Israel changes from God-appointed judges to man-centered kings. This book is the bridge between the two scenes.
Quotes about 1 Samuel:
Paul Van Gorder: The book of 1 Samuel is a book of transition. It outlines the change from the theocracy established under Moses to the monarchy begun under Saul.
A.M. Hodgkin: Samuel himself was a picture of our Saviour. The meaning of his name ... in the Assyrian, which is closely allied to the Hebrew tongue, the word sumu means son, and ... translated ''Samuel'' as ''son (or offspring) of God.''
Paul Van Gorder: The book of 1 Samuel is a book of transition. It outlines the change from the theocracy established under Moses to the monarchy begun under Saul.
A.M. Hodgkin: Samuel himself was a picture of our Saviour. The meaning of his name ... in the Assyrian, which is closely allied to the Hebrew tongue, the word sumu means son, and ... translated ''Samuel'' as ''son (or offspring) of God.''
Who wrote this book? We are not sure of the specific author. It could have been Samuel but it may have been the prophets/historians Nathan and Gad if we understand the passage in 1 Chronicles 29:29.
Date of Writing: 1 and 2 Samuel were originally one volume, but those who translated the Septuagint split them apart.
1 Samuel spans about the length of a century, (1100 B.C. to c. 1000 B.C). 2 Samuel covers another 40 years, so it seems best to place the writing at 960 B.C.
Why was it written? This is a history of a massive change in Israel's history - from judges to monarchies. Samuel is the final judge, and the line then changes to two kings, Saul and David.
Key Verse: “But when they said, ‘Give us a king to lead us,’ this displeased Samuel; so he prayed to the LORD. And the LORD told him: ‘Listen to all that the people are saying to you; it is not you they have rejected, but they have rejected me as their king’” (1 Samuel 8:6-7).
Brief Summary: 1 Samuel has two sections: Samuel's life (chapters 1-12) and Saul's life (chapters 13-31).
This book displays a lot of God's miracles. Look at the amazing birth of Samuel in answer to his mother’s fervent prayer. Samuel then grew up in the temple, serving God with extreme seriousness. When God appointed him as a prophet (3:19-21), Samuel didn't show any fear; his first prophecy blasted corrupt priests who were trying to take advantage of their office.
This book also relates the story of the Philistines/Israelite battle, where the Ark of the Covenant is taken (Israel used it like a good-luck charm - bad decsion that God would not allow). God then shows His power so greatly that the Philistines actually return the Ark in fear. A great story.
The people of the nation wanted to be like other countries; other nations didn't have judges, they had a really regal showing with someone called a king. Samuel warns them of upcoming sorrow; they are rejecting God's leadership. Samuel is displeased and gives a warning but then anoints Saul.
At first things go well for Saul as he wins a good battle, but then he starts to intrude on spiritual things in which he had no business getting involved, he actually makes a move to have his own son killed because he foolishly disallowed anyone from eating anything during an entire battle and then to top things off, he fails to complete a battle according to the Lord's direction God removes His blessing from Saul, and Saul's mental state starts to deteriorate.
Then the scene shifts to Samuel who in Bethlehem anoints a young man named David to be the next king. We read about David defeating Goliath the Philistine. This catapults David into national prominence and results in Saul growing maddeningly jealous of David’s success. We read of a deep friendship between David and Jonathon despite Jonathon's father Saul actually trying to murder David. David goes on the run, but never loses his faith in God.
Saul goes deeper into mental anguish, and to make matters worse, Samuel dies. Before a battle with the Philistines, Saul avoids God, seeking advice and insight from a witch. He gets no answer he wants and heads into a horrible battle which sees all of his sons die and Saul commit suicide.
Does this book connect with Jesus in the New Testament? It certainly does. Read Hannah's prayers and you will see prophecy. Hannah prays and uses the term Rock which will then be given to Jesus (see the prophecy in 1 Samuel 2:1-10) Hannah’s prayer refers to the Judge of the ends of the earth (v. 2:10), and in Matthew 25:31-32 Jesus will be the eternal and universal Judge.
Date of Writing: 1 and 2 Samuel were originally one volume, but those who translated the Septuagint split them apart.
1 Samuel spans about the length of a century, (1100 B.C. to c. 1000 B.C). 2 Samuel covers another 40 years, so it seems best to place the writing at 960 B.C.
Why was it written? This is a history of a massive change in Israel's history - from judges to monarchies. Samuel is the final judge, and the line then changes to two kings, Saul and David.
Key Verse: “But when they said, ‘Give us a king to lead us,’ this displeased Samuel; so he prayed to the LORD. And the LORD told him: ‘Listen to all that the people are saying to you; it is not you they have rejected, but they have rejected me as their king’” (1 Samuel 8:6-7).
Brief Summary: 1 Samuel has two sections: Samuel's life (chapters 1-12) and Saul's life (chapters 13-31).
This book displays a lot of God's miracles. Look at the amazing birth of Samuel in answer to his mother’s fervent prayer. Samuel then grew up in the temple, serving God with extreme seriousness. When God appointed him as a prophet (3:19-21), Samuel didn't show any fear; his first prophecy blasted corrupt priests who were trying to take advantage of their office.
This book also relates the story of the Philistines/Israelite battle, where the Ark of the Covenant is taken (Israel used it like a good-luck charm - bad decsion that God would not allow). God then shows His power so greatly that the Philistines actually return the Ark in fear. A great story.
The people of the nation wanted to be like other countries; other nations didn't have judges, they had a really regal showing with someone called a king. Samuel warns them of upcoming sorrow; they are rejecting God's leadership. Samuel is displeased and gives a warning but then anoints Saul.
At first things go well for Saul as he wins a good battle, but then he starts to intrude on spiritual things in which he had no business getting involved, he actually makes a move to have his own son killed because he foolishly disallowed anyone from eating anything during an entire battle and then to top things off, he fails to complete a battle according to the Lord's direction God removes His blessing from Saul, and Saul's mental state starts to deteriorate.
Then the scene shifts to Samuel who in Bethlehem anoints a young man named David to be the next king. We read about David defeating Goliath the Philistine. This catapults David into national prominence and results in Saul growing maddeningly jealous of David’s success. We read of a deep friendship between David and Jonathon despite Jonathon's father Saul actually trying to murder David. David goes on the run, but never loses his faith in God.
Saul goes deeper into mental anguish, and to make matters worse, Samuel dies. Before a battle with the Philistines, Saul avoids God, seeking advice and insight from a witch. He gets no answer he wants and heads into a horrible battle which sees all of his sons die and Saul commit suicide.
Does this book connect with Jesus in the New Testament? It certainly does. Read Hannah's prayers and you will see prophecy. Hannah prays and uses the term Rock which will then be given to Jesus (see the prophecy in 1 Samuel 2:1-10) Hannah’s prayer refers to the Judge of the ends of the earth (v. 2:10), and in Matthew 25:31-32 Jesus will be the eternal and universal Judge.
CHUCK SMITH:
This book presents the history, the personal history of Samuel who was the last of the Judges. It ushers in the beginning of the period of the kings in the children of Israel, or among the children of Israel.
DAVID GUZIK:
1 and 2 Samuel form one book in the ancient Hebrew manuscripts. They were not divided into two books until the Old Testament was translated into Greek. We don’t know who wrote the books; certainly, Samuel was a major contributor, but much of the book takes place after his death in 1 Samuel 25. They are called the books of 1 and 2 Samuel, not because Samuel wrote all of them, but because they describe his great ministry in Israel and the legacy of it.
This book presents the history, the personal history of Samuel who was the last of the Judges. It ushers in the beginning of the period of the kings in the children of Israel, or among the children of Israel.
DAVID GUZIK:
1 and 2 Samuel form one book in the ancient Hebrew manuscripts. They were not divided into two books until the Old Testament was translated into Greek. We don’t know who wrote the books; certainly, Samuel was a major contributor, but much of the book takes place after his death in 1 Samuel 25. They are called the books of 1 and 2 Samuel, not because Samuel wrote all of them, but because they describe his great ministry in Israel and the legacy of it.