Samuel
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1 Samuel Reading Guide
From Tribes to Kingdom
Samuel - Saul - David
Scroll down for 2 Samuel Reading Guide
Chapters 1-7 Samuel
Chapters 1-2 Pay attention to Hannah’s prayer poem.
Where in her poem do you see these principles?
God opposes the proud and exalts the humble
Despite human evil, God is at work
God will raise up a Messianic king
Chapter 3 Samuel grows up
Chapters 4-7 Israel struggles against the Philistines
What did the Israelites do wrong?
What was Samuel’s role during this time?
Chapter 8 Israel desires a king
Read Deuteronomy 17:14-20 before reading this chapter
You shall surely set a king over you:
One whom the Lord your God chooses,
One from among your countrymen, not a foreigner
He shall not multiply horses for himself
Nor shall he cause the people to return to Egypt to multiply horses
He shall not multiply wives for himself, or else his heart will turn away
Nor shall he greatly increase silver and gold for himself
He shall write for himself a copy of this law on a scroll
It shall be with him and he shall read it all the days of his life,
That he may learn to fear the Lord his God, by carefully observing the law
that his heart may not be lifted up above his countrymen
How does the description of the king in 1 Samuel 8 compare to the above description?
Does any king fit the description given in Deuteronomy 17?
Chapters 9-31 Saul’s rise and fall; David’s rise
Pay attention to Saul’s character and actions and David’s character and actions.
Look for contrasts between Saul and David.
How does each compare to Hannah’s poem and the principles described in Deuteronomy 17?
What was the beginning of Saul’s downfall?
What is the significance of God’s choice of David?
How does God’s choice of David fit in with Hannah’s poem?
2 Samuel Reading Guide
Chapter 1 David learns of the death of Saul and Jonathan
What does David’s lament poem tell us about his character?
Chapters 2-5 Unity, Success, Blessing
What key event happens in this section?
List the things David accomplishes throughout this section.
Chapter 6 The Ark of the Covenant moved to Jerusalem
What is the significance of this move? What is David trying to accomplish?
Chapter 7 A house
What is the significance of the word “house” (some translations “palace”) in this chapter?
What is David’s desire expressed in this chapter? What is God’s response to David? What is David’s response to God? What does this say about David’s character at this point in his life?
Chapter 9 Mephibosheth
What does David do for Mephibosheth?
What does the relationship with Mephibosheth tell us about David’s character?
Chapter 10 Hanun and the Ammonites
What does this incident tell us about David’s character? What does it tell us about Hanun’s advisors? What does it tell us about Hanun?
Chapters 11-12 Bathsheba
What does this section tell us about David’s character? How does God deliver his message to David? What is God’s message to David? What is David’s response to God’s message?
What is God's response to David?
Chapters 12-20 Consequences of David’s sin
Chapters 13-14 Absolom Like father, like son?? OR Like Saul, like Absolom?
Chapters 15-18 Deja Vu?
Chapters 19-20 What happens to Absolom? What is David’s response?
Chapters 21-24 Epilogue (NOT chronological) (Symmetrical design)
How do David’s poems compare to Hannah’s poem in 1 Samuel 2?