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The Kings Becoming a Nation. In-class review timeline on page 119 How do you build a nation: you start with unity The comings & goings of the likes of Moses, Joshua and the Judges did not provide a continuity of leadership
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The KingsBecoming a Nation In-class review timeline on page 119 How do you build a nation: you start with unity The comings & goings of the likes of Moses, Joshua and the Judges did not provide a continuity of leadership The Books of Samuel and the 1st Book of Kings tell us about the line of Saul, David & Solomon
In-class read together page 121 • The 1st Book of Samuel: tells us about a baby who should not have been born and was offered by his mother to God as a “Nazirite”: meaning a special dedication to God • In-class read together the bottom paragraph of the left column on page 122 • Samuel acts as priest and judge & leads the Israelites to victory over their long-time enemy, the Philistines
Samuel’s sons prove unfit to be judges yet the people clamor for a king • Samuel warns the people of the consequences of having a “king:” a king will draft their sons into an army, take their daughters as servants, and a tithe of their crops • But the people insist that they want a king • The Deuteronomists and the prophets maintained that only God was King of Israel
The Israelites wanted to be like other nations: they wanted a king – See picture of Philistine on top of page 120 • Time proved the Deuteronomists correct: nations with kings all tend to fall eventually because of the sins/errors of their kings • The Israelites felt pulled toward the success and power model of their neighboring nations like Assyria, Babylon and Egypt • Or should they stand as a nation apart?
Samuel finds an unassuming, shy, tall & good looking farm worker named Saul and appoints him King • In-class read together “The Meaning of Israel” on the top of page 124 • Saul matches a familiar pattern in God’s work: he is the lowliest and least likely choice • Read 1 Samuel 9:1-27; 10:1-27
Saul gets off to a good start as King but then loses faith in God • Read together in class the left column of page 125 • Samuel, the prophet, is led by God to find another King to replace Saul • He is led by God to a boy named David in the town of Bethlehem
Samuel anoints David as King but only in secret – Samuel will not make his appointment public until later • Saul even takes a liking to David • There are two stories about how Saul meets David, one is the famous David slaying of Goliath • Notice the Bethlehem connection!
Saul eventually become jealous of David’s popularity and tries to kill him but fails time after time • Eventually Saul realizes that David will become the next King of Israel • The story of David is complex • Let’s read together in class starting with “David: The Outlaw” on page 127
In class read “David’s Legacy” on pages 139-140 • Go to video “David and Bathsheba”
In class read section “Passing the Torch to Solomon” on pages 140-141 • In class read the classic story of “Solomon’s Judgment” on page 141
In class read section “Solomon’s Temple” on bottom of page 142 • Go to video “Solomon’s Temple”
Summing Up Chapter 6 • In class read section “The Prayer of Israel” on page 143 • And finally, in class read together the section “Nationhood Revisited” on page 145