Tag: David

36 | T r u e N o r t h M i n i s t r i e s
Studying the Whole Bible for Applying God’s Word in My Daily Life

1 Samuel
Author: Unknown (see below)
“Originally these now separated sections comprised one book, which was divided into two parts by the translators of the Septuagint (early Greek translation of the OT). Based on the wide span of history covered in 1 and 2 Samuel – from the days of Eli (1 Sa 1) to the end of David’s reign 2 Sa 24 – we know that no single writer or compiler could have been alive to record all of this information based upon direct knowledge… independent, perhaps unedited sources, including firsthand accounts… possibly at times verbatim, in the authors’ compositions…the writers/compilers certainly referenced the historical records of Samuel, Saul and David.”
Birth of Samuel, about 1105 B.C.
Birth of Saul, about 1080 B.C.
Birth of David, 1040 B.C.
David anointed to be Saul’s successor, about 1025 B.C.
End of David’s reign, 970 B.C.
THE STORY of 1st Samuel
Original Audience: Israelites during reign of David, Solomon and subsequent generations, particularly for Israelites during establishment of David’s kingdom; the account legitimized God’s choice of David (rather than crown prince Jonathon – Saul’s son)
God’s disapproval of a kingship for Israel
His choice of Saul and replacement David
Tension between covenant loyalty to God and human kingship
1 Samuel
1. The timing of the story of 1 Samuel
a. Written or editorialized around 925 B.C.
b. After division of Kingdom following sons of Solomon’s reign
2. Major Themes
a. It is not the Ark that is powerful but the God of the Ark – their faith was in an object not a person
b. Israel rejects God and chooses a king Chaps 8-10
c. Saul rejects God – ‘transgressed the commandment of the Lord because he ‘feared the people’   Chap 15
d. God chooses David because he is ‘better than Saul’ Chaps 16-17
e. Saul hates David, tries to kill him… Jonathon true to David… David remains true to him Chaps 18-24
f. Incident in cave – to touch the hem of a king’s robe is honor; to cut or tear it was treason… As close as David ever came to killing Saul but he remained true Chap 24
g. Saul goes after David again, David lives with Philistines Chaps 26-29
h. David destroys Amalekites, Saul dies Chaps 30,31
Timeline note: David chosen to be King while still a boy, before David and Goliath episode and during time he play harp           for Saul. David never mentioned.

3. Biblical Principle Application
A. God’s Choices
i. Remembering that what God desires for us is best
ii. It always involved Him at first place in your life
iii. Depending on Him to make His choice clear frees us from stress
B. God’s Sovereignty
i. When God commands something, He intends for us to follow through
i. Nothing can be put in His place in our lives, even if we use it to “remember” Him, it becomes an article of false worship
C. God’s Timeline
i. His plan is from eternity past and will be completed – verb tense used in Bible it is as if
it is already done in His timing.
ii. God allows our free choices and His plan moves along according because He has already foreknown how it will play out in His plan.
iii. God cannot be untrue to His nature and His nature is to be always faithful