GOD WILL GIVE STRENGTH TO HIS KING
INTRODUCTION TO 1 & 2 SAMUEL

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Books of Samuel

• 1 and 2 Samuel are two parts of one book
• With 1 and 2 Kings they are a two volume set
• 1, 2, 3, 4 Kings – the Book of Kingdoms

  Written during the exile of the 6th century.
  Compilation of earlier sources and documents.

Four Stories

• Hannah [1 Samuel 1-2]
• Samuel [1 Samuel 3-12]
• Saul [1 Samuel 13-16]
• David [1 Samuel 17 - 2 Samuel]

  The stories are reflecting a transitional time as Israel moves from tribalism to a kingdom.

Transition

• Politics – Judges, Prophets, Kings
• Social – Rural, Tribal, Urban
• Technology – Weaponry, Architecture
• Wealth – Accumulating Land, Trade
• Threats – Other Nations

God’s Story

• God is always present in the stories. He is active and present in history.
• God is revealed to and through his servants and leaders.
• God has a personality – covenant, relationship, compassion, intent.

Israel is tribal. They are shifting into a kingdom. 1 and 2 Samuel describe the transition that takes place between Judges and 1 Kings.

Hannah

• Sarah, Elizabeth
• Barren woman who devotes herself to God
• Mary sings her song (Luke 1)

  The country is a mess. The culture is a mess. The heroic past events of the exodus, Sinai, the wandering and the conquest under Joshua are almost forgotten. Things have collapsed in the Promised Land.
  Dark Days when everyone does what seems right in their own eyes.

Ruth

• Similar Time
• Tough situation
• Great-Grandmother of King David

Chris Benjamin

West-Ark Church of Christ, Fort Smith, AR
Evening Sermon, 22 March 2009

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