4th week

The Book of Samuel

1. First Impression

1.1 The book of Samuel was probably written after the death of Solomon and the division of the kingdom (931 B.C.) but before the destruction of Samaria and the Assyrian captivity of the northern kingdom (722 B.C.) (Ref. Sourceview pg 387). It is likely the original reader of this book was the people of Israel living early in the divided kingdom, perhaps around 900 B.C. (Ref. Nelson’s book pg 97).

1.2 The author of this book is known to be anonymous. The book does not give us a specific clue about who wrote it but there is a certain verse that indicates Samuel made some written records (1Sa 10:25). The prophets Samuel, Nathan, and Gad all kept records (1 Chr 29:29) which later may have been combined to form 1 and 2 Samuel. Some think official court historians may have chronicled these events (2Sa 8:16-17; 1Ki 4:3). (Ref. Sourceview pg343; Nelson’s book pg85) 

1.3 The book of Samuel depicts the lives of Saul and David to present a drastic contrast between people’s choice and God’s choice, those who honor God and those who contempt God, those who obey God out of the fear of God and those who disobey God out of the fear of man; and those who repent of their sin with the knowledge of God and those who never turn back with a hardened heart. God chose David over his brothers, saying that people judge by outward appearance but the Lord looks at the heart (1Sa 16:7). And God rejected Saul after he did not follow what God commanded him to do with the Amalekites but he commended David saying he is a man after God’s own heart. Later David committed grave sins of rape and murder but God forgave him as he repent while Saul was deserted by God and ended his life in a tragic way. I think this contrast found in the lives of Saul and David is not just based on what they did or what they chose. The bigger factor or force working at their lives was God’s election as His people and God’s rejection thereof. Despite some of David’s characteristic strengths, I don’t think David was any better person than Saul in terms of sinfulness and wickedness he was born with. The only difference he had from Saul that God’s grace was with him, because of which he could have a repentant heart before God, honor God, and love God throughout his life.

1.4 I think this book was written to make the Israelites know unmistakably that it was God, not the kings who ruled over the Israelites as a true king, even though they were given their kings as they asked for. Along with many life lessons regarding honoring God, obedience, and repentance, God gave a promise to the Israelites through David for an everlasting kingdom, which was accomplished by Jesus! This rephrased version of the covenant he made with first Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob was once again given to the Israelites so that they could long for THE KINGDOM reigned by THE KING throughout their lives.

2. Theme Tracing

2.1 This book gives us many accounts of God’s nature and character. Among them, 1Sa 16:7 says The LORD doesn’t judge by outward appearance, but looks at the heart. He is not to be deceived by what we do, what we say, and what we think we intend but he knows what is behind our act, the motive. This knowledge of God makes me humble and cries out to God to search my heart to see if there is anything offensive to God so that I can turn away from it. 1Sa 15:22 says that God will not lie, nor will he change his mind, for he is not human that should change his mind. This character of God comforts me amid all the flurry of changes happening around me. People come and go. Money comes and goes. My own heart surprises me to show how quickly my thought swings from one end to the other. But God is never like human. Flowers wither and leaves fall but the word of the Lord stands forever!

2.2 God revealed his redemptive plan to King David as he promised him an everlasting kingdom in 2Sa 7:11-16. He promised to raise up one of David’s descendants and make his kingdom strong. And God said that he (the descendant) would build a temple for God’s name, which reminded me of what Jesus said in Matthew 26:61 “I am able to destroy the temple of God and rebuild it in three days.” And he did! For his work on the cross, now we become the temple of God where the spirit of Jesus dwells forever. Praise the Lord!

3. Application

3.1 If I am asked to name this particular season of my life, I would call it a time of being reshuffled because I have got to see many of my thoughts, assumptions, beliefs, even convictions being challenged, shattered, or spared. In the process, I realized I was so naïve and even gullible that I’ve been taking in whatever the authority figures-parents, leaders, teachers or pastors-say on the Bible and God without a question once I accepted their authority. If there is one thing I can learn from the Israelites in the Old Testament, it would be found in 1Sa 3:19-20. Despite the fact that Samuel was set apart as Nazirite and had heard the voice of God from very early years of age, people seemed to wait and test if he was a true prophet. And everything he said proved to be reliable then all Israel acknowledged him as a prophet of the Lord. I did not question them because I did not know God and the Bible well enough to prove them right or wrong. But more accurately I was not interested in God and what he said at all. By his grace, now I am interested in God and his word and started to question many things. I believe it is God who has led me to this place in this season, for which I am very grateful. He put this desire in my heart to search for the truth upon which I can stand firm, not being swayed by all the false doctrines and teachings, and will walk through this journey with me.  

3.2 I have been hesitating to write something about my point of passion. Part of the reason is that I was not quite sure about if I can call this little desire passion which was just stirred up a bit in my heart. But it seems to me that I got nothing but this little desire stirred up to know the truth, the word of God. I don’t think I could ever know the whole truth about God and his word in my life time. How could I? He is infinite while I am so finite. But I could know as much as he reveals to me and share what he shares with other people who need the truth in their life.