Get in touch
555-555-5555
mymail@mailservice.com
1 Samuel
1st SAMUEL
ORGANIZATION OF THE UNITED KINGDOM OF ISRAEL WITH SAUL AS FIRST KING
Samuel is the last of the judges and the first of what are called the "former prophets." He takes a loosely organized federation of weak tribes and unites them under Israel's first king. Here we find the Israelites concerned as they see Samuel growing old and not wanting his sons, who were corrupt, to succeed him. This is when they demand that a king be appointed to lead them.
1 Sam 1: here we find Elkanah, married to two women, one is Hannah and the other is Peninnah. Elkanah goes to the tabernacle to worship and offer a sacrifice, as was the custom of the day. Now, serving at the tabernacle were Eli and his two sons, Hohni and Phinehas. Now these two sons were, what's the theological term? Oh, yeah, BUMS. They had little respect for the things of God and took advantage of those who came to sacrifice. So in chapter 1 we find Elkanah sacrificing and, if you notice, he gives to his wife Hannah (apparently his first and favorite wife) a double portion of the meat "because he loved her." Tragically, though, Hannah couldn't have any children. This is why the Jewish commentaries say that he took on a second wife, Peninnah. Now Peninnah was not a very nice person. In verse 7 we find her "provoking" Hannah. She was making fun of Hannah. Everytime she got pregnant she would mock Hannah because she couldn't conceive. In verse 12 Hannah is seen in the tabernacle praying silently for a son. She prayed silently but her lips were moving. Eli saw this and accused her of being drunk! Isn't it enough that she has to deal with infertility and the mocking of her husband's other wife and now she is being accused by the local "clergy" of being drunk? Well, God heard her prayers and she did conceive a boy who she named Samuel.
1 Sam 2: finds Eli's wicked demanding more of the meat that is brought for sacrifice than was allowed. In fact, in verse 16 they threaten the Israelites with force if they don't hand over the meat they demanded. They also slept with women who served in the tabernacle (v 22). They treated the things of God with contempt (v 17). His dad Eli rebuked them, but never disciplined them. This reminds me of Aaron's sons who were disrespectful of the things of God and God struck them dead.
Hannah's little boy Samuel was serving in the tabernacle. In v 19 we see that Hannah would make for him a little robe each year as he grew bigger and bigger. Hannah went on to have more children, three more sons and two daughters.
1 Sam 3: we see little Samuel being called by God. He and the old man, Eli, are asleep when God whispers to Samuel. Samuel wakes up and thinks it's Eli who is calling him so he shuffles over to Eli and wakes him up saying, "Here I am, you called me?" Eli was confused and sent him back to bed. This happened three times before Eli wised up to the fact that it was God himself who was speaking to Samuel. So Eli says, "the next time you hear this voice, say, 'Speak, Lord, for your servant is listening.'"
1 Sam 4: we find the Israelites at war with the Philistines (again) and they captured the Ark. Apparently the Israelites thought that if they had the ark with them in battle, no harm would come to them. They were trying to manipulate God and use the Ark like some kind of a good-luck charm. Also in this battle Eli's no-good sons, Hophni and Phinehas died (v 11). When Eli heard the horrible news he fell backward off his chair, broke his neck in the fall and died (v18).
1 Sam 5: we find the Ark taken to the Philistine's pagan temple of Dagon. The next day they found the statue of Dagon on its face with the head and hands broken off. In the ancient world severed heads and hands were battlefield trophies that assisted the victor in establishing the correct body count. In Israel today, when there is a bombing by terrorists, the Israelites determine the number of Israelites killed by counting the number of heads recovered.
Not only did their "god" Dagon fall down and break, the people were afflicted with tumors (v6). It didn't take them long to decide to "get rid of that Ark."
1 Sam 6: we find the ark being returned to the Israelites. But not only was the ark returned, in (v8) it says that they sent a chest of told objects as a "guilt offering". So, the Israelites actually made money on this deal.
1 Sam 8:1-7 when Samuel grew old, he appointed his sons as judges for Israel. But his sons did not walk in God’s ways. They turned aside after dishonest gain and accepted bribes and perverted justice. Do you see a pattern here? Samuel's sons were following in the footsteps of Eli's sons. So the leaders of Israel said to Samuel, "You are old, and your sons do not walk in your ways; now appoint a king to lead us, such as all the other nations have." God tells Samuel to not be offended, the Israelites have not rejected him, but they have really rejected God. Whether or not Samuel should have appointed his sons as judges is questionable, since judgeships were usually a divine calling. Now, if you recall, Moses anticipated their future desire for a king. In Deut 17:14 Moses wrote, "When you enter the land the Lord your God is giving you and have taken possession of it and settled in it, and you say, 'Let us set a king over us like all the nations around us,' be sure to appoint over you the king the Lord your God chooses." He goes on to warn them in verses 16-17, "The king, moreover, must not acquire great numbers of horses for himself . . . he must not take many wives, or his heart will be led astray. He must not accumulate large amounts of silver and gold." Yet this is exactly what happened. Solomon, especially, went on a buying spree and took on many wives who led him astray and ultimately led to the division of the Kingdom of Israel after his death. Kings can be expensive, God warns. In verses 10-18 he predicts that these kings that they want will cost them a lot in taxes.
1 Sam 9: Samuel appoints Saul as first King of Israel.
1 Sam 12: Samuel gives his farewell address. He reminds them again in verses 14-15, "If you fear the Lord and serve and obey him and do not rebel against his commands, and if both you and the king who reigns over you follow the Lord-good! But if you do not obey the Lord, and if you rebel against his commands, his hand will be against you." Does this sound very much like what Moses and Joshua said in their farewell addresses?
1 Sam 13: we find Saul disobeying God and is rebuked. Saul is rejected as king after he disobeyed God by offering burnt offering and is told that his replacement would be "a man after his own heart," referring to David.
1 Sam 15: we find Saul disobeying God a second time and justifies his actions. This sounds like Adam blaming Eve for sin and Aaron blaming the people for the "Golden Calf" incident. God rejects Saul as king because of his disobedience
1 Sam 16:7 before Samuel anoints David as Israel’s second king he tells him not to judge the next king by his outward appearance. "Man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart." David is described as a "man after his (God’s) own heart" (1 Sam 13v14). This doesn’t mean that David was perfect, in fact, he was far from perfect. But, he always wanted to please God.
1 Sam 17 David kills the Philistine giant, Goliath, which makes Saul very jealous of David and so he tries kill David. Saul turns out to be a very vindictive, paranoid, and jealous person in desperate need of the approval of his people rather than God's. Goliath was from the town of Gath, (v4). Recent excavations have uncovered this ancient town. Years ago the skeptics would charge that the Bible was not accurate in its' history or geography and that many of these towns listed in the Old Testament never existed. Well, over the years archeologists have uncovered more and more of these cities, such as Nineveh, proving that the Bible is accurate.
1 Sam 18; we see how Saul, in his insane jealousy treats David. David became something of a rock star after he killed Goliath. Saul knew that his days were numbered and that he "blew it" as king.
1 Sam 20-24; we find David fleeing from Saul. Saul tried numerous times to kill David. David establishes a close relationship with Saul's son, Jonathan.
1 Sam 27; we find David hiding out among the Philistines, of all people.
1 Sam 28: finds Saul in a panic. This is after Samuel has died. He prayed to God and went to the prophets, but got no word from God. So, in desperation he goes to a witch to try to make contact with the deceased Samuel. At first the witch refused to try to make contact with Samuel. In verse 9 she reminds Saul (who was in a disguise) that the king had cut off all mediums and spiritists from the land. In Lev 19:31 God told Moses, "Do not turn to mediums or seek out spiritists." In Deut 18:12 God condemns the practice of channeling the dead. Christians should not be consulting with psychics, fortune tellers, etc. These can be the playground of demons (2 Cor 11:14-15; Acts 16:16-18). We should study the Bible (2 Tim 3:16-17) and pray for wisdom (James 1:5) if we are seeking the will of God. Now, let's get back to Saul.
Saul didn't like the message he got from Samuel. In verse 19 he is told by the deceased Samuel, "tomorrow you and your sons will be with me."
1 Sam 31: Saul and his sons die in battle and David mourns for them. Notice he did not take pleasure in his death, even though Saul tried to kill him numerous times.
Recent Articles
Purim is a Jewish celebration, more like the Fourth of July or Mother’s Day, than a religious holiday like Passover. Purin is usually observed in February or March of each year. The word Purim means, “lots” as in a lottery, which was the means that the villainous Haman, an Amalekite, used to set the date for the massacre of Jews in Persia (previously Babylon). These events in the Book of Esther take place between chapters six and seven of the Book of Ezra. The setting is Persia, seventy years after they were taken into captivity by the Babylonians. Israel spent 70 years in captivity in Babylon, which was later taken over by the Persians in 539 B.C. Just a year later, the Persian King Cyrus decreed throughout his empire that any captive Jews in Babylonia who desired could return to Jerusalem to rebuild the temple. Cyrus even allowed the vessels of gold and silver stolen by Nebuchadnezzar’s troops to be returned. As we will read in Isaiah 48 , they all should have left, but some stayed behind. Let’s look at the cast of characters in this drama. The villain in the story was Haman, an Amalekite. The Amalekites were descendants of Esau, Jacob’s brother. You might recall that these siblings had a long-standing conflict that revolved around the birthright. Esau, the firstborn, sold his birthright to his brother Jacob. The hostility that Jacob and Esau had for one another carried on through the generations like a bad gene. Esau had a grandson named Amalek, from which we get the name Amalekites. These cousins of the Israelites attacked them whenever they had the chance. When the Jews were led out of Egypt by Moses, the Amalekites attacked them in Rephidim, in the Sinai Desert. This unprovoked attack led God to promise to blot out the memory of Amalek from under heaven (Ex. 17:8-14) . Forty years later, in his last major speech to his people, Moses reminded the Jews of the command to go after Amalek (Deut. 25:17-19) . Saul, the first King of Israel, was commanded to wipe out the Amalekites (I Sam. 15:2-3) . But Saul disobeyed and spared the life of King Agag (I Sam 15:9) . This led to the premature end of the reign of Saul (I Sam. 15:23) . Saul, realizing his mistake, subsequently did kill Agag, but one of his sons survived. So not only was he disobedient, but he was also incompetent. Some 500 years later, one of his descendants was Haman. Others in the cast of characters included the royal couple, King Xerxes (some think it was King Ahasuerus or perhaps both names refer to the same person), and Queen Vashti. Then there was Esther, the Jewish maiden, and her uncle Mordecai. And so, with the setting in place, the cast of characters on stage, let the drama that led to Purim begin.
JOB SUFFERS AND DEMANDS FROM GOD AN EXPLANATION AS TO “WHY?”
Did it Really Happen? Does it Really Matter?
Ezra Comes to Jerusalem and Teaches the People
The Miracle of Passover: Zola Levitt
The Jews Journey to Jerusalem
The Israelites Head for Jerusalem and Rebuild their Temple.
How Israelites Should Behave When They Return Home
December 7-15, 2023, is Hanukkah (Festival of Lights)
Chapter 22: The Book of the Law was Found, Josiah leads a Return to God
Share this:
Start Here...
Why Study the Bible?
Don’t many consider the Bible to be just a book of myths? Why do we read the Bible rather than the sacred literature of other religions?
How do we know that it is from God? How do we know that what we have today is an accurate translation from the original? Is the Bible complete or have there been some books that have been lost?
We should be able to answer these questions, and there are answers! So start here!
Answers to Common Bible Questions
Lent is a six week period of spiritual devotion starting on Ash Wednesday and ending at Easter. Those who observe Lent usually give up something for Lent. Some might give up coffee, or soda pop, or alcohol, or chocolate. May I suggest that you give up something that will really impress God and make this season of Lent one of the most memorable and meaningful seasons of your life? May I suggest that if you are giving up something, why not give up some of the acts of our sinful nature mentioned in Gal. 5:19? Why don’t we give up lying about others? Do you think you can give up the hate you feel towards others? How about envy, can we work on putting envy aside this year? How about giving up on the naïve idea that all pastors are mature Christian leaders whose word should always be accepted, rather than wolfs in sheep’s clothing (Matt 7:15). How about giving up the idea that everyone in church is a real Christian (Matt 7:21-23). How about giving up your desire to seek revenge on those who have hurt you (Matt 18:21-22)? If you are insecure and feel threatened when you see the success of others in ministry, how about giving up efforts to hinder others who have been called to minister (Rom 12:4-8)? Of course it is easier to give up something like chocolate, etc. and make yourself feel like you are doing something that is pleasing to God. If you are not willing to give up unchristian behavior, might I suggest something that will really please God this Lent? Give up all evidence of your profession of Christian faith, such as books, pictures and jewelry. Don’t talk about God, Jesus or the Church. I think God would appreciate it if you would stop giving HIM a bad name by the way you live. Let’s give up what hinders our witness and become a better ambassador for Christ (2 Cor 5:20) this Lenten season.
In Matthew 2:1-2 is says that the magi saw "His star in the east." What was this star that guided these men to Jesus? Some have suggested that it could have been a comet, an asteroid, or perhaps a meteor or an especially bright star. The problem with these suggestions is that these physical things either quickly move across the sky and then disappear or are too far away to provide directions with any precision. It would be hard to get directions from such objects. The "star" had to move constantly or intermittently at the same pace as the magi. Then it says that it hovered over the house where Mary and Joseph had moved to with Jesus. It hardly sounds like a comet or meteor or a star as we know them. Can you think of another time that people in the Bible were guided by some form of light? How about the time when Moses was leading the Israelites out of Egypt? He didn't have a global positioning system with him. He did have a pillar of fire that led him at night (Ex 13:21-22). We see this light in Solomon's Temple (2 Chron 7:1-3) and when the Jews were about to go into Babylonian captivity, we see it leaving the Temple (Ezek 9-11). In the New Testament we see it at the birth of Jesus (Luke 2:9) at His transfiguration (Matt 17:5) and His ascension (Acts 1:9). What exactly was this guiding light? The word "star" can also be translated as "radiance." It appears that it was this "radiance" that guided Moses and the magi. The Jews call this the "Shekinah", a physical manifestation of the glory of God in the form of a supernatural radiance. This, I believe, is what the Star of Bethlehem was.
Imagine that you are the pastor of a church. A young married couple is having some difficulties in their relationship and they seek counsel from you. On Monday the wife comes in to give her assessment of their marriage. What do you think she will say? She might say that she is a hardworking, caring and supportive wife and that it is her husband who is the neglectful, insensitive brute and the source of all problems in the marriage. You feel so sorry for this wife and when you see her husband in the hallway, you think to yourself, "What a jerk." On Friday the husband comes in and gives his assessment of the marriage. He tells you that he is hard working and very generous and that she is the major problem in the relationship. As the pastor, you are wondering if they both are talking about the same marriage. Each person tells you what makes them look best and their spouse the worst. Where is the truth? The truth is probably somewhere in between Proverbs 18:17 says, "The first to present his case seems right, til another comes forward and questions him." There are conflicts in all relationships, between spouses, parents and children, employees and employers. When you hear one side of a story, don’t assume that what you hear is the complete truth. And don’t pass on to someone else what you have heard. Probably, at least some of what you heard is untrue to gain your support in a conflict.