Bible Study Notes 6/17/2025

​

Ø tells Eli that his sons will die because they despised Ø’s sacrifices (1 Sam. 2).

Ø calls a young boy, Samuel, who is ministering upon the house of Eli (1 Sam. 3).

As a prophet, Samuel is to tell Eli what Ø revealed, which he does.

Tragedy Strikes! (Sam. 4 & 5).

The I’s are defeated by the Philistines AND the ARK ØF THE LØRD is taken and transported to one of the Philistine cities.

This means Ø has abandoned his dwelling place at Shiloh (1 Sam. 4-5; cf. Ps. 78:60-61; Jer. 7:12-14).

Hophni and Phinehas die, and their father Eli dies when he hears his sons are dead and that the ark of the Lord is taken.

Phinehas’ wife, who was pregnant, gives birth prematurely when she hears the news — she dies while giving birth.

               The baby was named “Ichabed”, meaning, “Where is the glory?” (1 Sam. 4:21).

God is judging I for their sin.

God is also angry with the Philistines because the took the ark of the Lord.

               Ø smites them with tumors, and after seven months, they finally return the ark to I (1 Sam. 5-6).

Samuel, the prophet, explains that these events have taken place because the I’s have worshipped foreign gods.

Samuel announces, “Put away gods and I’ll deliver you from Philistine”.

Ashtoreth is one of the main false gods mentioned in the ØT (different groups have different thoughts on who Ashtoreth was and what she was associated with).

               Her name refers to any and all female deities I turned to.

The I’s continued to worship foreign gods during the days of the judges and continue during the days of Samuel.

But in response to Samuel, the people remove foreign gods and serve the LØRD alone (1 Sam. 7:4).

               The people confess their sin, Samuel prays, sacrifices are offered, Ø answers his prayer, and the Philistines are subdued (1 Sam 7:5-13).

Samuel appoints his sons Joel and Abijah to be judges over I, but they pervert justice, take bribes and seek dishonest gain (1 Sam. 8:1-3).

KING SAUL (1050-1010 BC)

Samuel, a prophet and a judge, is asked by I to appoint a king for them like the other nations, to fight their battles (1 Sam. 3:20-21; 7:6-15).

               Even though Samuel told the I’s that Ø would deliver them if they followed the LØRD (1 Sam. 7:3), the people want an earthly king to fight their battles.

They reject Ø by asking for a human leader to deliver them (1 Sam. 8:7; 10:19).

Samuel doesn’t like the idea, but when he prays about it, Ø tells him to do what the people ask.

Samuel is to appoint a military man named Saul, from Heb. Word “to ask”, from the tribe of Benjamin (1 Sam 9:1; cf ACTS 13:21).

Saul is NØT from Ø’s chosen royal line, Judah, which means his kingship is not in fulfillment of Ø’s promise of kings to the patriarchs (Gen, 17:6; 16; 49:10).

Saul’s physical appearance spoke to his military stature (1 Sam 9:1-2), BUT Ø was not looking for a military presence or capabilities in his king.

Ø wants a king who will serve Him and trust Him for deliverance.

The battle is the Lord’s — a king who understood that would succeed.

Saul does not last because he fails to obey Ø’s commands and does not seek the Lord. Ø rejects him.

Saul does what the people want — he defeats their enemies beginning with the Ammonites (1 Sam 11).

Still Saul does not do what Ø requires (disobedient!) Here are three examples:

Example 1

In 1 Sam 13: Saul and his army are about to fight the Philistines, but Saul is supposed to wait for Samuel to arrive.

Saul waits seven days — he and the people are impatient because of the magnitude of the Philistine army.

Saul prematurely offers the prebattle sacrifice himself.

Samuel arrives and sees what Saul did — he tells Saul that his kingdom will be taken away from him because he disobeyed Ø’s command (1 Sam. 13:3-14).

Samuel departs; Saul numbers his army (1 Sam. 13:15), which means Saul is trusting his army, not Ø.

Saul’s son, Jonathan, understands the need to trust in Ø (1 Sam 14:6; Ps 33:16-22).

Example 2

In 1 Sam 15, Ø tells Saul to wipe out the Amalekites in battle because they had not treated the I’s with kindness when they were leaving Egypt.

Saul defeats the Amalekites BUT disobeys Ø’s instructions and allows their king, Agag, to remain alive along with the best of their sheep and oxen.

Saul does what HE thinks is best.

Samuel announces that because Saul disobeyed, Ø has rejected him from being king, and as such, his kingdom will be torn away from him (1 Sam. 15:22-28).

Samuel steps in and slaughters Agag (1 Sam. 15:32-33).

Example 3

Saul is about to fight the Philistines but he’s afraid so he consults a spirit medium to contact Samuel, who was already dead (1 Sam 28).

The mosaic covenant strictly prohibited the I’s from consulting mediums and spiritists (Lev. 19:31) AND from calling anyone up from the dead (Deut. 18:11).

In fact, spiritists were not to be found among the I’s and they were to be stoned to death — this shows a lack of trust in Ø.

Remainder of 1 Sam records the conflict between the house of Saul and the house of David.

While Saul is still on the throne, Ø tells Samuel to go to Jesse’s house in Bethlehem, for Ø has chosen David to be His anointed king — this was after Samuel had announced his judgment against Saul for his disobedience (1 Sam 15) with the diviner and spiritists.

Boaz and Ruth had a grandson, Jesse, who was David’s father.

Jesse and his family lived in Bethlehem (1 Sam 16:4), a town belonging to the tribe of Judah (Judg. 17:7; Ruth 1:1).

Many of the events in the book of Ruth take place in Bethlehem (Ruth 1:1-2; 19; 2:4) — the birthplace of Jesus where David is anointed king.

               Ø will make extraordinary promises to David concerning his throne and kingdom (2 Sam 7:8-17).

These promises will ultimately be fulfilled in Jesus, the Messiah, the son of David (Mt. 1:1-17).

Samuel arrives in Bethlehem at Jesse’s house and offers a sacrifice.

               Seven of Jesse’s sons join the celebration and pass by Samuel 1-by-1 to see if any is Ø’s anointed, but Ø indicates that none of them is and further tells Samuel to not look at outward appearances, for Ø to look at the heart (1 Sam 16:7).

               According to the day’s culture, the position of preeminence belonged to the first born, so it is not surprising that the youngest, David, remained in the field tending sheep.

               Ø’s power is seen as weakness — he chooses unlikely and unqualified people to accomplish his purposes.

               Samuel asks for the youngest son and anoints David with oil.

               At this time, the spirit of Ø comes upon this shepherd boy and AT THE SAME TIME, Ø’s spirit departs from Saul — kingship transfers from Saul to David.

               David does not assume the throne for a number of years thereafter.

David defeats a Philistine named Goliath, a huge champion fighter, w/ Ø’s help.

               Goliath had been taunting the I’s for 40 days but no Israelite wanted to fight this formidable man.

               David is willing but he is very young and lacks military strength.

               Saul cautions David.

               David knows the battle is Ø’s…so—he denounces Goliath by saying (read 1 Sam 17:33).

               Ø gave victory to David over Goliath with a sling and a stone, because the Lord Ø is with him.

Now David becomes popular, especially amongst the women.

Saul burns with jealousy and pursues David with the intent to kill him.

               David flees for his life, hiding in caves and in the wilderness.

               During this time, he learns to trust in the Lord and to seek refuge in Him.

               David will not take the kingdom by force, nor stretch his hand against Saul for the kingdom will be given to him by Ø…after Ø has brought judgment against Saul (1 Sam 31).

1 Samuel concludes with the death of Saul and his three sons, Jonathan, Abinadab, and Malchishua, while fighting against the Philistines.

Saul is badly wounded and fears the Philistines will make sport of him, so he falls on his sword.

But the P’s did make sport of him, but after death, by stripping weapons off him, cut off his head and sent his head with his weapons throughout the Philistine territory as a trophy of war.

Saul’s body is then strapped to the city wall.

His armor is put in the house of the P’s gods, and his head is fastened to the temple of the P god, Dagon.

The P’s believed their god gave them the victory, but that was not true!

“Saul died for his breach of faith. He broke faith with the Lord in that he did not keep the command of the Lord, and also consulted a medium, seeking guidance. He did not seek guidance from the Lord. Therefore, the Lord put him to death and turned the kingdom over to David, the son of Jesse” (1 Chr 10:13-14).

The 1st King of I dies a humiliating death while fighting enemies.

DAVID AS KING (1010-970 BC)

Saul is Dead. David is anointed as King in Hebron over the house of Judah but the commander of Saul’s son, Ish-Bosheth, as King over Israel.

Ish-Bosheth rules over Israel for two years, while David is King over Judah—Ish-Bosheth is murdered in a rivalry between the two households.

Tribes of Isreal come to David and recognize he is Ø’s chosen King.