Samuel and Israel's MOnarchy
Books of Samuel I and II Timeline: 1100 B.C. to 970 B.C.
Samuel brings stronger religious leadership to Israel and serves during a transition into the monarchy. Israel's tribes were united after settling in Canaan under Joshua's leadership and ruled under a series of judges, but the leadership was weak. The transition into the monarchy would provide stronger leadership, but the Israelites would continue to disobey God until the monarchy eventually fell apart and was conquered by adjacent nations several centuries later.
Hannah longed for a son and the Lord finally delivered. Samuel, the son of Hannah, is born in 1120 B.C. and dedicated by his mother to the Lord as a Nazirite. Samuel was blessed by Eli, the priest of Shiloh. Samuel would serve as a prophet and a judge for Israel and provided stronger leadership for Israel that had not been seen in many years.
The Philistines captured the Ark of the Covenant from Shiloh and take it to their pagan temple. However, the Philistines are cursed with plagues by God because of this and later return the Ark. However, the Philistines attack Israel in Benjamin but are defeated.
Samuel pursues an effort to appoint a King for Israel at the request of the people to provide greater stability to the nation and to deal with threats from adjacent nations. Samuel wanted Israel to trust God as King, but the people wanted a human king like the surrounding nations. Because of pressure from his people,
Samuel anointed Saul as Israel's first King, but Saul is later rejected by God because Saul did not fully follow God's laws and commands and therefore did not fully trust God. Saul performed a sacrifice in place of Samuel and he failed to fully defeat the Amalekites, an enemy to Israel.
13 So Saul died for his transgression which he committed against the Lord, even against the word of the Lord, which he kept not, and also for asking counsel of one that had a familiar spirit, to enquire of it; 14 And enquired not of the Lord: therefore he slew him, and turned the kingdom unto David the son of Jesse. 1 Chronicles 10:13-14.
David, the young skilled warrior, would later be named King of Israel. David's skills would be seen in the slaying of the giant Philistine Goliath by casting a stone to his forehead, which would make David quickly rise in popularity with the people of Israel. In addition to his military skills, David followed God's laws and commands better and would later be anointed King of Israel. David is called "A man after God's own heart" in (1 Samuel 13:14).
David served as Saul's armor-bearer and harpist before becoming king. Saul is jealous and threatened by David's quick rise in popularity and eventually tries to kill him.David developed a friendship with Saul's son Jonathan, despite the relationship with Saul. David hid in the wilderness while Saul was plotting to kill him. Saul later kills himself after losing on the battlefield at Mount Gilboa while his son Jonathan is also killed in this battle.
After Saul's death, David is anointed king of Judah while Saul's son Ishbaal ruled over the northern tribes. After Ishbaal is murdered, David became King over all Israel. David captured Jerusalem and brought the Ark there. As King, David would defeat Israel's enemies and planned to build a temple for the Lord, but later allowed his son Solomon to build it.
David committed adultery with Bathsheba and sent her husband Uriah to die in battle. The prophet Nathan warns David of punishment that will come to David's house, telling him "the sword will never depart from your house." David's many problems after ward include:
Amnon, David's son, raped his half-sister Tamar. Absalom, another son of David, kills Amnon in revenge and rebels against David, attempting to overthrow him while David temporarily flees. Absalom is later killed in battle, the Battle of Wood of Ephraim, and David is restored as King. A great famine occurs during David's reign in Israel. The census performed by David in disobedience to God and a plague over Israel for punishment.
God's Covenant with David
God makes a covenant with David in 2 Samuel 7:14: "I will be father to him, and he shall be a son to me." God also makes the covenant everlasting: "your throne will be established forever." 2 Samuel 7:16
Samuel brings stronger religious leadership to Israel and serves during a transition into the monarchy. Israel's tribes were united after settling in Canaan under Joshua's leadership and ruled under a series of judges, but the leadership was weak. The transition into the monarchy would provide stronger leadership, but the Israelites would continue to disobey God until the monarchy eventually fell apart and was conquered by adjacent nations several centuries later.
Hannah longed for a son and the Lord finally delivered. Samuel, the son of Hannah, is born in 1120 B.C. and dedicated by his mother to the Lord as a Nazirite. Samuel was blessed by Eli, the priest of Shiloh. Samuel would serve as a prophet and a judge for Israel and provided stronger leadership for Israel that had not been seen in many years.
The Philistines captured the Ark of the Covenant from Shiloh and take it to their pagan temple. However, the Philistines are cursed with plagues by God because of this and later return the Ark. However, the Philistines attack Israel in Benjamin but are defeated.
Samuel pursues an effort to appoint a King for Israel at the request of the people to provide greater stability to the nation and to deal with threats from adjacent nations. Samuel wanted Israel to trust God as King, but the people wanted a human king like the surrounding nations. Because of pressure from his people,
Samuel anointed Saul as Israel's first King, but Saul is later rejected by God because Saul did not fully follow God's laws and commands and therefore did not fully trust God. Saul performed a sacrifice in place of Samuel and he failed to fully defeat the Amalekites, an enemy to Israel.
13 So Saul died for his transgression which he committed against the Lord, even against the word of the Lord, which he kept not, and also for asking counsel of one that had a familiar spirit, to enquire of it; 14 And enquired not of the Lord: therefore he slew him, and turned the kingdom unto David the son of Jesse. 1 Chronicles 10:13-14.
David, the young skilled warrior, would later be named King of Israel. David's skills would be seen in the slaying of the giant Philistine Goliath by casting a stone to his forehead, which would make David quickly rise in popularity with the people of Israel. In addition to his military skills, David followed God's laws and commands better and would later be anointed King of Israel. David is called "A man after God's own heart" in (1 Samuel 13:14).
David served as Saul's armor-bearer and harpist before becoming king. Saul is jealous and threatened by David's quick rise in popularity and eventually tries to kill him.David developed a friendship with Saul's son Jonathan, despite the relationship with Saul. David hid in the wilderness while Saul was plotting to kill him. Saul later kills himself after losing on the battlefield at Mount Gilboa while his son Jonathan is also killed in this battle.
After Saul's death, David is anointed king of Judah while Saul's son Ishbaal ruled over the northern tribes. After Ishbaal is murdered, David became King over all Israel. David captured Jerusalem and brought the Ark there. As King, David would defeat Israel's enemies and planned to build a temple for the Lord, but later allowed his son Solomon to build it.
David committed adultery with Bathsheba and sent her husband Uriah to die in battle. The prophet Nathan warns David of punishment that will come to David's house, telling him "the sword will never depart from your house." David's many problems after ward include:
Amnon, David's son, raped his half-sister Tamar. Absalom, another son of David, kills Amnon in revenge and rebels against David, attempting to overthrow him while David temporarily flees. Absalom is later killed in battle, the Battle of Wood of Ephraim, and David is restored as King. A great famine occurs during David's reign in Israel. The census performed by David in disobedience to God and a plague over Israel for punishment.
God's Covenant with David
God makes a covenant with David in 2 Samuel 7:14: "I will be father to him, and he shall be a son to me." God also makes the covenant everlasting: "your throne will be established forever." 2 Samuel 7:16
