Notes - 1 Samuel Chapters 1 - 8
I. SAMUEL: God’s prophet, priest, and judge, Chapters 1 — 8
Chapter 1
This First Book of Samuel opens with a cry of a godly woman. While the people cry for a king, Hannah cries for a child. God builds the throne on a woman’s cry. When woman takes her exalted place, God builds her a throne.
Eli, the high priest, thinks Hannah is drunk as she prays before the tabernacle in Shiloh. When he discovers her true anxiety is for a child, he blesses her. Samuel is born to Hannah and she brings him to Eli in fulfillment other vow.
Chapter 2
Hannah’s prayer of thanksgiving is prophetic, as she mentions the Messiah for the first time (v. 10).Eli’s sons are evil and not fit for the priests’ office. An unnamed prophet warns Eli that his line will be cut off as high priest and that God will raise up faithful priest (v. 35). Notice verse 26 — spoken only of Samuel and Jesus.
Chapter 3
The story of the call of Samuel as a prophet-priest is ordinarily reserved for children. It is not only for the junior, but for the senior. Bring it out of the nursery and into the adult department, for it is not only a beautiful story but marks one of the great transitional periods in Scripture — the change from theocracy to monarchy, from priest to king. God spoke to a king through prophets. Samuel was not a wee child.
Josephus says he was 12 years old (2:18 gives the wrong impression).Solomon was a grown man when he prayed, “I am but a little child” (1 Kings3:7). Jeremiah was called to prophetic office when he wrote, “I am a child”(Jeremiah 1:6). There was a total of 4 calls to Samuel: first and second were the call of God to salvation (v. 7); the last two calls were to service (v. 10).
Chapter 4
Israel, without consulting Samuel, goes out to battle against the Philistines — which leads to defeat. Then they bring the ark of the covenant into battle, thinking its presence will bring victory. This reveals the superstitious paganism of the people who thought there was some merit in an object. The merit was in the presence and person of God. Verse 5 reveals gross idolatry.
Verses 6 through 8 show that the Philistines were both superstitious and ignorant.
Verse 10 tells Israel’s defeat again. The ark is captured.
Verse 18 — The capture of the ark causes Eli to collapse and fall backward, breaking his neck (he was a fat man).
Chapter 5
The captured ark is placed in the house of Dagon, idol of the Philistines. The idol falls over and breaks. In fear, they send the ark to Gath where it is then transferred to Ekron.
Chapter 6
Philistines return the ark to Israel, carried on a cart, to the field of Joshua at Bethshemesh. The ark is transferred to Kirjath-jearim.
Chapter 7
After 20 years Israel prepares to receive the ark. Israel turns from Baalim and Ashtaroth to serve the Lord (v. 4).After Israel’s victory over the Philistines, Samuel sets up a stone at Ebenezer, which means “Hitherto hath the Lord helped us.”Verses 15 through 17 give Samuel’s extensive ministry as prophet, priest, and judge.
Chapter 8
Hosea 13:11 can be written over the remainder of 1 Samuel: I gave thee a king in mine anger, and took him away in my wrath.
Samuel made the mistake of making his own sons judges to succeed him. They were wholly unworthy and incompetent (v. 3). Samuel was a failure as a father.
Israel demanded a king and rejected God and Samuel. Israel was influenced by surrounding nations.
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