I Samuel

Old Testament book review

17 Aug 2024

DC Yang

Overview

• The story of the nation of Israel
  transitioning from a tribal society to a kingdom
  after having settled in the promised land.
• The readers are ushered into the book's beginning
  from the period of the judges.
• 3 main characters: Samuel, Saul, David
• Lesson: Despite human evil, God is working out
  his purposes to oppose the proud
  and to exalt the humble.
• Originally combined with II Samuel to form 1 book.
  The division is due simply to scroll length.
• Authorship: mostly by Samuel himself (up to his death), then later by other prophets

Birth of Samuel

• Prelude: In the process of becoming a mother
  (of Samuel), Hannah gives praise to God,
  who humbles the proud and exalts the humble.
  [2:3,7]
• Hannah also foretells the advent of the Messiah.
  מָשִׁיחַ (H4899) "the anointed one" [2:10]
  • made by anointing: king, priest, or prophet
• This prayer by Hannah sets up the recurring themes throughout the Book of Samuel.

Last judge, first prophet

• Samuel is a Levite living in Ephraimite land.
  He comes from a line of tabernacle musicians.
  [1 Chr 6]
• Samuel's parents dedicate him to apprenticeship
  for Eli the priest and judge, living in Shiloh.
• Starting with answering God's call at the age of 12,
  Samuel becomes recognized in all Israel
  as a prophet of God.
  • רֹאֶה (H7203) "seer" → נָבִיא (H5030) "prophet"

[Josephus]

* His prophetic revelation brought life
to the history of Israel
when God's word was rarely heard.
[Acts 3:24]

Rise of the Philistines

• The Philistines (Greek immigrants from the Aegean living in Canaan) rise to power as Israel's arch-nemesis. Polytheist.
• In one battle, the Israelites are defeated and lose the Ark of Covenant to the Philistines. [Ch 4]
  • Israelites treated the ark as a magic trophy
    that automatically grants them victory.
• Death of Eli and sons. [Ch 5]
• God causes many plagues to the Philistines in possession of the ark, so the Philistines decide to send it back to Israel. [Ch 6]

Saul's youth [⇥Ch 12]

• Israelites ask for a king, like all other nations.
• Through Urim and Thummim,
  God selects Saul from the tribe of Benjamin.
• Saul had a previous meeting with Samuel
  where he was anointed.
  Saul was looking for his father's donkeys.
• Saul begins full of promises.
  • He is tall and good looking.
  • He wins a battle against the Ammonites.
  • He prophesies.

Saul's reign as king [⇥Ch 15]

• But Saul turns out to be dishonest, lacking in integrity, and incapable of acknowledging his own mistakes.
• Saul eventually disqualifies himself
  by willingly disobeying God's commands.
• This causes Samuel to confront Saul and Israel
  warning that they would only benefit
  from a king who is humble and faithful to God.
• Samuel informs Saul that God is going to raise up a new king to replace him.

David's youth [⇥Ch 18]

• Behind the scenes,
  God works to raise up the new king.
• We close in on the life of an insignificant
  shepherd boy David.
• Outwardly, he is the least likely candidate to be king. But God directs Samuel to anoint David.
• God progressively reveals David
  to be Saul's successor, most famously in David's fight against Goliath.
  • God's choice of David is not based on his family status, but simply on his radical and humble trust in Him.
  • This embodies all the themes of Hannah's prayer (poem) — the proud vs the humble.
• David befriends Jonathan, and marries Michal.

David's rise to power [⇥Ch 30]

• Saul descends into madness while David rises to power, later becoming a general in Saul's army.
• David wins all his battles and wins fame.
• Saul becomes jealous and tries to kill David.
• But we see David's true character,
  passing over multiple opportunities to kill Saul.
• David trusts that despite Saul's evil,
  it will be God (not David) who will raise up a new king.
  • He appears to be open to the possiblility
    that he may not become the king immediately after Saul.
  • Many of the poems in the Book of Psalms
    are linked to this period of David's life,
    expressing the same attitude of trust in God.

Saul's death [⇥Ch 31]

• Saul and three of his sons meet their death
  after losing a battle against the Philistines in Gilboa.
• Toward the end, we see Saul not consulting God
  but a spirit medium, even though he made spirit summoning a capital offense during his reign as king.
• The Philistines disgrace Saul's body by putting it up for display on the castle wall.
• David recovers the body and gives Saul a proper burial.
• This again shows David's character of not letting his personal vendetta take priority over God's purposes.