the books of first and second Samuel
the books of first and second Samuel

there are two separate books in our
there are two separate books in our

modern Bibles but that division is due
modern Bibles but that division is due

simply to scroll length it was
simply to scroll length it was

originally written as one coherent story
originally written as one coherent story

we're just going to cover the book of
we're just going to cover the book of

1st Samuel in this video so after Israel
1st Samuel in this video so after Israel

was rescued from slavery in Egypt they
was rescued from slavery in Egypt they

made a covenant with God at Mount Sinai
made a covenant with God at Mount Sinai

and eventually came into the Promised
and eventually came into the Promised

Land and their Israel was supposed to be
Land and their Israel was supposed to be

faithful to God and obey the Covenant
faithful to God and obey the Covenant

commands before the book of Samuel
commands before the book of Samuel

Judges showed how Israel failed at that
Judges showed how Israel failed at that

task big time it was a period of moral
task big time it was a period of moral

chaos and it showed Israel's need for
chaos and it showed Israel's need for

wise faithful leaders the book of Samuel
wise faithful leaders the book of Samuel

provides an answer to that need
provides an answer to that need

the book of Samuel story focuses on
the book of Samuel story focuses on

three main characters the prophet Samuel
three main characters the prophet Samuel

where the book gets its name and then
where the book gets its name and then

King Saul and after that King David and
King Saul and after that King David and

all three of them transitioned Israel
all three of them transitioned Israel

from a group of tribes ruled by judges
from a group of tribes ruled by judges

into a unified Kingdom ruled by King
into a unified Kingdom ruled by King

David in Jerusalem and the book of
David in Jerusalem and the book of

Samuel has a fascinating design that
Samuel has a fascinating design that

weaves the story of these three
weaves the story of these three

characters together in four main parts
characters together in four main parts

Samuel he's the key leader and prophet
Samuel he's the key leader and prophet

in the first section of the book but
in the first section of the book but

then he also plays a key role in the
then he also plays a key role in the

next section which is Saul's story and
next section which is Saul's story and

it's told in two movements Saul's rise
it's told in two movements Saul's rise

to power and then his failures and the
to power and then his failures and the

second part is about his downfall and
second part is about his downfall and

his tragic death and then the drama of
his tragic death and then the drama of

Saul's demise is matched by David's
Saul's demise is matched by David's

exciting rise to power and then David's
exciting rise to power and then David's

story is told in two movements first he
story is told in two movements first he

rides the wave of his success followed
rides the wave of his success followed

by his own tragic failure and the slow
by his own tragic failure and the slow

self-destruction of his family and then
self-destruction of his family and then

his kingdom the book concludes with an
his kingdom the book concludes with an

epilogue that reflects back over the
epilogue that reflects back over the

whole story so let's dive in and see how
whole story so let's dive in and see how

this all unfolds part 1 picks up from
this all unfolds part 1 picks up from

the chaos of the book of Judges and were
the chaos of the book of Judges and were

introduced to a touching story about a
introduced to a touching story about a

woman named Hannah and she's grieved
woman named Hannah and she's grieved

because she has never been able to have
because she has never been able to have

children and by God's grace she finally
children and by God's grace she finally

has a son named Samuel and enjoy she
has a son named Samuel and enjoy she

sings this amazing poem in chapter 2 and
sings this amazing poem in chapter 2 and

the poem is all about how God opposes
the poem is all about how God opposes

the proud and exalts the humble about
the proud and exalts the humble about

how despite tragedies and human evil God
how despite tragedies and human evil God

is
is

working out his purposes in history and
working out his purposes in history and

also it's about how God will one day
also it's about how God will one day

raise up an anointed king for his people
raise up an anointed king for his people

now Hannah's poem has been placed here
now Hannah's poem has been placed here

at the beginning of the book to
at the beginning of the book to

introduce these key themes that we're
introduce these key themes that we're

going to see throughout the whole story
going to see throughout the whole story

like the next one samuel grows up and
like the next one samuel grows up and

becomes a great prophet and leader for
becomes a great prophet and leader for

the people of israel at the same time
the people of israel at the same time

that the philistines rise to power as
that the philistines rise to power as

Israel's arch nemesis and in this
Israel's arch nemesis and in this

crucial battle the israelites get
crucial battle the israelites get

arrogant and instead of praying and
arrogant and instead of praying and

asking God for help they trot out the
asking God for help they trot out the

Ark of the Covenant as this kind of
Ark of the Covenant as this kind of

magic trophy that will automatically
magic trophy that will automatically

grant them victory in battle and so
grant them victory in battle and so

because of their arrogant presumption
because of their arrogant presumption

God allows Israel to lose the battle and
God allows Israel to lose the battle and

the ark is stolen so the Philistines
the ark is stolen so the Philistines

they take the ark and they place it in
they take the ark and they place it in

the temple of their God Dagon and then
the temple of their God Dagon and then

the God of Israel defeats the
the God of Israel defeats the

Philistines and the god doggone without
Philistines and the god doggone without

an army by sending plagues on the people
an army by sending plagues on the people

and then the Philistines don't want the
and then the Philistines don't want the

Ark anymore obviously and they send it
Ark anymore obviously and they send it

back to Israel and the point of this
back to Israel and the point of this

little story seems to be this God is not
little story seems to be this God is not

Israel's trophy and he opposes pride
Israel's trophy and he opposes pride

among the Philistines but also among his
among the Philistines but also among his

own people and so Israel needs to remain
own people and so Israel needs to remain

humble and obedient if they want to
humble and obedient if they want to

experience God's covenant blessing which
experience God's covenant blessing which

opens up into the next large section the
opens up into the next large section the

Israelites come to Samuel and they say
Israelites come to Samuel and they say

hey we want a king like all the other
hey we want a king like all the other

nations have go find one for us and so
nations have go find one for us and so

Samuel he's kind of ticked off and he
Samuel he's kind of ticked off and he

goes to consult with God and God says
goes to consult with God and God says

yes their motives are all wrong but if a
yes their motives are all wrong but if a

king is what they want give them one
king is what they want give them one

and so we're introduced to the figure of
and so we're introduced to the figure of

Saul now Saul is a tragic figure because
Saul now Saul is a tragic figure because

he begins full of promise he's tall he's
he begins full of promise he's tall he's

good-looking he's a perfect candidate
good-looking he's a perfect candidate

for a king but he has deep character
for a king but he has deep character

flaws he's dishonest he lacks integrity
flaws he's dishonest he lacks integrity

and he seems incapable of acknowledging
and he seems incapable of acknowledging

his own mistakes and so these flaws
his own mistakes and so these flaws

become his downfall he wins some battles
become his downfall he wins some battles

at the beginning but his flaws run so
at the beginning but his flaws run so

deep he eventually disqualifies himself
deep he eventually disqualifies himself

by blatantly disobeying God's commands
by blatantly disobeying God's commands

and so the aging Sam
and so the aging Sam

ille confronts saul and israel he had
ille confronts saul and israel he had

warned the people that they would only
warned the people that they would only

benefit from a king whose humble and
benefit from a king whose humble and

faithful to God otherwise the kings of
faithful to God otherwise the kings of

Israel will bring ruin so he informs
Israel will bring ruin so he informs

Saul that God is going to raise up a new
Saul that God is going to raise up a new

king to replace him and so Saul's
king to replace him and so Saul's

downfall begins as God at the same time
downfall begins as God at the same time

is working behind the scenes to raise up
is working behind the scenes to raise up

that new king it's an insignificant
that new king it's an insignificant

shepherd boy named David he's the least
shepherd boy named David he's the least

likely candidate to be king but the
likely candidate to be king but the

famous story of David and Goliath shows
famous story of David and Goliath shows

that God's choice of David is not based
that God's choice of David is not based

on his family status but simply on his
on his family status but simply on his

radical and humble trust in the God of
radical and humble trust in the God of

Israel and so this story embodies all of
Israel and so this story embodies all of

the themes of Hannah's poem proud Saul
the themes of Hannah's poem proud Saul

and Goliath are brought low while humble
and Goliath are brought low while humble

David is exalted from here we watch Saul
David is exalted from here we watch Saul

slowly descend into madness while David
slowly descend into madness while David

rises to power so David starts working
rises to power so David starts working

for Saul as a general and he's winning
for Saul as a general and he's winning

all of the battles and he's also winning
all of the battles and he's also winning

all of the fame and so Saul gets jealous
all of the fame and so Saul gets jealous

and he starts chasing David around
and he starts chasing David around

hunting him trying to kill him
hunting him trying to kill him

David's done nothing wrong and so David
David's done nothing wrong and so David

simply runs and waits in the wilderness
simply runs and waits in the wilderness

and here we see David's true character
and here we see David's true character

he has multiple opportunities to kill
he has multiple opportunities to kill

Saul but he doesn't he simply trusts
Saul but he doesn't he simply trusts

that despite Saul's evil God will raise
that despite Saul's evil God will raise

up a king for his people what's
up a king for his people what's

interesting too is that many of the
interesting too is that many of the

poems of David that you find in the Book
poems of David that you find in the Book

of Psalms are linked to this very period
of Psalms are linked to this very period

of his life and they all expressed the
of his life and they all expressed the

same attitude of trust so this section
same attitude of trust so this section

of the book ends with Saul coming to a
of the book ends with Saul coming to a

grisly death after losing a battle with
grisly death after losing a battle with

the Philistines first samuel tells some
the Philistines first samuel tells some

of the most intricate well told stories
of the most intricate well told stories

you find anywhere in the Bible and the
you find anywhere in the Bible and the

character Saul and David they're
character Saul and David they're

portrayed very realistically and the
portrayed very realistically and the

author's putting them forward as
author's putting them forward as

character studies so that you can find
character studies so that you can find

yourself in them so in Saul's story we
yourself in them so in Saul's story we

see a warning it's crucial that we
see a warning it's crucial that we

reflect on our own character flaws and
reflect on our own character flaws and

how they harm us and other people and
how they harm us and other people and

with God's help we need to humble
with God's help we need to humble

ourselves and deal with our dark
ourselves and deal with our dark

so that sols story doesn't become ours
so that sols story doesn't become ours

David on the other hand is presented as
David on the other hand is presented as

an example of patience and Trust in
an example of patience and Trust in

God's timing in our lives and so he's
God's timing in our lives and so he's

running in the wilderness being chased
running in the wilderness being chased

by Saul David had every reason to think
by Saul David had every reason to think

that God had abandoned him but that's
that God had abandoned him but that's

not what he thinks and so David's story
not what he thinks and so David's story

encourages us to trust that despite
encourages us to trust that despite

human evil God is working out his
human evil God is working out his

purposes to oppose the proud and to
purposes to oppose the proud and to

exalt the humble and that's what First
exalt the humble and that's what First

Samuel is all about
Samuel is all about