...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 who did not arrive on time. At this point the Lord said through Samuel that He would remove the kingdom from Saul. The final blow came from the battle with the Amalekites....
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...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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...Professor Bible 105, Essay 2 (MLA) 19 September 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...
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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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...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 that it would bring, instead He did what they asked. God had a plan for Israel, but the people had decided that God’s way was not efficient enough and that they knew how to govern themselves more efficiently. Saul was everything the Israelites could have wanted in a king; he was tall, good looking, and would triumph in many battles. When Saul first became king he followed God’s...
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...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 outlines how physical appearance does make a difference in how humans elect candidates for public office. The people of Israel wanted a king, and God gave them one that met their human profile. Saul had the same problem...
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...lack of a strong human leader as the cause and did not realize that the reason for the oppression was a spiritual on-their failure to serve God” (Harbin, 2005, p.219). Saul was not God’s choice for the throne but “he was the people’s choice” (Hindson and Yates, 2012. P.164). Saul’s appointment as king was against the “old theocratic ideal that God alone was King of Israel (I Samuel 8:5). Saul’s reign lasted from 1029-1005BC (Roux and Williams, 2012). Saul had great military talent and garnered God’s support by reuniting the Israelites and crushing the Ammonites. Nearing the final years of Saul’s reign “he was very pre-occupied with David’s increasing fame which severely depressed him” (Roux and Williams, 2012). Saul had even gone so far as to hunt David down in order to kill him. In 1 Samuel 16:14 we see were Saul had lost God’s spirit and He had replaced it with and evil spirit. Saul had begun to suspect everyone around him of plotting against him. After God refused to bless Saul in a battle he did the unthinkable. Saul “consulted a medium at Endor” (Roux and Williams, 2012). This consultation was against the law of the land and against the laws of God. During the final battle against the Philistines Saul was so fearful of capture that he committed suicide by falling on his own sword. Unlike Saul, David was God’s choice as king for the people. Being that he was from the tribe of Judah it meant “that he was God’s choice to become the next...
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...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 that God made the choice, Israel was elated when Samuel presented Saul as their King. They were impressed with him physically, yet knew nothing of his heart. The Bible describes Saul as, “an impressive young man without equal among the Israelites – a head taller than any of the others” (I Samuel 9:2, NIV). The events surrounding the selection of Saul for King demonstrate that he was the...
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...Bible 105 November 16, 2014 Covenant Obedience The first three kings of Israel were Saul, David, and Solomon and each had their own strengths and weaknesses. Each king obeyed and disobeyed God, receiving blessings and punishments as a result. At the end of Solomon’s reign, due to his disobedience, Israel was a divided nation. The rise and fall of each king depended on their covenant obedience. During the early years of Israel, the nation was looked after by judges. The Israelites were very disobedient and would continually turn their backs on God until they needed him. God used several judges to bring the Israelites from underneath the oppression imposed on them by various groups such as the Moabites, the Ammonites, and the Philistines. Each judge had a specific quality that would have made them less than worthy for a great position in the eyes of the people. For instance, Ehud was left-handed, Gideon was a coward, and Samson was an adulterer but God deliberately choose the least likely candidates to prove that anything is possible when you trust in Him. According to Judges 21:25 (HCSB), “in those days there was no king in Israel; everyone did whatever he wanted. This cycle of disobedience to God, and God raising up a judge, eventually led the way to kingship. Because a judge could only partially and imperfectly administer Torah (legislative function), executive justice (executive function), and condemn lawbreakers (judicial function), a king was needed who could...
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...covenant exodus tradition Last four chapters 17-21> in those days there was no king, slowly building the case for a king Two major concerns- first the reolocation of the tribe of dan, the second Is the conflict between tribe of Benjamin and the rest of Israel Stories include episodes of grisly murder and profanity, to demonstrate without intervention of YHWH, there can only be chaos- the time for the king has come. CH11 First Samuel In Hebrew, the two books of Samuel were grouped together, only in Greek and Latin translations are they separate, the Greek preserves older version of Text, the old version in Hebrew is now lost 1 Samuel covers the transition from Judges to the monarchy, the rise of David after the brief and traffic reign of Saul; the prophet Samuel mediates the story Tension between the desire for God and human kingship Take home-> reconcile faith with god with the desire to have king- how to be a good king, how do you avoid the temptation to say I can do whatever I want 1 Samuel sis the work of multiple hands- its D and J Samuel: mother hann is childless (Husband is Elkanah), she goes to Eli, high priest at Shiloh, asks for blessing, it is given Gives...
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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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...BAPTISTWAY PRESS® Adult Online Bible Commentary By Dr. Jim Denison, Pastor, Park Cities Baptist Church, Dallas, Texas Studies in 1 and 2 Samuel: Following God in Changing Times Lesson Four God’s Surprising Choice Focal Text 1 Samuel 9:1-4, 15-21; 10:1, 9-24 Background 1 Samuel 8—10 Main Idea God’s choices for people to serve him in specific ways can be surprising when measured by merely human standards. Question to Explore What opportunities are we missing because we are viewing people and situations from our limited human perspective? Quick Read God can use anyone who is yielded to his will. ________________________________________________________________________ Commentary Perhaps you’ve heard about Satan’s garage sale. All his tools were on display, their prices marked. Murder, anger, lust, greed, and others were available. At the end of the table was an isolated tool, more worn than any of the others. It was unnamed, but its price was the highest of anything on display. Someone asked Satan what it was. “Discouragement,” he replied. “Why is it priced so high?” “Because no one knows it’s mine.” If Satan cannot get us to refuse God’s call to service, he’ll seek to discourage us in that work. He’ll cause us to feel inadequate for his purposes, insufficient for his use. He __________________________________________________________________________ Page 1 of 5 Adult Online Bible Commentary. 1 and 2 Samuel: Following God in Changing Times—Lesson...
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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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...Samuel Anoints David as King 1 Now the Lord said to Samuel, “You have mourned long enough for Saul. I have rejected him as king of Israel, so fill your flask with olive oil and go to Bethlehem. Find a man named Jesse who lives there, for I have selected one of his sons to be my king.” 1. Why was he morning? 2 But Samuel asked, “How can I do that? If Saul hears about it, he will kill me.” “Take a heifer with you,” the Lord replied, “and say that you have come to make a sacrifice to the Lord. 3 Invite Jesse to the sacrifice, and I will show you which of his sons to anoint for me.” 1. God gives Samuel a plan a. Samuel was a afraid, (If Saul hears about it, he will kill me. b. God Lays out 4 So Samuel did as the Lord instructed. When he arrived at Bethlehem, the elders of the town came trembling to meet him. “What’s wrong?” they asked. “Do you come in peace?” 1. 5 “Yes,” Samuel replied. “I have come to sacrifice to the Lord. Purify yourselves and come with me to the sacrifice.” Then Samuel performed the purification rite for Jesse and his sons and invited them to the sacrifice, too. 6 When they arrived, Samuel took one look at Eliab and thought, “Surely this is the Lord’s anointed!” 7 But the Lord said to Samuel, “Don’t judge by his appearance or height, for I have rejected him. TheLord doesn’t see things the way you see them. People judge by outward appearance, but the Lordlooks at the heart.” 8 Then Jesse told his son Abinadab to...
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...Once the Lord’s spirit starts departing Saul’s body, his character starts transferring from loving to evil. Even though Samuel did propose to Saul that there will be a new leader to rule the Israelite, the Lord’s Spirit was still present in Saul. The Lord’s Spirits was not completely there but still there. With the splash of the Lord’s Spirit still present in Saul, Saul ruled as a good king when it came to military actions. Saul’s army fought against the Moab, Ammon, Edom, the kings of Zobah, and the Philistines. At the end of each battle, Saul was victorious according to chapter 14 verse 47 of the first book of Samuel. However, the battle with the Amalekites changed everything for Saul. Samuel told Saul what was revealed to him by saying,...
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