I SAMUEL CHAPTER ONE
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The story of Samuel and his sons enhance the story of Job and his sons, the fact that he is a special: he made sacrifices in case his sons would sin against God in their hearts. In the Bible, we are told about Jews who sinned against God and before it was revealed, God struck Israel and they paid an expensive price!
1 Samuel 12
Samuel asks the people if he hasn’t behaved properly as high priests and the people recognize that he is faultless. Once again Samuel warns Saul and Israel: if they don’t follow God, they will pay the price as it happened all the time before. To make Israel understand what they have done to God by asking for a human king instead of God, Samuel asks God for thunder and rain at the time of harvest. And Israel is afraid of God. So the people ask Samuel to pray for them. And Samuel will keep praying for Israel and instruct them according to God. But he repeats them that if they don’t follow God, they will pay the price.
Samuel asks the people if he hasn’t behaved properly as high priests and the people recognize that he is faultless. Once again Samuel warns Saul and Israel: if they don’t follow God, they will pay the price as it happened all the time before. To make Israel understand what they have done to God by asking for a human king instead of God, Samuel asks God for thunder and rain at the time of harvest. And Israel is afraid of God. So the people ask Samuel to pray for them. And Samuel will keep praying for Israel and instruct them according to God. But he repeats them that if they don’t follow God, they will pay the price.
1 Samuel 13
Saul wins a battle against the Philistines. But he has to fight a second battle. But Saul has to wait for the coming of Samuel and people are afraid of the Philistines and the people start to go away from Saul. So Saul decides to make sacrifices to God without waiting for Samuel. And then Samuel arrives. As a consequence of what Saul has just done, Samuel tells Saul that God will establish another king for Israel. They are only 600 men left to Saul and they don’t have swords because of the Philistines.
Saul wins a battle against the Philistines. But he has to fight a second battle. But Saul has to wait for the coming of Samuel and people are afraid of the Philistines and the people start to go away from Saul. So Saul decides to make sacrifices to God without waiting for Samuel. And then Samuel arrives. As a consequence of what Saul has just done, Samuel tells Saul that God will establish another king for Israel. They are only 600 men left to Saul and they don’t have swords because of the Philistines.
1 Samuel 14
Jonathan decides to cross the frontier and decides to fight the Philistines if they ask them to do so: it will be a sign from God. And Jonathan wins. And the philistines are afraid because of that. So more Hebrews come back to Saul and they fight the Philistines and they pursue them. Then Saul takes an oath for the Hebrews to be cursed if they eat before the evening and before they have destroyed all the Philistines. Not knowing that, Jonathan ate some honey and his eyes begin brightening and he says his father made a mistake: they could have killed more Philistines. The people become tired and they start to eat what they find. But they eat meat with its blood. So Saul says that the Hebrews have sinned against God. So Saul asks the people to sacrifices bulls for their sins. Saul wants to fight the Philistines at night. A priest asks God if they can do it but God doesn’t answer. So Saul wants to kill all the Hebrews who sinned. But the people don’t tell him anything. Jonathan says he ate some honey so Saul wants to kill him but the people answer him it isn’t possible to kill him because they were victorious because of him. Finally Saul stops fighting against the Philistines. After that, Saul has to fight against all his enemies and he defeats them.
Jonathan decides to cross the frontier and decides to fight the Philistines if they ask them to do so: it will be a sign from God. And Jonathan wins. And the philistines are afraid because of that. So more Hebrews come back to Saul and they fight the Philistines and they pursue them. Then Saul takes an oath for the Hebrews to be cursed if they eat before the evening and before they have destroyed all the Philistines. Not knowing that, Jonathan ate some honey and his eyes begin brightening and he says his father made a mistake: they could have killed more Philistines. The people become tired and they start to eat what they find. But they eat meat with its blood. So Saul says that the Hebrews have sinned against God. So Saul asks the people to sacrifices bulls for their sins. Saul wants to fight the Philistines at night. A priest asks God if they can do it but God doesn’t answer. So Saul wants to kill all the Hebrews who sinned. But the people don’t tell him anything. Jonathan says he ate some honey so Saul wants to kill him but the people answer him it isn’t possible to kill him because they were victorious because of him. Finally Saul stops fighting against the Philistines. After that, Saul has to fight against all his enemies and he defeats them.
Once again we see how Job is special to God regarding his faithfulness: he made sacrifices for his children knowing that they could sin against God in their heart. In the case of the Hebrews, they sinned against God by eating meat with its blood and Saul asks them to make sacrifices but then God doesn’t answer the priest so Saul can’t keep fighting against the Philistines. The consequences come straight. Two different ways of doing things which can be used by us as lessons. Additionally, it also shows us why Satan chose to attack Job and not anyone else! It should also help us to think properly about who Job was according to God!
1 Samuel 15
God asks Saul to destroy completely the Amalekites because they fought against Israel when the people came from Egypt. He must kill everyone (men, women, children and animals). He doesn’t kill the kenites because they were loyal to Israel. So he destroys the amalekites except the king and the animals and all that is good. As usual they don’t do it as God tells them. Saul says that Israel has kept the best of the animals to offer to God as sacrifices. But Samuel answers Saul that it is better to obey God than offer sacrifices. As a consequence Saul is rejected by God as king of Israel. And Samuel tells him there is no escape! Somebody else will become king of Israel. And Samuel kills the king of the Amalekites! And Samuel won’t see Saul anymore until his death!
God asks Saul to destroy completely the Amalekites because they fought against Israel when the people came from Egypt. He must kill everyone (men, women, children and animals). He doesn’t kill the kenites because they were loyal to Israel. So he destroys the amalekites except the king and the animals and all that is good. As usual they don’t do it as God tells them. Saul says that Israel has kept the best of the animals to offer to God as sacrifices. But Samuel answers Saul that it is better to obey God than offer sacrifices. As a consequence Saul is rejected by God as king of Israel. And Samuel tells him there is no escape! Somebody else will become king of Israel. And Samuel kills the king of the Amalekites! And Samuel won’t see Saul anymore until his death!
1 Samuel 16
God says that the way man sees is not the way God sees, man sees with his eyes but God sees into the heart! Another good lesson!
Samuel goes and anoint David: Jesse has seven boys and each one goes to Samuel starting with the oldest one but God chooses the youngest one! Quite impressive and quite different from man’s view! That why we should be careful when reading and trying to understand the Bible! David is called to come to Saul and starts serving him and Saul starts loving him.
God says that the way man sees is not the way God sees, man sees with his eyes but God sees into the heart! Another good lesson!
Samuel goes and anoint David: Jesse has seven boys and each one goes to Samuel starting with the oldest one but God chooses the youngest one! Quite impressive and quite different from man’s view! That why we should be careful when reading and trying to understand the Bible! David is called to come to Saul and starts serving him and Saul starts loving him.
1 Samuel 17
Here is another war between the Philistines and Israel. The philistine have a champion, the giant Goliath and he keeps provoking the Hebrews. David brings food to his brothers who serve Saul. When he hears about Goliath, David wants to fight him. He tells Saul he already killed a lion and a bear which attacked the sheep. And David kills Goliath by throwing him a stone with his sling and cut his head to be sure he was dead. The Philistines flee. The Hebrews pursue them and kill a lot.
Here is another war between the Philistines and Israel. The philistine have a champion, the giant Goliath and he keeps provoking the Hebrews. David brings food to his brothers who serve Saul. When he hears about Goliath, David wants to fight him. He tells Saul he already killed a lion and a bear which attacked the sheep. And David kills Goliath by throwing him a stone with his sling and cut his head to be sure he was dead. The Philistines flee. The Hebrews pursue them and kill a lot.
1 Samuel 18
Jonathan and David become friends. David stays with Saul and doesn’t come back to his father’s house. Jonathan and David make a covenant. Saul put David in charge of the soldiers because he is successful. But Saul becomes jealous of David because David is more successful than Saul and the people sing his victories. And Saul becomes suspicious of David. One day, when David plays the harp, Saul throws him a spear twice but David escapes. Saul becomes afraid of David because God is with him. So he sends him in the army and David is very successful. And Saul gives him his oldest daughter. He hopes that the philistines will kill David. But David says he is no one. Then Saul wants to give David another of his daughters. He asks for 100 foreskins of the Philistines in exchange thinking that the philistines would kill him. But David kills 200 Philistines and he marries Saul’s daughter. And David becomes even more successful.
Jonathan and David become friends. David stays with Saul and doesn’t come back to his father’s house. Jonathan and David make a covenant. Saul put David in charge of the soldiers because he is successful. But Saul becomes jealous of David because David is more successful than Saul and the people sing his victories. And Saul becomes suspicious of David. One day, when David plays the harp, Saul throws him a spear twice but David escapes. Saul becomes afraid of David because God is with him. So he sends him in the army and David is very successful. And Saul gives him his oldest daughter. He hopes that the philistines will kill David. But David says he is no one. Then Saul wants to give David another of his daughters. He asks for 100 foreskins of the Philistines in exchange thinking that the philistines would kill him. But David kills 200 Philistines and he marries Saul’s daughter. And David becomes even more successful.
So we aren’t told a lot about David’s youth. We know he was a shepherd looking after his father’s sheep. We know he is courageous as he protected the sheep killing a lion and a bear and also because he killed the giant Goliath. And he became a soldier and a military leader early. Anyway, it’s more than Saul’s youth as we don’t know anything.
1 Samuel 19
Jonathan warns David that his father wants to kill him. And he also tells him to hide till he gets more information. Then Jonathan speaks in favor of David to his father Saul. So Saul tells him he won’t kill David so David keeps serving Saul. Later once again Saul tries to kill David by throwing him his spear when David plays the harp but David escapes. And he goes to his house. But then his wife tells him to escape otherwise he will be dead. Saul sends his men to kill David but he escapes again. Then David goes to Samuel end tells him all that Saul did to him. Every time Saul sends messengers to get David they start to behave like prophets. So Saul decides to go personally and get David but he starts to behave like a prophet too.
Jonathan warns David that his father wants to kill him. And he also tells him to hide till he gets more information. Then Jonathan speaks in favor of David to his father Saul. So Saul tells him he won’t kill David so David keeps serving Saul. Later once again Saul tries to kill David by throwing him his spear when David plays the harp but David escapes. And he goes to his house. But then his wife tells him to escape otherwise he will be dead. Saul sends his men to kill David but he escapes again. Then David goes to Samuel end tells him all that Saul did to him. Every time Saul sends messengers to get David they start to behave like prophets. So Saul decides to go personally and get David but he starts to behave like a prophet too.
1 Samuel 20
David speaks to Jonathan who tells him that his father will tell him if he decides to try to kill him. But David tells him that his father knows about their friendship so he won’t tell him his intentions. So David hides again and Jonathan tries to get his father’s intentions towards David. But Saul gets angry so he wants Jonathan to bring him David so he can kill him. Then his father humiliates him. Jonathan goes to David and tells him that his father wants to kill him. So David goes away.
David speaks to Jonathan who tells him that his father will tell him if he decides to try to kill him. But David tells him that his father knows about their friendship so he won’t tell him his intentions. So David hides again and Jonathan tries to get his father’s intentions towards David. But Saul gets angry so he wants Jonathan to bring him David so he can kill him. Then his father humiliates him. Jonathan goes to David and tells him that his father wants to kill him. So David goes away.
David and Jonathan help us to understand what is friendship and thus we can see the difference between a real friendship and the basic relationship between Job and his counselors. Jonathan tries his best to help his friend David against his father even if David can take his kingship. In the Bible, it is the best example of friendship not based on personal interests.
1 Samuel 21
David goes to Ahimelech the priest and tells him that he is on a mission for the king and he asks him for bread. So the priest gives him holy bread because there is nothing else. He also asks for a sword but there is only Goliath’s sword that David killed so he gets this sword. Then he goes to king Achish of Gad and he behaves as if he was crazy so he won’t kill him.
David goes to Ahimelech the priest and tells him that he is on a mission for the king and he asks him for bread. So the priest gives him holy bread because there is nothing else. He also asks for a sword but there is only Goliath’s sword that David killed so he gets this sword. Then he goes to king Achish of Gad and he behaves as if he was crazy so he won’t kill him.