1 SAMUELFoundational Book #6

IMPORTANT DATA ON 1 SAMUEL

The Book of 1 Samuel begins with the birth of Samuel which was perhaps around 1100 BC, and the book ends with the death of King Saul in the year 1011 BC

Time Covered 90 years of Israel’s history

KEY WORD King

KEY CHAPTER Chapter 8

KEY CHARACTERS Samuel Saul David

This book provides the official account of the transition from the theocracy to the monarchy

AUTHORSHIP AND DATE OF WRITING

Author of a book is uncertain The text of this book does not identify the author Some have held to Samuel as the author, but much is

recorded after his death in 1 Samuel Also, the books of 1 and 2 Samuel were originally one book,

being divided into the present two books in the Third century BC

Others believe that Nathan and Gad may have been the authors (1 Chronicles 29:29)

If this is correct, then a date of about 975 BC would be attached to these books.

The Babylonian Talmud states “Samuel wrote the book that bears his name.

It is taught that Samuel wrote chapters 1-24 and Nathan and Gad wrote the rest of Samuel

KEY VERSE

“Now appoint a king for us to judge us like all the nations.”  But the thing was displeasing

in the sight of Samuel when they said, “Give us a king to judge us.”

And Samuel prayed to the LORD.  The LORD said to Samuel, “Listen to the voice of the

people in regard to all that they say to you, for they have not rejected you, but they have

rejected Me from being king over them”1 Samuel 8:5-7

PURPOSE OF THE BOOK

Provide an official account of the ministries of Samuel during the time of transition This was a time of move from the rule of the

judges to the rule of the kings A changeover between the theocracy and the

monarchy The transition involves three stages

From Eli to Samuel. From Samuel to Saul. From Saul to David

INTERESTING FACTS

Although two books in our Old Testament are named after Samuel, he probably wrote neither

Perhaps this is why in the Septuagint the books are named I Kings and II Kings

III Kings and IV Kings are what we know as I and II Kings

WHY WERE THE BOOKS SPLIT

The scroll of Samuel, Kings, and Chronicles were probably to large to handle and was divided into two parts in the early days of the Septuagint The Old Testament translated into Greek

The Hebrew text of Samuel was not separated into 2 books until the 15th century This was in the first printed Hebrew Bible in

Venice around 1516-1517

WHY WERE THE BOOKS SPLIT

 The average Torah Scroll weighs abound 20 to 25 pounds

The heaviest is about 50 pounds There are some "minis" that weigh

about five pounds These small Torahs were usually written

for Chassidic Rabbis Older Torahs are usually larger and

heavier.

TORAH SCROLLVELLUM SCROLL OF THE PENTATEUCH

ACQUIRED BY THE DUKE UNIVERSITY LIBRARIES IN 1942

TORAH SCROLLVELLUM SCROLL OF THE PENTATEUCH

ACQUIRED BY THE DUKE UNIVERSITY LIBRARIES IN 1942

The Torah Scroll contains the first five books of the Bible

In synagogue it is kept in a special ark  “Aron Ha-kodesh” and taken out for public reading of assigned portions on Mondays, Thursdays, Sabbaths and holidays

Note here the special arrangement of the text of the Song of the Sea, representing the column of Israelites crossing the Sea of Reed on dry land, between two walls of water. (Exodus 14.22) 

DEAD SEA SCROLLS

The Great Isaiah Scroll from Qumran

This is a fragment of 1

Samuel 11 from Qumran

WHAT IS A SCROLL

A Torah scroll consists of strips of parchment made of the skin of a kosher animal, prepared specifically for this purpose and sewn together 

The words are hand written by a trained scribe , a Sofer, who uses special black ink and a quill and follows a strict set of guidelines from antiquity

There are no punctuation or vocalization signs in the text, nor is there a record of the scribe’s name, date of completion or place

Both ends of the scroll are wound around wooden rollers called “Atsei Hayim” – Trees of Life.

INTERESTING FACTS

1 & 2 Samuel, along with 1 & 2 Kings, form a continuous narrative devoted to recording the early years of the Hebrew monarchy

Samuel was born around 1105 B.C. and died in 1015 B.C.

During Samuel’s 90 years of life, he ministered in Israel between about 1067 B.C. and 1015 B.C.

INTERESTING FACTS ABOUT SAMEUL

He Was a prophet He Was a priest He Was a judge Anointed Israel’s first two kings

Saul David

Led Israel against the Philistines Samuel appeared to Saul after he died

when Saul visited the witch of Endor

INTERESTING FACTS

Samuel is Israel’s last judge and Israel’s first prophet

Samuel’s work begins very late in the times of the judges when Eli is the judge-priest

Just as Eli’s sons were evil, when Samuel was old, his sons proved to be unjust leaders, resulting in the people calling for a king to rule over them.

BASIC OUTLINE OF 1 SAMUEL

Samuel Judge and Prophet 1:1-7:17

Saul First king of Israel 8:1-12:25

Israel demands a king 8:1-22 Saul’s early days as king 9:1-12:25

Decline of Saul and the Rise of David 13:1-31:33

THE THREE OFFICES OF ISRAEL Priest

The tribe of Levi Teachers of the Law Sacrifices Numbers 3 Arbitrators of the Law Key during the Theocracy

King Line of David 2 Samuel 7

Prophet No tribe No line Each man selected individually Jeremiah 7

POLYGAMY

God allowed polygamy in the case of a wife’s being barren This allowed a man name to be carried on

God never condoned polygamy but like divorce he allowed it to occur and did not bring an immediate punishment for this disobedience

However polygamy’s complication and unsavory results are apparent everywhere

Application Just because something is allowed does not mean it

is beneficial

DEUTERONOMY 17:14-17

When you enter the land which the LORD your God gives you, and you possess it and live in it, and you say, ‘I will set a king over me like all the nations who are around

me,’ you shall surely set a king over you whom the LORD your God chooses, one from among

your countrymen you shall set as king over yourselves; you may not put a foreigner over yourselves who is not

your countryman. Moreover, he shall not multiply horses for himself, nor shall he cause the people to return to

Egypt to multiply horses, since the LORD has said to you, ‘You shall never again return that way.’ He shall not

multiply wives for himself, or else his heart will turn away; nor shall he greatly increase silver and gold for himself.

WHO WAS ELI

Eli was a descendant of Ithamar, the fourth son of Aaron, who was High Priest in Shiloh when Samuel was born

Eli was the first to embodied the functions of High Priest and Judge He Judged Israel for 40 years He was a poor father

Both sons, Phineas and Hophini, took meat from sacrificial animals before they were dedicated to God and lay with women who assembled at the door of the tabernacle

God killed both the sons Eli fell over backward and broke his neck when her heard the

news of their death God’s final judgment against Eli and his descendants came

when Solomon removed Aabiathar as high priest and replaced him with Zadok - 1 Kings 2:35

HANNAH

Hannah is one of the most poignant characters in the Old Testament

Like several other women in the Bible, she was barren People in ancient Israel believed that a large

family was a blessing from God Infertility, therefore, was a source of humiliation

and shame To make matters worse, her husband's other

wife not only bore children but taunted Hannah mercilessly

Once, at the house of the Lord in Shiloh, Hannah was praying so intently that her lips moved silently with the words she spoke to God in her heart

Eli the priest saw her and accused her of being drunk She answered that she was praying, pouring out her soul to the Lord. Touched by

her pain, 1 Samuel 1:17

Then Eli answered and said, “Go in peace; and may the God of Israel grant your petition that you have asked of Him.”

1 Samuel 1:19 Then they arose early in the morning and worshiped before the LORD, and

returned again to their house in Ramah. And Elkanah had relations with Hannah his wife, and the LORD remembered her.

But Hannah had made a promise to God that if she bore a son, she would give him back for God's service

Hannah followed through on that promise She handed her young child Samuel over to Eli for training as a priest

God blessed Hannah further for honoring her pledge to him She bore three more sons and two daughters Samuel grew up to become the last of Israel's judges, its first prophet, and

counselor to its first two kings, Saul and David

BIRTH OF SAMUEL

Born in Ramah of Ephraim Several towns in Israel were named

Ramah Probably this Ramah was identified with

the New Testament town of Arimathea and the modern town of Rentis

This was not the same Ramah in Joshua 18:25 as that Ramah was in the tribe of Benjamin

SAMUEL BROUGHT TO ELI

Samuel was probably 2 to 3 years old when Hannah brought him to Eli

1 Samuel 1:26-28She said, “Oh, my lord! As your soul lives, my lord, I am the woman who stood here beside

you, praying to the LORD.  For this boy I prayed, and the LORD has given me my petition which I asked of Him.  So I have also dedicated

him to the LORD; as long as he lives he is dedicated to the LORD.” And he worshiped

the LORD there.

THE SIN OF ELI’S SONS

Sons of Belial-1 Samuel 2:12 Judges 19:22

Now as they were making their hearts merry, behold, the men of the city, certain sons of Belial, beset the house

round about, and beat at the door, and spake to the master of the house, the old man, saying, Bring forth the man that

came into thine house, that we may know him. KJV While they were celebrating, behold, the men of the city,

certain worthless fellows, surrounded the house, pounding the door; and they spoke to the owner of the

house, the old man, saying, “Bring out the man who came into your house that we may have relations with him.”

NAS

SONS OF BELIIAL

Used in the Old Testament to speak of Scoundrels Worthless men who commit various acts of wickedness

Drunkeness-1 Samuel 1:16 Hostility-1 Samuel 25:25 Abuse of power – 1 Samuel 2:12 Idolatry- Deuteronomy 13:13 Rebelliousness- 1 Samuel 10:27 Lying and perverse speech- Proverbs 6:12;19:28 Sexual perversions- Judges 19:22

The Jews even later used this term to refer to Satan 2 Corinthians 6:15

Or what harmony has Christ with Belial, or what has a believer in common with an unbeliever? NAS

And what concord hath Christ with Belial? or what part hath he that believeth with an infidel? KJV

CHIASTIC STRUCTURE OF 1 SAMUEL 2

The song of Hannah with references to the Lord’s anointed-2:1-10 Samuel ministers before the Lord-2:11

The sins of Eli’s sons-2:12-17 Samuel ministers before the lord 2:11

Eli Blesses Samuel’s parents-2:20-21a Samuel grows in the Lord’s presence-

2:21b The sins of Eli’s sons-2:22-25

Samuel grows in the Lord’s presence-2:36 The oracle of the man of God, concluding with

reference to the Lord’s annointed-2:27-36

THE CALL OF SAMUEL

Took place at Shiloh Apparently the Ark was housed in some

type of permanent structure 3:15 Prophetic-Call-Narrative 3:1-21

Similar to Exodus 3, Isaiah 6, Jeremiah 1, and other passages

Some have called it a auditory message dream theopany

This is because the Lord talks to Samuel at night

SAMUELS CALLING

Samuel did not who was calling him He answered “Here am I”

This answer was typical of a servant who hears and obeys the diving call

Genesis 22:1,11; Exodus 3:4; Isaiah 6:8

Samuels openness to serving God would enable him to know the Lord in ways that Eli’s sons never could

SAMUELS CALLING

As God continued to speak to Samuel through the years the Lord’s word would so captivate him that it became virtually impossible to distinguish it from Samuel’s own words 3:21-4:1

Samuel the priest would become God’s spokesmen 3:20

CHIASTIC STRUCTURE OF 3:17

The word he spoke to you You hide from me

The Oath You hide from me

The word he spoke to you

3:19-4:1

Just as Lord’s presence was with David, so the Lord was with Samuel -3:19

All of Israel recognized this 3:20 The phrase from Dan to Beersheba represent the

Northern and Southern boundaries of the united kingdom under David and Solomon

This phrase is used frequently in the narratives about David- 2 Samuel 3:10:17:11;24:2,15

That God let “none of his word’s fall” means that everything that Samuel said with divine authorization came true 3:19

CHIASTIC FORMAT OF 3:1-4:1

Absence of divine miracles- 3:1 Eli’s fading power-3:2

Three divine calls of Samuel-3:3-9 A divine oracle to Samuel-3:10-15

Elis’s request for Samuel's report-3:16-18

Samuel’s growing stature-3:19a Return to divine oracles-3:19b-4:1a

THE PHILISTINES

The Philistines are mentioned over 150 times in 1 and 2 Samuel They are so entrenched and dominant in the coastal areas and the

foothills of Canaan that eventually they gave their name to the entire land

What was this name? Palestine

The word itself derives from "Plesheth", a name that appears frequently in the Bible and has come into English as "Philistine”

Plesheth, (root palash) was a general term meaning rolling or migratory This referred to the Philistine's invasion and conquest of the coast from

the sea The Philistines were not Arabs nor even Semites, they were most closely

related to the ancient Greeks originating from Asia Minor They did not speak Arabic They had no connection, ethnic, linguistic or historical with Arabia or

Arabs The word Palestine, or Palestina, originally identified the region as "The

Land of The Philistines”

The Ark Narratives

4:1-7:17

THE BATTLE 4:1-18

Israel goes to battle with the Philistines at Ebenezer and is defeated  In Deut. 28 there is a warning of cursing for

disobedience Israel’s routing at the hands of the Philistines

is described in terms of a covenant curse How had Israel broken the covenant?

In the context of 1 Samuel, the gluttony and sexual immorality of Hophni and Phinehas and Eli’s failure to restrain them was one cause for the defeat (3:12-13). Another reason was idolatry 

THE BATTLE 4:1-18

The Israelites propose to bring the Ark of the Covenant, the presence of Yahweh, into the battle in order to be saved

The ark was there for the victory at Jericho so the people try to use it here as a good luck charm The ark does not help

The Philistines win, take the ark of Yahweh and kill Hophni and Phinehas

Yahweh, the ark, is being led away captive by a foreign army, and his priests lie slain on the battlefield

When Eli hears about the capture of the ark he falls over backwards and breaks his neck God’s judgment has fallen on Eli for his sins.

ICHABOD 4:19-22

Eli’s daughter-in-law, the wife of Phinehas, is pregnant When she hears the report of the Ark being

taken and her family dead she goes into premature labor and gives birth

She dies as a result of the birth, but before she does she names the boy “Ichabod” because the “glory has departed from Israel”

The ark, the presence of God, has gone into exile (galah)

 This word for “departure” is a word used often for the exile of Israel and Judah 

THE ARK AMONG THE PHILISTINES

The Philistines place the Ark in Dagon’s temple before Dagon As if to say Yahweh is bowing in defeat to worship Dagon

The next day the Philistines enter the temple to see their god lying prostrate before the Ark Dagon is worshipping Yahweh

The Philistines have to pick their god up When the Philistines enter the temple early the third

morning they see Dagon has fallen to pieces His head and hands are cut off, and he lies on the ground

defeated before Yahweh In the ancient world head and hands were battlefield trophies

THE PHILISINTES SMITTEN

Major cities of thePhilistines

Gath Ashdod Ekron Askelon Gaza

THE PHILISINTES SMITTEN

The Ark was kept as Ashdod and the people were smitten with emerods Emerods were swelling, tumors, or boils Josephus suggests that the problem came

from dysentery Martin Luther and many commentators

since then have held that the disease was the Bubonic Plauge

THE PHILISTINES SMITTEN

The Ark was carried to Gath Cursed with emerods in their “secret

parts” The Ark was then sent to Ekron

Many died from the emerods there

THE PHILISITNES RETURN THE ARK

After seven months, they decide to send the ark back The priests warn them not to send it back “empty” -

6:3 This echoes the language of Yahweh’s promise to Moses

concerning the Exodus, “And I will give this people favor in the sight of the Egyptians; and it shall be, when you go, that you shall not go empty-handed (Ex 3:21).”

They decide to send it back with five golden emerods and five golden rats because the Philistines have five major cities

They send the ark back, and it comes to Beth Shemesh

THE ARK RETURNS 6:13-21

The Ark is brought to Beth Shemesh The closest city to Beth Shemesh This was a Levitical city

They offered burnt offerings In the happiness and gladness of seeing the return of the

ark, the people pried into it beneath the wagon cover Instead of covering it up again, as a sacred utensil, they let it

remain exposed to common inspection Wishing it to be seen, in order that all might enjoy the triumph of

seeing offerings presented to it, and gratify curiosity with the sight of the sacred shrine

This was the offense of those Israelites, Levites, as well as common people, who had treated the ark with less reverence than the Philistines themselves 

WERE 50,000 MEN KILLED?

50,070 men seem in excess of the number who would live in a 11th century BC city such at Bethshemesh No where else in Scripture does the Hebrew write the

numbers in the way they are here Neither of the customary ways of writing a large

number give rise to the suspicion that the text was inadvertently garbled in the course of transmission

Textual error are demonstrable for 1 Samuel more that any other book the Old Testament

A better rendering of the text would be “He struck down the people for seven days, men for

five days, a thousand men”

THE ARK GOES TO KIRATH-JEARIM

Kirath-Jearim was fortress city taken from the Gibeonites Western part of the boundary line between Judah

and Benjamin Kirath-Jearim has tentatively been identified Deir

el-Azar, ten miles North of Jerusalem The ark remained here for 20 years

The twenty years may be figurative May mean half a generation

It was from here that David transported the ark to Jerusalem-2 Samuel 6:2-3

WHY DID THE ARK GO TO KIRATH-JEARIM?

The Ark did not return to Shiloh Shiloh was probably destroyed during the

war with the Philistines This is suggested by Psalm 78:60;

Jeremiah 7:12,14;26:6-9

SAMUEL THE JUDGE

Israel lamented 7:2 Samuel leads Israel to repentance-7:3-6

Samuel told them to get rid of other gods Israel put them away Samuel prayed for Israel -7:5 Israel gathered at Mizpeh and poured water

before the Lord-7:6a Pouring of water represents a repentant heart poured

out in submission and personal trust before God Psalm 62:8

Israel recognizes Samuel’s Judgeship-7:6b

ISRAEL DEFEATS THE PHILISTINES

When Israel was gathered as Mizpeh the Philistines went up against them-7:7-14

Samuel offered a burnt offering The Lord thundered before the Philistines

The Philistines were panicked and retreated During the retreat Israel was able to defeat

them All the cities that the Philistines had taken

from them were restored to Israel

SAMUEL JUDGES ISRAEL 7:15-17

Samuel Judged Israel for the rest of his life

Samuel traveled between Bethel, Gilgal, and Mizpeh

He lived in Ramah Samuel built an altar to God

SAMUEL MAKES HIS SONS JUDGES 8:1-3

Samuel was old He was probably around 54 years old

Samuel made his sons judges in Beer Sheba Joel Abiah

Just as Eli before him he was a too preoccupied with his ministry to properly oversee the upbringing of his children

SAMUEL MAKES HIS SONS JUDGES 8:1-3

Joel and Abiah were poor dispensers of justice They took bribes Gained through dishonest means The perverted judgments

The people saw this and complained

ISRAEL ASKS FOR A KING 8:4-22

A deputation of the leading men in the country lodged a complaint against Samuels sons

This was accompanied with a formal demand for a change in the government The limited and occasional authority of the judges The disunion and jealousy of the tribes under the

administration of those rulers These two things had been creating a desire for a united and

permanent form of government While the advanced age of Samuel, together with the

risk of his death happening in the then unsettled state of the people, was the occasion of calling forth an expression of this desire now

ISRAEL ASKS FOR A KING

Samuel was displeased 8:6 Samuel prayed to God God’s Response

 The LORD said to Samuel, “Listen to the voice of the people in regard to all that they say to you, for they have not rejected you, but they have rejected Me from being king over them 1 Samuel 8:7

GODS ANSWER TO THE PEOPLE

God intimated, through Samuel, that their request would, in anger, be granted, while at the same time he apprised them of some of the evils that would result from their choice

GOD TELLS THEM OF THEIR KING 8:11-18

This will be the manner of the king 8:11 The following is a very just and graphic picture of the despotic governments which

anciently and still are found in the East, and into conformity with which the Hebrew monarchy, notwithstanding the restrictions prescribed by the law, gradually slid

He will take your sons, and appoint them for himself 8:11 Sovereigns claim a right to the services of any of their subjects at pleasure

Some shall run before his chariots 8:11 The royal equipages were, generally throughout the East (as in Persia they still are),

preceded and accompanied by a number of attendants who ran on foot He will appoint him captains 8:12

In the East, a person must accept any office to which he may be nominated by the king, however irksome it may be to his taste or ruinous to his interests

He will take your daughters to be confectionaries 8:13 Cookery, baking, and the kindred works are, in Eastern countries, female employment,

and thousands of young women are occupied with these offices in the palaces even of petty princes

He will take your fields, vineyard, seed, men, animals 8:14-17 The circumstances mentioned here might be illustrated by exact analogies in the

conduct of many Oriental monarchs in the present day

ISRAEL’S RESPONSE 8:18-22

Then you will cry out in that day because of your king whom you have chosen for yourselves, but the LORD will not answer you in that day.”

1 Samuel 8:18 The people refused to obey the voice of Samuel

Determined, at all hazards, to gain their object, they insisted on being made like all the other nations

Though it was their glory and happiness to be unlike other nations in having the Lord for their King and Lawgiver - Numbers 23:9 , Deuteronomy 33:28 

Their demand was conceded, for the government of a king had been provided for in the law; and they were dismissed to wait the appointment, which God had reserved to Himself - Deuteronomy 17:14-20

WHO WAS SAUL 9:1-2

Good Points Son of Kish of the tribe of Benjamin

Had credibility with both Northern and Southern tribes Tall and attractive A young man He was a capable military leader

Bad Points He was rebellious He would not wait for Samuel at Gilgal~13:8-12 Saul neglected the needs of his own men~14 Saul made a foolish oath~14 Failed to kill all the Amalakites~15:18-19 Lied to Samuel~15:13

SAUL WAS CHOSEN AS KING

Saul’s rise to kingship took three distinct stages Anointed by Samuel~9:1-10:16 Chosen by lot~10:14 Confirmed by public acclamation~11:1-15

SAUL CHOSEN AS KING 9:3-27

Saul’s father, Kish, had lost his donkeys Saul searched for them After many days of travel they came upon Ramah His servant recommended going to Samuel for

guidance Samuel was going out to offer a peace sacrifice

God had told him the day before that a man would come to him how would be king

Saul matched all that was told Samuel

Saul and Samuel then spent the evening together

SAUL ANOINTED AS KING10:1-9

Samuel anoints Saul as king~10:1 Samuel prophecies about what would happen

to Saul when he departed He would meet two men by Rachel’s sepulcher

who would tell him the donkeys were found At the plain of tabor he would come upon three

men he was told what they could carry and what they would give him

He would meet prophets playing music and they would prophesy

Then the Spirit of the Lord would come upon him

SAUL INSTALLED AS KING 10:17-27 Samuel called the people together at

Mizpeh Near Hebron, five hundred feet in height The national assemblies of the Israelites

were held there A day having been appointed for the election

of a king, Samuel, after having charged the people with a rejection of God's institution and a superseding of it by one of their own, proceeded to the nomination of the new monarch

SAUL INSTALLED AS KING 10:17-27 As it was of the utmost importance that the appointment

should be under the divine direction and control, the determination was made by the miraculous lot, tribes, families, and individuals being successively passed until Saul was found His concealment of himself must have been the result either of innate

modesty, or a sudden nervous excitement under the circumstances When dragged into view, he was seen to possess all those corporeal

advantages which a rude people desiderate in their sovereigns; and the exhibition of which gained for the prince the favorable opinion of Samuel also

In the midst of the national enthusiasm, however, the prophet's deep piety and genuine patriotism took care to explain the manner of the kingdom

That is, the royal rights and privileges, together with the limitations to which they were to be subjected; and in order that the constitution might be ratified with all due solemnity

the charter of this constitutional monarchy was recorded and laid up "before the Lord“

Deposited in the custody of the priests, along with the most sacred archives of the nation

SAUL DEFEATS THE AMMONITES 11:1

All the men of Jabesh Gilead offered a peace treaty with Nahash the Ammonite They would become his servants Nahash would only accept their offer if he

could gouge out all of the men’s right eye They said to wait seven days to see if they

could get help from anyone If no one came they would surrender to Nahash

Saul ordered all of Israel to come to their rescue

Nahash and the Ammonites were slaughtered

WHY WAS NAHASH SO MEAN

The dead sea scrolls give us some more information Scroll 4QSam~the most fully preserved scroll in Qumran

The Ammonites were being oppressed by the Reubenites and the Gadites He gouged out their right eye Not a man was left standing on the east side of the Jordan

who did not have his right eye out The Jabeshites were giving aid and comfort to the

Reubenites and the Gadites The Reubenites and Gadites claimed territory that was

claimed by the Ammonites Therefore the Jabeshites should receive that same treatment

he had earlier given to the Reubenites and Gadites

SAUL CONFIRMED AS KING AT GILGAL 11:12-15

The people asked about those who questioned Saul legitimacy as king

The call and wise counsel of Samuel directed the popular feelings into a right channel

He appointed a general assembly of the militia at Gilgal where Saul was confirmed as king

A COVENANT RENEWAL 12:1-25

Samuel testifies his integrity ~ 12:1-5 Samuel reproves the people for

ingratitude~12:6-16 He provides a sign of thunder~12:17-

25 During harvest time

This happens in June or July A time of seldom rain

DECLINE OF SAUL 13:1-15:35

Chiastic literary structure The rebuke of Saul~13:1-15

The struggle against the Philistines~13:16-14:23 The cursing of Jonathan~14:24-52

The Further wars of Saul~14:47-52 The rejection of Saul~15:1-35

THE REBUKE OF SAUL 13:1-15

Saul chose 3000 men to be his personal bodyguard

2000 were with him and 1000 with Jonathan Jonathan took his men and attacked the Philistines Saul blew the trumpet throughout the land Hebrew war summons

The first blast was answered by the beacon fire in the neighboring places

A second blast was blown--then answered by a fire in a more distant locality

In this way the proclamation was speedily spread over the whole country

THE REBUKE OF SAUL 13:1-15

The Philistines gathered themselves together to fight with Israel, thirty thousand chariots, and six thousand horsemen 13:5 Either this number must include chariots of every

kind Or the word "chariots" must mean the men fighting in

them ( 2 Samuel 10:18 , 1 Kings 20:21 ,1 Chronicles 19:18 )

Some eminent critics maintain, Sheloshim ("thirty"), has crept into the text, instead of Shelosh ("three“)

THE REBUKE OF SAUL 13:1-15

Most of the Israelites fled and hid Saul waited 7 days as he was told too by

Samuel Saul impatiently decided to offer sacrifices

himself The offering of sacrifices itself was not sinful

The refusing to wait for Samuel was Samuel was testing Saul

Saul wished to rule as an autocrat who possessed absolute power in both civil and sacred things

Saul knowingly offered sacrifices which was the priests office thus showing his unfitness for his position

Saul had the right to offer sacrifice but was not to be preformed unless a prophet was present

THE REBUKE OF SAUL 13:1-15

"You have acted foolishly ; you have not kept the commandment of

the LORD your God, which He commanded you, for now the LORD would

have established your kingdom over Israel forever .But now your kingdom shall

not endure. The LORD has sought out for Himself a man after His own heart, and

the LORD has appointed him as ruler over His people, because you have not kept what the LORD commanded you." 

1 Samuel 3:14-15

THE STRUGGLE OF THE PHILISTINES13:16-14:23

Saul’s forces only numbered in the hundreds while the Philistines numbered in the thousands The Philistines, after the great victory over the

sons of Eli, had become the virtual masters of the land

Their policy in disarming the natives has been often followed in the East

They removed all the blacksmiths from the land For repairing any serious damage to their agricultural

implements, they had to apply to the neighboring forts

THE STRUGGLE OF THE PHILISTINES13:16-14:23

Jonathan, Saul’s oldest son, decided to go to the Philistine garrison Jonathan approached and waited for the divine sign to

continue Jonathan unlike his father waited for the divine to guide

him in his choice Jonathan and his armor bearer killed 20 men

God sent panic into the midst of the Philistines The Philistines scattered Saul then counted his troops to help determined what had

happened and noticed that Jonathan was the only one missing

The Lord rescued Israel that day~14:23

AN OBSERVATION ABOUT SAUL

In chapters 13-15 Saul is not so much wicked as he is foolish and frustrated. His intentions

are good, indeed they are toughly pious, but he pursues them in self-defeating ways,

and events even thwart them.

SAUL’S CURSE 14:24-46

Saul foolishly commanded the people to eat nothing until evening This is not unheard of during a Holy War, which is what

this was against the Philistines Saul’s motivation however worthy resulted in his

men becoming faint, exhausted, and in distress Jonathan had not heard this command and ate some of

the honey off the ground The honey is described as "upon the ground,"

"dropping" from the trees, and in honeycombs This indicates it to be bees' honey Bees in the East are not, as in England, kept in hives;

they are all in a wild state The forests literally flow with honey; large combs may be

seen hanging on the trees as you pass along

SAUL’S VICTORIES 14:47-52

Saul then went on to fight many of the people around Israel Moab Son’s of Ammon Edom Kings of Zobah Philistines Amalakites

SAUL ASKED TO DESTROY AMALEK15:1-9

Saul was told to totally destroy the Amalekites Men, women, children and livestock

Saul defeated the Amalekites He did not kill Agag the King They kept the best of the livestock They kept everything that had value but

destroyed anything that was worthless

GOD REJECTS SAUL 15:10-35

Samuel comes to Saul Saul tells him he did what was

commanded of him Saul and asks him what he hears

He hears sheep and cattle Saul said the soldiers took them to offer

sacrifice to God Samuel rebukes Saul

SAMUELS REBUKE

"Has the LORD as much delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices 

As in obeying the voice of the LORD ? Behold, to obey is better than

sacrifice, And to heed than the fat of rams.  "For rebellion is as the sin of divination, And insubordination is

as iniquity and idolatry. Because you have rejected the word of the LORD, He has

also rejected you from being king.“15:22-24 

SAUL’S CONFESSION

"I have sinned ; I have indeed transgressed the command of

the LORD and your words, because I feared the people and listened to

their voice. "Now therefore, please pardon my sin and return with me, that

I may worship the LORD."  15:24-25

SAUL’S RESPONSE TO SAMUEL15:26-35

Samuel tells Saul that the Lord has rejected him Saul seized the edge of Samuel robe and

tore it Samuel told Saul that the Lord has torn Israel

away from him

Samuel then kills Agag Samuel never saw Saul again until his

death