The First Book of Samuel

History kept repeating itself...until Jesus,King of kings and Lord of lords!

The First Book of Samuel

First Samuel recounts King Saul’s extraordinary rise to power and influence and his subsequent tragic fall. In this sense, the book reads like a classic Greek tragedy or Arthur Miller’s Death of a Salesman. Saul’s good looks, his physical size, and his success in war made him an obvious choice to be first king of Israel. But the author of 1 Samuel highlights Saul’s tragic flaw—his disobedience of God’s commands. Because of his disobedience, God rejected him. Abandoned by God, Saul quickly lost his courage, became jealous of David’s success, and eventually lost his mind. From the ashes of this tragedy, God raised up another king who would obey the directives of the one true King, the God of Israel.

At the beginning of 1 Samuel, the nation of Israel was at a religious low point. Even the priesthood was corrupt. To make things worse, Samuel’s sons who served as judges in Beersheba were also dishonest. With such evil leaders as models, the people of Israel showed open disdain for the word of God and refused to listen to His prophet Samuel.

Yet in the midst of widespread corruption and apostasy, there was a righteous remnant of Israelites who faithfully worshiped God. The worship center of Israel at this time was located at Shiloh, where the tabernacle was set up. However, even the contents of the tabernacle were not left undisturbed during these tumultuous and evil times. The ark of the covenant was captured by the Philistines. After a seven-month sojourn among the Philistine cities), the ark was returned to Beth Shemesh and then kept at Kirjath Jearim until David brought it to Jerusalem

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During this time, the Israelites became dissatisfied with the abusive rule of the judges. The people longed for the glories of a monarchy such as they saw in the surrounding nations. So the Lord allowed the Israelites to have their way. He gave them a king like the other nations: the handsome and tall King Saul. Although Saul appeared to be well suited for leading a nation, his reign ended in tragedy because he ignored the word of God. Much of the action of 1 Samuel is associated with the tumultuous life, reign, and decline of Saul, contrasted with the rapid rise of the young and faithful David.

The Philistines constituted Israel’s main threat during this period. Their skill in working iron had given them a decided military and economic advantage over Israel. Yet the threat of the Philistines had a positive impact on Israel’s political situation. It caused the infant nation to unite under the leadership of its first kings, Saul and David.

In fact, the second half of the book and first half of 2 Samuel amount to an apology for David’s rise to the throne. The similarities of this section to the Apology of Hattusilis, a thirteenth-century b.c. writing, are remarkable. In this ancient document, a Hittite king outlined the reasons for the legitimacy of his rule. Such an apology was particularly important in the case of a king—like David—who founded a new dynasty. Hattusilis’s dynastic defense included the following elements:

1. A detailed description of the disqualifications of the preceding ruler.

2. An extended history of events leading up to the new king’s accession.

3. A defense of the new king’s ability to rule, as evidenced by military achievements.

4. A record of the new king’s leniency on political foes, in contrast to usurpers, who typically assassinated the former king.

5. A report of the new king’s interest in religion.

6. A conclusion that included a summary of the new king’s reign, demonstrating the divine blessing on his rule as evidenced by the expansion of his kingdom and the establishment of peace with surrounding nations

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The similarities between the Apology of Hattusilis and 1 Samuel 15:1 through 2 Samuel 8:18 illustrate clearly how that part of 1 and 2 Samuel serves as an apology for David’s reign. Part of the apology is the irrefutable evidence that God Himself had chosen David for the throne. Initially, David was a surprising choice—an undistinguished member of a rural family. Yet his remarkable faith in the Lord distinguished David from his fellow Israelites and from Saul. God shaped David’s character while he was on the run from Saul’s erratic wrath. In these distressing times, David learned to trust in God for deliverance. Although he made mistakes, he always turned back to God for mercy. For this reason, David was called the man after God’s own heart.