Lord’s Day, Vol. 12 No. 22

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Lord’s Day, Vol. 12 No. 22

Opening the Book of 1 Samuel

The Book of 1 Samuel records the transition of Israel from a theocracy to a monarchy. God’s rule as King was rejected by the people of Israel who demanded a king. The last verse in the Book of Judges gives the transition – Judges 21:25 (KJV) In those days there was no king in Israel: every man did that which was right in his own eyes.

To bring about the transition from the theocracy to a monarchy, God raised the prophet Samuel (1 Samuel 1-8) in a time of spiritual declension when the priesthood had failed under Eli, due to the vileness and corruption of his sons and the people’s departure from God. Samuel was the last judge.

1 Samuel 8:1-7 (KJV) And it came to pass, when Samuel was old, that he made his sons judges over Israel. Now the name of his firstborn was Joel; and the name of his second, Abiah: they were judges in Beersheba. And his sons walked not in his ways, but turned aside after lucre, and took bribes, and perverted judgment. Then all the elders of Israel gathered themselves together, and came to Samuel unto Ramah, And said unto him, Behold, thou art old, and thy sons walk not in thy ways: now make us a king to judge us like all the nations. But the thing displeased Samuel, when they said, Give us a king to judge us. And Samuel prayed unto the LORD. And the LORD said unto Samuel, Hearken unto the voice of the people in all that they say unto thee: for they have not rejected thee, but they have rejected me, that I should not reign over them.

Samuel presided over the theocracy whilst he held the office of judge, but he also anointed Saul and David to be kings, and he exercised an important influence over their government.

1 Samuel 7:15 (KJV) And Samuel judged Israel all the days of his life.

God instructed Samuel to anoint Saul from the tribe of Benjamin as Israel’s first king (1 Samuel 9-14). However, due to Saul’s incomplete obedience, God rejects Saul as king (1 Samuel 15). God then instructs Samuel to anoint David from the tribe of Judah as king (1 Samuel 16).

Keil observed well, “The history of the theocracy begins with the high priesthood of Eli, yet really it was taken up where it was broken off in the Book of Judges, namely, in the time of the Philistine supremacy, and it carried forward to the end of the reign of David. Consequently, the contents may be divided so as to fall into three great sections:

  • The restoration of the entirely sunken theocracy, and its guidance by Samuel (1 Samuel 1-12).
  • The history of the kingdom of Saul, from his ascension till his death (1 Samuel 13-31).
  • The reign of David (2 Samuel 1-24).”

The narrative of Eli’s high priesthood serves as an introduction to the history of Samuel, setting in a clear light the fact that he was chosen to be a prophet of the Lord (1 Samuel 1-4). There is no gap between the books of the Judges and 1 Samuel.

Eli’s high priesthood, together with the consecration and call of Samuel, falls within the time of the Philistine supremacy, which Samson spent twenty years trying to deliver Israel from it, though Samson was the first who entirely saved the theocracy. [Keil, Introduction to the Old Testament]

The first section in 1 Samuel contains Samuel’s birth, consecration and call (1 Samuel 1-3). The loss of the ark, its restoration, Samuel’s agency as judge and his victory over the Philistines (1 Samuel 4-7). The longing of the Israelites for a king; the anointing, election, and confirmation of Saul to be king; and Samuel’s farewell address to the people (1 Samuel 8-12). [Keil]

The second section contains:

  • The history of the reign of Saul till his rejection.
    • His first enterprise against the Philistines, and victory over them by the hand of Jonathan (1 Samuel 8-14).
    • His disobedience in the war with Amalek, and his rejection (1 Samuel 15).
  • The history of Saul after his rejection, till his death.
    • Anointing of David to be king, his playing on the harp before Saul, his victory over Goliath and his subsequent relation to Saul and Jonathan (1 Samuel 14-18).
    • David a fugitive from Saul’s presence (1 Samuel 19-27).
    • What Saul last undertook, and how he fell in the war with the Philistines; David’s fortunes and enterprises during his sojourn in Philistia (1 Samuel 28-31). [Keil]

The third section is David’s advancement to be king over Judah (2 Samuel 1-24).

1 Samuel, as a biography of Samuel, Saul and David, depicts the course of development of the theocracy from the end of the period of Judges till the reign of David, in particular, its deliverance from the deepest humiliation under the Philistine yoke, and its victorious elevation to dominion over all external enemies, by the genuine theocratic agency of Samuel and David. These men were instruments chosen by the Lord and endowed with His Spirit to restore the theocracy (which was deeply sunken by the apostasy of the people from their divine King), to fortify it externally and internally, and to carry forward God’s plan of redemption through His nation Israel. The life and leadership of each of them furnishes a rich treasure of instruction for believers in every age. [Adapted from Keil]

David’s battle with the nine-and-a-half-feet Philistine giant Goliath depicts the raging spiritual battle God’s people are engaged with through the ages. David’s words to his brother Eliab who tried to stop him from the Lord’s battle were “What have I done? Is there not a cause?” (1 Samuel 17:29).

Isaiah 59:19 … When the enemy shall come in like a flood, the Spirit of the LORD shall lift up a standard against him.

The whole army was sore afraid and though reminding one another of the promised reward awaiting the one who slew the giant, none dared to venture his life.

Matthew Henry wrote, “God’s providence brought him to the camp very seasonably, when both sides had set the battle in array, and as it should seem were more likely to come to an engagement than they had yet been all forty days (1 Samuel 17:21). Both sides were now preparing to fight. Jesse little thought of sending his son to the army just at this critical juncture; but the wise God orders the time, and all circumstances, of actions and affairs, so as to serve His design of securing the interests of Israel, and advancing the man after His own heart.”

The defeat of the Philistine giant was the beginning of David’s life in the court of Saul, his friendship with Jonathan, Saul’s hatred toward David, and Saul’s artful attempt against David’s life (1 Sam. 18), leading to David’s outlaw life,  to Nob, Ahimelech, the High Priest (21:1-9), to Achish, king of Gath (21:10-15), to the cave of Adullam (22:1-2), to Mizpeh of Moab where he finds asylum for his parents (22:3-4), to the forest of Hereth, in Judah (22:5), Saul’s vengeance on the priests of Nob (22:6-20), in Keilah (23:13), last meeting with Jonathan (23:14-18), betrayal by Ziphites (23:19-24a), escape from Saul in the wilderness of Maon (23:24b-28), in the wilderness of En-gedi (23:19-24:22), death of Samuel (25:1a), in wilderness of Paran – Nabal and Abigail (25:b-38),  matrimonial relations (25:39-44), betrayed again by Ziphites, spares Saul the second time (26:1-25), David again in the land of the Philistines – flees to Achish, king of Gath (27:1-4), Achish granted Ziklag to David (27:5-6), and operation in Ziklag (27:7-12).

The downfall of Saul in war with the Philistines was recorded in the remaining chapters of 1 Samuel 28-31. The Philistines prepare for a campaign against Israel (28:1a), Achish places confidence in David (28:1b-2), Saul’s visit to the witch of Endor (28:3, 5-25), Philistines pitch at Shunem (28:4), David encamps with the Philistines in Aphek (29:1-2) and his dismissal from the Philistine army (29:3-11a), Philistines marches to Jezreel, David’s victory over the Amalekites who had destroyed Ziklag (30:1-31), the fall of the house of Saul – The Battle of Mount Gilboa (31:1-13) – 1 Samuel 31:12-13 (KJV) All the valiant men arose, and went all night, and took the body of Saul and the bodies of his sons from the wall of Beth-shan, and came to Jabesh, and burnt them there. And they took their bones, and buried them under a tree at Jabesh, and fasted seven days.

The historical narrative in the books of Samuel is distinguished by vivid and lively representation,

of the persons who came into the scene, by simplicity and precision description of the events, bringing forth many spiritual lessons for the keen reader to understand the workings of God in the lives of His servants for His glory. Amen.  

Yours lovingly,

Pastor Lek Aik Wee