Bible Study Helps, I Samuel 2

 First, this is an odd lesson and I’m not sure why this incident in I Samuel was chosen for the literature; at the same time, it is not usually taught and usually glossed over, and I think that is a problem. Pastors tend to focus on certain passages instead of the whole Bible; I like that Pastor X is in I Peter because we rarely hear sermons from I Peter but he was the leader of the church and probably the writer behind Mark.

What’s going on in I Samuel? About 1100 B.C., 300 years into the promised land.

1.     Time of spiritual ignorance. The people had customs to follow but no reality in it.

2.     Moral anarchy.

3.     Lack of leadership

4.     Other nations, tribes look for chances to conquer Israel

I am not, as a Bible teacher, someone who compares Israel to the U.S. or to the church. Those are three separate entities in the Bible and not to be compared literally. But any group can find itself in this situation with these 4 characteristics.

Why study the Old Testament in the first place?  Mainly, you just can’t understand the gospels, Jesus, Paul, and the New Testament without it.  Not to make ourselves like these individuals or follow their personal example too much (character studies) but to see God’s leading in history. Last week with Hannah. It’s a wonderful story of a faithful, praying woman. It honors women and motherhood. She sings a lovely song. We can relate to her in so many ways. But it’s mostly there to explain how Samuel came on the scene to usher in a new life in Israel through his leadership and eventually through King David. It is also there to show how far the Israelites had fallen from their ideal—polygamy, the priest dishonoring her, but there were some faithful people.  Same with Ruth; wonderful story, but mainly there for the push toward David.

Roles in this time in Israel:  Judges (Samuel), Prophets, Priests (faithfully fulfill the sacrificial duties and were supposed to be godly, follow the law etc. 

Judges:  The title of the book refers to the leaders of the Israelites during this time when they had no kings. There were 12 judges in all; Othniel, Ehud, Shamgar, Deborah, Gideon, Tola, Jair, Jephthah, Ibzan, Elon, Abdon and Samson. These were spiritually gifted people with knowledge of the law and leadership abilities, usually military to shake off an oppressing army. These were flawed human beings. God uses flawed humans. Some people say broken. I’m not crazy about that term. I understand why people use it, but we can get too focused on us and not the power of God in us in the New Testament.  I Peter 2. 

Why did God send judges? After the generation that entered under Joshua, they just decided not to follow the law as a community or country. Very chaotic and the judges were sent because they chose not to follow self-government like they should. Thus they wanted a king, rather than follow the law of Moses.

The primary message of Judges is that God will not allow sin to go unpunished. Since this lesson is in Judges, that is what the lesson is about.

https://www.gotquestions.org/prophet-Old-Testament.html

Prophets

One main goal: proclaim, either written or orally or both, God’s message to people

Sometimes that includes the future.

Specific and practical warnings based on previous revelations.

Prophets: How did they know the person (occasionally a woman prophesied) was really to be listened to?

It happened. Deuteronomy 18k.  

A few times the prophet was called “the man of God” and unnamed, as here.

Finally Priests (faithfully fulfill the sacrificial duties and were supposed to be godly, follow the law etc.)

I Samuel 2:22-25. 31-34 Eli is supposed to be a priest, judge, and prophet. He isn’t good at any of them. He fails as a leader because

1.     he puts his sons before the truth of God and does not hold them accountable. You say, well, they are adults. They were fulfilling a job they weren’t qualified for. Why nepotism is no good!

2.     I don’t think we should consider a child as the natural successor in a spiritual role of a father.  Churches and colleges do that, and it’s weird.

AND God always gives hope.  2:35.  Who is that? It is Samuel, and we see it in the next chapter. The little boy Hannah left there 3:1-4:1. This is a turning point. They are still in the ages of the judges. Samuel is not a priest, but he is a judge and prophet. His dealings with Saul and David are very interesting and probably what we will study in June.  We see Jesus here as well.

I don’t have any big climactic thoughts here, except for these words from Chuck  Swindoll, who can preach and teach far better than I.

Memory is a gift. Remembering the past teaches us countless lessons about how to live today. The Israelites forgot. They did not remember the miraculous events that brought them to their land or the covenant that united them to their God. But God did not forget His covenant—and because of His great love for His people, He disciplined His sinful children so that they might return to Him.

Have you forgotten the great works God has done in your life? Perhaps your difficult circumstances are overpowering your faith. Do you feel as if He is disciplining you right now? Know that He disciplines those He loves (Hebrews 12:5–11). Return to Him. Remember, trust, and obey. He is waiting with open