1 Samuel I. Introduction A. 1 Samuel B. The period of Judges is not going well 1. Sinfulness and corruption 2. Distress in Israel C. 1 Samuel covers period from Eli to Saul's death 1. Even some judges get corrupt at the end! 2. Israel calls for a king 3. Benefits, difficulties 4. Saul and David D. Much can be gained from 1 Samuel II. 1 Samuel: The Details A. Authorship 1. Author entirely unknown-- not Samuel 2. No doubt of its inspiration 3. Material cited in Hebrews 11:32 4. Affinities between 1 Samuel, Luke 5. Author seems responsible for 1 Samuel, 2 Samuel, 1 Kings, 2 Kings 6. In Greek Septuagint, book called 1 Reigns B. Dating 1. Events span the end of the Judges, beginning of the kings 2. Possible overlap with end of book of Judges (?) 3. 1 Samuel over 100 year period, ca. 1150-1050 BCE 4. Book likely based on records, information nearly contemporaneous with events 5. Actual final composition likely around the exile (ca. 586 BCE) C. Audience 1. The audience of the book is Israel in exile and beyond 2. We can also gain much from it D. Purpose 1. To describe Israel's transitions from judges to kings, from Saul to David 2. To demonstrate the benefits and difficulties with kings 3. To demonstrate the need of faithfulness to the commands of God III. 1 Samuel: The Story A. Main Sections 1. Samuel (1 Samuel 1-8) 2. Saul and Samuel (1 Samuel 9-16) 3. Saul and David (1 Samuel 17-31) B. Samuel's Birth and Dedication (1 Samuel 1:1-2:10) 1. Elkanah, Penninah, Hannah; Hannah barren; travel to tabernacle yearly for sacrifice (1 Samuel 1:1-4) 2. Hannah's grief over being barren (1 Samuel 1:5-8) 3. Hannah's prayer for a son (1 Samuel 1:9-11) 4. Eli sees her praying, presumes her drunk, chastises her (1 Samuel 1:12-14) 5. Hannah explains herself (1 Samuel 1:15-16) 6. Eli blesses her; she departs; God remembers her; she conceives, bears a son Samuel (1 Samuel 1:17-20) 7. Does not go up that year to the Tabernacle, waits for Samuel to be weaned; at being weaned, presented and dedicated to God and Eli in Tabernacle (1 Samuel 1:21-28) 8. Hannah's song; they return to their home; Samuel in Tabernacle (1 Samuel 2:1-10) C. Corruption of Eli's Sons and Condemnation (1 Samuel 2:11-3:21) 1. Worthlessness of Eli's sons (1 Samuel 2:11) 2. Custom of priests and their portion (1 Samuel 2:12-14) 3. Eli's sons' corruption of the practice (1 Samuel 2:15-17) 4. Samuel blessed; Hannah’s visitations; Hannah’s other children (1 Samuel 2:18-21) 5. Eli's rebuke of his sons (1 Samuel 2:22-24) 6. Sons will not listen, yet Samuel grows before the LORD (1 Samuel 2:25-26) 7. Prophet of God comes, pronounces condemnation and reduction of Eli's house (1 Samuel 2:27-36) 8. Visions from God rare in those days (1 Samuel 3:1) 9. God calls Samuel three times; Samuel thinks it is Eli (1 Samuel 3:2-9) 10. God speaks with Samuel, confirms reduction of Eli's house (1 Samuel 3:10-15) 11. Samuel reveals message to Eli (1 Samuel 3:16-18) 12. Samuel as prophet (1 Samuel 3:19-21) D. The Ark (1 Samuel 4:1-7:1) 1. Defeat of Israel before Philistia (1 Samuel 4:1-2) 2. Israel calls for the Ark of the Covenant; Eli's sons bring it (1 Samuel 4:3-5) 3. Philistines afraid; take resolve (1 Samuel 4:6-9) 4. Israel defeated; Eli's sons killed; Ark captured (1 Samuel 4:10-11) 5. News revealed to Eli; leads to his death (1 Samuel 4:12-18) 6. News revealed to Phinehas' wife; dies in labor; names child Ichabod (1 Samuel 4:19-22) 7. Ark to Ashdod; humiliation of Dagon (1 Samuel 5:1-5) 8. God sends afflictions of hemorrhoids and mice upon city in which Ark dwells: Ashdod, Gath, Ekron (1 Samuel 5:6-12) 9. Ark there seven months; lords ask magicians what should be done; to be returned to Israel with golden likenesses of the plagues as offerings (1 Samuel 6:1-6) 10. Test: put Ark on cart, attached to two milk cows: if it goes to Beth-Shemesh, difficulties came from the LORD (1 Samuel 6:7-9) 11. Philistines do so; Ark to Beth-Shemesh; great happiness, feasting (1 Samuel 6:10-18) 12. Plague on Beth-Shemesh on account of Ark; Ark to Kiriath-jearim (1 Samuel 6:19-7:1) E. Revenge on the Philistines (1 Samuel 7:2-17) 1. Twenty years elapse (1 Samuel 7:2) 2. Samuel charges people to remove idols; they do so (1 Samuel 7:3-4) 3. Israel gathers at Mizpah; Samuel prays for them, offers sacrifice (1 Samuel 7:5-9) 4. Philistia attacks while Samuel makes offering; Israel, YHWH fight against Philistia; great rout and slaughter of Philistines (1 Samuel 7:10-11) 5. Samuel sets up "Stone of Help," or Ebenezer (1 Samuel 7:12) 6. Restoration of land lost to Philistia; Philistia subdued (1 Samuel 7:13-14) 7. Samuel judges Israel (1 Samuel 7:15-17) F. Give Us a King! (1 Samuel 8) 1. Samuel's sons judge in his old age; corrupt (1 Samuel 8:1-3) 2. Elders, people call for a king (1 Samuel 8:4-6) 3. God explains to Samuel that it is a rejection of Him, not Samuel (1 Samuel 8:7-9) 4. Explanation of conditions under a king (1 Samuel 8:10-18) 5. People still want a king (1 Samuel 8:19-22) G. Saul Made a King (1 Samuel 9-12) 1. Kish the Benjaminite; his son Saul; Saul tallest man in Israel (1 Samuel 9:1-2) 2. Lost donkeys; Saul and young servant search for them (1 Samuel 9:3-5) 3. Attempt to see a seer to ascertain their location (1 Samuel 9:6-14) 4. Revelation to Samuel that God is sending Saul to him, Saul to be king (1 Samuel 9:15-17) 5. Saul meets Samuel; Samuel reassures Saul; eat together; speak together (1 Samuel 9:18-27) 6. Saul anointed king (1 Samuel 10:1) 7. Samuel's instructions for Saul (1 Samuel 10:2-8) 8. All things take place; Spirit of the Lord upon Saul, and he prophesies (1 Samuel 10:9-13) 9. Saul does not reveal to his family regarding his anointing (1 Samuel 10:14-16) 10. Israel at Mizpah; formal selection; Benjamin, Kish called out by lot; Saul hiding in baggage; taken out, hailed as king by most, not all (1 Samuel 10:17-27) 11. Nahash the Ammonite besieges Jabesh-gilead; Saul informed; Saul calls up army of Israel; Ammon defeated (1 Samuel 11:1-11) 12. Men who doubted Saul spared; kingdom renewed at Gilgal; rejoicing before God (1 Samuel 11:12-15) 13. Samuel before people; people testify to his uprightness (1 Samuel 12:1-5) 14. Events in Israel while YHWH was recognized as king (1 Samuel 12:6-13) 15. Plea for Israel to remain faithful to God while having a king, sign against them (1 Samuel 12:14-18) 16. People realize the evil they have sought in desiring a king (1 Samuel 12:19) 17. Samuel acknowledges it, yet pleads for continued faithfulness to God (1 Samuel 12:20-25) H. Saul and the Philistines, Round 1 (1 Samuel 13-14) 1. Saul's reign, his chosen men (1 Samuel 13:1-2) 2. Jonathan defeats Philistines (1 Samuel 13:3-4) 3. Large Philistine army; Israelites hide in many places; Samuel delayed in coming to make a sacrifice; army deserting (1 Samuel 13:5-8) 4. Saul himself offers the offering (1 Samuel 13:9-10) 5. Saul explains self to Samuel; Samuel condemns him for action, first indication that the kingdom will not remain with Saul's descendants (1 Samuel 13:11-14) 6. Israel's army in three companies (1 Samuel 13:15-18) 7. No blacksmiths in Israel; only Saul and Jonathan have swords, spears (1 Samuel 13:19-23) 8. Jonathan makes raid on Philistine garrison (1 Samuel 14:1-16) 9. Panic and confusion amongst the Philistines; Saul calls for Ark, sets out for battle; great rout of the Philistines (1 Samuel 14:17-23) 10. Saul's foolish oath; Jonathan eats some honey; Jonathan testifies to folly of his father's oath (1 Samuel 14:24-31) 11. Proper sacrifice so that people do not eat blood (1 Samuel 14:32-35) 12. Jonathan's "sin" has led God to not be with people; Saul to kill own son, but the people ransom him (1 Samuel 14:36-45) 13. Saul's success against Philistia, other enemies; house of Saul (1 Samuel 14:46-50) I. Israel and Amalek (1 Samuel 15) 1. Saul charged to fight Amalek (1 Samuel 15:1-3) 2. Saul goes and does so, but does not completely destroy them (1 Samuel 15:4-9) 3. God, Samuel displeased; Saul tried to justify self (1 Samuel 15:10-15) 4. Samuel tells Saul of God's message: Saul disobedient (1 Samuel 15:16-19) 5. Saul still attempts to justify himself (1 Samuel 15:20-21) 6. Samuel indicates that Saul has been rebellious and not obedient (1 Samuel 15:22-23) 7. Saul recognizes his sin; Samuel indicates that he has been rejected as king, it will be given to another (1 Samuel 15:24-31) 8. Samuel destroys Agag king of Amalek (1 Samuel 15:32-33) 9. Samuel returns to his house; Saul never sees him again alive (1 Samuel 15:34-35) J. David Anointed (1 Samuel 16) 1. LORD sends Samuel to house of Jesse the Judahite to anoint a king (1 Samuel 16:1) 2. Jesse and sons accompany Samuel at a sacrifice (1 Samuel 16:2-5) 3. Jesse's sons presented: none present found worthy by God (1 Samuel 16:6-10) 4. The youngest, David, brought forth from shepherding sheep; God has chosen him; Samuel anoints David before his family; Spirit of LORD upon him (1 Samuel 16:11-13) 5. Spirit of Lord left Saul, to David; Saul has tormenting spirit; David summoned to play lyre to refresh him; becomes his armor bearer (1 Samuel 16:14-23) K. David and Goliath (1 Samuel 17) 1. Philistines and Saul, round 2; drawn up in battle; Goliath, his appearance (1 Samuel 17:1-10) 2. David and his family; elder brothers lined up for war, David back and forth (1 Samuel 17:11-15) 3. David to the lines; sees Goliath; determines to fight him (1 Samuel 17:16-32) 4. Saul's questioning of David; David previously fought lions and bears (1 Samuel 17:33-37) 5. Saul gives David his armor; too bulky; grabs stones for sling (1 Samuel 17:38-40) 6. Goliath, David taunt each other (1 Samuel 17:41-48) 7. David slings stone, Goliath falls; David uses Goliath's sword to chop off his head; rout of the Philistines (1 Samuel 17:49-54) 8. Identity of David made known to Saul (1 Samuel 17:55-58) L. Saul Against David, Round 1 (1 Samuel 18-20) 1. Jonathan and David become fast friends (1 Samuel 18:1-4) 2. David's success versus the Philistines; David exalted above Saul in eyes of people; Saul jealous and fearful (1 Samuel 18:5-9, 12) 3. Saul tries to spear David while he plays lyre; David evades him; David made a commander of a thousand, grows in favor with God and people (1 Samuel 18:10-16) 4. Saul tries to get David into the family by marriage, first by Merab, finally by Michal; David kills many Philistines to gain the honor; David more feared by Philistia than Saul (1 Samuel 18:17-30) 5. Saul seeks to kill David; David protected by Jonathan (1 Samuel 19:1-7) 6. David successful again against Philistines; Saul again tries to kill him; he evades, also warned by Michal his wife, who covers for him (1 Samuel 19:8-17) 7. David with Samuel at Ramah; messengers sent to get him; they start prophesying; two more sets of messengers do the same; Saul himself goes, he starts prophesying (1 Samuel 19:18-24) 8. David and Jonathan; David seeks to know if he can sit at the king's table; Jonathan and David work out a sign involving a shot arrow (1 Samuel 20:1-23) 9. Saul not amenable to David; Jonathan presents the sign to flee; David flees (1 Samuel 20:24-42) M. David and Ahimelech (1 Samuel 21) 1. David comes to Ahimelech, eats of the bread of the presence (1 Samuel 21:1-6) 2. Doeg the Edomite present (1 Samuel 21:7) 3. David takes sword of Goliath, departs (1 Samuel 21:8-9) 4. David goes to Achish, feigns madness (1 Samuel 21:10-15) N. Saul Against David, Round 2 (1 Samuel 22-24) 1. David becomes leader of gang of four hundred in Adullam (1 Samuel 22:1-2) 2. David's parents left in Moab (1 Samuel 22:3-4) 3. David returns to Israel; Saul hears of it, warns Benjamin about him; Doeg reveals how David saw Ahimelech (1 Samuel 22:5-10) 4. Saul summons Ahimelech, priests of Nob; orders them killed; only Doeg will do it, does so; whole city of Nob destroyed (1 Samuel 22:11-19) 5. One son of Ahitub, Abiathar, escapes, tells David (1 Samuel 22:20-23) 6. Philistines at Keilah; David goes up and saves the city (1 Samuel 23:1-5) 7. Saul hears that he is there, prepares to fight against it; David departs (1 Samuel 23:6-13) 8. David in Wilderness of Ziph, then Wilderness of Maon; Saul always pursuing; Philistine attack elsewhere gets Saul off David's trail; David in Engedi (1 Samuel 23:14-29) 9. Saul then goes to Engedi; David in a cave; Saul enters said cave to relieve himself; David has opportunity to kill Saul, but only cuts off part of garment (1 Samuel 24:1-4) 10. Saul leaves cave; David calls after him, demonstrates his faithfulness against those who claim him of insurrection by the piece of garment cut off (1 Samuel 24:5-15) 11. Saul humbled, recognizes David's greater righteousness; begs mercy for his offspring; granted (1 Samuel 24:16-22) O. Nabal, Abigail, and David (1 Samuel 25) 1. Death of Samuel (1 Samuel 25:1) 2. Nabal and Abigail; David requests food from Nabal; refused (1 Samuel 25:2-12) 3. David readies for conflict (1 Samuel 25:13) 4. Abigail informed of situation; previous protection from David; she prepares food and drink for David (1 Samuel 25:14-18) 5. David swears to kill all of Nabal's household; Abigail meets him, implores him to not take any action against Nabal; future greatness of David (1 Samuel 25:19-31) 6. David impressed with Abigail, her discretion; stays his hand (1 Samuel 25:32-35) 7. Abigail tells Nabal what was to happen; he dies ten days later (1 Samuel 25:33-38) 8. David takes Abigail for a wife; also has Ahinoam of Jezreel as wife; Michal was given to another (1 Samuel 25:39-44) P. Saul Against David, Round 3 (1 Samuel 26) 1. Saul told that David was at Hachilah; Saul encamps (1 Samuel 26:1-3) 2. David learns of it; sends spies; at night, he and Abishai enter Saul's tent; Abishai would kill Saul, but David would have none of it (1 Samuel 26:4-10) 3. Instead, they take spear and water jar and leave (1 Samuel 26:11-12) 4. David taunts Abner for failing at his job (1 Samuel 26:13-16) 5. Saul calls David; David again protests his innocence; Saul recognizes his sin, sends David off in peace (1 Samuel 26:17-25) Q. David With the Philistines (1 Samuel 27:1-28:2) 1. David goes over to the Philistines, stays with Achish of Gath (1 Samuel 27:1-3) 2. Saul does not pursue him there; David given Ziklag (1 Samuel 27:4-6) 3. From there, David attacks Israel’s enemies to the south as far as Egypt; claims to be fighting Israelites and Kenites to Achish (1 Samuel 27:7-11) 4. Achish trusts David, thinking he is a complete traitor (1 Samuel 27:12) 5. Philistines to fight Israel; David as his bodyguard (1 Samuel 28:1-2) R. Saul and the Witch of En-dor (1 Samuel 28:3-25) 1. Samuel dead; Saul had put out necromancers, mediums from land (1 Samuel 28:3) 2. Philistines, Israelites encamp against each other; Saul afraid; no message from God (1 Samuel 28:4-6) 3. Saul seeks a medium or necromancer; told of the one in En-dor; goes there in disguise (1 Samuel 28:7-8) 4. Woman initially hesitant; Saul promises that it is alright, asks to conjure up Samuel; woman perceives that it is Saul before her (1 Samuel 28:9-13) 5. Saul speaks to Samuel; Samuel indicates that God is giving Saul's kingdom over to David because of Saul's breeches of faith; he will die as will his army (1 Samuel 28:14-19) 6. Saul fearful and distressed; woman gives him some food; he is strengthened, returns to camp (1 Samuel 28:20-25) S. David, the Philistines, and the Amalekites (1 Samuel 29-30) 1. Philistines want to know why David and Hebrews are with their army; Philistines do not want him there (1 Samuel 29:1-5) 2. Achish sends him back to Ziklag (1 Samuel 29:6-11) 3. When he returns, sees that the Amalekites have raided Ziklag, burned it with fire, took everything captive (1 Samuel 30:1-3) 4. He and his men set out, find a servant of the Amalekites who takes David and his men to them; found them, struck them and killed most of them (1 Samuel 30:4-17) 5. Everything captured was restored, and then some; some who were too tired had not gone on, but David determines that they should also get some of the spoil (1 Samuel 30:18-25) 6. Sends some of spoil as gift to elders of Judah (1 Samuel 30:26-31) T. Saul and the Philistines, Final Round (1 Samuel 31) 1. Philistines defeat Israel at Mount Gilboa (1 Samuel 31:1) 2. Philistines kill Jonathan, other sons of Saul; Saul wounded with an arrow; armor-bearer would not finish him off, so Saul finishes self off; armor-bearer then kills self (1 Samuel 31:2-6) 3. Philistines find their corpses, cut off his head, proclaim their fortune in all of their cities and idol temples (1 Samuel 31:7-10) 4. Valiant men of Jabesh-gilead come forth, recover bodies of Saul and Jonathan from Beth-Shan, burn their remains at Jabesh, buried bones (1 Samuel 31:11-13) IV. 1 Samuel: Important Passages A. 1 Samuel 1:1-2:10 1. Samuel's birth story 2. Consider John the Baptist's birth story in Luke 1-2 3. Strong parallelism B. 1 Samuel 4:6-9 1. Albeit muddled, testimony from the pagans of God and His power 2. More demonstration that the LORD was successful with His purposes in the exodus, conquest C. 1 Samuel 15:22-23 1. Important principle 2. Obedience what God is after! D. 1 Samuel 16 1. Samuel with David 2. God’s prophet anointing God's anointed king 3. Parallels with John the Baptist, Jesus, baptism E. 1 Samuel 17-- David against Goliath F. 1 Samuel 21:1-6 1. Background to Matthew 12:1-8 2. Matters of contingency V. Conclusion A. 1 Samuel 1. Sin still often present in Israel 2. Up and down fortunes for Israel 3. Hope is on the way in the form of David B. Much to be learned from this book C. Let us serve God faithfully! D. Invitation/songbook