A Summary of the Book of 1 Samuel | GotQuestions.org

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In today's video we're going to survey and briefly summarize the book of 1 Samuel. Then afterwards, as always,

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I'll share some helpful resources, so stick around until the end. As for the author, the author is anonymous.

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We know that Samuel wrote a book, and it is very possible that he wrote part of this book as well.

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Other possible contributors to 1 Samuel are the prophets and historians Nathan and Gad in 1

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Chronicles 29, verse 29. As for the date of writing, originally the books of 1 and 2

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Samuel were one book. The translators of the Septuagint separated them, and we have retained that separation ever since.

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The events of 1 Samuel span approximately 100 years, from 1100 B .C.

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to 1000 B .C. The events of 2 Samuel cover another 40 years. The date of writing, then, would be sometime after 960

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B .C. As for the purpose of writing, 1 Samuel records the history of Israel and the land of Canaan as they move from the rule of judges to being a unified nation under kings.

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Samuel emerges as the last judge, and he anoints the first two kings, Saul and David.

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Here are some key verses. But when they said, Give us a king to lead us, this displeased

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Samuel. So he prayed to the Lord, and the Lord told him, Listen to all that the people are saying to you.

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It is not you they have rejected, but they have rejected me as their king. 1 Samuel 8, verses 6 and 7.

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You acted foolishly, Samuel said. You have not kept the command the Lord your God gave you.

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If you had, He would have established your kingdom over Israel for all time. But now your kingdom will not endure.

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Therefore the Lord has sought out a man after his own heart and appointed him leader of his people, because you have not kept the

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Lord's command. 1 Samuel 13, verses 13 and 14. But Samuel replied,

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Does the Lord delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices as much as in obeying the voice of the

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Lord? To obey is better than sacrifice, and to heed is better than the fat of rams.

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For rebellion is like the sin of divination, and arrogance like the evil of idolatry.

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Because you have rejected the word of the Lord, He has rejected you as king. 1

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Samuel 15, verses 22 and 23. As for a brief summary, the book of 1

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Samuel can be neatly divided into two sections, the life of Samuel, chapters 1 -12, and the life of Saul, chapters 13 -31.

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The book starts with the miraculous birth of Samuel in answer to his mother's earnest prayer.

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As a child, Samuel lived and served in the temple. God singled him out as a prophet, chapter 3, verses 19 -21.

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And the child's first prophecy was one of judgment on the corrupt priests. The Israelites go to war with their perennial enemies, the

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Philistines. The Philistines capture the Ark of the Covenant and are in temporary possession of it. But when the

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Lord sends judgment, the Philistines return the Ark. Samuel calls Israel to repentance, chapters 7, verses 3 -6, and then to victory over the

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Philistines. The people of Israel, wanting to be like other nations, desire a king.

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Samuel is displeased by their demands, but the Lord tells him that it's not Samuel's leadership they are rejecting, but his own.

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After warning the people of what having a king would mean, Samuel anoints a Benjamite named

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Saul, who is crowned in Mitzvah, chapters 10, verses 17 -25. Saul enjoys initial success, defeating the

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Ammonites in battle, chapter 11. But then he makes a series of missteps. He presumptuously offers a sacrifice, chapter 13.

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He makes a foolish vow at the expense of his own son, Jonathan, chapter 14. And he disobeys the

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Lord's direct command, chapter 15. As a result of Saul's rebellion, God chooses another to take

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Saul's place. Meanwhile, God removes his blessing from Saul, and an evil spirit begins goading

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Saul towards madness, chapter 16, verse 14. Samuel travels to Bethlehem to anoint a youth named

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David as the next king, chapter 16. Later, David has his famous confrontation with Goliath the

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Philistine and becomes a national hero, chapter 17. David serves in Saul's court.

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David marries Saul's daughter and is befriended by Saul's son. Saul himself grows jealous of David's success and popularity, and he attempts to kill

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David. David flees, and so begins an extraordinary period of adventure, intrigue, and romance.

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With supernatural aid, David narrowly but consistently eludes the bloodthirsty Saul, chapters 19 -26.

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Through it all, David maintains his integrity and his friendship with Jonathan. Near the end of the book,

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Samuel has died, and Saul is a lost man. On the eve of a battle with Philistia, Saul seeks for answers.

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Having rejected God, he finds no help from heaven, and he seeks counsel from a medium instead.

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During the seance, Samuel's spirit rises from the dead to give one last prophecy—Saul would die in battle the next day.

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The prophecy is fulfilled. Saul's three sons, including Jonathan, fall in battle, and Saul commits suicide.

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As for foreshadowings, the prayer of Hannah in 1 Samuel 2 verses 1 -10 makes several prophetic references to Christ.

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She extols God as her rock, and we know from the gospel accounts that Jesus is the rock upon whom we should build our spiritual houses.

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Paul refers to Jesus as the rock of offense to the Jews, Romans 9, verse 33. Christ is called the spiritual rock who provided spiritual drink to the

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Israelites in the wilderness, just as He provides living water to our souls, 1 Corinthians 10, verse 4, and John 4, verse 10.

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Hannah's prayer also makes reference to the Lord who will judge the ends of the earth, 1 Samuel 2, verse 10, while Matthew 25, verses 31 -32 refers to Jesus as the

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Son of Man who will come in glory to judge everyone. Here's some practical application.

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The tragic story of Saul is a study in wasted opportunity. Here was a man who had it all—honor, authority, riches, good looks, and more.

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Yet he died in despair, terrified of his enemies and knowing he had failed his nation, his family, and his

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God. Saul made the mistake of thinking he could please God through disobedience. Like many today, he believed that a sensible motive will compensate for bad behavior.

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Perhaps his power went to his head, and he began to think he was above the rules. Somehow, he developed a low opinion of God's commands and a high opinion of himself.

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Even when confronted with his wrongdoing, he attempted to vindicate himself, and that's when God rejected him, 1

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Samuel 15, verses 16 -28. Saul's problem is one we all face—a problem of the heart.

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Obedience to God's will is necessary for success, and if we in pride rebel against Him, we set ourselves up for loss.

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David, on the other hand, did not seem like much at first. Even Samuel was tempted to overlook him, 1

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Samuel 16, verses 6 and 7. But God seized the heart and saw in David a man after his own heart, 1

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Samuel 13, verse 14. The humility and integrity of David, coupled with his boldness for the

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Lord and his commitment to prayer, set a good example for all of us. Want to learn more?

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Subscribe so you don't miss the next video! Visit GotQuestions .org for more great content. And check out the details section below this video, there you'll find one book

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I recommend, along with links to several related questions. If you'd like to learn about Bible Munch, or if you're interested in Bite -sized devotionals, subscribe to Bible Munch on YouTube, it's linked right here.