THE BOOK OF FIRST SAMUEL

Pastor D. Liang

I.       History and Background of the Kingdom of Israel (I Sam ch. 1-7)

A.     Birth of Samuel, chosen to become a prophet, house of Eli forsaken (I Sam 1-3)

1.        Birth of Samuel (ch. 1-2)

 a.      Hanna’s sorrow and the blessings she received (1:1-20)

·         Love alone cannot resolve the problem (1:5-8)

·         Seek after God (1:9-16)

·         Give birth through God’s grace (1:17-20)

 b.      Hanna’s prayer of thanksgiving (1:21-2:10)

·         Making a vow and repaying it (1:21-28)

·         Greater blessings (2:21)

·         Come to know God deeply (2:1-10)

2.        Called to become a prophet (2:18-ch.3)

 a.      Wearing a ephod and ministering to the Lord (2:18; 3:1)

 b.      Loved by God and men (2:26)

 c.      God calling and revelation (3:4-10)

 d.      God’s abidance (3:19)

 e.      Established as a prophet (3:20)

·         Put away idols (7:2-4)

·         Defeat enemies (7:10)

 f.       Serve as a judge (7:15-17)

3.        Eli forsaken by God (ch. 4)

 a.      Evil sons (2:12-25)

·         Do not know God (12), sin against God

·         Greedy (16)

·         Lustful (23)

·         Disobedient toward the father (25)

·         Ark of covenant captured, entire family perished (4:1-8)

II.    Establishment of the Kingdom Under the Guidance of the Prophet (ch. 8-12)

A.     The people’s request for a king and God’s reply (ch. 8)

1.        Samuel did not have a successor (8:1-3)

2.        God consented, but warned of the consequence (8:9-18)

B.     Saul anointed to be king (9:1-10:16)

1.        Coming to see the prophet (9:9-27)

2.        Anointed as king in secrecy (10:1-16)

 a.      Moved by the Spirit of God (10:5-6)

 b.      A new heart, a new man (10:6-9)

C.     Saul chosen as king by casting lots (10:17-27)

1.        Hidden among the equipment (22)

2.        Despised by the people (27,11,12)

D.     Victory in battle proves that the selection was correct (11:1-13)

1.        Chosen people despised by enemy (11:1-5)

2.        Victorious with a heart of unity (6-11)

3.        Established in Gilgal to be the king (11:14)

E.     Samuel’s farewell message (12:1-25)

1.        Samuel’s discipline (1-5)

2.        The mistake of establishing a king (6-18)

 a.      They suffer because they have departed from God (6-11)

 b.      It is a mistake to establish a king (12-13)

 c.      Fear God to receive blessings (14-15)

 d.      God show his power as evidence (16-19)

 e.      Samuel’s encouragement and exhortation (20-25)

·         Responsibility of the chosen people (20-22)

·         Responsibility of the prophet (23)

·         Those who evil shall perish (24-25)

III. The Failure of Saul’s Kingdom (ch. 13-15)

A.     Saul’s mistake of offering the sacrifice (13:1-15)

1.        The people respect Saul (1-7)

2.        Saul did not respect God (8-15)

 a.      Did not respect the direction of the prophet (13:13-14; 10:8)

 b.      Offered sacrifice beyond his authority (13:9)

3.        God removed his throne and chose someone to replace him (13:14)

B.     Saul’s mistaken command (13:9-14:46)

1.        Jonathan defeated the Philistines (13:19-14:23)

 a.      People of Israel lack weapons (13:19-23)

 b.      Jonathan trust in the Lord, united to gain victory (14:1-23)

2.        Jonathan disobey his father (14:24-46)

 a.      Eat honey to gain strength (27)

 b.      The people save Jonathan (45)

3.        Saul was prosperous for a period (14:47-52)

C.     Saul disobey God’s will (15:1-35)

1.        Disobey the God’s command in sparing the Amalek (1-9)

2.        God forsake Saul, to obey is better than sacrifice (10-23)

3.        Saul pretend to have repented (24-31)

4.        Samuel refused to see Saul (32-35)

IV.  David’s Prosperity and Saul’s Decline (I Sam 16:1 - II Sam 5:5)

A.     David was anointed, served Saul, and fled for his life (ch. 16-26)

1.        David anointed (16:1-13)

 a.      God revealed to Samuel to anoint David (1-5)

 b.      God sees the inner heart (6-13)

2.        David served Saul (14-23)

 a.      Saul was forsaken, possessed by evil spirit (14)

 b.      David cast away the evil spirit (15-23)

3.        David killed Goliath (17:1-58)

 a.      Israelites were ridiculed by the enemy (1-27)

 b.      David enter the battle (28-40)

 c.      Killed Goliath (41-54)

4.        Saul seek to kill David (18:1 - 26:25)

 a.      David benefited in all situation (18:5-8)

 b.      Saul planned to kill David (18:9-30)

 c.      Friendship between David and Jonathan (19:1-7; 20:1-42)

 d.      David helped by Ahimelech (21:1-9)

 e.      Saul seek to kill Ahimelech (22:6-23)

 f.       Saul seek to kill David (23:7 - 26:25)

·         Saul remain stubborn and unrepentant

·         David’s greatness of character

B.     David fled to the land of Philistines, death of Saul (ch. 27-31)

1.        David fled for his life (27:1-12); rejected by Philistines (29:1-11)

2.        Saul seek the medium woman (28:1-25)

3.        David pursue the Amalekites (30:1-31)

4.        Saul died in battle (31:1-13)

C.     David established as king (II Sam ch. 1-5)

1.        David mourn for death of Saul and Jonathan (1)

2.        David anointed as king (2:1-4)

3.        Abner murdered (3:1-39)

4.        David show favor to Mephibosheth (4:1-12)

5.        David become king of Israel (5:1-5)

V.     David’s Kingdom was Prosperous and Glorious (II Sam 5:6-9:12)

A.     David reign over Jerusalem, greatly defeated the Philistines (5:6-25)

1.        With God’s abidance, became  prospered and strengthen (10)

2.        God allow David to defeat the Philistines (17-25)

B.     David brought the Ark to Jerusalem (ch. 6)

1.        Concern for the Ark (1-5)

2.        Misfortune and blessings (7-11)

3.        Joy of David (13-23)

C.     God’s promise that David’s kingdom shall endure forever (7:1-39)

1.        Determining to build the Lord’s temple (7:1-17)

2.        David’s prayer (7:18-39)

D.     Expansion of David’s kingdom (ch. 8)

1.        God allow David to be victorious (II Sam 8:1-14)

2.        David administer judgment and justice (8:15-18)

E.     David kept his covenant with Jonathan (9:1-13)

·         Show grace to Mephibosheth for his whole life

VI.  Weakness and Failure of David’s Kingdom (II Sam 10-20)

A.     David committed adultery (ch. 10-12)

1.        David’s army was strong and fortified (ch. 10)

2.     David’s spirituality was weak (10:11-12)

·         Lived a indulgent lifestyle (11:1-2)

·         Killed with the hands of others (11:3-25)

·         Committed adultery (11:26-27)

3.     Nathan came to see David (ch. 12)

·         Recounted his own sins (12:1-9)

·         Trouble and affliction will not depart (12:10-15)

4.     Death of David’s son in sickness (12:16-23)

B.     Internal troubles in David’s family (II Sam 13-20)

1.        His daughter was put to shame (13:1-22)

2.        His son was killed (13:23-33)

3.        Absalom fled (13:34-14:33)

4.        Absalom’s rebellion (15:1-16:23)

·         David fled (15:13-37)

·         David put to shame (16:1-14)

5.        Hushai defeated the plan of Ahithophel (17:1-29)

6.        Absalom’s failure (18:1-19:10)

VII.           Conclusion of David’s Kingdom (II Sam 21-24)

A.     David’s warriors (23:8-39)

B.     David’s numbering of the people (24:1-25)

C.     Solomon succeed the throne (I Kg 1)

D.     Final words of David (I Kg 2)