The Books of 1-2 Samuel

1. The Books of 1-2 Samuel

2. Key Ideas • The institution of kingship • The process toward establishing a covenant with David’sline • The importance of divine kingship over human kingship

3. Purpose Statement The purpose of the books of 1-2 Samuel is to tell the story of the establishment of the kingship covenant with David. God’s plan was to have an earthly king who would give a good example of what God’s kingship was like. David is shown to be the legitimate choice of God, but also is shown to have been at times an obstacle rather than an instrument of God’s rule.

4. Background • Originally constituted a single book • Cover the period of the transition from the judges through the establishment of the monarchy • Name derived from significant role Samuel played in establishment of monarchy

5. Purpose and Message Purpose • Not strictly historical • Not only biographical • Rather, primarily theological: emphasis is on the establishment of the Davidic covenant

6. Purpose and Message Message • Primary message is that the Davidic covenant was established by Yahweh—the institution of the monarchy was God’s plan for Israel • Secondary message is to show that David did not overthrow Saul; rather, he carefully avoided taking action against Saul’s throne • God placed David on the throne • 1-2 Samuel nevertheless present David in light of his humanly weaknesses (e.g., adultery with Bathsheba, organizing murder of Uriah, etc.)

7. Outline • The Shiloh Traditions (1 Sam. 1:1 – 4:1) • The Ark Narrative (1 Sam. 4:1 – 7:1) • The Institution of the Monarchy (1 Sam. 7:22 – 12:25) • The Reign of Saul (1 Sam. 13 – 15) • David’s Rise to Power (1 Sam. 16:1 – 2 Sam. 5:10) • David’s Successes (2 Sam. 5:11 – 9:13) • David’s Failures (2 Sam. 10 – 24) • Men Acting Against Him (2 Sam. 10 – 20) • God Acting Against Him (2 Sam. 21 – 24)

8. Major Themes • Ark of the Covenant • Kingship • Davidic Covenant • Assessment of Saul • Assessment of David

9. Major Themes • Ark of the Covenant • Kingship • Davidic Covenant • Assessment of Saul • Assessment of David

10. The Ark of the Covenant • Most important religious artifact in Israel—represented Yahweh’s presence in their midst • Was subject to abuses at the hands of the Philistines • Operated only at Yahweh’sinitiative • Successful installation in Jerusalem at the beginning of David’s reign was not simply a ritual, but designated the Lord’s approval of the new era andhis favor on David.

11. Major Themes • Ark of the Covenant • Kingship • Davidic Covenant • Assessment of Saul • Assessment of David

12. Kingship • Biblically, kingship over Israel was God’s design • Functions of the king: • Maintain justice, domestically • Maintain effective military force, internationally

13. Kingship • Where did Israel go wrong? • They began to view kingship as a more permanent office than that of the judges—one that would eliminate the need to wait for the Lord to raise up a deliverer • Israel’s crime, then, was not their request for a king, but their expectation that a human king could succeed where they believed the Lord had failed

14. Kingship • What is the proper view of the king? • A proper monarchy still had to function as theocracy rather than replaceit • The king was to be viewed as the earthly head of God’s theocratic kingdom

15. Major Themes • Ark of the Covenant • Kingship • Davidic Covenant • Assessment of Saul • Assessment of David

16. Davidic Covenant 1. What did the Lord promise David? • Promised to make David’s name great (2 Sam. 7:9) • Promised a place in which he would plant Israel (2 Sam. 7:10) • Promised to make the land a place of security(2 Sam. 7:10-11) • Promised that David’s descendant would be established on the throne after him • Promised that David’s successor would construct the templethat David had so much wanted to build

17. Davidic Covenant 2. Was the covenant conditional or unconditional? • Covenant made with David was unconditional • However, covenant was subject to periodic renewal—so, there must have been some stipulations on keeping the covenant • 1. David must walk before Yahweh in integrity of heart and uprightness • 2. David must do allthat Yahweh commands, and observe Yahweh’s decrees and laws

18. Davidic Covenant 3. What impact did the covenant have on the rest of Israelite history? • When Solomon failed to meet the conditions of the covenant, did it become null and void? • According to 1 Kings 11:32-39, Yahweh’s allowing Solomon to remain on the throne for all his days fulfilled the promisemade to David • Yahweh was free to take the kingdom from him and give it to someone else • But, as an act of grace, Yahweh promised to leave onetribe under the control of David’s line

19. Davidic Covenant 3. What impact did the covenant have on the rest of Israelite history? • Solomon’s failure set the stage for a Davidic king who would meet the conditions of the covenant and restore the full Davidic covenant—the true Messiah

20. Major Themes • Ark of the Covenant • Kingship • Davidic Covenant • Assessment of Saul • Assessment of David

21. Assessment of Saul • Early in 1-2 Samuel, Saul is portrayed as shy, sincere, and likeable. • By the end of the books, Saul is viewed as a man driven by jealousyand paranoia. • The question, then, is: What brought the change? Why did Saul fail?

22. Assessment of Saul 1. The Spirit of the Lord • Initially, the Spirit of the Lord came upon Saul to empowerhim for the task of kingship • Then, this Spirit was replaced by an evilSpirit from the Lord • From that point on, Saul lost the empowering from God that was essential to be a successful king

23. Assessment of Saul 2. Saul’s Spiritual Insensitivity • He was sincere, but only superficially • Examples: • His unawareness of who Samuelwas or why he was important • His failure to recognize how serious his offense was when offered an improper sacrifice before a major battle, and when he failed to execute Agag (vs. Yahweh’s commandments)

24. Assessment of Saul 3. Saul’s Misunderstanding of Yahweh • An episode near the end of Saul’s life—when he decided to use divination to gain information—suggests that he never quite understood some of the basic tenets of Israelite theology • Though he didn’t worship other gods, he failed to see how Yahweh was differentfrom them • As a result, he didn’t possesses the qualitiesnecessary to effectively perform his job as king

25. Major Themes • Ark of the Covenant • Kingship • Davidic Covenant • Assessment of Saul • Assessment of David

26. Assessment of David • Unlike Saul, David honestly yearnedfor God, was sensitiveto spiritual realities, and understood how Yahweh was to be seen as distinctfrom other pagan gods • However, David was not perfect: • 1. His liescost people their lives (1 Sam. 21) • 2. His temperjeopardized his royal destiny (1 Sam. 25) • 3. His deceitfulnessled him to execute civilians (1 Sam. 27) • 4. His lustentangled him in a murderous plot (2 Sam. 11) • 5. His fearof disciplining others contributed to bloodshed within his own family (2 Sam. 13-14) • 6. His pridebrought a pestilence that devastated the land (2 Sam. 24)

27. Assessment of David • Despite these failures, David was faithfulto the Lord and recognized when he has committed sin • So, we must view him as the Bible presents him—he yearned for God, but he was not immune to moral failures • Ultimately, David’s importance as king is not found in the uprightness of his character; it is found in how God chose to use him, despite his sin and failures

28. The Books of 1-2 Samuel