...Saul reigned as king over Israel from about 1050-1011. During this time, the prophet Samuel was Gods mouthpiece. The people of Israel desired a king who could fight their battles against the aggressive tactics of the Philistines. Also, they routinely blamed its shortcomings on the lack of proper leadership; a monarchy comprised of a king (Judges, 17:6; 18:1; 19:1; 21:25). These passages in the book Judges, reveals that Israel could never fulfill their divinely intended design, as long as it was under the Judges rule. The moral and civil disasters Israel was suffering at this time in history, was due to their spiritual disobedience of the Mosaic covenant. This led to the people of Israel electing Saul as their king. His election was based on his outward appearance, not his heart or regards to the Mosaic covenant. The solidification of Saul’s rule culminated at the victory over Nahash the Amorite. Due to Israel’s failure to honor the Mosaic covenant, Saul’s poor choices caused the nation of Israel to deteriorate rapidly. Even though Saul’s son Ish-bosheth was next in line to the monarchy, it was not to be Gods plan for Israel. The removal of Saul from leadership, culminated from his disobedience to Samuels wish for him to wait on God’s word to attack the Philistines at Gilgal. Saul did not heed to Samuels warning, and attacked solely on his vengeance towards them. The request of a king for Israel was ill motivated, and ill timed. Saul was from the tribe of Benjamin...
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...Austin Beecher BIBL 105-B41 Essay 2 11 Feb. 2013 The Kings of the Old Age The thought of Monarchy, in the United States of America, would not be such a bad idea. We would be contradicting the same reason our fore fathers before us came and settled on this land, but it seems much better in the sense of a political stand point compared to what many people are going through with the government today in the United States. In the time when the Old Testament was written, almost, if not, every nation or people group was led by some sort of Monarchy. There were many well-known kings that the authors of the Bible wrote about such as King Saul, King David, and King Solomon. But there are many questions we have to ask ourselves before we can truly understand these kings. Some of the questions we should ask ourselves are “During the time of Samuel, why did the people of Israel desire a king?”, “Why was Saul chosen, and ultimately, why was he rejected?”, “What attribute did David display that made him a better king than Saul?” and “What sin did Solomon commit that ultimately led to the division of Israel after his death?” These questions can help us understand the positives and negatives of these kings. When someone desires an object or a person they have a deep want or need for that person or thing. In the time of Samuel, Israel as a nation desired for a king, but why? Why did they want someone who told them how to live and what to do? They already had Samuel as a ruler, but they...
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...BIBL 105 Short Essay 2 As we follow the events of the nation Israel, we see the hand of God in every turning point of their history. How He brought them out of Egyptian bondage under the leadership of Moses, to the possession of the land of promise under the leadership of the great commander Joshua. History then points us, to the book of 1 Samuel showing how God transitioned His covenanted nation away from the failing theocratic administration under the tribal judges toward the theocratic administration of the united monarchy; thus the era of the reign of kings were born (Hinson and Yates 2012:162). Samuel the righteous judge of Israel is raised up to serve during a time when the nation was declining both morally and politically. The priesthood was corrupt and the hearts of the people were far from God. The Philistine oppression was great and had wrought a great slaughter among them. It was Samuel whom God used to ultimately usher the nation back to Him. “So the Israelites put away the Baals and the Ashtaroth, and served the Lord only. Samuel said, Gather all Israel to Mizpah and I will pray to the Lord for you. So they gathered at Mizpah and drew water and poured it out before the Lord and fasted on that day and said there, we have sinned against the Lord. And Samuel judged the Israelites at Mizpah.” (1 Sam 7:4-6 AMP). Now as Samuel began to age, he appointed his two sons as judges over Israel, but they did not possess the righteousness of Samuel. They were wicked...
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...1 Kings 12 - Rehoboam and Jeroboam A. Rehoboam and the division of Israel. 1. (1-5) the elders of Israel offer Rehoboam the throne of Israel. And Rehoboam went to Shechem, for all Israel had gone to Shechem to make him king. So it happened, when Jeroboam the son of Nebat heard it (he was still in Egypt, for he had fled from the presence of King Solomon and had been dwelling in Egypt), that they sent and called him. Then Jeroboam and the whole assembly of Israel came and spoke to Rehoboam, saying, "Your father made our yoke heavy; now therefore, lighten the burdensome service of your father, and his heavy yoke which he put on us, and we will serve you." So he said to them, "Depart for three days, then come back to me." And the people departed. a. Rehoboam went to Shechem, for all Israel had gone to Shechem to make him king: This was a logical continuation of the Davidic dynasty. David was succeeded by his son Solomon, and now Rehoboam, the son of Solomon, was assumed to be the next king. i. Rehoboam was the only son of Solomon that we know by name. Solomon had 1000 wives and concubines, yet we read of one son he had to bear up his name, and he was a fool. This demonstrates that sin is a bad way of building up a family. ii. Shechem was a city with a rich history. Abraham worshipped there (Genesis 12:6). Jacob built an altar and purchased land there (Genesis 33:18-20). Joseph was buried there (Joshua 24:32). It was also the geographical center of the northern tribes. All in...
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...over a wide historical period, it describes the relationship of God and the people of Israel before the coming of Jesus. To make it easy to explain the history in the Old Testament, I have seen it best to look at it under the following periods: 1. Primeval History Primeval history refers to the earliest history in the Bible. Genesis chapters 1 to 11 are considered the primeval history portion of the Bible. This is the Biblical time period from creation to the flood. The final section of the primeval history of the Bible tells the story of the flood or deluge. Noah and his family were righteous and followed God's instructions, and were therefore spared from death during the deluge. 2. Patriarchal Period (1900BC-1800BC) Though the beginning of Israel’s history as a nation is usually placed at the time of her departure from Egypt, an account of her history must start with Abraham and the patriarchs. Only after Israel had moved across Egypt’s border did she have size and identity with which other nations would have to reckon with, but she already had a history that stretched back through the years to her fathers, Jacob and Abraham. To Jacob the twelve heads of the respective tribes had been born, and to Abraham God had given His promise of a nation. 3. Exodus (1280BC) Exodus is the story of the enslavement of the Israelites in Egypt following the death of Joseph, their departure under the leadership of Moses, the revelations at Sinai, and their wanderings in the wilderness...
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...3. In 1 Kings 18, through the dialogue between Ahab and Elijah, the reader is presented with an interesting question. Who is the troubler of Israel? The troubler of Israel are members of the Davidic Covenant that worship other invalid gods, thus breaking the covenant. The Davidic Covenant members break the Covenant by breaking one of the Ten Commandments which states, “You shall have no other gods before me,” (New International Version, Exodus 20:3). Most of the kings that succeed David commit an act of betrayal towards God by complying with false idols. To start off, Kings Jeroboam fortified two golden calves to prevent Israelites from journeying to a temple in Jerusalem to worship the Lord (New International Version, 1 Kings 26-28). The motivation of this betrayal was to prevent Israelites from giving their...
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...The nation of Israel, or God’s chosen people, had every opportunity to set themselves apart from other nations. Israel had a covenant relationship with God, which means Israelites only had to live holy lives to receive God’s blessings. The book of Judges describes the cycle of the Israelites forsaking God and then Him raising up judges to bring them to repentance. After this time of uprising, and sorrow, the cycle would begin again. Just like the situation of Israel, Christians have the opportunity to set themselves apart from others. In my opinion, it is of utmost importance to look to God for leadership, and to learn from the lives of others, like Saul, David, and Solomon. It is common, in the human experience, to look for leadership. This was the case of the Israelites during the time of the prophet Samuel, who lived during the time of the Judges. In the fifth verse of the book of 1 Samuel chapter eight, the people of Israel said to Samuel , “….Therefore, appoint a king to judge us the same as all the other nations have” (Holman Christian Standard Bible). God’s chosen people, in this verse, made it known that they desired to be like everyone else. God gave the nation of Israel what they desired and told Samuel, “Appoint a king for them” (1 Sam 8:22). The reasoning behind why peoples may choose their leader is not infallible. For example, sometimes a leader may be chosen because his physical appearance is more appealing than his competitor. This was proven during the...
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...2015 Saul, David, and Solomon Before discussing why the people of Israel desired a king, it is important to go back in time and get an understanding of the background and history. Samuel was, at birth, chosen by God. He was a prophet and served under Eli, the high priest. By the power of God and Samuel’s leadership, the Philistines (Israel’s enemy) were defeated. Eli’s sons had been killed, Eli had died and, Samuel became judge over Israel. When Samuel was an old man, he appointed his sons as judges to Israel. His sons, however, were corrupt (Swindoll 2). “Yet his sons did not walk in his ways but turned aside after gain. They took bribes and perverted justice” (1 Sam. 8:3). So the people of Israel felt let down and they wanted something done…they wanted a king. However, this was not the only reason they wanted a king. Samuel was not only old and his sons were corrupt, the people wanted to be like other nations (Dale). They told Samuel they wanted him to appoint a king to judge them. “Behold, you are old and your sons do not walk in your ways. Now appoint for us a king to judge us like all the nations” (1 Sam. 8:5). People have always wanted to be like everybody else. Israel was to be different and distinct from all other nations. Israel was to be a covenant people by whom God would reveal Himself and His plan of redemption. “But the thing displeased Samuel when they said, “Give us a king to judge us.” And Samuel prayed to the LORD. And the LORD said to Samuel...
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...Old Testament Bible Dictionary Project: Exodus / Aaron / Sinai Exodus is the second book of the five books, known as the Pentateuch or Torah of the Old Testament, dating back to 1445 BC. In the Hebrew Bible it is referred to as Shemoth and the English designation was taken from the Septuagint title, Exodus. Jewish and Christian tradition has believed Moses to be the author, however, controversy arose in the 19th century. It is now thought that it could go back as far as the 6th century during Babylonian exile that the first draft occurred known as the Yahwist. Some key themes, purposes, events, and personalities in Exodus is Moses was born, Moses chosen to lead the Israelites out of Egyptian slavery, and the Ten Commandments where written on two tablets by the hand of God himself. At the birth of Moses Pharaoh feared the growth rate of the Hebrews and ordered all male Hebrew children to be thrown into the Nile. Moses’s mother hid him for three months but when she could no longer hide Moses she constructed an ark and placed it by the river bank. Moses was found by Pharaoh’s own daughter, which she had compassion for Moses, and later adopted him. Later when Moses was 40 years of age (40 years in the wilderness) he encountered God through a burning bush. God spoke to Moses through the burning bush telling him that he was chosen to lead his people, the Israelites, out of Egyptian slavery. The center account master piece regarding Moses is the events that took place at...
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...Alex Nieves 11-11-13 Professor Hannon History 318 Book Review The Bible Unearthed The departure is the subject of ''The Bible Unearthed,'' a fascinating book written by two Jewish archaeologists, Israel Finkelstein and Neil Asher Silberman. With an irenic spirit they join the debate, at times ugly and vicious, about the historicity of the Bible (by which they mean the Hebrew Scriptures, also known as the Old Testament). To this battle they bring an arsenal of scholarly research, field experience and well-chosen words artfully used. They also claim a ''new'' archaeological perspective, but it may be somewhat less than new. Parts of the proposal have been available for decades. Yet their particular thesis, as well as the impressive development of it, can only lead the reader to think anew. Near the end of the seventh century B.C. a young prince named Josiah, descendant of King David, acceded to the throne of Judah after his father's assassination. Described in the Bible as the most righteous of all the kings, he in time renovated the Temple in Jerusalem. The renovations turned up a scroll (perhaps the world's first archaeological discovery) that began a religious reformation. Called ''the book of the law'' in II Kings, it was probably an early version of Deuteronomy. How it came to be, and to be in the Temple, remains a disputed topic, though Finkelstein and Silberman believe it was written in the seventh century B.C. Obeying the commandments of the scroll, Josiah ordered...
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...the Lord Yahweh was, and still is, the ultimate King of Israel, the nation desired a human king to rule over them.1 God desired for the nation of Israel to be set apart and for He, Himself, to be their King (Leviticus 20:26). At the people’s insistence, God relented, stepped outside of His will, and allowed them a human king.2 Desiring a king outside of God’s will and the covenant disobedience of those kings would come at a price for both Israel and her kings of the United Monarchy Period. Near the end of his life, the aging prophet, priest, and judge, Samuel, appointed his sons, Joel and Abijah, to be judges (1 Samuel 8:1). They were corrupt and unjust (1 Samuel 8:3). The people of Israel, wanting to be like her neighbors, thought having a king to rule over them would be better than having corrupt judges.3 Israel also wanted a king to lead them in battle. Good looking, tall, with even a regal air, Saul possessed many kingly traits and appeared to be the embodiment of what a nation would want in a king. He was from a wealthy family, with a good name, from the tribe of Benjamin, and he showed strong military leadership. For these reasons he was the people of Israel’s choice as king. God knew Saul’s appearances, however, hid many character flaws.2 With Israel pressing for a king even after Samuel gave them God’s warning, God relented, stepped outside of His divine will, and allowed Israel to have Saul as their first king. Saul’s poor ability to lead quickly became...
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...Essay 2: Saul, David, and Solomon Micheal Coffin September 18, 2015 1 Introduction This essay will examine the transition period in Israel, going from judges to kings. 1 We will look at the four questions asked here. These arise during the time of Samuel, the prophet, priest, and last of the judges in Israel. The four questions we must answer are: 1. Why did the people of Israel desire a king? 2. Why was Saul chosen, and, ultimately rejected? 3. What attribute did David display that made him a better king than Saul? 4. What sin did Solomon commit that ultimately led to the division of Israel after his death? 1. Why did the people of Israel desire a king? Under the reign of the judges, Israel had many troubled times. They had battles with the Philistines and even lost the ark of God (1Sam 4:10-11). To the Israelites, this meant disobedience to God and a total disconnect from God’s presence and the mosaic covenant.2 With all the confusion and turmoil in the land, the Israelites decided they should have a king “to judge us like all the nations” (1Sam 8:5). This action is contrary to the divine will for Israel and the result of the worldly desire of Israel to be like other peoples. 3 The basic difficulty is the nature of the kingship that the elders have in view. Kingships like that of the other nations would be dynastic, bureaucratic, tightly regulated, and thus in direct 1. Ed Hindson, Essence of the Old Testament: A Survey (Nashville, TN: B&H...
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...struggling Israelites from military oppression, spiritual depression, and ethnic annihilation. The book of Judges derives its title from the Latin Liber Judicum, but the Hebrew title is shophetim. The verbal form (“to judge”) describes the activity of the various deliverers whom God used despite their personal challenges, oddities, or inadequacies Most of the biblical judges were heroes or deliverers more than legal arbiters. They were raised up by God and empowered to execute the judgment of God upon Israel’s enemies. The sovereignty of God over His people is seen in these accounts as God, the ultimate Judge (11:27), judges Israel for her sins, brings oppressors against her, and raises up human judges to deliver her from oppression when she repents. I. Reason for the Judges (Judges 1:1–2:23) The period of the judges followed the death of Joshua (1:1) when Israel was left with no central ruler. While the book of Joshua represents the apex of victory for the Israelite tribes, the book of Judges tells the story of their heartache and struggle to maintain control of the land. While the conquest of the land was relatively quick and decisive, the settlement of the tribal territories was slow and cumbersome. Many pockets of resistance remained (1:27–36), and the Israelites eventually settled on a policy of coexistence rather than conquest. The author concludes this section noting the cycles of apostasy, oppression, repentance, and deliverance that would follow because they would continue...
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...a fully and truly human life What is the relationship between spirituality and theology? * Christian spirituality focuses on living fully and truly human life as most filled lived and seen in the life of Jesus Christ. Revelation (揭示) What are the different types of general and special revelation? * General—creation everything that is not creator. * General—conscience the way to judge wrong and right * Special— word the words in Bible * Special— “ word” Jesus Christ How do general and special revelation differ in terms of content and recipients? What is the purpose of revelation? Why does God give it to humans? * The revelation from God is God’s message to build good relationship between human and God under God’s rules and help people...
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...judges’ era is illustrated in the rebellious ways of Eli and his sons, which are set in contrast to the successful judgeship of Samuel (1 Samuel 7:3-17 NIV.)”He was used by God because he was obedient when the Lord spoke to him. He led the people to a renewal of covenant at Mizpah, and helped them to claim victory over the Philistines. However when Samuel grew old and appointed his sons, Joel and Abijah as judges over Israel, they were not the men that Samuel was, they were dishonest and took bribes. (1 Samuel Chapter 8 NIV) The elders of Israel met with Samuel at Ramah. They said to him, “You are old and your sons do not walk in your ways; now appoint a king to lead us, such as all the other nations have.” The Israelites wanted a king, like everyone else. God would tell Samuel to give them the king that they wanted. In verse 9 of Chapter 8, God also told him to warn Israel about a monarchy but, it didn’t matter them. “The events surrounding the selection of Saul for king (9:1-10:16) demonstrate that he was the people’s choice, more than God’s choice for king. The people seemed to focus on Saul’s outward appearance (9:2) rather than his heart (16:7). Saul had a strong beginning, even the spirit of God was manifest in him on a few occasions however, he started to make poor decisions and kingdom began a rapid decline. Saul was impatient and did not wait on God’s timing but went by his own when his armies began to scatter and he decided to do the sacrifices without Samuel...
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