Overview of 1 & 2 Samuel

The Book of Samuel in the Hebrew Bible

The overview of the week for this Sunday is the book of Samuel. Now I say the book of Samuel singular because that's the way it was originally in the Hebrew Bible. Later on it was divided into two books, 1st and 2nd Samuel, and of course that is what we have in our English translations.

The author is unknown, likely written around the 10th century BC. These writings cover a time period of about 135 years from the birth of Samuel the Prophet, through the reign of King Saul, through the life and ministry of David, right up until David's final prophetic words shortly before he died.

Israel’s Move from the Judges to the Monarchy

So during this time Israel was transformed from a loosely knit group of tribes under the judges to a united nation under the reign of a centralized monarchy. Samuel was both a priest and a prophet. He was the final judge of Israel and when the Israelites rejected God by asking for a human king, the Lord gave them Saul.

But after Saul's downfall and eventual death, Samuel anointed David king of Israel. And it was with David that the Lord made one of those great unconditional covenants that is found in the Old Testament scriptures, the Davidic covenant.

The Davidic Covenant in 2 Samuel 7

The Lord says to David in 2nd Samuel 7 verse 12, when your days are fulfilled and you rest with your fathers, I will set up your seed after you who will come from your body and I will establish his kingdom.

And he goes on to explain that this will be an everlasting kingdom. Now the immediate fulfillment was through David's son Solomon, but the ultimate fulfillment of this promise was in David's greater son, Israel's Messiah, the Lord Jesus Christ.

The Fulfillment of David’s Promise in Luke 1

So in conclusion, a thousand years later in Luke 1 31 through 33, the angel Gabriel would tell a young virgin named Mary, behold you will conceive in your womb and bring forth a son and shall call his name Jesus.

He will be great and will be called the Son of the Highest and the Lord God will give him the throne of his father David and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever and of his kingdom there will be no end.