Samuel:
1Sam 1:1- Elkanah, called an
Ephriamite, really a Levite.
1:2- Hannah, means gracious.
Barren. 2nd marriage not sanctioned by God.
1:3- Lord of Hosts- infinite
resources, power with which God acts for His people. God’s sovereignty over all
powers in the universe. Also translated “The Lord Almighty.” 1st use of word in
Old Testament here.
Feast of Tabernacles-
commemorate God’s protection of Israel during desert journey and God’s blessing
over the year’s crops.
Shiloh- central sanctuary,
where ark located. Jerusalem not yet royal city.
v. 4-5- Hannah given a double
portion, as if she had a son. Elkanah loved her, did not blame her for
barreness.
v. 6-8- family interaction:
Hannah taunted, Elkanah weak, tries to console her, but he doen’t restrain the
mother of his children.
v. 10- bitterness of soul,
prayed, didn’t wait to change attitude, “get right”, before approaching God.
See v. 16.
v.11- again, Lord of Hosts.
Faith that the Lord is willing even in the midst of anguish. No hating or
accusing God, or turning away from God because of affliction. Called herself
God’s maidservant.
“remember me”- not just
recall, but God going into action on her behalf.
Razor- Nazorite vow, Num.
6:18-separate unto God for a specified time when the hair shall remain uncut.
Long hair being symbol of dedication to the Lord’s service, usually not for
life. A vow that God required of Sampson.
v.16- wicked (daughter of
Belial): good for nothing, name given to Eli’s sons in 2:12.
v.19- Lord remembered, did
not forget, but acted in her behalf.
v. 20- Samuel: asked of,
appointed by God. “…because I have asked for him from the Lord.”
v. 24- weaned, 2 or 3 years.
v. 28- lent means given
unconditionally in dedication to the Lord.
2:11- assisted Eli.
2:12- corrupt, didn’t know
the Lord, didn’t fear or obey Him. Sons of
Belial, see 1:16.
v. 13-15- fat was to be
burned. The Lord was to receive His portion 1st. Meat taken before
fully cooked. Free will offering taken by force. Dt. 18: 1-5. Boiling is only
form of cooking mentioned for priests. Only roasting mentioned- Passover lamb.
v. 18-26- Eli- some
spirituality, but loved sons more than God, see v. 29. (See Mt. 10: 37-39).
Women- like Canaanite temple
prostitutes.
The Lord was determined to
put them to death. The curse, v. 27-36.
Read Num. 6:1-8- Nazorite vow. V. 4- not necessarily
permanent. Seperated to the Lord. No strong drink. No razor. Long hair a
reproach to a man, willing to be reproached for the Lord’s sake. No contact
with dead body, even family members. If this is violated, he can atone for this
and begin service again, v. 9-12. Absolute purity of life.
3:1- No widespread
revelation, word from God rare. In Judges, Holy Spirit mentioned less and less.
3:7- Samuel didn’t know the
Lord yet.
v. 8- Eli not totally without
spiritual perception.
v.10- Judgment revealed to
Samuel. Samuel to continue serving Eli, but knows not to emulate Eli’s sons.
V. 14- no atonement for house
of Eli, who polluted the sacrifice. Not offered in faith, but as a ritual.
v.18-19- Eli accepts
judgment, Samuel established as prophet. No move to kill Samuel as Solomon
tried to kill Jeroboam.
Prophet- “a spokesman for
God, a seer, a watchman.” Not just foretell future. Moses a prophet, Dt. 18:15,
but Samuel started prophetic office. Trained prophets. His school of prophets
made the prophets a force in Israel.
4: 1-5- Where did we see the
Ark carried into battle, and thenpeople shouting before they went into battle?
The battle of Jericho. Difference. In these verses, the Ark is being used as a
magical object by an unholy people with unholy leaders who did not consult God
or consecrate themselves.
4:18- Eli more concerned
about the Ark than his sons.
4:19-22- God was the glory of
Israel, but Phinehas’ wife looked upon the ark as well as the priestly family
as the source of glory.
7:2-17- Samuel in different
roles at same time, foreshadow roles of Christ, roles of New Testament
believers:
v.3- proclaims as a prophet.
v. 5- prays as a priest.
6.- Judges.
9-10- sacrifices as a priest.
12 – prophet.
15-16- judge.
17- judge and priest.
Our focus on Samuel ends, but
as his life is intertwined with Saul’s and David’s life, we are not done with him
yet.
Saul
Saul: “asked for, demanded.”
1st time in this
study-deal with character who came to a bad end.
Son of Kish, a Benjamite,
youngest of Jacob. Out of this tribe came 2 Sauls, the king and Saul who became
Paul. Nothing else known of the family.
1Sam. 8: 1-4- Samuel’s sons
didn’t follow Samuel’s ways, took bribes and perverted justice, violated the
Law, God said He would judge Israel for these things. Samuel didn’t stop them.
Human relationships and sin.
v.5- Elders gave stated
reason, but real reason apparent later on, see v. 20.
v.6- Samuel displeased. Did
God intend Israel to have a king? Gen:49:10- a chosen dynasty out of the tribe
of Judah. [But see Dt. 17:14-20-
v.14- reason Israel will want
a king.
v.15- God will choose king, a
native Israelite, prevent pagan idolatry.
v.16- do not rely on own
strength, fight battles in a worldly way.
v.17- idolatry=self
enrichment, oppression of poor.
v.18- 19- write the book of
the Law, learn to fear God, follow Law.
v.20- Law prevents heart from
engaging in self exaltation. Prolong a king’s days. Righteousness prolongs
life. Rely on God, not on self, which leads to fear.]
God knew people would want a
king, so He brings about His will in a bad situation by changing the role of a
king in Israel. He was not taken by surprise.
1Sam. 8:7-9- God is
sovereign. Warns Israel, knows they will not heed warning, will not have God
reign over them, why they prefer idolatry, because idols can be controlled.
v. 10-18- Samuel describes
Canaanite kings, the ones Israel wants to emulate.
v.11- draft sons for his wars, his own glory.
v. 12- draft sons, organize
them to work in the king’s fields, vineyards.
v. 13- take daughters
too,what protection will they have.
v. 14- take your property,
give to his cronies.
v. 15-17- take the fruit of
your labor and your laborers, be his servant.
v. 18-God will not heed
Israel’s cries, Israel asked for a king.
v.9-20- Israel wanted to be
like pagan nations.
Chapter 9:2- Saul, handsome,
tall, looked like a king.
v. 7-9- seer=prophet, considered
same thing, Saul still steeped in pagan ways of worship, buy a prophecy. Coming
out of period of the Judges.
v. 15-17- God will use Saul,
knows Saul will fail him later.
v. 18- didn’t know who Samuel
was, not interested in spiritual things.
1Sam. 10:1- anointing-
monarchy given same importance as priesthood.
v.2-6- Saul told what to do,
become different man.
v.9-10- prophesied
v.14- told uncle nothing
about what Samuel had said.
v. 19- to want to be like the
world is to reject God. God had delivered them, but Israel did not trust God to
deliver them in the future, wanted a king to deliver them.
v. 22-23- hid self even after
prophecies fulfilled, given prophesies himself, made new man.
v. 24- refer to his
appearance
v.25- how kings are to relate
to the people, the Law, and the covenant.
v.26-27- even though Saul
will fail God, at that time he is God’s chosen, anointed king. To oppose him is
to oppose God. Why David did not kill him when he had the chance.
1Sam. 11:1- Ammonite,
descendant of Lot.
Want similar covenant used by
God with Abraham, Gen. 15.
v.2- humiliation, destroy
capacity of archers.
v. 6-Spirit of the Lord/anger
aroused.
v.13- Saul exercises self
control, see 10:26-27. Proved he was God’s man.
v.14- renew, reaffirm
kingship, the king on relationship to the Law, the covenant.
v.15- peace offerings
represent peace between the Lord and His people when His people live according
to the covenant.
1st Sam. 12: 1-5-
Samuel judged on how he treated the people.
v. 6-12- The Lord’s righteous
acts, Israel could trust in him. Remember opening verses of Ex. 19, 20.
v. 13- obey the king God
chooses. God integrating kingship into life of Israel, making good out of a bad
situation caused by Israel’s sin, just like what he did with the Gibeonites.
v. 16-18- wheat harvest, not
the right time for rain.
A great sin to reject God’s
protection, to want to give alligience to a king instead of God alone. Lack of
faith=rejecting God.
v.19-25- God will bless the
people if they repent and serve Him, conditional, see v. 25.
v. 23- sin against the Lord
if do not pray for the people. People not forsaken, capable of being in right
relationship.
1st Sam. 13: 8-12-
Saul was rash, would not wait, did not trust the Lord.
v. 13- word of Samuel is word
of the Lord, not to act independently of the priesthood, the Law.
v.14- will not be succeeded
by sons.
v. 19-23- Superiority in
metallurgy, from contact with Hittites, area around Agean sea, migrate around
1,200 B.C.
1st Sam. 14: 1-14-
Jonathan defeats the Philistines.
v.3- Member of Eli’s family wearing Ephod-
why did Saul allow this?
v. 4- Most improbable route.
v.6- Jonathan has faith in God.
v.19- Saul doesn’t want to
wait to seek God.
v. 21- Some Israelites went
over to the Philistines.
v. 23- The Lord saved Israel.
v.24- Saul focused on Saul,
acts like he was the victor, cared nothing for the soldiers who had fought.
v. 27, 29-30- Jonathan cares
for soldiers/God’s cause. Rightly blames father for Israel’s troubles.
v. 32- Saul’s order caused
sin, the eating of blood.
v. 35- 1st time
Saul builds altar to the Lord, lack of interest in spiritual things, lack of
gratitude for what God has done for him, Israel.
v. 37-38- God did not answer
Saul, blamed someone else for God not answering. Either because he is spiritually
blind, or really knows he was to blame, so wants to shift public blame to
someone else.
v. 44-45- Saul would make God
look cruel, a God of legalistic religion. Saul would make his rash oath seem
like a point of honor with God. (Like the Babylonia rule that a king cannot
rescind a decree for fear the king would look weak and foolish. Remember also
Moses and the striking of the rock-misrepresented God, forbidden from entering
the promise land.) Soldiers knew better and were not afraid of the king.
v. 47- Saul established
sovereignty over Israel.
1st Sam. 15: 1-
Saul reminded that God spoke through Samuel, used Samuel to anoint Saul king,
so he was to heed God’s word.
v. 2- Amalekites, descendants
of Esau, blood relatives of Israel, fought Israel, would not let Israel pass
through their land into the promised land, where Moses’ arms were held up. They
surely knew the promise. Why did the Lord wait so long to punish this nation.
Was it because of the Amalekite king’s cruelty. See v. 33.
3. Destroy all, including the
king.
v. 6- Moses’ father- in- law
a Kenite.
v. 9- Saul, Israel disobeys,
takes the good stuff, spares the king.
v. 10-11- The Lord sorry He
had made Saul king, Saul had turned his back on the Lord. God knew He would.
v. 12- Saul sets up a monument
to himself.
v. 15- keep sheep to enhance
selves economically, so won’t have to sacrifice own sheep. “The Lord your God…”
v. 20-21- blame the people,
justify himself, Adam/Eve blamed each other.
v.22- to obey is better than
sacrifice- religious form over heart response to God, faith is better than
religious form. Saul thinks God is only concerned with religious rites, like
pagans. Never tried to not think like a pagan.
v. 23- rebellion is like
witch craft. Pagan religion is a religion of the self, do certain things,
manipulate the gods. Using own strength to bring about what you want. A rebel
is one who casts off authority and tries to take matters in his own hands. Saul
eventually turns to witch craft in private. Thinks God does not see.
Saul is rejected as king.
v. 24-31- Saul more concerned
about his reputation, how he appears before the people. V. 28- kingdom will be given to another.
Reread 14: 47, see 16:14-
Saul was king over all Israel, but the Spirit had left him, and from the Lord
tormented him. Saul reached the point where he was too far from God, like
Pharaoh, like King Herod.
Not done with Saul. Like
Samuel, his life is closely linked to David, who will now be our focus.
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