Introduction and Overview of
1 and 2 Samuel

The Bible Teaching Commentary

Paul J. Bucknell

1 Samuel 8 | 1 Samuel 9 | 1 Samuel 10 | 1 Samuel 16

Making Wise Choices

Purpose of 1 & 2 Samuel

While 1 & 2 Samuel demonstrate the need for a pure priest and great king like Jesus Christ to rule His people, we also learn how we should view life and make wise decisions in our daily Christian lives.

God leads His people by providing learning situations through which we can properly view life and make wise decisions in this secular world.

God’s intervention in our world is seen throughout 1 & 2 Samuel as well as the way He brings forth help. We see how compromised worship destroys one's relationship with God but also how God’s way gives us a pure and unadulterated heart.

Kingdom of Saul, David and Solomon Time Chart

1 and 2 Samuel cover the time of Samuel, Saul and David. Samuel is the priest/prophet who by the people's demand agree to anoint a king. King Solomon's reign is seen in 1 Kings which is a continuation of Israel's history.

Below is a chart. Click on it to get a bigger and better time chart.

Israel's future

1 Samuel started with a corrupt priesthood. God, however, divinely stepped in and shaped life events. He would bring a new priest that would bring new life not only to the priesthood but to Israel as a whole. The priesthood is where one listens to God’s voice rather than exploits the office to one’s personal gratification. This gives us a picture of the need for a true priest.

The second section, 1 Samuel 4-7, points out the second problem. In some ways this was an outworking of the first problem. Man trusted in form rather than in true spiritual relationship with God. We saw how the Israelites had casually trusted God along with their other idols. They brought the ark of the covenant into battle thinking it was a good luck charm. God harshly rebuked them until they woke up. God did not need man to protect His interests but mankind did.

In chapter 8 we begin a third movement within 1 Samuel which will continue right through the Bible. The Israelites wanted to trust in a king from among them. They did not believe God could rightly rule them. One would think that after their revival in 1 Samuel 7 that they would have had a greater trust in God, but perhaps as 1 Samuel 8:1-3 suggest, they lost hope in God’s way.

And so, the Israelites would have an earthly king but he, like a priest or prophet, would always be inferior to what God Himself would have provided.

We need to be alert to the purpose of 1 and 2 Samuel as we go through these books. There are several layers of teaching. Of great importance is the practical application of biblical teaching to our lives. However, underneath these interworkings between God and man, there is the the larger framework upon which these life principles are built. 1 & 2 Samuel take pains to stress these life principles.

So far we have had 7 chapters. This eight one, the focus of this study, is on the king.

David as King

There were two things that marked David off as a significant man of God that was greatly used of God.

1) God chose to bless him. This concept was repeatedly used through the 1 and 2 Samuel. I encourage you to do a study on them.
2 Sam 5:10 “For the Lord of hosts was with him.”

2) He was convinced that the Lord’s presence was more important than a mighty army, great wealth, or a powerful mind. In 2 Samuel 6 David sought to bring the ark of God closer to him.

Avoiding the Pitfalls of Life

The 1 & 2 Books of Samuel cleverly show how David avoided the typical traps people fall into when they want successful ministries. He did not take the steps that a worldly man would except in one area of his life, that of women.

Check out our Digital Old Testament Library for a huge collection of resources on 1 Samuel and all of the Old Testament!

1 & 2 Samuel Articles

• Compromise (1 Samuel 8)

1 Samuel 8:1-8, 9-18, 19-22, Questions | Podcast

• Calling (1 Samuel 9-10)

1 Samuel Calling 9, Questions, Confirmation 10, Questions | Podcast

• God's Rejection of Saul (1 Sam 13:8-13)

Why was Saul's rejection so severe?

• The Spirit of Faith (1 Sam 14:1-2) (New)

Why did Jonathan, 30 years older, form such a deep friendship between them?

• Disobedience and Demise (1 Samuel 15)

  1 Samuel 15 1-3, 4-9, 10-15, 16-23, 24-31, 32-35, Questions | Podcast

• David on the Run (1 Samuel 16)
  

1 Samuel 16:6-13 Full-time Ministry

• Facing Depressing Circumstances (1 Samuel 21-22)

• The Lord's Strength (1 Samuel 29-30)

1 Samuel 29-30 Finding the Lord's Strength in time of Severe Testings

• Handling Success and Failure (2 Samuel 23-24)

  2 Samuel 23-24 Intro | Audio mp3 | Video mov

  2 Samuel 23:1-7 Last Words | 23:8-39 Mighty Companions | Bible Study Questions

  2 Samuel 24 | 2 Samuel 24:1-9 Census | 24:10-15 Consequences | 24:16-25 Mercy | Bible Study Questions

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Next -> Compromise (1 Samuel 8:1-8)

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Biblical Foundations for Freedom ( BFF )

Rev. Paul J. Bucknell

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