The first part of 1 Samuel (1-7) tells about the life of Samuel and how he helped Israel's army fight against enemies that were making raids in Israel. But when he grew old, the people decided to ask the Lord for a king who could lead the army.
In the third part of the book (15.35-34.13), the Lord told Samuel to secretly appoint a young man named David to be the next king. The book tells how David soon became a national hero after he killed the giant Philistine warrior, Goliath from Gath, But as David continued to become more popular, Saul became suspicious of David. Saul tried to have him killed, even though David was married to Saul's daughter Michal and was best friends with Saul's son Jonathan. The rest of 1 Samuel tells how David escaped and became the leader of his own small army in the desert. Saul continued to hunt for David, and so David finally had to lead his followers to Philistia to be safe from Saul.
The book concludes with the death of Saul and his sons in a battle with the Philistine army. The Lord was keeping his promise to make David the king of Israel:
I've rejected Saul, and I refuse to let him be king any longer. Stop feeling sad about him... go visit a man named Jesse, who lives in Bethlehem. I've chosen one of his sons to be my king. (16.1)
Here are 15 Lessons from The Book of 1 Samuel
A Gift of Sacrifice
1 # Short Commentary & Lesson From 1 Samuel 1.1-28
Hannah desperately wanted a son. She even promised that if God gave her a baby boy, she would dedicate him to doing the LORD'S work. And God heard her prayer. It must have been difficult for Hannah to keep her promise, but she did by presenting Samuel to Eli the priest.Hannah was not just giving her baby away, though. She stayed in close contact with Samuel. But she did let go of Samuel and give him back to God. as a result of her faithfulness, the LORD gave Hannah more sons.
It's easy to get "sticky fingered" with the gifts God gives to us. We want to hold onto them, keeping them for ourselves. But, like Hannah, when we give God that which is more precious to us, we can trust him with it. And God always gives back much more!
God is Strong
2 # Short Commentary & Lesson From 1 Samuel 2.1-10
Hannah began by thanking God for answering her prayer, and she quickly found herself praising God for being strong and unchanging. We often begin our prayers by thanking God for all he has done for us, which is a good place to start - but let's not stop there.It is also good to go on as Hannah did and praise God for who he is. We can let god know we appreciate his love, goodness, justice, power, and strength. Why should we praise God? because he deserves it!
The Lord Helped Him
3 # Short Commentary & Lesson From 1 Samuel 3.19-4.1
Hannah's faith in God pard off - Samuel grew up to become a famous prophet of the LORD. Although it may have been difficult for Hannah to give her son up, she demonstrated great trust that God would take care of Samuel.Perhaps you are a parent who is anxious about your child. It is important to remember that even though a child often ignores a parent's concerns, we still need to ask God to take care of our children. When we are unable to get through to our children, God has ways of communicating with them. God wants to help all of us. We simply need to ask.
Set Your Sights On God
4 # Short Commentary & Lesson From 1 Samuel 8.4-22
The people wanted a king because other nations had kings, but this was not pleasing to God. He wanted his people to be different from other nations. He was their King.But God's people didn't want to be different; they wanted to be like everyone else. God told Samuel to inform the people that their king would eventually make slaves of them, but the people refused to listen.
God wants his people today to be different. He doesn't want us to live our lives according to the accepted norms, values, and attitudes of society. He wants us to live according to his Word. Unfortunately, the pressure to conform to society is still with us, but we can overcome this pressure by focusing on God.
A Humble Start
5 # Short Commentary & Lesson From 1 Samuel 9.15-21
Saul found Samuel's news about the LORD'S wanting him to be king hard to believe. Saul was from the smallest tribe in Israel. He thought at first that Samuel was talking to the wrong man! "Me? A king?"Was it humility or insecurity that caused Saul to question Samuel''s prophecy? Maybe a bit of both. Saul began his reign as the first king of Israel with a great sense of unworthiness, modesty, and dependence on the LORD. God wants to see this attitude of modesty and dependence on him in us, too. He often does great things with the least likely people.
God's Predictions Always Come to Pass
6 # Short Commentary & Lesson From 1 Samuel 10.2-11
Notice how many specific details Samuel told Saul concerning the things that were soon going to happen to him. And every detail came to pass just as Samuel said it would.That is the difference between God's true prophets and false prophets. The things that God's prophets talk about happen!
Today, many false prophets claim to be able to see into the future, but they often deal in vague generalities. God's prophets were never so sketchy. They predicted exact events, which were beyond their own control or influence, Go with a sure thing. Stick with God's Word.
Righteous Anger
7 # Short Commentary & Lesson From 1 Samuel 11.6
We usually think the Holy Spirit brings peace when he comes. And often, he does. But here the Spirit took control of Saul and the new king became angry. He was angry at what Nahash, the enemy, was trying to do to God's people. And he was angry at this insult against the name of God Saul's Spirit-led anger caused him to raise an army quickly. The Israelites went out, united behind Saul, and defeated the enemy.Not all anger is bad. There is such a thing as righteous anger, but this anger is directed at sin, not at the sinners. It is an anger over evil things that dishonor God. Make sure your anger is aimed at Satan and sin, not other people made in God's image.
Out of the Dry Season
8 # Short Commentary & Lesson From 1 Samuel 12.12-25
Following the ceremony at Gilgal that acknowledged Saul as the first king of Israel, Samuel reminded the people again that they had sinned by asking for a king.Still, Samuel offered the Israelites hope: if they obeyed the LORD, he would bless them and their new king. However, if they disobeyed, especially by worshiping idols, God would wipe them out. The thunderstorm in the dry season was to show that Samuel was speaking with God's authority.
God gives us another chance when we do something he doesn't approve of, but we have to take responsibility for obeying him. Only God is worthy of our worship and praise.
What the LORD Sees
9 # Short Commentary & Lesson From 1 Samuel 16.1-13
Saul was king of Israel in young David's time. He was the people's choice - tall, handsome, an able warrior. But Saul was morally weak. He was not completely given over to obeying God's expressed will. So God disqualified Saul from being king any longer (see ch. 15)The LORD always looks for leaders whose hearts are in tune with his own. They must understand God's will and be willing to obey it. Who would become the new king of Israel? It would be a young shepherd who loved poetry and was skilled with the harp. More important, the shepherd's heart was right.
Time Is No Obstacle for God
10 # Short Commentary & Lesson from 1 Samuel 18.6-16
Even though the LORD had promised David would succeed Saul as king, God's plan didn't become clear immediately. Soon enough David's popularity would grow. He also had time to mature in the wisdom needed for governing God's people.Just like David, we often are required to wait for long periods of time before God uses us in the way he plans. Make the most of this time by preparing your heart and sharpening your skills so that when the time comes you will be ready! God will keep his promises to you, on schedule.
The Loyalty of a Friend
11 # Short Commentary & Lesson from 1 Samuel 20.11-23
Had Jonathan wanted to, he could have easily betrayed David. Instead, he helped David escape from Saul. Jonathan loved God and David even more than he was concerned for his own welfare. Jonathan had reached a point in his faith in God where he was willing to let go of what he wanted so he might do what God wanted.In contrast, Saul was still hoping to keep the throne in his family, even though Samuel had told him specifically that this plan was not to be so. Saul was more concerned with doing what he wanted. Jonathan, however, is a wonderful example to us for standing strong in our trust in God. We should not push for the kings we want when we know God wants something different for us.
Knowing God's Will
12 # Short Commentary & Lesson from 1 Samuel 23.2-13
David was learning that it was better to seek God's plans before we take action. On the other hand, Saul thought he could tell God's will simply by looking at the outward circumstances. He assumed that since David was trapped, the LORD had delivered David into his hands. But Saul was wrong! God was with David because he asked God for direction.Instead of just moving forward on our own and then asking God to clean up our messes, let's ask God for his directions first.
Getting There God's Way
13 # Short Commentary & Lesson from 1 Samuel 24.8-22
Imagine how tempting it may have been for Favid to kill Saul. After all, David knew that one day he was going to wear the crown of Israel. And Saul had certainly lost both his spiritual and mental abilities to lead God's people. Besides, it appeared that the LORD had placed Saul right into David's hand, giving him a perfect opportunity to kill Saul.But David refused to kill the king because he was not afraid of Saul. David was more concerned with doing what God wanted - God's way. As a result of his desert experiences, David had grown into a man of integrity. Even when we know the goal we want is pleasing to God, the way in which we achieve our goal is just as important as the goal itself.
Disappointments May Be God's Appointments
14 # Short Commentary & Lesson from 1 Samuel 29.2-11
If David had truly invented to fight against his own people, God prevented it by having the Philistine leaders refuse to fight with David and his men. Maybe David had intended to trick the Philistines once they went into battle. Still, the LORD protected him.When things do not work out the way we want them to, God may be keeping us from doing something foolish or dangerous. Perhaps he is protecting us when we are too naive to protect ourselves. In either case, we should learn that there are no accidents or coincidences as far as God is concerned. If your plans have been thwarted, look carefully and you may see the LORD at work on your behalf.
Facing Death
15 # Short Commentary & Lesson from 1 Samuel 31.4
Saul commanded the soldier who carried the king's weapons to kill him, but the soldier wouldn't do it. It is never right to commit a sinful act, even if it is ordered by a so-called "spiritual leader." No doubt, the soldier was afraid that if he assisted in the death of Israel's first king, he would be considered a murderer.When the soldier refused to kill him, Saul took his own life. Sadly, the soldier committed suicide rather than raise any doubt about his misguided loyalty. Saul's life and death are a grim reminder of the high price of pride and disobedience to God.
Promises for Us
Napoleon was little Corsican who never looked like a world conqueror. Many of the people he routed and ruined, however, did look like leaders. Francis II, emperor of Austria, had the Hapsburg chin 0 Europe's most famous mark of royalty - but Napoleon smashed his forces at Austerlitz. Alexander I, Czar of Russia, may have been the most dashing of Napoleon's opponents, but he ended up signing a most humiliating treaty at the Neman River.No, appearance doesn't determine a person's significance. In 1 Samuel regal-looking King. Saul learned this the hard way. Both Samuel (the old man) and David (the youngster) were much more significant than Saul because they trusted God without panicking under pressure.
How do you hold up under pressure? Can you keep trusting God for his help and peace, or do you panic and try to handle the tough situations on your own?
First Samuel reminds us that looks and still are not the keys to significant living. When we trust in our own resources, we become insignificant. When we rely on God's strength and guidance, we find our significance in his scheme of life.
For Consideration
- What qualities do you look for in a leader? Which are superficial and which are really significant?
- What do you believe in strongly enough to suffer public rejection for?
