1 Samuel 5

Study Guide 28: 1 Samuel 1-8 ISRAEL’ S LAST JUDGE Overview Samuel, Israel’ s last, greatest judge, was also a prophet (1 Samuel 3:20) and a priest (1 Samuel 9:12-13). In his old age he served as God’ s adviser to Israel’ s first king, Saul. Samuel anointed Israel’ s greatest king, David. Together the two Books of Samuel cover the history of Israel from the last quarter of the 12th century b.c. to the first quarter of the 10th. They explain Israel’ s transition from loosely associated tribes led by local judges to a unified nation led by kings. The Book of 1 Samuel can be outlined as the story of two men, though the biblical focus soon shifts from the flawed Saul to his more godly successor.

Outline I. Samuel1 Sam. 1-8

1. Early life1 Sam. 1-3
2. Defeat at Aphek1 Sam. 4-6
3. Mizpah1Sa_7:1-17
4. Demand for a king1Sa_8:1-22 II. Saul1 Sam. 9-31
5. Saul anointed1 Sam. 9-12
6. Saul rejected1 Sam. 13-15
7. Saul and David1 Sam. 16-20
8. David a fugitive1 Sam. 21-30
9. Saul’ s death1Sa_28:1-25, 1 Samuel 31:1-13First and 2 Samuel are rich sources of familiar stories. But even more important, they are a source of many lessons that can be directly applied to the lives of children, youth, and adults.

Commentary Samuel’ s Early Life: 1 Samuel 1-3 The right to be bitter (1 Samuel 1:1-20). Like many of us, Hannah was sure that she had the right to be bitter. Life hadn’ t been fair to her. And every day, painful irritants reminded Hannah of her complaint. Hannah was one of two wives of a man named Elkanah. The other wife, Peninnah, had children. But Hannah had none. In ancient Israel, children were more than important: they were symbols of fulfillment. In Hannah’ s case her childlessness was a double burden. “ Her rival kept provoking her in order to irritate her” (1 Samuel 1:6). Year after year when Elkanah took his family to Shiloh to worship at the tabernacle there, Hannah met her family and friends — still childless. There her constant pain peaked, and she could hardly bear her fate. We can understand why Hannah felt bitter. She was denied something she wanted desperately. Hannah’ s childlessness had at least two tragic effects. First, it colored her whole outlook on life. The Bible says that she was bitter. She wept often, and would not eat. She was “ downhearted.” And in her prayer to God, Hannah spoke of her condition as “ misery.” How tragic when we are so burdened that we’ re unable to experience the simple joys that enrich our lives. Hannah’ s depression was so great that she could not even recognize evidences of the grace of God. Hannah had no child. But she had a husband who loved her and who was sympathetic. We can sense Elkanah’ s love in his words encouraging Hannah to eat: “ Don’ t I mean more to you than 10 sons?” So often when we feel bitter and downcast we too are unable to sense, in the good gifts God has given us, evidences of His love and grace. Hannah’ s perspective was so totally colored by her personal tragedy that she could not sense the beauty, the good, or grace with which God infuses every believer’ s life. Finally, in her bitterness, Hannah took two vital steps. First, she took her bitterness to God. And second, in prayer she began to reorder priorities. Hannah made a commitment to dedicate the son she prayed for to the Lord. She no longer wanted a child just for herself. She began to look beyond her own needs, and to envision the good that meeting her need might do for others. Hannah’ s prayer was a desperate one, so heartfelt that her lips moved, even though she was praying in her heart (1 Samuel 1:13). The high priest at the time, Eli, thought she was drunk and rebuked her. When she explained that she was praying out her anguish and grief, Eli blessed her and Hannah went away with a strange assurance. We read that she ate, and “ her face was no longer downcast” (1 Samuel 1:18). That prayer of Hannah’ s was answered: she conceived and bore a child whom she named Samuel. A child who would grow up to become one of the most significant of all Bible characters. LINK TO LIFE: YOUTH / ADULT Give your group members a study guide containing the following questions. Let teams of four or five work together to study 1 Samuel 1:1-20 and find answers. How would you describe Hannah’ s emotional/mental state? What was the main cause of her condition? What other factors contributed to make her condition seem even worse? What evidences of God’ s love was Hannah given, but was unable to recognize? What characterized Hannah’ s prayer? When your group members have finished studying the passage, have the teams compare answers and insights. Be sure they note in Hannah’ s prayer both a free expression of her feelings, and a reordering of her priorities. Work together to apply what you have discovered. See if you can develop “ five ways to deal with discouragement or bitterness.” Praise for answered prayer (1 Sam. 1:21-2:10). When Samuel was weaned, which according to custom would have been about age three, he was taken to Shiloh and presented to Eli. Hannah told how she prayed for this child, and now he was given to the Lord for lifetime service. It must have been painful for Hannah to leave Samuel. But Hannah’ s prayer, recorded in 1 Samuel 2:1-36, is a prayer of pure joy. Perhaps even more significant, it is a prayer that shows a deep awareness of who God is. Hannah acknowledged God as holy (1 Samuel 2:2), as One who knows and weighs human deeds (1 Samuel 2:3). Hannah saw Him as the One who satisfies the needy (1 Samuel 2:5), who is Master of life and death, of poverty and wealth (1 Samuel 2:6). Her sense of the power and glory of God is summed up beautifully in these verses: For the foundations of the earth are the Lord’ s; upon them He has set the world. He will guard the feet of His saints, but the wicked will be silenced in darkness. It is not by strength that one prevails; those who oppose the Lord will be shattered. 1 Samuel 2:8-10What a tremendous reorientation! The same Hannah who was so bitter and downcast that she could not even sense God’ s grace now saw the Lord clearly. In fact, she was able to praise God in a situation which some might expect would throw her back into despair — the loss of the very child she had prayed for! What was so different? Hannah now was able to look beyond herself and her own needs. She could sense God’ s love now, and trust Him. And she could sense the future that God had for this first child she loved so deeply. Because Hannah truly had given her son to the Lord, she trusted God to care for him and to give him a fulfilling life.

LINK TO LIFE: YOUTH / ADULT Point out the pressure on Hannah as she gave up Samuel, and compare it to the pressure of childlessness. Yet Hannah reacted so differently to the two situations. Rather than being downcast, Hannah actually rejoiced (1 Samuel 2:1). Ask your group members to read individually Hannah’ s prayer (1 Samuel 2:1-10). Ask each person to find one phrase which he or she believes may help to explain why Hannah was now able to rejoice rather than being bitter. After everyone has shared, ask each person to identify one situation he or she faces that might cause bitterness or anguish. In pairs share the situation, and how the perspective expressed in Hannah’ s prayer might help him or her deal with it successfully. LINK TO LIFE: CHILDREN Tell boys and girls the story of Hannah’ s unhappiness and her prayer to God for Samuel. Tell how important having a boy or girl was to Hannah. Explain that Samuel was born as an answer to prayer. In dedicating Samuel to God, his mother and father were saying they wanted Samuel to grow up to love God and serve Him. Then send home a “ Tell me my story” sheet with your boys and girls. On one side duplicate “ The story of Samuel’ s birth” as it is told in your Sunday School material. On the other side ask parents to write, “ The story of [their child’ s] birth.” Moms and dads who have dedicated a son or daughter to the Lord can tell their boy or girl. Parents who have not yet taken this step may be encouraged to make a public dedication that will be particularly meaningful now to their older child. The story of Hannah and Elkanah concludes with a single paragraph. Each year the two returned to the tabernacle to worship, bringing Samuel new clothes. But they did not come alone. God had opened Hannah’ s womb, and she bore three additional sons and two daughters. What a wonderful reminder. It is impossible for us to out give God. As for Samuel, the boy ministered before the Lord and was cared for by Eli the priest. Eli’ s family failures (1 Samuel 2:12-36). While Eli himself was a dedicated and righteous man, his sons “ had no regard for the Lord” (1 Samuel 2:12). This passage catalogs their sins as both ritual and moral. Ritually they violated regulations in the Law concerning the sacrifices that signified God’ s acceptance of sinners. In this they treated the Lord’ s offering with contempt, a very great sin in God’ s sight. Morally they were just as corrupt, quick to commit adultery, and ready to use violence as were the people that, as priests, they were called to serve. While Eli rebuked his sons, they paid no attention. And Eli did no more than rebuke them. He did not even strip them of their priesthood, the least he might have done. As a result God sent a prophet to announce His judgment. The prophet outlined a series of tragic events that would take place “ because you scorn My sacrifice and offering” and “ honor your sons more than Me” (1 Samuel 2:29). No one in Eli’ s family line would grow old: his descendants would die in the prime of life. In the place of Eli and his line God would raise up “ a faithful priest, who will do according to what is in My heart and mind” (1 Samuel 2:35). Ultimately that faithful Priest is Jesus, who fulfills in Himself all that the Old Testament priesthood merely signified. In the immediate context Samuel, whose primary role was as a judge and prophet, did serve as a priest. And in the course of history the high priestly role was shifted from Eli’ s family line to another branch of Aaron’ s family (cf. 1 Kings 2:27, 1 Kings 2:35). LINK TO LIFE: YOUTH / ADULT Do godly parents always produce godly children? It’ s clear that Eli failed with his sons. But ironically Samuel also had a similar failure! We read in 1 Samuel 8:1-3 that Samuel appointed his grown sons judges, but that they “ turned aside after dishonest gain and accepted bribes and perverted justice.” Samuel personally was a godly person, dedicated to God from his childhood. How do we explain his failure with his sons? You might want to let your group members explore this theme by evaluating the following possible explanations. (1) Busy parents don’ t give enough time to their children. (2) Godliness in parents is not attractive to children. (3) Godly parents expect too much of their children and turn them away. (4) Godly parents are a good influence but influence cannot determine what a person will become. (5) Children, like parents, have to make their own spiritual commitments. After these explanations have been evaluated, give a minilecture. Point out first that we need to question the assumption that what a parent does can determine a child’ s life. Each human being is in fact responsible for his or her own choices. Moms and dads should not blame themselves for their grown children’ s decisions. Second, we need to recognize that parents do influence. It seems significant that both Eli and Samuel showed favoritism to their sons in two ways. Each advanced his sons to positions of responsibility too quickly, and each failed to discipline or remove his sons when they went wrong. In essence each parent protected his sons from the consequences of their wrong choices! Follow up with a general discussion. “ How are we likely to show favoritism to our children? How are we overprotective? What can we do to guard against these common parental faults?” Samuel’ s call (1 Samuel 3:1-21). One of the most familiar of all children’ s stories is told in this chapter. Samuel heard a voice that he mistook as Eli’ s. Each time he ran to the old priest, he was told to go back to bed. Finally Eli realized that God was speaking to Samuel, and told Samuel that if the voice called again, he was to say, “ Speak, Lord, for Your servant is listening.” Usually children are not told Samuel’ s message. For that message is a dark one. God told Samuel that the judgment of which He had warned Eli was coming soon. This was in fact a prediction of the future: a prediction which when announced by Samuel and fulfilled, marked him as a prophet, one who would speak God’ s message to His people. The passage observes that God continued to reveal Himself to Samuel, and that as Samuel grew up He “ let none of his words fall to the ground” (1 Samuel 3:19). This phrase simply means that everything that Samuel foretold came true. As a result, Samuel was recognized as a prophet of God. LINK TO LIFE: CHILDREN Acting out Bible stories is fun for boys and girls. Pantomime this story. Let the boys and girls take turns running to Eli, returning to bed, and finally listening carefully to hear God’ s voice. Afterward talk about what they have done and seen. How did each try to show he or she was listening? What shows another person we are listening to him? What shows God that we are listening to Him? Samuel showed God he was listening (1) by going to a place where he could hear God speak. (2) By talking to God when he heard the Lord speak to him. (3) By doing what God said. Help your boys and girls realize that they can live the Samuel Bible story that they have just acted out. They can go to God’ s Book, where we hear Him speak today. They can pray and talk to God when they read His Book. And, like Samuel, they can do what God tells them in the Bible. You can also help each child make a “ Listening” booklet. Fold a piece of construction paper horizontally. Print “ Listening to God” on the outside. Let the boys and girls decorate the other three “ pages” the fold creates, with scenes from the Samuel story. On the inside front have them draw a Bible. On the inside back draw praying hands. Encourage the children to read in the Bible this week and listen carefully to God. When they have found something God wants them to do, they can finish the booklet by drawing on the outside back cover what they have done to obey God. You may want to suggest a Bible passage for the children to read. Choose one from a recent Sunday School lesson or a recent memory verse.

Defeat at Aphek: 1 Samuel 4-6 The Philistines were a sea people who settled along the Mediterranean coast around 1200 b.c. They established five major cities, from which they spread inland. These people maintained a military advantage from the time of Samson until the age of David. This was due to the fact that they alone in the area knew the secret of working iron. Their iron weapons were far superior to any weapons of the poverty-stricken Israelites. Humanly speaking, war with the Philistines could only bring disaster. It’ s no wonder that, in the first battle mentioned in this section, Israel was defeated with about 4,000 men killed on the battlefield. Israel’ s response was to bring the ark of the covenant into battle. This ark was to be kept in the tabernacle, the tent which served as Israel’ s worship center. The ark contained several special items. It contained manna, the special food given to the people of Israel in their wilderness wanderings. Manna spoke of divine provision. The ark also contained the Ten Commandments, etched on stone tablets. They spoke of the covenant to which Israel was committed, and the holy way of life God set down for them. Even more important, the ark usually rested in the inner chamber of the tabernacle, the holy of holies. There, once a year, the high priest was to come to offer a blood sacrifice that made atonement for all the sins of Israel (cf. Leviticus 16:1-34). Thus the ark spoke of the absolute holiness of God and of the need to hold God in awe and approach Him respectfully. But in sending for the ark, the Israelites lost sight of its true meaning. They wanted the ark to serve as a magical talisman. Some how God’ s presence was thought of as tied to the ark. If the ark were with them in battle, God must be with them as well. The ark, rather than symbolizing the holiness of God, was to manipulate God into sending a battlefield victory. For, if Israel lost, the ark would be lost! This was a blatant attempt to manipulate God! Israel’ s act also revealed a pagan view of God. When the Philistines heard Israel shouting gladly when the ark was brought into their camp, these pagan peoples said “ a god [had] come into the camp.” How tragic that Israel had no more spiritual perception than the idolatrous Philistines. Neither saw beyond the symbol to realize that God is God of the whole earth, whose presence cannot be captured in any material object. And how revealing that Israel thought God could be manipulated by placing His ark in their vanguard. In fact, the Israelites were again defeated. The two sons of Eli were killed. And the ark was taken captive. The next events teach us that the God who cannot be manipulated will be honored as holy. The ark was placed as a trophy in the house of the Philistine’ s deity, an idol they called Dagon. The idol fell, its extremities broken off. And the people of the Philistine city, Ashdod, were stricken with a painful disease. The ark was moved to another Philistine city, but again there was an outbreak of disease. Finally the Philistines hitched two cows that had recently calved to a new cart, put the ark on the cart, and turned the animals loose. Rather than going to their calves, the cows went straight to Israelite territory, lowing all the way. The Philistines were healed. And the people of Israel rejoiced. But some of the Israelite men peeked curiously into the ark. God struck them down, killing 70. The people of Israel still were not sensitive to the holiness of God. In fact, this three-chapter section of 1 Samuel records a painful lesson God taught to His people Israel, and through them teaches to us. Israel had failed to treat God with respect. Even Eli permitted his own sons to defile the priesthood. The people tried to manipulate God by bringing the ark to the battlefield “ so that it may go with us and save us from the hand of our enemies” (1 Samuel 4:3). This basically pagan view of the ark failed to sense that it was a symbol, pointing to God, but with no magical or divine power in itself. Yet the ark was associated with God. It had been set apart to God, and as such was a holy thing. The Philistines discovered that Israel’ s God was supreme when He judged them and their god for treating the ark as a victory trophy. And when God’ s own people failed to show respect for the holy, they too were struck down. Why? Because Israel desperately needed to recover a sense of the holiness and the power of God. Only when the people of God honored Him again could He bring His people blessing.

Mizpah: 1 Samuel 7:1-17During the next 20 years Samuel led a spiritual revival. The Bible says that “ all the people of Israel mourned and sought after the Lord” (1 Samuel 7:2). During this time the Israelites got rid of their idols, and confessed their sins to God. When the revival was climaxed with a great assembly at Mizpah, the Philistines decided to attack. The terrified Israelites begged Samuel, “ Do not stop crying out to the Lord our God for us” (1 Samuel 7:8). Now, with their sins purified, and with their trust in God Himself rather than in the ark that symbolized His presence, God acted. A terrible storm struck the Philistines. They fled in terror from this divine visitation, and the men of Israel pursued them, killing many. As a result of this decisive battle some of the land taken by the Philistines was recovered by Israel and the Philistines were unable to invade Israelite territory again during Samuel’ s lifetime. LINK TO LIFE: YOUTH / ADULT Are tragedies necessary if we are to triumph? These chapters of 1 Samuel may suggest it. Give a minilecture, summarizing two of the tragedies recorded here. Point out that Hannah’ s personal tragedy led her to pray to God and to reorder her priorities. This in turn led to great blessings, as she recovered her vision of God and also was given a large family. Israel’ s defeat, and the death of the men who violated the sanctity of God’ s ark, were also tragedies. But the battle purged Eli’ s wicked sons from the priesthood, brought Israel a new awareness of the holiness of God, and led to a spiritual revival. That revival made it possible for God to give Israel military victory and peace! After the minilecture, put the two left panels of the chart (below) on a chalkboard. Let your group members check out each passage for details to complete them. Then ask each group member to think of tragedies in his or her own life. Looking back, can he or she find parallels not only with the tragedies, but with triumphs that grew out of them? When your members have completed their charts, divide into groups of three or four to share stories.

Comparison of Reactions to Tragedies HANNAHISRAELME The Tragedy1Sa_1:1-21Sa_4:1-3 Initial Response1Sa_1:3-161 Samuel 4:10-6:20 Outcome1 Samuel 1:21-2:111 Samuel 6:21-7:14 The Changes in Persons Demand for a King: 1 Samuel 8:1-22In Samuel’ s old age the people of Israel demanded a king. In part this was motivated by the fact that Samuel’ s sons were not like him. And Samuel took the request as a personal affront. However, there were deeper motives. The people asked for a king so that “ we will be like all the other nations, with a king to lead us and to go out before us and fight our battles” (1 Samuel 8:20). As God pointed out, this was an overt rejection not of Samuel but of the Lord Himself! After all, it was God who had brought them out of Egypt. It was God who had given them victory at Mizpah. To ask for a human ruler showed an unwillingness to continue to rely on the Lord. Samuel was displeased, and listed all the drawbacks to having a human ruler (1 Samuel 8:11-18). But Israel insisted, and God told Samuel to listed to them, and to give Israel a king.

Teaching Guide Prepare Meditate on how your personal tragedies may have helped deepen your awareness of God — and led to blessings.

Explore

1. Ask each member of your group to think of a personal tragedy or difficulty. When the incident is in mind, ask each to read 1 Samuel 1:1-20. Say, “ Underline words or phrases that describe Hannah’ s reactions to her personal tragedy that were like reactions of your own.” When this is done, get in groups of five to share underlined items.
2. Or, if your group is made up of young parents, you may put up on the chalkboard: “ My children will turn out all right.” Ask group members to assign a percent that they are sure this is true (e.g., 90 percent sure, etc.). Share responses, and discuss why the confidence level of different parents is high or low.

Expand

1. Use the “ link-to-life” idea explained above. After a minilecture on the tragedies of Hannah and the nation, have your group complete the chart study.
2. Or use the “ link-to-life” idea above to explore ways that we can influence our children toward godly choices.

Apply

1. Share the good things that God has brought into your lives through tragedies. Then close in a time of praise. Like Hannah, express your thankfulness to God for the love, strength, and wisdom that allows Him to use even pain to do good by His people.
2. Or spend time praying for your boys and girls, asking God to strengthen them as they grow to make the choices that will make them godly men and women.