The Book of Samuel
(1-2 Samuel)
TRANSITION:


From Loose Confederation of Tribes
to Monarchy
From Charismatic Leadership
(Endowment with the Spirit of the
LORD) to Dynastic Leadership (Kings
whose sons will succeed them)
The Book of Samuel
(1-2 Samuel)
Samuel – A Transitional Leader:




His Miraculous Birth - Hannah
“The word of the LORD was rare” (3:1)
His Call from God – Eli
The last of the “judges” and the first
of the “prophets” (3:19-4:1a)
THE BEGINNING OF THE MONARCHY
ON A PERMANENT BASIS
The CRISIS:




The Philistine capture of
the Ark of the Covenant
The death of Eli
Ichabod – the glory has
departed
The Ark behind enemy
lines (Ashdod, Gath, &
Ekron) – the god Dagon
ISRAEL’S RESPONSE:

1.
2.
3.
4.
The Request for a
King (Samuel—last of
the judges)
Samuel is old
Samuel’s sons are evil
A king could lead in
battle
The other nations
have a king
The people ask Samuel for a King…
Samuel doesn’t like this, so he asks God
what he should do…
GOD’S RESPONSE
TO SAMUEL
“it’s not you they have
rejected as king…
But me!” (1 Samuel 8:7)
What Will A King Do
That I Cannot Do?
GOD is a GIVER
Life
Protection
Provisions
KING is a TAKER
Sons
Daughters
Property
THE PEOPLE’S
RESPONSE:
But the people refused to listen to
the voice of Samuel; they said, “No!
but we are determined to have a king
over us, so that we also may be like
the other nations, and that our king
may govern us and go out before us
and fight our battles.” (1 Sam 8:19-20)
AND GOD REPLIES: Give them a king!
The First Kings of Israel—their
character and their tragic flaw
• Saul—the rustic king
• David—the warrior and shrewd
politician who founded a dynasty
• Solomon—the “enlightened” king
who led the people back into
slavery
• Rehoboam—the firm-fisted king
who led to the division
SAUL’S ASCENSION
Samuel
anoints
Saul
as King
at Mizpah
1 Samuel 9-10
 Saul hails from the tribe of
Benjamin (the smallest
tribe of Israel)
 Saul responds with deep
humility and a sense of
inadequacy (9:21)
 The Spirit of the Lord
comes upon Saul, and he
prophesies …
 A Good Beginning – and
military victories
SAUL—the Rustic King
 No taxes
 No military draft
 No building projects
 No international trade
 No harem
Saul is more like a judge than a king
SAUL’S DECLINE
 POLITICALLY…
he never “fit”
With the
generation
before him
(Samuel)
 With the
generation
after him
(David)

 RELIGIOUSLY…
he took himself
too seriously
Offered his own
sacrifice before
battle against the
Philistines
 Took the spoils of
war for himself in
a battle with the
Amalekites

Squeezed out
politically…and taking
himself too seriously…
SAUL’S LIFE ENDS AT GILBOA
DAVID—the shepherd King
Saul is rejected as king – the search for a
king who would be “after God’s own heart”
(1 Samuel 13:14)
Samuel anoints David, son of Jesse as king
(1 Samuel 16)
David and Goliath – the uncircumcised
Philistine who defied the armies of the
living God (1 Samuel 17)
David and Saul – Drama! (1 Samuel 18-31)
DAVID—the shrewd politician
Befriends Jonathan, Saul’s son, and marries
Michal, Saul’s daughter
Ishbosheth (Ishbaal), Abner, and Joab
Becomes a military hero of his own tribe, Judah
Conquers the neutral territory of Jebus and
establishes this city as his capital
Brings the Ark of the Covenant to his new
capital – the city of David – Jerusalem
DAVID—the King of Israel
God establishes David’s dynasty (house)
forever (2 Samuel 7)
David: “I want to build you a house (temple)”
GOD: “Why do I need a house… what house
could ever contain me? No, I will build you a
house (Hebrew word: bayit) – a dynasty that
will last forever, if you faithfully follow my ways.”
The Succession Narrative
2 Samuel 9-1 Kings 2
The Story of the “Unraveling” of
David’s Family: Bathsheba,
Amnon, Tamar, Absalom /
Adonijah / Solomon
SOLOMON—the “modern” but despotic king
• Developed literature
• Building programs
• Wealth for kingdom
• Israel became an
“international” player
…who took himself too seriously
• Taxation
• Forced labor
• Military draft
• Blending religions (syncretism)
King Solomon loved many foreign
women…Solomon clung to these in love…and
his wives turned away his heart…and his heart
was not true (shalom) to the LORD his God
Theological Themes – 1&2 Samuel
• God is ever looking for people after
God’s own heart – people who will
love and trust God unreservedly!
• God often chooses and uses the most
ordinary and least likely people to do
extraordinary things. (Examples:
Samuel, Saul, David…)
• Faith (trust) in God results in victory
over giant-sized obstacles… The battle
belongs to the LORD!
Theological Themes – 1&2 Samuel
• Our life with God (vertical dimension
of life) is bound up with our life with
others (horizontal dimension of life).
• When you go against God’s ways, life
spirals downward into brokenness.
• God is faithful to forgive and restore.
• The future always depends on the
promise of God – who continues to
make covenant with the people of
Israel… in order to bless the world.
Assignments
Read Chapters 8-9 (119-144)
Reading Quiz – Oct 21 (TR), 22 (MWF)
Mini-Exam – Oct 25 (MWF), 26 (TR)
(Chapters 7-9, Former Prophets)
(50 points, No Portfolio Due)