the visit of the Queen of
Sheba to Jerusalem, Solomon's death, succession and the end of the united kingdom. Read
chapters 10-12. Why are the people unhappy with their king? What does Solomon do that
disappoints you? Does he deserve to be associated with wisdom? The remainder of 1 and 2
Kings tells the story of assorted good and bad kings in Israel (the northern kingdom) and in
Judah (the southern kingdom). Read the story of one northern king, Ahab (1 Kings 16:29-22:40).
Who are the heroes/protagonists in these episodes? Provide their names and their title. What
sorts of things does Ahab do that point to the weakness of human kings? Does Jezebel deserve
to become a byword for a woman who has an evil influence over innocent men? Until 2 Kings
15, the narrator tends to focus upon the decline of Israel and its eventual destruction by the
Assyrians under the leadership of Tiglath-Pileser. The northern kings seem to be universally bad.
Many of the southern kings also fail to meet God's expectations. Read the story of one very good
southern king, Josiah (2 Kings 22-23). What do they find in the temple while restoring it? How
does king Josiah respond? How according to Huldah's prophecy is Josiah's death a blessing?
Read the story of the fall of Judah (2 Kings chapters 24-25). What happens to the temple at the
end of the story? Does this seem to be part of God's plan? What could have been done to prevent
this? Who does the narrator seem to blame for the destruction of the temple?