OT: 1 Samuel
Last week we looked at the book of Judges. We’re skipping over the book of Ruth to look at 1 Samuel this week. The reason we’re skipping Ruth is that we’re taking the OT books in the order they appear in the Jewish Scriptures rather than the English. The Jewish organization has existed far longer and carries a purpose that we can learn from.
This is the order of Scripture that the early church, including the Apostles and even Jesus, would have been familiar with.
Remember that the Jewish order divides the OT Scriptures into three parts.
Law – Prophets – Writings
We’ve already covered all five books of the Law, which are in the same order in our English Bibles.
Currently we’re in the Prophets, which includes Joshua, Judges, 1 & 2 Samuel, 1 & 2 Kings, Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, and The Twelve (minor prophets).
Ruth is part of the third grouping known as the Writings.
Studying the OT in this order shows us what happened and why (as explained by the Law and Prophets) and then doubles back, covering the history again while demonstrating how faithful people responded.
By surveying the Old Testament in this order, the ways history, theology, and faith work together in Scripture becomes evident. ¹
1 Samuel
1 Samuel is a continuation of the history from the book of Judges. As the book begins we are at the end of the period of the judges. It is a time of spiritual darkness in which the Lord seems to have stopped communicating with his people.
3:1 Now the young man Samuel was ministering to the Lord under Eli. And the word of the Lord was rare in those days; there was no frequent vision. (ESV)
The book can best be outlined by using a diagram.
Let’s take a look at each of these men, in turn. This will take us through the book in a zig-zag pattern.
Eli
Eli’s story is rather short. At this time in Israel’s history, Eli, as the high priest, was the default leader of the nation. He not only served the nation as high priest, but also as judge (4:18). The book begins with Eli in office and the birth of Samuel. The two characters’ trajectories will cross as Eli nears the end of his life and career, while Samuel rises in influence and importance.
The first thing to know about Eli is that even though he is high priest and judge, he doesn’t hear directly from God. We’ve read 3:1, which makes it obvious that Eli isn’t hearing from God on any kind of regular basis.
Then there is the account of Samuel’s birth, which we’ll get to in a minute. When Samuel’s mother came to the tabernacle to pray, Eli saw her lips moving but didn’t hear any sounds, and assumed she was drunk. It just seems that he wasn’t very in touch with the Lord.
Sadly, Eli’s story revolves around his sons and their lack of obedience. His two sons had a problem.
13 The custom of the priests with the people was that when any man offered sacrifice, the priest’s servant would come, while the meat was boiling, with a three-pronged fork in his hand, (ESV)
Serving as priests and not knowing the Lord is a problem. Not only did they not know the Lord, but they showed contempt for the things of the Lord.
14 and he would thrust it into the pan or kettle or cauldron or pot. All that the fork brought up the priest would take for himself. This is what they did at Shiloh to all the Israelites who came there. 15 Moreover, before the fat was burned, the priest’s servant would come and say to the man who was sacrificing, “Give meat for the priest to roast, for he will not accept boiled meat from you but only raw.” 16 And if the man said to him, “Let them burn the fat first, and then take as much as you wish,” he would say, “No, you must give it now, and if not, I will take it by force.” 17 Thus the sin of the young men was very great in the sight of the Lord, for the men treated the offering of the Lord with contempt. (ESV)
Now, in Eli’s defense, he does rebuke his sons for their behavior, but they don’t listen to him. And Scripture again demonstrates the sovereignty of God over the hearts of men, even in their decision to serve him.
But they would not listen to the voice of their father, for it was the will of the Lord to put them to death. - 1 Samuel 2:25
When God has set his desire on your death, you are in a bad place!
And so God sends a prophet to speak to Eli and explain what will happen to his family.
And there came a man of God to Eli and said to him, “Thus the Lord has said,…” - 1 Samuel 2:27
So we see that Eli doesn’t hear from the Lord directly, but through others. The Lord rejects Eli’s family from service. God promises that all Eli’s descendants will die by the sword, and then specifies the death of his two sons.
34 And this that shall come upon your two sons, Hophni and Phinehas, shall be the sign to you: both of them shall die on the same day. (ESV)
Even though Eli doesn’t hear from God directly, he is not without perception of the Lord’s work. When Samuel is being called by God, we are told that Eli
…perceived that the Lord was calling the young man. - 1 Samuel 3:8
And so God speaks to Samuel a message for Eli. Again promising the destruction of his family, and naming Eli as guilty for not restraining his sons’ actions.
Soon, God carried out his promise to Eli concerning the death of his two ungodly sons. In chapter 4 we witness a major battle between Israel and the Philistines. Israel looses in a big way. 30,000 men die, including Eli’s sons, and the Ark of the Covenant was captured by the Philistines. When Eli hears this news, it is more than he can bear.
18 As soon as he mentioned the ark of God, Eli fell over backward from his seat by the side of the gate, and his neck was broken and he died, for the man was old and heavy. He had judged Israel forty years. (ESV)
Eli’s daughter-in-law hears the news, goes into labor, and gives birth to a son she names Ichabod since the glory (Ark) had left Israel.
And so ends Eli’s life and rule as a judge and high priest.
Just as an aside, you really should read the story of the Ark’s time in Philistia, and it’s return to Israel. The story demonstrates the power and sovereignty of God over the pagan gods of the Philistines, over nature and health, and even over the heavily weighted attempt of the Philistines to blame all that on chance.
It’s a great story. You’ll find it in chapters 4-6.
Samuel
Now let’s back track and take a look at the life of Samuel. Samuel stands in stark contrast to Eli. Unlike Eli, Samuel is not born into the priestly line. He is an Ephrathite, a descendant of Josheph’s second son.
Like Isaac, Joseph, and Sampson, Samuel’s birth is unusual because his mother was barren. His mother demonstrates great faith and dedication to the Lord though. She comes to the tabernacle and prays, asking for a son and promising to dedicate him as a Nazarite, in the same way that Sampson was dedicated.
Samuel is born and soon dedicated and then Hannah sings a beautiful song of prayer to the Lord in chapter 2.
Samuel is then raised by Eli in the tabernacle. And in chapter 3 we see the story of God’s call to Samuel. Remember, it was rare in that day for the Lord to speak directly to his people, so this is a supernatural story for sure.
God calls to Samuel while he lies on his bed. Three times the Lord speaks and three times Samuel runs to Eli thinking the older priest had called him. It was at the third time that Eli perceived that it was the Lord and instructed Samuel to answer to God.
8 And the Lord called Samuel again the third time. And he arose and went to Eli and said, “Here I am, for you called me.” Then Eli perceived that the Lord was calling the young man. 9 Therefore Eli said to Samuel, “Go, lie down, and if he calls you, you shall say, ‘Speak, Lord, for your servant hears.’” So Samuel went and lay down in his place.
10 And the Lord came and stood, calling as at other times, “Samuel! Samuel!” And Samuel said, “Speak, for your servant hears.” 11 Then the Lord said to Samuel, “Behold, I am about to do a thing in Israel at which the two ears of everyone who hears it will tingle. (ESV)
And so God speaks to Samuel in a way that he doesn’t speak to even the high priest. We are told that as Samuel grew he was so connected to God that
…the Lord was with him and let none of his words fall to the ground. And all Israel from Dan to Beersheba knew that Samuel was established as a prophet of the Lord. - 1 Samuel 3:19-20
Samuel does his job as a prophet, naming the people’s sins and calling them to repentance.
3 And Samuel said to all the house of Israel, “If you are returning to the Lord with all your heart, then put away the foreign gods and the Ashtaroth from among you and direct your heart to the Lord and serve him only, and he will deliver you out of the hand of the Philistines.” 4 So the people of Israel put away the Baals and the Ashtaroth, and they served the Lord only. (ESV)
And so Samuel leads the people in worship. Yet their enemies see this as an opportunity to strike unaware. As a judge, Samuel does his part to deliver Israel from their enemies…he prays.
5 Then Samuel said, “Gather all Israel at Mizpah, and I will pray to the Lord for you.” 6 So they gathered at Mizpah and drew water and poured it out before the Lord and fasted on that day and said there, “We have sinned against the Lord.” And Samuel judged the people of Israel at Mizpah. 7 Now when the Philistines heard that the people of Israel had gathered at Mizpah, the lords of the Philistines went up against Israel. And when the people of Israel heard of it, they were afraid of the Philistines. 8 And the people of Israel said to Samuel, “Do not cease to cry out to the Lord our God for us, that he may save us from the hand of the Philistines.” 9 So Samuel took a nursing lamb and offered it as a whole burnt offering to the Lord. And Samuel cried out to the Lord for Israel, and the Lord answered him. 10 As Samuel was offering up the burnt offering, the Philistines drew near to attack Israel. But the Lord thundered with a mighty sound that day against the Philistines and threw them into confusion, and they were routed before Israel. 11 And the men of Israel went out from Mizpah and pursued the Philistines and struck them, as far as below Beth-car. (ESV)
It is the Lord who delivers. It is the Lord who fights for Israel. We saw that in Joshua and in Judges, and we see it here in 1 Samuel. What’s more, Samuel knew it. The people however had other ideas. They wanted a king.
Due in part to a similar problem that Eli before him had, Samuel’s sons were not good judges.
8:1 When Samuel became old, he made his sons judges over Israel. 2 The name of his firstborn son was Joel, and the name of his second, Abijah; they were judges in Beersheba. 3 Yet his sons did not walk in his ways but turned aside after gain. They took bribes and perverted justice. (ESV)
The inditement against them is not quite as bad as it was against Eli’s sons, but it’s still not good. And so the leaders of Israel gather and tell Samuel they would like a king. Their motive is to have stability at the top of the nation. With judges and prophets, it is not passed from father to son, but appointed by the Lord. If the people had been faithful, not prone to idolatry, this wouldn’t have been a problem. But instead of dealing with their own unfaithfulness, the people ask for a king to rule them.
Samuel warns them of all the negatives of a king and hereditary monarchy, but they are not dissuaded.
Saul is chosen to be the first king. We’ll get to his story in a minute. Samuel anoints and crowns Saul as king over the nation.
Again in this story we see the sovereignty of God as he carefully orchestrates affairs so that Saul’s father’s donkeys run away from home, Saul goes in search of them and comes right to Samuel to be anointed.
3 Now the donkeys of Kish, Saul’s father, were lost. So Kish said to Saul his son, “Take one of the young men with you, and arise, go and look for the donkeys.” (ESV)
15 Now the day before Saul came, the Lord had revealed to Samuel: (ESV)
After Saul’s installation as king, Samuel gives a farewell address in chapter 12, that makes it seem he’s retiring. At least he’s retiring from being a judge over the nation, that job has now passed to the king. Samuel will continue to pray for the people and lead them spiritually, but he will not lead them militarily or politically anymore.
Just to drive home the point that the Lord still rules, even over the king, Samuel prays the Lord to send thunder and rain out of season, and he does.
18 So Samuel called upon the Lord, and the Lord sent thunder and rain that day, and all the people greatly feared the Lord and Samuel. (ESV)
With Saul now protecting the people, Samuel begins to fade out of the picture, until the middle of chapter 13 that is! Saul is going to war against the Philistines and grows impatient waiting for Samuel to come offer a sacrifice to bless the war effort, and so Saul offers it himself.
Samuel shows up as soon as he’s finished and explains to Saul that because of his sin, God will remove him from the throne and replace him and his line with another. Samuel’s job is not done, he must still find and anoint Saul’s replacement.
In chapter 15 Samuel reminds Saul of the Lord’s command to utterly destroy the Canaanites still living in the land. Saul goes to war with the Amalekites and disobeys yet again. This is a sad scene for Saul, but one of my favorites about Samuel.
When the Lord tells Samuel what Saul has done, he goes to confront Saul. At first Saul tries to persuade Samuel that he has obeyed. Samuel’s not buying the story though.
13 And Samuel came to Saul, and Saul said to him, “Blessed be you to the Lord. I have performed the commandment of the Lord.” 14 And Samuel said, “What then is this bleating of the sheep in my ears and the lowing of the oxen that I hear?” (ESV)
I just love the sarcasm in Samuel’s response to Saul.
After a confrontation about it, Saul admits to keeping alive the best of the animals and the king of the Amalekites. Samuel’s response demonstrates the zeal with which he obeyed the commands of the Lord.
32 Then Samuel said, “Bring here to me Agag the king of the Amalekites.” And Agag came to him cheerfully. Agag said, “Surely the bitterness of death is past.” 33 And Samuel said, “As your sword has made women childless, so shall your mother be childless among women.” And Samuel hacked Agag to pieces before the Lord in Gilgal. (ESV)
This is the last time Samuel and Saul ever see each other.
In chapter 16 Samuel anoints David to be king. He then disappears from the story until chapter 19 when he briefly shows up interacting with David.
He doesn’t reappear until chapter 25 where we have the record of his death.
There is one more story involving Samuel though. In chapter 28 King Saul consults a witch and asks her to bring the spirit of Samuel up so he can get some advice. She does so, is shocked at the result (I don’t think she expecting to actually see Samuel, the prophet of God), and Samuel tells Saul of his coming death the very next day.
You might wonder why both books are named after him if he dies before even 1 Samuel is concluded. Samuel was the last judge in Israel, he was also a prophet, and he was the “king maker.” He anointed both Saul and David, who’s stories are told throughout both books.
From Samuel we learn what a godly leader should look like.
Saul
Backtracking once more, let’s look at the life of Saul.
When the people asked for a king, Saul was the anointed one. We first encounter him in
9:1 There was a man of Benjamin whose name was Kish, the son of Abiel, son of Zeror, son of Becorath, son of Aphiah, a Benjaminite, a man of wealth. 2 And he had a son whose name was Saul, a handsome young man. There was not a man among the people of Israel more handsome than he. From his shoulders upward he was taller than any of the people. (ESV)
Saul was impressive to look at. Tall and handsome, he looked the part of a king. Sadly that is what his life was all about, appearances. Saul’s life is taken up with concern for appearances and what others think of him.
We begin to see that in chapter 13 with the story of Saul’s unlawful sacrifice. His reason for offering it in Samuel’s absence was that the people were deserting him.
11 Samuel said, “What have you done?” And Saul said, “When I saw that the people were scattering from me, and that you did not come within the days appointed, and that the Philistines had mustered at Michmash, 12 I said, ‘Now the Philistines will come down against me at Gilgal, and I have not sought the favor of the Lord.’ So I forced myself, and offered the burnt offering.” (ESV)
Saul was concerned with men rather God. He was concerned that the men were leaving him, rather than being concerned with obeying God.
More obviously, we see his concern with appearances and the favor of men, in chapter 15. This is the second time he disobeys. Before Samuel can even catch up with Saul to confront him, we learn that Saul is concerned with his image.
12 And Samuel rose early to meet Saul in the morning. And it was told Samuel, “Saul came to Carmel, and behold, he set up a monument for himself and turned and passed on and went down to Gilgal.” (ESV)
He built a monument to himself rather than to the Lord. Samuel tells us that Saul’s problem was self-esteem. He lacked it, but desired it.
17 And Samuel said, “Though you are little in your own eyes, are you not the head of the tribes of Israel? The Lord anointed you king over Israel. (ESV)
Lacking self-esteem isn’t a bad thing, but desiring it is. Our esteem should be in Christ, not in ourselves. Yet Saul was concerned with himself, his image, how others perceived him. He was not focused on the Lord.
He claims to have kept the animals out for the purpose of sacrificing them to the Lord, which sounds nobel, but it’s not what God desired.
22 And Samuel said,
“Has the Lord as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices,
as in obeying the voice of the Lord?
Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice,
and to listen than the fat of rams.
23 For rebellion is as the sin of divination,
and presumption is as iniquity and idolatry.
Because you have rejected the word of the Lord,
he has also rejected you from being king.” (ESV)
Saul then admits that it was fear of the people that drove him. Rather than fearing the Lord, he feared what others thought of him.
24 Saul said to Samuel, “I have sinned, for I have transgressed the commandment of the Lord and your words, because I feared the people and obeyed their voice. (ESV)
But still Saul doesn’t learn. When Samuel turns to leave after this confrontation, Saul begs him to stay for one reason.
30 Then he said, “I have sinned; yet honor me now before the elders of my people and before Israel, and return with me, that I may bow before the Lord your God.” (ESV)
Saul’s concern was to be honored before men. This was expressed in a hypocritical pretense of his relationship with God. He put on a show for the others in the church. He wanted them to think he was spiritual. He wanted their approval. He wanted them to look at how he worshiped and think him a great Christian. If this sounds a little personal, it is. We are all prone to this temptation, especially us guys. I know I certainly am.
At times I’ve stood in the worship service, singing a song and wondering if the people around me thought I was a good singer! What a wicked heart I have!
It’s easy to do this. To come to church and pretend that your walk with God is good, when it’s not. To talk as if you are serving him throughout the week, when you’re not.
Don’t fall prey to this trap of the enemy. Obedience is better than sacrifice. Giving a large amount of money to the church is great if it’s done with gratitude in your heart toward God as the provider. But if you give to make yourself look good, or to sooth your conscience, you are giving for the wrong reasons and it does not please God.
One more instance of Saul’s concern for appearances in the eyes of men. Chapter 18.
By this point, David has been anointed and has shown up in Saul’s court. He has already won his famous bout with the giant Goliath. And now the women are making songs up about his military conquests.
7 And the women sang to one another as they celebrated,
“Saul has struck down his thousands,
and David his ten thousands.” (ESV)
They are singing his praises, far above that of King Saul. And Saul, he’s not happy about it.
8 And Saul was very angry, and this saying displeased him. He said, “They have ascribed to David ten thousands, and to me they have ascribed thousands, and what more can he have but the kingdom?” (ESV)
Saul’s jealously for the praise of men, or women as the case may be, leads him to seek to kill David.
He tries three times to kill David personally. Then he seeks to kill him with an army. He even goes so far as to have his personal bodyguard and armor bearer, Doeg, kill 85 priests because one of them had aided David.
Saul’s life ends tragically in suicide. Facing defeat at the hands of the Philistines, Saul opts to end his own life rather than suffer at the hands of his enemies.
Though Saul’s entire life is lived in fear of what men think rather than God, it stands as a stark contrast to the life of Israel’s second king, David.
David
When God tells Samuel to go anoint the new king from among the sons of Jesse, after rejecting Saul, Samuel obeys and finds himself attempting to guess which of the 8 boys it will be.
6 When they came, he looked on Eliab and thought, “Surely the Lord’s anointed is before him.” (ESV)
Seeing one who looked kingly, Samuel thought sure this was the one. God, had other plans. For the outward appearance is not important to God, the heart is.
7 But the Lord said to Samuel, “Do not look on his appearance or on the height of his stature, because I have rejected him. For the Lord sees not as man sees: man looks on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart.” (ESV)
So David, the youngest, is handsome, but small. Yet God elects to have David be king over his people.
The famous story of David and Goliath give us some insight into the difference between David and Saul. Goliath has been taunting the army of Israel for while before David comes on the scene as a simple delivery boy. His father has sent him with supplies for his brothers when he hears Goliath challenging the army.
26 And David said to the men who stood by him, “What shall be done for the man who kills this Philistine and takes away the reproach from Israel? For who is this uncircumcised Philistine, that he should defy the armies of the living God?” (ESV)
You see that David’s concern was for the Lord’s reputation, not his own.
Most people cast this story as one of courage in the face of overwhelming opposition, but that’s not it. This is a story of faith, and devotion to the glory of God.
42 And when the Philistine looked and saw David, he disdained him, for he was but a youth, ruddy and handsome in appearance. 43 And the Philistine said to David, “Am I a dog, that you come to me with sticks?” And the Philistine cursed David by his gods. 44 The Philistine said to David, “Come to me, and I will give your flesh to the birds of the air and to the beasts of the field.” 45 Then David said to the Philistine, “You come to me with a sword and with a spear and with a javelin, but I come to you in the name of the Lord of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied. 46 This day the Lord will deliver you into my hand, and I will strike you down and cut off your head. And I will give the dead bodies of the host of the Philistines this day to the birds of the air and to the wild beasts of the earth, that all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel, 47 and that all this assembly may know that the Lord saves not with sword and spear. For the battle is the Lord’s, and he will give you into our hand.” (ESV)
David does not seek to make his own name great, but to demonstrate the greatness of the Lord. The power of Yahweh is the issue here, not David’s courage. It took faith for David to face Goliath, not courage. Without the Lord, facing Goliath as he did would have been foolish, not courageous!
Two more brief stories about David drive home this point.
In chapter 24, David is hiding out in some caves because Saul has come hunting him with an army. Saul stops to take a restroom break in the very cave David is hiding in.
3 And he came to the sheepfolds by the way, where there was a cave, and Saul went in to relieve himself. Now David and his men were sitting in the innermost parts of the cave. 4 And the men of David said to him, “Here is the day of which the Lord said to you, ‘Behold, I will give your enemy into your hand, and you shall do to him as it shall seem good to you.’” Then David arose and stealthily cut off a corner of Saul’s robe. 5 And afterward David’s heart struck him, because he had cut off a corner of Saul’s robe. 6 He said to his men, “The Lord forbid that I should do this thing to my lord, the Lord’s anointed, to put out my hand against him, seeing he is the Lord’s anointed.” 7 So David persuaded his men with these words and did not permit them to attack Saul. And Saul rose up and left the cave and went on his way. (ESV)
David’s concern here was to do what was right before the Lord, not in the eyes of his men.
Again in chapter 26 David has a chance to kill Saul and doesn’t, for the same reason.
Saul is again hunting David and is camped in the valley. David decides to sneak down into the camp at night.
7 So David and Abishai went to the army by night. And there lay Saul sleeping within the encampment, with his spear stuck in the ground at his head, and Abner and the army lay around him. 8 Then said Abishai to David, “God has given your enemy into your hand this day. Now please let me pin him to the earth with one stroke of the spear, and I will not strike him twice.” 9 But David said to Abishai, “Do not destroy him, for who can put out his hand against the Lord’s anointed and be guiltless?” 10 And David said, “As the Lord lives, the Lord will strike him, or his day will come to die, or he will go down into battle and perish. 11 The Lord forbid that I should put out my hand against the Lord’s anointed. But take now the spear that is at his head and the jar of water, and let us go.” 12 So David took the spear and the jar of water from Saul’s head, and they went away. No man saw it or knew it, nor did any awake, for they were all asleep, because a deep sleep from the Lord had fallen upon them. (ESV)
Once again David demonstrates his obedience to God, and concern for doing what is right in the Lord’s eyes rather than what seems right to men, or will bring him approval from men.
There are many other stories is this great book, but the point I want us to walk away with is this. We are to be obedient to the Lord and do what is right in his sight, even when it seems foolish in the eyes of men.
Certainly our great King Jesus powerfully demonstrated that for us during his time on earth. For the cross is foolishness to men.
18 For the word of the cross is folly to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. 19 For it is written,
“I will destroy the wisdom of the wise,
and the discernment of the discerning I will thwart.”
20 Where is the one who is wise? Where is the scribe? Where is the debater of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world? 21 For since, in the wisdom of God, the world did not know God through wisdom, it pleased God through the folly of what we preach to save those who believe. 22 For Jews demand signs and Greeks seek wisdom, 23 but we preach Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and folly to Gentiles, 24 but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. 25 For the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men. (ESV)
The cross may be foolish to the world, but it was the will of the Lord, and Jesus obeyed to the point of death.
8 And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. (ESV)
Live your life Coram Deo, “before the face of God” rather than seeking the approval of men. Even if it means that you must humble yourself and appear foolish to the world, learn the contrast of Saul and David, follow the example of our perfect and great King, Jesus.
Humble yourself and seek God’s glory rather than your own.
1 House & Mitchell, Old Testament Survey 2nd Ed (B&H Academic, 2007), p. 3
