...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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...Israel and its Kings Introduction Israel demands a king. * An aged leader was one of the reasons for demanding new leadership (1 Samuel 8:1). Samuel had grown old, and apparently his age was beginning to affect his ability to lead the nation. It appeared he would not live much longer and the people feared that the nation might slip back into the lawless days. A corrupt leadership and judicial system was a reason for demanding a new system of government (1 Samuel 8:2-3). Because of his age, Samuel had appointed his two sons to succeed him: Joel, which means "the Lord is God," and Abijah, which means "my father is the Lord." With Samuel as their father, they had received a godly upbringing. But they lived hypocritical lives: they did not follow in the steps of their father. They turned away from God and became greedy for money. They accepted bribes and perverted justice. In determining controversial cases, they accepted bribes and ruled in favor of the oppressor or guilty party. This wickedness reminded the people of Eli's two sons, and they feared returning to the lawless, corrupt days of the judges. Thus, a desire arose within the people for new leadership, the leadership of a king. A desire to be like the surrounding nations was another reason the Israelites requested a king (1 Samuel 8:4-5). Note that the tribal leaders of Israel gathered together and traveled to Ramah. In conference with Samuel, they laid out their three reasons for desiring a king: Samuel was old...
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...Character of David in Old Testament Journals 1. David as Reader: David’s Understanding and interpreting 2. David and God: Who is David? Summary of the Journals David is considered as a reader by the author of this journal because the journal evaluates understanding of people in relation to David’s character. The journal also evaluates the importance of David’s character as a reader and how the text is crucial in the investigation of David’s qualities in reading. The author also describes David as an image of a reader because the biblical stories illustrate this aspect in the book of Samuel. The journal describes David characters in the books of Samuel as literary texts because they evaluate their meaning hence raising criticisms. The author argues that David emphasis on the understanding rather than reading hence the reading is vital for people to understand the character of David as a reader. The journal discusses reading process and how people may adapt the character of David as a reader to overcome major biblical interpretation challenges that they encounter (Hugh). The journal identifies interpretation aspects of the character of David as a reader in order to analyze these roles effectively. David reaction involves execution of the Amalekites because he aims at establishing the truth, which is attained through reading. The journal also describes David as a reader because it evaluates interpretation of the text and other interpretations within the...
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...The Lord loves his children unconditionally and takes care of them without fail. He only asks for one thing in return and that is love. All God has asked for in return for everything He has done and will do is for us to love Him above everything else. We are supposed to express our love through trust and obedience. God tells the Israelites this when He states, “[Now then] if you will indeed obey My voice and keep My covenant, then you shall be My own possession among all the peoples, for all the earth is Mine. And you shall be to Me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.” (Exodus 19:5) This was saying that as long as the Israelites had Gods as their king and followed His commands then they would prosper. That is why, during the time of Samuel, God was angered when the people wanted a king on earth; God knew none of the kings chosen would guide the Israelites as they should be and would eventually bring on destruction. Throughout Israel’s history God had provided for them, such as when He provided mana for them to eat while they wandered through the desert. Time and time again the Israelites had chosen to go their own way instead of following the orders God gave. This cycle occurred again during the time of Samuel. During this time the people said, “Give us a king to judge us.” (Samuel 8:6) Even after Samuel had advised the people against having a king appointed, they decided that their way ultimately better than God’s way. God did not fight them, even though He knew the destruction...
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...David can be considered by many as one of the greater kings of Israel. There are numerous reasons for his success but most of all he was a man of God, he was chosen by God from an early age, and he was humble. Saul lost favor from God because he began to ignore God’s requests because of own selfish gains. He deliberately disobeyed God’s demand to destroy all Amalekites (1 Samuel 15:18). Because he no longer acted within God’s limits as king, he was stripped of favor. Saul’s disobedience required Samuel to deliver God’s message to the person that would replace Saul as king. The prophet Samuel delivered God’s message to David that he would one day be king and rule over God’s people while Saul was still ruling the kingdom (1 Samuel 16:1-13). I believe David had such a prosperous reign as king because he was truly a man of God. David was not a man of great stature and many would look at him as if he had no worth. Regardless of how man felt about David’s ability, God chose him to do great things. Unlike man, God is not concerned with outward appearances as much as he is concerned about the heart (1 Samuel 16:7). Even when times were hard for David and he could not see God’s plan, he did not turn to the Lord and question his life but rather constantly sought council and gave praises. David was truly chosen by Christ from an early age and gained favor from him. God never let David falter even when it may seem like David lost favor in the beginning. David’s many years of being a...
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...The Three Kings Ashton Brown Bibl 105- B20 Liberty University The Three Kings Back in the time of Samuel the people of Israel desired a king. During that time Saul was chosen, but eventually he was rejected. David ended up becoming king after Saul and ultimately did a better job. This essay will discuss why Israel demanded a king, why Saul was rejected, as well as why David was a much better choice than Saul was for king, and after David’s reign what sin Solomon commited to divide Israel. Hindson and Yates say that a judge could only partially administer Torah, execute justice, and condemn lawbreakers, therefore a king was needed (Hindson &Yates, 2012). Israel needed someone who could so all of these principles. Samuel had two sons, Joel and Abijah, who ended up perverting justice and accepting bribes. Therefore Samuel could not make them kings, as he grew old. The people of Israel were not pleased and told Samuel to find a new king, because he was too old and his sons were no good (1 Samuel 8:1-6, New International Version). After Samuel was told that by the Israelites the Lord came to him and said that the people were actually rejecting him, not Samuel. Samuel took back everything the Lord said and repeated it to the Israelites, but they still demanded and king. With that Samuel went back to the Lord and the Lord said, “…give them a king” (1 Samuel 8:7, 19-22). With that, Samuel found Saul. Saul was from the town of Benjamin. According to 1 Samuel 9:2...
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...Kings of a Unified Israel Bible 105-B27 LUO: Old Testament Survey 201320 Spring 2013 Xxxxxx Xxxxxxx L33333333 Liberty University February 9, 2013 Kings of a Unified Israel Samuel was the last of the Judges. He was the bridge between the dark and chaotic period of the Judges to the glorious era of the Kings (Hester, 1962). He was called by God to be Judge, Priest, and Prophet for Israel. When Samuel had aged greatly, the people began to crave a new government. They want their own King. They did not understand that God was their King. They were spiritually dead. Fear was one reason for wanting a King. The leading men of Israel felt that their security demanded a strong military leader (Hester, 1962). Another reason was that of simple jealousy. Other nations had a King, so they wanted one as well. They desired the splendor of royalty to be observed in one man that would represent Israel. Samuel tried to warn them of what a King would do to their lives, and told them that God was their King, but it was ignored. Samuel took their request and repeated it to the Lord. God answered, “Listen to them, and give them a king.” (I Samuel 8:22, NIV). Instead of being set apart as a nation for God, they coveted what other nations had. They rejected God. Samuel was now searching for a man that God chose and would send to him. When Samuel caught sight of Saul the Lord said, “This is the man I spoke to you about; he will govern my people” (I Samuel 9:17, NIV). Unaware...
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...BIBL 105 Essay 2 Introduction The beginning of the monarchs of Israel caused much controversy. Because the Israelites were conducting outside of God’s will, they encountered many hardships. When Israel desired a king in the time of Samuel, Saul was initially chosen for king, but David became succeeded him, while Solomon committed a sin that ultimately led to the division of Israel. Israel’s desire for a king Until Samuel got old and did not have a son to lead, Israel operated as a Theocracy, following God and His Law, but Israel desired to be like other nations. In 1 Samuel 8:5, the elders of Israel discussed their displeasure with Samuel, and they not only expressed their distrust in God, but also their desire to be like the adjacent nations. The people of Israel had been continuing to worship foreign gods since they left Egypt, and now they saw an opportunity, which they thought they could justify asking for a king. The Israelites were fallible humans, and they did not put their trust in God. They put their trust in what was tangible and did not require faith, which led to Saul becoming the first king of Israel. The Choosing and Rejection of Saul First Samuel 9 describes Saul as not just a handsome man, but a head taller than all other men: He physically fit the profile of a worldly leader but did not live a life above reproach. In the article Looking Good or Looking Competent? Physical Appearance and Electoral Success in the 2008 Congressional Elections, Rodrigo Praino...
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...Zebulan Dula First Year Book Report 2 11/07/12 Reflections On The Bait of Satan In Luke 17:1, Jesus says, “It is impossible that no offenses should come.” The bait of Satan is basically offense. 2 Timothy 2:24-26 says, “And a servant of the Lord must not quarrel but be gentle to all, able to teach, patient, in humility correcting those who are in opposition, if God perhaps will grant them repentance, so that they may know the truth,and that they may come to their senses and escape the snare of the devil, having been taken captive by him to do his will.” This scripture makes it clear that when we bit the bait, there is only one outcome, and that is that we are doing the will of Satan. Offense takes many different forms, so here are some common offense causing situations: Someone says or does something against our sense of justice, then We feel we are owed something as a result. Something good happens to someone else, and we feel the need to justify ourselves, perhaps finding something good that we’ve done or experienced as well, completely missing the opportunity to rejoice with our friend. Someone overlooks something you did, and you feel you deserve recognition. It is important to recognize that offense can be either real or perceived, but either way it is just as powerful in its hold upon our hearts. In The Bait Of Satan John Bevere makes its clear that we must recognize is that offense is always a choice. In the same way that two people can be in the same situation...
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...Kings of a Unified Israel Bible 105-B27 LUO: Old Testament Survey 201320 Spring 2013 Xxxxxx Xxxxxxx L33333333 Liberty University February 9, 2013 Kings of a Unified Israel Samuel was the last of the Judges. He was the bridge between the dark and chaotic period of the Judges to the glorious era of the Kings (Hester, 1962). He was called by God to be Judge, Priest, and Prophet for Israel. When Samuel had aged greatly, the people began to crave a new government. They want their own King. They did not understand that God was their King. They were spiritually dead. Fear was one reason for wanting a King. The leading men of Israel felt that their security demanded a strong military leader (Hester, 1962). Another reason was that of simple jealousy. Other nations had a King, so they wanted one as well. They desired the splendor of royalty to be observed in one man that would represent Israel. Samuel tried to warn them of what a King would do to their lives, and told them that God was their King, but it was ignored. Samuel took their request and repeated it to the Lord. God answered, “Listen to them, and give them a king.” (I Samuel 8:22, NIV). Instead of being set apart as a nation for God, they coveted what other nations had. They rejected God. Samuel was now searching for a man that God chose and would send to him. When Samuel caught sight of Saul the Lord said, “This is the man I spoke to you about; he will govern my people” (I Samuel 9:17, NIV). Unaware...
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...By Robert Segal, December 10, 2012 The story of Saul, the first king of Israel, begins with a demand by the Israelites — led until then by judges, the last one being Samuel: “When Samuel became old, he made his sons judges over Israel… Yet his sons did not follow in his ways… Then all the elders gathered together and came to Samuel at Ramah, and said to him… Appoint for us, then, a king to govern us, like other nations” (I Samuel 8.1-5). Israel had been led by an array of figures, starting with the patriarchs, followed by enslavement in Egypt, and then liberation under Moses. The Israelites entered the Promised Land under his successor, Joshua. After that, the first kind of permanent office was that of the judges, but the biggest change came with the establishment of the office of king, which constituted the most powerful form of leadership. It was hereditary, continuous, and it granted the incumbent almost absolute power. Much of the Bible consists of the juxtaposition or intertwining of several versions of the same story. There are, for example, successive stories of creation and an intertwined story of the Garden of Eden. The life of King Saul is an intertwined story, which runs through much of the first book of Samuel (from which I quote in this piece). In one strand, as mentioned, the people demand a king, doing so in defiance of God, who had in effect been their king. God therefore takes the demand as a repudiation of Him leading to the eventually fatal opposition between...
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...Biblical Worldview on: During the time of Samuel In the times of Samuel there were many events that occurred. I will be covering: Israel desiring a king, Saul being chosen as King and then getting rejected by God, David displaying attributes of a better king, Solomon choosing to continue in sin that led to the division of Israel after his death. Israel’s desire for a king was a turning point in their history. Although their desire for a king existed well before the time of Samuel. In Judges 8:22 which states “The Israelites said to Gideon, “Rule over us – you, your son and your grandson – because you have saved us from the hand of Midian.” (NIV) New circumstances arose when greater order and unity was a result of Samuels labors’. The misconduct of his sons and the surrounding nations threatening Israel. Thus causing them to become stronger and more general. The elders came together and simply expressed what the heart of the people had been set upon. “So all the elders of Israel gathered themselves together, and came to Samuel to Ramah.” (1 Samuel 8:4 NIV) The object of their desire wasn’t essentially wrong for it had been foretold that kings should rise in Israel. The fundamental principle of the theocracy was “God was their King” it wasn’t intended to supersede the Divine authority of God. The transition was in one aspect from a higher order of things to that much lower. Intending to set God in the background. The sinfulness of their hearts desire consisted in the king they...
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...Essay Two: Melinda Cone BIBL 105 – B07 (Turabian Style) During the time of Samuel, while 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...
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...David’s Victories Sweat oozed down the side of David face, stinging when meeting openings in the tarred skin. Fighting in pain, blisters urge him to stop. Incredibly, thousands of scavengers flew above, continuously catching sight of dead Philistine soldiers. Unfortunately, the birds feed on the red flesh of the dead, the image was horrendous. "David! Behind you!" a scream from an Israelite soldier echoed the valley. Instantly, David ducked, narrowly missing the sharp blade. Unhesitatingly, he swung his body around, catching the enemy of guard and stabbing the sharp, bloody blade through his stomach. Only an hour earlier, King Saul announced the marriage of his daughter to David. On one condition, David had to kill one hundred Philistine soldiers and come back with their foreskins. Unfortunately, King Saul was planning to have David killed on his quest due to his jealousy and fear. Thrilled, excited and overwhelmed David left as soon as he was informed. Currently, David had slain his two hundredth Philistine soldier, far exceeding the expectation of King Saul. The frightened Philistine army, retreated far from the all mighty glance of David. "For Israel!" yelled David while fist pumping the air for their triumphs. Loudly, the cheers of Gods men bellowed so loudly that anyone within 10 kilometres could hear. Once, David returned, he presented the foreskins to King Saul. Pleased, David individually counted the two hundred foreskins to King Saul. Aggressively, Saul presented...
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...2 Samuel is the fifth book of history in the Old Testament. Author is unknown, but could have been written by Samuel, Nathan or Gad. Its themes are David the King, David the sinner and David the man after God’s own heart. The book open with David mourning the death of his friend Saul and Jonathon. David had forgotten all that Saul had done to him and only remembered the good that Saul had done. This show the attributes of Jesus Christ how He forgave us in spite of our sins, He didn’t count them against us. David is crowned King, but is not accepted by all of Israel. No matter, because he was already anointed by God to be King. He became the king of Judah then the King of Israel. He was successful in all that he did. After returning from the...
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