1 Samuel: Outline
Epic story of Samuel, Saul, and David
Chapter Themes:
1 Samuel 1: barren Hannah prays for and bears Samuel, and dedicates him to serve the Lord with the priest Eli at Shiloh
1 Samuel 2: a man of God speaks for the LORD that Eli’s evil sons Hophni and Phinehas will die on the same day and all Ei’s descendants will die young, but He will raise up a faithful priest who will have an enduring house [see 1 Samuel 14:3, 1 Samuel 22:20, and 1 King 2:27 to see the end of the line of priesthood of the sons of Eli through Phinehas’ son Ahitub to his son Ahijah to his son Ahimelech to his son Abiathar, who escaped when his father was killed under Saul by Doeg the Edomite but was finally released from the priesthood by David’s son Solomon]
1 Samuel 3: Samuel is confirmed as a prophet of the LORD when He speaks to him, confirming the words the man of God spoke to Eli
1 Samuel 4: Eli’s sons take the ark of the covenant of the Lord from Shiloh into battle: 30,000 Israelite soldiers die, the ark is taken, and Eli’s son’s Hophni and Phinehas die, as does Eli, when he hears the news, and Phinehas’ wife, after giving birth to her son Ichabod
1 Samuel 5: the ark of God is taken to Ashdod, to the house of the Philistines’ god Dagon, who falls on its face before it twice, breaking off head and limbs on the second fall; God ravages the Philistines with tumors and mice, so they move the ark to Gath and then to Ekron, as the hand of the LORD continues to be heavy against them
1 Samuel 6: the Philistines send the ark back on a cart with two cows pulling it with a guilt offering of five golden tumors and five golden mice; the people of Beth-shemesh split the cart and offer the cows as burnt offering, but 50,070 die when some men look into the ark, and they send messengers to Kiriath-jearim to take it
1 Samuel 7: the ark is taken to Kiriath-jearim, to the house of Abinadab, where his son Eleazar is consecrated to keep it and it remains for 20 years [until David eventually takes it to Jerusalem, via the house of Obed-edom, 1 Chronicles 13,15]; Samuel gathers Israel at Mizpah for repentance, prayer, and fasting; the Philistines gather to attack, but are confused and routed as Samuel calls on the Lord who thunders; there is peace between Israel and the Philistines all the days of Samuel’s life [after his death, the Philistines attack Israel (1 Samuel 28:1-3, ultimately killing Saul]
1 Samuel 8: Samuel appoints his sons to judge Israel when he is old, but they are dishonest and the people ask him to appoint a king instead; God tells him they are rejecting Him, and not Samuel, and to warn them about having a king; when they do not heed the warning, the Lord tells Samuel to appoint a king
1 Samuel 9: the LORD tells Samuel, “I will send you a man from the land of Benjamin, and you shall anoint him to be prince over My people Israel; and he will deliver My people from the hand of the Philistines. For I have regarded My people, because their cry has come to Me,” and Saul, son of Kish, of the smallest tribe of Benjamin comes to him
1 Samuel 10: Samuel anoints Saul as king, and gives him three signs to observe to confirm the LORD’s word; Samuel calls the people together at Mizpah, and Saul is chosen by lot, confirming the Lord’s choice of him as king
1 Samuel 11: Nahash the Ammonite beseiges and threatens Jabesh-gilead, but the Spirit of God comes upon Saul mightily and he leads Israel in striking down the Ammonites [Jabesh-Gilead, obviously remembering this, honor Saul after his death, 1 Samuel 31:11-13]; Samuel calls the nation to Gilgal, where they make Saul king
1 Samuel 12: Samuel gives the people a short summary of their history, telling them they sinned by asking for a king, but instructs them to fear the Lord and follow Him, warning that if they do wickedly, both they are their king will be swept away
1 Samuel 13: Saul’s son Jonathan strikes a Philistine garrison, so the mighty army of the Philistines gathers; Saul waits for 7 days at Gilgal as Samuel had instructed him, but offers the burnt offering when the people begin scattering; for this, Samuel declares, “You have acted foolishly; you have not kept the commandment of the LORD your God, which He commanded you, for now the LORD would have established your kingdom over Israel forever. But now your kingdom shall not endure. The LORD has sought out for Himself a man after His own heart, and the LORD has appointed him as ruler over His people, because you have not kept what the LORD commanded you”
1 Samuel 14: Jonathan and his armor bearer go up to the Philistine’s garrison and accomplish a slaughter, inspiring the Israelites to join the battle, so the Lord delivers them; Saul must keep the people from sinning by eating meat with blood, after he had foolishly declared a curse that had kept them from eating, and the people must save Jonathan from death at the hands of Saul for unknowingly defying the curse
1 Samuel 15: God tells Saul to utterly destroy the Amalekites for their attacking Israel when they journeyed from the Promised Land (Exodus 17:8), but Saul spares the king and the choice animals; for this, Samuel delivers the message from the Lord that He will tear the kingdom from Saul and give it to another better than him
1 Samuel 16: God directs Samuel to anoint David king over Israel and the Spirit of the Lord comes upon him mightily, while leaving Saul, who is terrorized by an evil spirit from the Lord and David is recruited to play the harp for him to soothe him when this happens
1 Samuel 17: David kills the Philistine giant Goliath
Chapter Summaries:
1 Samuel 1: Eli the priest prays for barren Hannah during the annual sacrifice at Shiloh; she conceives and bears Samuel and, when he is weaned, she brings him to serve the Lord with Eli at Shiloh
1 Samuel 2: Eli prays for Hannah and she has five other children; meanwhile, Eli’s own sons, Hophni and Phinehas, are evil, taking for themselves unauthorized portions of meat sacrificed to the Lord and laying with women at the doorway to the tent of meeting; a man of God speaks for the LORD that Hophni and Phinehas will die on the same day and all the increase of Ei’s house will die in the prime of life, but that He will raise up a faithful priest who will have an enduring house
1 Samuel 3: the Lord speaks to Samuel, confirming the prophecy of the man of God that “the iniquity of Eli’s house shall not be atoned for by sacrifice or offering forever”; “word from the LORD was rare in those days, visions were infrequent….the LORD appeared again at Shiloh, because the LORD revealed Himself to Samuel at Shiloh by the word of the LORD,” and “All Israel from Dan even to Beersheba knew that Samuel was confirmed as a prophet of the LORD”
1 Samuel 4: Israel is defeated in a battle with the Philistines, so they decide to take the ark of the covenant of the Lord from Shiloh into battle: 30,000 Israelite soldiers die, the ark is taken, and Eli’s son’s Hophni and Phinehas die; Eli dies when he hears the news, and so does Phinehas’ wife, while giving birth to her son Ichabod, saying, “The glory has departed from Israel, for the ark of God was taken”
1 Samuel 5: the ark of God is taken to Ashdod, to the house of the Philistines’ god Dagon, who falls on its face before it twice, breaking off head and limbs on the second fall; God ravages the Philistines in Ashdod and its territories with tumors, so they send the ark on to Gath, where the hand of the Lord causes confusion and He smites the residents with tumors, and finally to Ekron, where the hand of God is heavy, there is deadly confusion, and “the men who did not die were smitten with tumors and the cry of the city went up to heaven”
1 Samuel 6: the Philistines send the ark back on a cart with two cows pulling it with a guilt offering of five golden tumors and five golden mice; the cows take it to Beth-shemesh, in the territory of Judah; the people there split the cart and offer the cows as burnt offering, but the men of Beth-shemesh also look into the cart and over 50,070 die; they send messengers to Kiriath-jearim asking them to take it
1 Samuel 7: the ark is taken to Kiriath-jearim, to the house of Abinadab, where his son Eleazar is consecrated to keep it and it remains for 20 years; Samuel calls Israel to repentance; he calls them to gather with him at Mizpah for repentance, prayer, and fasting; the Philistines gather to attack, but Samuel offers a sacrifice and calls on the Lord who thunders, confusing the Philistines so they are routed; Samuel places a memorial stone called “Ebenezer”; there is peace between Israel and the Philistines all the days of Samuel’s life; Samuel builds an altar to the Lord at Ramah, where he lives, and he goes on an annual circuit to Bethel, Gilgal, and Mizpah
1 Samuel 8: when Samuel was old, he appointed his sons to judge Israel, but they were dishonest, so the elders of Israel asked him to “appoint a king for us to judge us like all the nations”; God told him they were rejecting Him, and not Samuel, and to warn them a king would take from them to support himself, his servants, and his wars, and that they would then cry out to the LORD and He would not answer them, but they did not heed the warning, so the Lord told him to appoint for them a king
1 Samuel 9: the LORD told Samuel, “I will send you a man from the land of Benjamin, and you shall anoint him to be prince over My people Israel; and he will deliver My people from the hand of the Philistines. For I have regarded My people, because their cry has come to Me.” Saul, son of Kish of the smallest tribe of Benjamin came to him with his servant, looking for his father’s lost donkeys. Samuel was able to tell him the donkeys were found, and invited him to stay to with him and eat of a sacrificial meal on the high place, waiting until morning to proclaim the word of God to him
1 Samuel 10: Samuel anointed Saul as king, and gave him three signs which he then observed to confirm Samuel’s word from the LORD; Samuel called the people together at Mizpah, and Saul was chosen by lot, with Samuel confirming the Lord’s choice of him as king; some valiant men followed him to his home, but some despised him
1 Samuel 11: Nahash the Ammonite beseiged and threatended Jabesh-gilead, but they sent messengers to Gibeah of Saul; the Spirit of God came upon him mightily and he gathered all Israel and they struck down the Ammonites; Samuel called the nation of Gilgal, where they made Saul king
1 Samuel 12: Samuel gives the people a short summary of their history, and tells them they sinned by asking for a king; they repent, and he confirms his word by asking the Lord for thunder and rain, which He sends; Samuel then tells them to fear the Lord and follow Him, warning that if they do wickedly, both they are their king will be swept away
1 Samuel 13: Saul was 30 when he began to reign and he reigned 42 years; he choose 3,000 men for himself, but 1,000 were with his son Jonathan, who struck a Philistine garrison; all Israel heard that this had made them odious to the Philistines, so Saul summoned them to Gilgal; the Philistines assembled with 30,000 chariots, 6,000 horsemen, and people too numerous to count; Saul waited at Gilgal for the 7 days that Samuel had instructed him, but the people were scattering, so he offered the burnt offering, just as Samuel arrived; Samuel declared, “You have acted foolishly; you have not kept the commandment of the LORD your God, which He commanded you, for now the LORD would have established your kingdom over Israel forever. But now your kingdom shall not endure. The LORD has sought out for Himself a man after His own heart, and the LORD has appointed him as ruler over His people, because you have not kept what the LORD commanded you”
1 Samuel 14: Saul had 600 men with him, and Ahijah (the son of Ahitub, Ichabod’s brother, the son of Phinehas, the son of Eli) with the ark of God; unknown to Saul, Jonathan took his armor bearer and went up to the Philistine’s garrison, declaring, “perhaps the LORD will work for us, for the LORD is not restrained to save by many or by few”; they accomplished a slaughter, and Saul and his men joined the battle; Hebrews who had been with the Philistines turned on them, and men who had been in hiding joined the battle, so the Lord delivered Israel; Saul had placed a curse on anyone who ate, but Jonathan did not know it and ate honey; he criticized Saul when he heard about it, and the people rushed upon the animal spoil, sinning by eating them with the blood; Saul intervened, building an altar for sacrifice; Saul inquired of the Lord to see if he should go after the Philistines, but he did not answer; he had his son Jonathan chosen by lot and he confessed to eating honey; Saul was going to kill him, and Jonathan agreed, but the people rescued Jonathan; sons of Saul: Jonathan, Ishvi, Malchi-shua; daughters: Merab, Michal; wife: Ahinoam; captain of his army: his uncle Abner, the son of Ner, the son of Abiel; “the war against the Philistines was severe all the days of Saul; and when Saul saw any mighty man or any valiant man, he attached him to his staff”
1 Samuel 15: God tells Saul through Samuel to strike and utterly destroy Amalek [the Amalekites, descendants of Esau, had attacked Israel when they traveled from Egypt to the Promised Land—this earned them the same lack of mercy that Canaanite nations faced, requiring all living beings to be killed]; Saul was disobedient to God’s command in that he spared the king and the best of the animals, making the excuse that he was going to use the animals for sacrifice to God; God tells Samuel that He regrets making Saul king; Samuel delivers this message to Saul, reminding him that God cares more about obedience than sacrifice and that rebellion is like the sin of divination and insubordination like idolatry, and telling him the kingdom will be torn from him and given to another better than him; Samuel also kills the Amalekite king Agag; he returns to his home and does not see Saul again
1 Samuel 16: God sends Samuel to anoint David, the youngest of eight sons of Jesse, a shepherd, as king over Israel; the Spirit of the Lord comes over David, but leaves Saul; Saul is tormented by an evil spirit from the Lord, so David is recruited to play the harp for him when he is tormented; Saul loves David, and he becomes his armor bearer
1 Samuel 17: the Philistines gather for battle and the giant Goliath taunts the army of Israel for 40 days, saying if he a man can kill him, the Philistines will become the servants of Israel, but, if not, Israel will become servants of the Philistines; David is sent by his father to bring food and check on the welfare of his brothers at the battle line, he hears Goliath’s taunt, and he says he will fight him “in the name of the Lord of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom [Goliath has] taunted”; David fells Goliath with a stone from his sling and then takes Goliath’s sword and chops off his head; the Philistines withdraw and Israel pursues, and then returns to plunder their camps
Detailed Outline:
1 Samuel 1 (Day 98)
Elkanah, from Ephraim, had two wives: Peninnah had children, but Hannah had no children (1 Samuel 1:1-2)
“this man would go up from his city yearly to worship and to sacrifice to the LORD of hosts in Shiloh. And the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, were priests to the LORD there” (1 Samuel 1:3)
Hannah prays before the Lord after the feast during the annual sacrifice at Shiloh
“She made a vow and said, ‘O LORD of hosts, if You will indeed look on the affliction of Your maidservant and remember me, and not forget Your maidservant, but will give Your maidservant a son, then I will give him to the LORD all the days of his life, and a razor shall never come on his head’” (1 Samuel 1:11).
Eli the priest thinks Hannah is drunk but she explains her distress and he answers, “Go in peace; and may the God of Israel grant your petition that you have asked of Him.” (1 Samuel 1:11-17)
“the LORD remembered [Hannal]. It came about in due time, after Hannah had conceived, that she gave birth to a son; and she named him Samuel, saying, ‘Because I have asked him of the LORD’.” (1 Samuel 1:19-20)
at the time of the yearly sacrifice, Hannah tells Elkanah, “‘I will not go up until the child is weaned; then I will bring him, that he may appear before the LORD and stay there forever.’ Elkanah her husband said to her, ‘Do what seems best to you. Remain until you have weaned him; only may the LORD confirm His word.’” (1 Samuel 1:21-23a)
When Samuel was weaned, Hannah “brought the boy to Eli. She said, ‘Oh, my lord! As your soul lives, my lord, I am the woman who stood here beside you, praying to the LORD. For this boy I prayed, and the LORD has given me my petition which I asked of Him. So I have also dedicated him to the LORD; as long as he lives he is dedicated to the LORD.’ And he worshiped the LORD there.” (1 Samuel 1:24-28).
1 Samuel 2 (Day 98)
Hannah’s prayer (1 Samuel 2:1-10)
My mouth speaks boldly against my enemies,
Because I rejoice in Your salvation….
Boast no more so very proudly,
Do not let arrogance come out of your mouth;
For the LORD is a God of knowledge,
And with Him actions are weighed….
He keeps the feet of His godly ones….
Those who contend with the LORD will be shattered (1 Samuel 2:1b,3,9a,10a)
“the boy ministered to the LORD before Eli the priest” (1 Samuel 2:11b)
“the sons of Eli were worthless men; they did not know the LORD and the custom of the priests with the people” (1 Samuel 2:12-13a)
they took for themselves unauthorized portions of meat sacrificed to the Lord
“Thus the sin of the young men was very great before the LORD, for the men despised the offering of the LORD” (1 Samuel 2:17).
Hannah brought Samuel a new robe each year at the annual sacrifice, and Eli would bless her and Elkanah, saying, “May the LORD give you children from this woman in place of the one she dedicated to the LORD.” (1 Samuel 2:19-21)
“The LORD visited Hannah; and she conceived and gave birth to three sons and two daughters. And the boy Samuel grew before the LORD” (1 Samuel 2:21).
Eli heard all that his sons were doing, and “how they lay with the women who served at the doorway of the tent of meeting.” Eli asked why they did such things, warning, “‘If one man sins against another, God will mediate for him; but if a man sins against the LORD, who can intercede for him?’ But they would not listen to the voice of their father, for the LORD desired to put them to death. (1 Samuel 2:22-25)
a man of God speaks to Eli for the LORD, saying, “those who honor Me I will honor, and those who despise Me will be lightly esteemed. Behold, the days are coming when I will break your strength and the strength of your father’s house so that there will not be an old man in your house. You will see the distress of My dwelling, in spite of all the good that I do for Israel; and an old man will not be in your house forever. Yet I will not cut off every man of yours from My altar so that your eyes will fail from weeping and your soul grieve, and all the increase of your house will die in the prime of life. This will be the sign to you which will come concerning your two sons, Hophni and Phinehas: on the same day both of them will die. But I will raise up for Myself a faithful priest who will do according to what is in My heart and in My soul; and I will build him an enduring house, and he will walk before My anointed always” (1 Samuel 2:30b-35)
1 Samuel 3 (Day 98)
“word from the LORD was rare in those days, visions were infrequent” (1 Samuel 3:1b)
the LORD called to Samuel, Samuel thought it was Eli calling him, and then “Eli discerned that the LORD was calling the boy,” telling him, “Go lie down, and it shall be if He calls you, that you shall say, ‘Speak, LORD, for Your servant is listening,’” which Samuel did. The LORD confirmed the prophecy of the man of God spoken to Eli, “I have told him that I am about to judge his house forever for the iniquity which he knew, because his sons brought a curse on themselves and he did not rebuke them. Therefore I have sworn to the house of Eli that the iniquity of Eli’s house shall not be atoned for by sacrifice or offering forever.” When Samuel revealed the LORD’s words at Eli’s request, Eli said, “It is the LORD; let Him do what seems good to Him.” (1 Samuel 2:2-18)
“Thus Samuel grew and the LORD was with him and let none of his words fail. All Israel from Dan even to Beersheba knew that Samuel was confirmed as a prophet of the LORD. And the LORD appeared again at Shiloh, because the LORD revealed Himself to Samuel at Shiloh by the word of the LORD” (2 Samuel 2:19-21).
1 Samuel 4 (Day 99)
Israel is defeated in a battle with the Philistines, so they decide to take the ark of the covenant of the Lord from Shiloh into battle: 30,000 Israelite soldiers die, the ark is taken, and Eli’s son’s Hophni and Phinehas die
when Eli hears this news, he dies, having judged Israel 40 years
Phinehas’ wife gives birth and dies also, naming her son Ichabod and saying, “The glory has departed from Israel, for the ark of God was taken”
1 Samuel 5 (Day 99)
the ark is taken to Ashdod, to the house of the Philistines’ god Dagon, who falls on its face before it twice, breaking off head and limbs on the second fall
God ravages the Philistines in Ashdod and its territories with tumors
so they send it on to Gath, where the hand of the Lord causes confusion and He smites the residents with tumors
so they send it on to Ekron, where the hand of God is heavy, there is deadly confusion, and “the men who did not die were smitten with tumors and the cry of the city went up to heaven” (1 Samuel 5:12).
1 Samuel 6 (Day 99)
after the ark of the LORD is in the country of the Philistines for seven months, they seek advice from the priests and diviners, who advise, “If you send away the ark of the God of Israel, do not send it empty; but you shall surely return to Him a guilt offering” (1 Samuel 6:3a)
“you shall make [golden] likenesses of your tumors and likenesses of your mice that ravage the land, and you shall give glory to the God of Israel; perhaps He will ease His hand from you, your gods, and your land” (1 Samuel 6:4-5)
“Why then do you harden your hearts as the Egyptians and Pharaoh hardened their hearts? When He had severely dealt with them, did they not allow the people to go, and they departed?” (1 Samuel 6:6)
“take and prepare a new cart and two milch cows on which there has never been a yoke; and hitch the cows to the cart and take their calves home, away from them. Take the ark of the LORD and place it on the cart; and put the articles of gold which you return to Him as a guilt offering in a box by its side. Then send it away that it may go. Watch, if it goes up by the way of its own territory to Beth-shemesh [town in Judah bordering Philistine territory], then He has done us this great evil. But if not, then we will know that it was not His hand that struck us; it happened to us by chance” (1 Samuel 6:7-9)
“the cows took the straight way in the direction of Beth-shemesh; they went along the highway, lowing as they went, and did not turn aside to the right or to the left” (1 Samuel 6:12a)
“The cart came into the field of Joshua the Beth-shemite and stood there where there was a large stone; and they split the wood of the cart and offered the cows as a burnt offering to the LORD. The Levites took down the ark of the LORD and the box that was with it, in which were the articles of gold, and put them on the large stone; and the men of Beth-shemesh offered burnt offerings and sacrificed sacrifices that day to the LORD….The large stone on which they set the ark of the LORD is a witness to this day in the field of Joshua the Beth-shemite” (1 Samuel 6:14-15,18b)
because some of the men of Beth-shemesh looked into the ark, the LORD struck down 50,070 men
“The men of Beth-shemesh said, ‘Who is able to stand before the LORD, this holy God? And to whom shall He go up from us?’ So they sent messengers to the inhabitants of Kiriath-jearim [also in Judah, on the border with Benjamin], saying, ‘The Philistines have brought back the ark of the LORD; come down and take it up to you” (1 Samuel 6:20-21).
1 Samuel 7 (Day 99)
“the men of Kiriath-jearim came and took the ark of the LORD and brought it into the house of Abinadab on the hill, and consecrated Eleazar his son to keep the ark of the LORD. From the day that the ark remained at Kiriath-jearim, the time was long, for it was twenty years; and all the house of Israel lamented after the LORD” (1 Samuel 7:1-2)
“Then Samuel spoke to all the house of Israel, saying, ‘If you return to the LORD with all your heart, remove the foreign gods and the Ashtaroth from among you and direct your hearts to the LORD and serve Him alone; and He will deliver you from the hand of the Philistines.’ So the sons of Israel removed the Baals and the Ashtaroth and served the LORD alone” (1 Samuel 7:3-4).
“Then Samuel said, ‘Gather all Israel to Mizpah [a sacred place in Benjamin] and I will pray to the LORD for you.’ They gathered to 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 sons of Israel at Mizpah” (1 Samuel 7:5-6).
the Philistines gather to attack the sons of Israel at Mizpah. “Samuel took a suckling lamb and offered it for a whole burnt offering to the LORD; and Samuel cried to the LORD for Israel and the LORD answered him….the LORD thundered with a great thunder on that day against the Philistines and confused them, so that they were routed before Israel” (1 Samuel 7:7-11)
“Samuel took a stone and set it between Mizpah and Shen, and named it Ebenezer, saying, ‘Thus far the LORD has helped us’” (1 Samuel 7:12)
“the Philistines were subdued and they did not come anymore within the border of Israel. And the hand of the LORD was against the Philistines all the days of Samuel. The cities which the Philistines had taken from Israel were restored to Israel, from Ekron even to Gath; and Israel delivered their territory from the hand of the Philistines. So there was peace between Israel and the Amorites” (1 Samuel 7:13-14)
“Samuel judged Israel all the days of his life. He used to go annually on circuit to Bethel and Gilgal [where the Israelites first camped, and were circumcised, when they crossed the Jordan] and Mizpah, and he judged Israel in all these places. Then his return was to Ramah, for his house was there, and there he judged Israel; and he built there an altar to the LORD” (1 Samuel 7:15-17)
1 Samuel 8 (Day 99)
When Samuel was old, he appointed his sons Joel and Abijah judges over Israel, but they “did not walk in his ways, but turned aside after dishonest gain and took bribes and perverted justice” (1 Samuel 8:1-2)
“all the elders of Israel gathered together and came to Samuel at Ramah…‘Behold, you have grown old, and your sons do not walk in your ways. Now appoint a king for us to judge us like all the nations’” (1 Samuel 8:4-5)
this displeased Samuel so he prayed to LORD, who said, “Listen to the voice of the people in regard to all that they say to you, for they have not rejected you, but they have rejected Me from being king over them. Like all the deeds which they have done since the day that I brought them up from Egypt even to this day—in that they have forsaken Me and served other gods—so they are doing to you also. Now then, listen to their voice; however, you shall solemnly warn them and tell them of the procedure of the king who will reign over them” (1 Samuel 8:6-9)
“Samuel spoke all the words of the LORD to the people who had asked of him a king,” warning he would take their sons for his army, his farming, and his making of equipment for war; their daughters as perfumers, cooks, and bakers; the best of their fields, vineyards, and olive groves; a tenth of their produce and flocks; and the best of their servants and animals. “‘Then you will cry out in that day because of your king whom you have chosen for yourselves, but the LORD will not answer you in that day’” (1 Samuel 8:10-18)
the people refused to listen and said, “‘No, but there shall be a king over us, that we also may be like all the nations, that our king may judge us and go out before us and fight our battles.’…The LORD said to Samuel, ‘Listen to their voice and appoint them a king’” (1 Samuel 8:19-22)
1 Samuel 9 (Day 100)
Kish, of Benjamin, had a son “Saul, a choice and handsome man, and there was not a more handsome person than he among the sons of Israel; from his shoulders and up he was taller than any of the people” (1 Samuel 9:1-2)
he sent Saul, and one of his servants, to look for his lost donkeys; not finding them, Saul suggested they return home, but they had come to the city where the servant knew Samuel, the prophet or seer, was, so the servant suggested they go inquire of him about their journey (1 Samuel 8:3-10)
consistent with directions they asked for, they found Samuel coming out of the city to go up to the high place to bless a sacrifice before the people eat it (1 Samuel 9:11-14)
“a day before Saul’s coming, the LORD had revealed this to Samuel saying, ‘About this time tomorrow I will send you a man from the land of Benjamin, and you shall anoint him to be prince over My people Israel; and he will deliver My people from the hand of the Philistines. For I have regarded My people, because their cry has come to Me’” (1 Samuel 9:15-16)
Samuel invited Saul with him to the sacrifice and to stay with him that night, saying his father’s donkeys had been found and “‘for whom is all that is desirable in Israel? Is it not for you and for all your father’s household?’ Saul replied, ‘Am I not a Benjamite, of the smallest of the tribes of Israel [recall how most of this tribe had been killed after the killing of the Levite’s harlot in Judges 18-21], and my family the least of all the families of the tribe of Benjamin? Why then do you speak to me in this way?’” (1 Samuel 9:19-21)
in the morning as he was sending him away, “Samuel said to Saul, ‘Say to the servant that he might go ahead of us and pass on, but you remain standing now, that I may proclaim the word of God to you’” (1 Samuel 9:22-27)
1 Samuel 10 (Day 100)
“Then Samuel took the flask of oil, poured it on his head, kissed him and said, ‘Has not the LORD anointed you a ruler over His inheritance? (1 Samuel 10:1)
Samuel then gave Saul three signs to observe as he travels home: as he passes near Rachel’s tomb, two men will tell him his father’s donkeys have been found and his father is anxious for him; three men going up to God at Bethel will be carrying three goats, three loaves of bread, and a jug of wine, and they will give him two loaves of bread; and then prophets coming down from the hill of God where the Philistine garrison is will come down from the high place prophesying, and “the Spirit of the LORD will come upon you mightily, and you shall prophesy with them and be changed into another man.” He told him to go ahead of him to Gilgal, where he would come in seven days to offer burnt offerings and sacrifice peace offerings, and to tell him what to do (1 Samuel 10:2-8)
when Saul left Samuel, “God changed his heart; and all those signs came about on that day” (1 Samuel 10:9)
when he prophesied, the people asked, “Is Saul also among the prophets?” (1 Samuel 10:10-13)
“Samuel called the people together to the LORD at Mizpah; and he said to the sons of Israel, ‘Thus says the LORD, the God of Israel, “I brought Israel up from Egypt, and I delivered you from the hand of the Egyptians and from the power of all the kingdoms that were oppressing you.” But you have today rejected your God, who delivers you from all your calamities and your distresses; yet you have said, “No, but set a king over us!”” (1 Samuel 10:17-19)
Samuel told them, “present yourselves before the LORD by your tribes and by your clans.” The tribe of Benjamin was taken by Lot, and then Saul’s family, and then Saul, but Saul was hiding among the baggage. When he stood among the people, “he was taller than any of the people from his shoulders upward. Samuel said to all the people, ‘Do you see him whom the LORD has chosen? Surely there is no one like him among all the people.’ So all the people shouted and said, ‘Long live the king!’” (1 Samuel 10:20-24)
“Samuel told the people the ordinances of the kingdom, and wrote them in the book and placed it before the LORD….Saul also went to his house at Gibeah; and the valiant men whose hearts God had touched went with him. But certain worthless men said, ‘How can this one deliver us?’ And they despised him and did not bring him any present. But he kept silent” (1 Samuel 10:25-27)
1 Samuel 11 (Day 100)
“Nahash the Ammonite came up and besieged Jabesh-gilead [remember the men of this city were killed because they did not support the nation of Israel when they went up against Benjamin after the killing of the Levite’s harlot in Judges 18-21]; and all the men of Jabesh said to Nahash, ‘Make a covenant with us and we will serve you.’ But Nahash the Ammonite said to them, ‘I will make it with you on this condition, that I will gouge out the right eye of every one of you, thus I will make it a reproach on all Israel.’ The elders of Jabesh said to him, ‘Let us alone for seven days, that we may send messengers throughout the territory of Israel. Then, if there is no one to deliver us, we will come out to you’” (1 Samuel 11:1-4).
“the messengers came to Gibeah of Saul and spoke these words in the hearing of the people, and….they related to him the words of the men of Jabesh. Then the Spirit of God came upon Saul mightily when he heard these words, and he became very angry. He took a yoke of oxen and cut them in pieces, and sent them throughout the territory of Israel by the hand of messengers, saying, ‘Whoever does not come out after Saul and after Samuel, so shall it be done to his oxen’” (1 Samuel 11:4-7)
“the sons of Israel [came out and] were 300,000, and the men of Judah 30,000” (1 Samuel 11:8)
“The next morning Saul put the people in three companies; and they came into the midst of the camp at the morning watch and struck down the Ammonites until the heat of the day. Those who survived were scattered, so that no two of them were left together” (1 Samuel 11:11).
the people threatened to kill the men who had rejected Saul, but “Saul said, ‘Not a man shall be put to death this day, for today the LORD has accomplished deliverance in Israel’” (1 Samuel 11:12-13)
“Samuel said to the people, ‘Come and let us go to Gilgal and renew the kingdom there.’ So all the people went to Gilgal, and there they made Saul king before the LORD in Gilgal [where the Israelites first camped, and were circumcised, when they crossed the Jordan]
1 Samuel 12 (Day 100)
Samuel gives the people a short summary of their history, and tells them they sinned by asking for a king. They repent, and he tells them to fear the Lord and follow Him, warning that if they do wickedly, both they are their king will be swept away:
“It is the LORD who appointed Moses and Aaron and who brought your fathers up from the land of Egypt. So now, take your stand, that I may plead with you before the LORD concerning all the righteous acts of the LORD which He did for you and your fathers. When Jacob went into Egypt and your fathers cried out to the LORD, then the LORD sent Moses and Aaron who brought your fathers out of Egypt and settled them in this place. But they forgot the LORD their God, so He sold them into the hand of Sisera, captain of the army of Hazor, and into the hand of the Philistines and into the hand of the king of Moab, and they fought against them. They cried out to the LORD and said, “We have sinned because we have forsaken the LORD and have served the Baals and the Ashtaroth; but now deliver us from the hands of our enemies, and we will serve You.” Then the LORD sent Jerubbaal and Bedan and Jephthah and Samuel, and delivered you from the hands of your enemies all around, so that you lived in security. When you saw that Nahash the king of the sons of Ammon came against you, you said to me, “No, but a king shall reign over us,” although the LORD your God was your king.” (1 Samuel 12:6-12)
‘Now therefore, here is the king whom you have chosen, whom you have asked for, and behold, the LORD has set a king over you. If you will fear the LORD and serve Him, and listen to His voice and not rebel against the command of the LORD, then both you and also the king who reigns over you will follow the LORD your God. If you will not listen to the voice of the LORD, but rebel against the command of the LORD, then the hand of the LORD will be against you, as it was against your fathers. (1 Samuel 12:13-15)
‘Even now, take your stand and see this great thing which the LORD will do before your eyes. Is it not the wheat harvest today? I will call to the LORD, that He may send thunder and rain. Then you will know and see that your wickedness is great which you have done in the sight of the LORD by asking for yourselves a king.’ So Samuel called to the LORD, and the LORD sent thunder and rain that day; and all the people greatly feared the LORD and Samuel.” (1 Samuel 12:16-18)
“Then all the people said to Samuel, ‘Pray for your servants to the LORD your God, so that we may not die, for we have added to all our sins this evil by asking for ourselves a king.’ (1 Samuel 12:19)
Samuel said to the people, ‘Do not fear. You have committed all this evil, yet do not turn aside from following the LORD, but serve the LORD with all your heart. You must not turn aside, for then you would go after futile things which can not profit or deliver, because they are futile. (1 Samuel 12:20-21)
‘For the LORD will not abandon His people on account of His great name, because the LORD has been pleased to make you a people for Himself. (1 Samuel 12:22)
‘Moreover, as for me, far be it from me that I should sin against the LORD by ceasing to pray for you; but I will instruct you in the good and right way. Only fear the LORD and serve Him in truth with all your heart; for consider what great things He has done for you. But if you still do wickedly, both you and your king will be swept away.’” (1 Samuel 12:23-25)
1 Samuel 13 (Day 101)
“Saul was thirty years old when he began to reign, and he reigned forty two years over Israel” (1 Samuel 13:1).
“Saul chose for himself 3,000 men of Israel”
2,000 were with Saul in Michmash and in the hill country of Bethel, while 1,000 were with Jonathan at Gibeah of Benjamin.
“Jonathan smote the garrison of the Philistines that was in Geba, and the Philistines heard of it.
“Then Saul blew the trumpet throughout the land, saying, ‘Let the Hebrews hear.’ All Israel heard the news that Saul had smitten the garrison of the Philistines, and also that Israel had become odious to the Philistines. The people were then summoned to Saul at Gilgal.”
“the Philistines assembled to fight with Israel, 30,000 chariots and 6,000 horsemen, and people like the sand which is on the seashore in abundance”
“as for Saul, he was still in Gilgal, and all the people followed him trembling.”
“he waited seven days, according to the appointed time set by Samuel, but Samuel did not come to Gilgal; and the people were scattering from him”
“And he offered the burnt offering.”
“As soon as he finished offering the burnt offering, behold, Samuel came
“You have acted foolishly; you have not kept the commandment of the LORD your God, which He commanded you, for now the LORD would have established your kingdom over Israel forever. But now your kingdom shall not endure. The LORD has sought out for Himself a man after His own heart, and the LORD has appointed him as ruler over His people, because you have not kept what the LORD commanded you.”
“Saul numbered the people who were present with him, about six hundred men.”
1 Samuel 14 (Day 101)
“the day came that Jonathan, the son of Saul, said to the young man who was carrying his armor, ‘Come and let us cross over to the Philistines’ garrison that is on the other side.’”
“But he did not tell his father. Saul was staying in the outskirts of Gibeah under the pomegranate tree which is in Migron. And the people who were with him were about six hundred men, and Ahijah, the son of Ahitub, Ichabod’s brother, the son of Phinehas, the son of Eli, the priest of the LORD at Shiloh, was wearing an ephod.”
“Jonathan said to the young man who was carrying his armor, ‘Come and let us cross over to the garrison of these uncircumcised; perhaps the LORD will work for us, for the LORD is not restrained to save by many or by few.’”
He tells his armor bearer that if the Philistines called them up to them, then that would be the sign the LORD had given them into their hands. That happens, and “That first slaughter which Jonathan and his armor bearer made was about twenty men within about half a furrow in an acre of land. And there was a trembling in the camp, in the field, and among all the people. Even the garrison and the raiders trembled, and the earth quaked so that it became a great trembling.”
“Saul and all the people who were with him rallied and came to the battle; and behold, every man’s sword was against his fellow, and there was very great confusion. Now the Hebrews who were with the Philistines previously, who went up with them all around in the camp, even they also turned to be with the Israelites who were with Saul and Jonathan. When all the men of Israel who had hidden themselves in the hill country of Ephraim heard that the Philistines had fled, even they also pursued them closely in the battle. So the LORD delivered Israel that day,”
“Saul had put the people under oath, saying, ‘Cursed be the man who eats food before evening, and until I have avenged myself on my enemies.’
“But Jonathan had not heard when his father put the people under oath; therefore, he put out the end of the staff that was in his hand and dipped it in the honeycomb, and put his hand to his mouth, and his eyes brightened.”
“Then one of the people said, ‘Your father strictly put the people under oath, saying, “Cursed be the man who eats food today.”’ And the people were weary.”
“Then Jonathan said, ‘My father has troubled the land.’”
“They struck among the Philistines that day from Michmash to Aijalon. And the people were very weary. The people rushed greedily upon the spoil, and took sheep and oxen and calves, and slew them on the ground; and the people ate them with the blood.”
“"Saul said, ‘Disperse yourselves among the people and say to them, “Each one of you bring me his ox or his sheep, and slaughter it here and eat; and do not sin against the LORD by eating with the blood.”’ So all the people that night brought each one his ox with him and slaughtered it there. And Saul built an altar to the LORD; it was the first altar that he built to the LORD.”
“Saul inquired of God, ‘Shall I go down after the Philistines? Will You give them into the hand of Israel?’ But He did not answer him on that day.”
Jonathan was chosen by lot. “Then Saul said to Jonathan, ‘Tell me what you have done.’ So Jonathan told him and said, ‘I indeed tasted a little honey with the end of the staff that was in my hand. Here I am, I must die!’ Saul said, ‘May God do this to me and more also, for you shall surely die, Jonathan.’ But the people said to Saul, ‘Must Jonathan die, who has brought about this great deliverance in Israel? Far from it! As the LORD lives, not one hair of his head shall fall to the ground, for he has worked with God this day.’ So the people rescued Jonathan and he did not die.”
“Now when Saul had taken the kingdom over Israel, he fought against all his enemies on every side, against Moab, the sons of Ammon, Edom, the kings of Zobah, and the Philistines; and wherever he turned, he inflicted punishment. He acted valiantly and defeated the Amalekites, and delivered Israel from the hands of those who plundered them.”
“Now the sons of Saul were Jonathan and Ishvi and Malchi-shua; and the names of his two daughters were these: the name of the firstborn Merab and the name of the younger Michal. The name of Saul’s wife was Ahinoam the daughter of Ahimaaz. And the name of the captain of his army was Abner the son of Ner, Saul’s uncle. Kish was the father of Saul, and Ner the father of Abner was the son of Abiel.”
“Now the war against the Philistines was severe all the days of Saul; and when Saul saw any mighty man or any valiant man, he attached him to his staff.”
1 Samuel 15 (Day 102)
Samuel tells Saul, “The LORD sent me to anoint you as king over His people, over Israel; now therefore, listen to the words of the LORD. Thus says the LORD of hosts, ‘I will punish Amalek for what he did to Israel, how he set himself against him on the way while he was coming up from Egypt. Now go and strike Amalek and utterly destroy all that he has, and do not spare him; but put to death both man and woman, child and infant, ox and sheep, camel and donkey’”
Saul summons 200,000 foot soldiers and 10,000 men of Judah
“Saul said to the Kenites, ‘Go, depart, go down from among the Amalekites, so that I do not destroy you with them; for you showed kindness to all the sons of Israel when they came up from Egypt.’ So the Kenites departed from among the Amalekites.”
“Saul defeated the Amalekites….He captured Agag the king of the Amalekites alive, and utterly destroyed all the people with the edge of the sword.”
“But Saul and the people spared Agag and the best of the sheep, the oxen, the fatlings, the lambs, and all that was good, and were not willing to destroy them utterly; but everything despised and worthless, that they utterly destroyed.”
“the word of the LORD came to Samuel, saying, ‘I regret that I have made Saul king, for he has turned back from following Me and has not carried out My commands.’”
“Samuel rose early in the morning to meet Saul; and it was told Samuel, saying, ‘Saul came to Carmel, and behold, he set up a monument for himself, then turned and proceeded on down to Gilgal.’”
“Samuel came to Saul, and Saul said to him, ‘Blessed are you of the LORD! I have carried out the command of the LORD.’”
But Samuel said, ‘What then is this bleating of the sheep in my ears, and the lowing of the oxen which I hear?’”
Saul said, ‘They have brought them from the Amalekites, for the people spared the best of the sheep and oxen, to sacrifice to the LORD your God; but the rest we have utterly destroyed.’”
“Samuel said, ‘Is it not true, though you were little in your own eyes, you were made the head of the tribes of Israel? And the LORD anointed you king over Israel, and the LORD sent you on a mission, and said, “Go and utterly destroy the sinners, the Amalekites, and fight against them until they are exterminated.” Why then did you not obey the voice of the LORD, but rushed upon the spoil and did what was evil in the sight of the LORD?’”
“Saul said to Samuel, ‘I did obey the voice of the LORD, and went on the mission on which the LORD sent me, and have brought back Agag the king of Amalek, and have utterly destroyed the Amalekites. But the people took some of the spoil, sheep and oxen, the choicest of the things devoted to destruction, to sacrifice to the LORD your God at Gilgal.’”
“Samuel said,
‘Has the LORD as much delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices
As in obeying the voice of the LORD?
Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice,
And to heed than the fat of rams.
For rebellion is as the sin of divination,
And insubordination is as iniquity and idolatry.
Because you have rejected the word of the LORD,
He has also rejected you from being king.’”“Saul said to Samuel, ‘I have sinned; I have indeed transgressed the command of the LORD and your words, because I feared the people and listened to their voice.”
“As Samuel turned to go, Saul seized the edge of his robe, and it tore. So Samuel said to him, ‘The LORD has torn the kingdom of Israel from you today and has given it to your neighbor, who is better than you. Also the Glory of Israel will not lie or change His mind; for He is not a man that He should change His mind.’”
“Samuel said, ‘Bring me Agag, the king of the Amalekites.’ And Agag came to him cheerfully. And Agag said, ‘Surely the bitterness of death is past.’ But Samuel said, ‘As your sword has made women childless, so shall your mother be childless among women.’ And Samuel hewed Agag to pieces before the LORD at Gilgal.”
“Samuel went to Ramah, but Saul went up to his house at Gibeah of Saul. Samuel did not see Saul again until the day of his death; for Samuel grieved over Saul. And the LORD regretted that He had made Saul king over Israel.”
1 Samuel 16 (Day 102)
“the LORD said to Samuel, ‘How long will you grieve over Saul, since I have rejected him from being king over Israel? Fill your horn with oil and go; I will send you to Jesse the Bethlehemite, for I have selected a king for Myself among his sons.’”
“Samuel did what the LORD said, and came to Bethlehem. And the elders of the city came trembling to meet him and said, ‘Do you come in peace?’ He said, ‘In peace; I have come to sacrifice to the LORD. Consecrate yourselves and come with me to the sacrifice.’ He also consecrated Jesse and his sons and invited them to the sacrifice.”
“When they entered, he looked at Eliab and thought, ‘Surely the LORD’S anointed is before Him.' But the LORD said to Samuel, ‘Do not look at his appearance or at the height of his stature, because I have rejected him; for God sees not as man sees, for man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart.’…Jesse made seven of his sons pass before Samuel. But Samuel said to Jesse, ‘The LORD has not chosen these.’”
When Samuel learned there was a youngest son who was tending sheep, “he sent and brought him in. Now he was ruddy, with beautiful eyes and a handsome appearance. And the LORD said, ‘Arise, anoint him; for this is he.’ Then Samuel took the horn of oil and anointed him in the midst of his brothers; and the Spirit of the LORD came mightily upon David from that day forward.”
“the Spirit of the LORD departed from Saul, and an evil spirit from the LORD terrorized him. Saul’s servants then said to him, ‘…seek a man who is a skillful player on the harp; and it shall come about when the evil spirit from God is on you, that he shall play the harp with his hand, and you will be well.’…one of the young men said, ‘Behold, I have seen a son of Jesse the Bethlehemite who is a skillful musician, a mighty man of valor, a warrior, one prudent in speech, and a handsome man; and the LORD is with him.’…Then David came to Saul and attended him; and Saul loved him greatly, and he became his armor bearer. Saul sent to Jesse, saying, ‘Let David now stand before me, for he has found favor in my sight.’ So it came about whenever the evil spirit from God came to Saul, David would take the harp and play it with his hand; and Saul would be refreshed and be well, and the evil spirit would depart from him.”
1 Samuel 17 (Day 102)
“the Philistines gathered their armies for battle….Saul and the men of Israel were gathered and camped in the valley of Elah, and drew up in battle array to encounter the Philistines. The Philistines stood on the mountain on one side while Israel stood on the mountain on the other side, with the valley between them. Then a champion came out from the armies of the Philistines named Goliath….’Choose a man for yourselves and let him come down to me. If he is able to fight with me and kill me, then we will become your servants; but if I prevail against him and kill him, then you shall become our servants and serve us.’ Again the Philistine said, ‘I defy the ranks of Israel this day; give me a man that we may fight together.’ When Saul and all Israel heard these words of the Philistine, they were dismayed and greatly afraid.”
“the three oldest [of Jesse’s sons] followed Saul, but David went back and forth from Saul to tend his father’s flock at Bethlehem. The Philistine came forward morning and evening for forty days and took his stand.”
“David arose early in the morning and left the flock with a keeper and took the supplies and went as Jesse had commanded him. And he came to the circle of the camp while the army was going out in battle array shouting the war cry. Israel and the Philistines drew up in battle array, army against army. Then David left his baggage in the care of the baggage keeper, and ran to the battle line and entered in order to greet his brothers. As he was talking with them, behold, the champion, the Philistine from Gath named Goliath, was coming up from the army of the Philistines, and he spoke these same words; and David heard them.”
“David spoke to the men who were standing by him, saying, ‘What will be done for the man who kills this Philistine and takes away the reproach from Israel? For who is this uncircumcised Philistine, that he should taunt the armies of the living God?’”The people answered him in accord with this word, saying, ‘Thus it will be done for the man who kills him.’”
“When the words which David spoke were heard, they told them to Saul, and he sent for him. David said to Saul, ‘Let no man’s heart fail on account of him; your servant will go and fight with this Philistine…..Your servant was tending his father’s sheep. When a lion or a bear came and took a lamb from the flock, I went out after him and attacked him, and rescued it from his mouth; and when he rose up against me, I seized him by his beard and struck him and killed him. Your servant has killed both the lion and the bear; and this uncircumcised Philistine will be like one of them, since he has taunted the armies of the living God.’ And David said, ‘The LORD who delivered me from the paw of the lion and from the paw of the bear, He will deliver me from the hand of this Philistine.’”
“David said to the Philistine, ‘You come to me with a sword, a spear, and a javelin, but I come to you in the name of the LORD of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have taunted. This day the LORD will deliver you up into my hands, and I will strike you down and remove your head from you. And I will give the dead bodies of the army of the Philistines this day to the birds of the sky and the wild beasts of the earth, that all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel, and that all this assembly may know that the LORD does not deliver by sword or by spear; for the battle is the LORD’S and He will give you into our hands.’”
“David prevailed over the Philistine with a sling and a stone, and he struck the Philistine and killed him…Then David ran and stood over the Philistine and took his sword and drew it out of its sheath and killed him, and cut off his head with it.”
“When the Philistines saw that their champion was dead, they fled. The men of Israel and Judah arose and shouted and pursued….The sons of Israel returned from chasing the Philistines and plundered their camps.”
· David is then placed over the men of war; Saul’s son Jonathan, and the people of Israel, have immediate affection for David, while Saul has immediate suspicion
· Saul tries to pin David to the wall with a spear while David is playing the harp in his house; Saul tries to use his daughters against David, offering them in marriage if he will fight in battle; David declines the first marriage offer to Merab, but accepts the second to Michal, who loves David, when Saul asks him for 100 foreskins of the Philistines—David gives him 200
· Jonathan talks his father out of putting David to death, but, after David has military success again, Saul tries to pin David to the wall with a spear again, so David escapes; he goes to his house and his wife Michal, Saul’s daughter, helps him escape from there
· David goes to Samuel at Ramah and everyone who Saul sends there to get him begins to prophesy, including Saul himself
· David goes back to Jonathan and tells him his father wants to kill him; Jonathan tries to reassure David and they come up with a plan for Jonathan to find out and share Saul’s plan with David; they also enter into a covenant to protect one another and their descendants; Jonathan verifies that Saul desires to kill David, so David flees from Saul’s household
· Psalms 11 & 59
· David goes to Ahimelech the priest in Nob; he tells him he is on the king’s business; Ahimelech gives him consecrated bread and the sword he had used to kill Goliath; Doeg the Edomite, chief of Saul’s shepherds is there that day
· David then goes to Achish of Gath, a Philistine, but his servants are suspicious of David, so David acts insane, and then escapes to the cave of Adullam; his family and all in distress gather to him, 400 in all
· David then goes to Mizpah of Moab and asks the king to let his parents stay with him
· David then goes to the forest of Hereth; Saul is with his servants in Gibeah, complaining about disloyalty, so Doeg the Edomite tells him about the day that David went to Ahimelech the priest; Saul summons Ahimelech and all his family and Doeg the Edomite kills them and then he goes to Nob and kills all the people and animals; Abiathar, son of Abimelech, escapes to David’s protection
· the Philistines attack Keilah, David seeks the Lord, and the Lord tells him to attack them; Saul then plots to attack David at Keilah and the Lord confirms to David that the people of Keilah, who he had just saved, would give him up, so David and his men escape
· David goes to the wilderness of Ziph at Horesh; Jonathan comes to encourage him there; the Ziphites give David up and Saul pursues him; while Saul relieves himself in a cave David is hiding in, David cuts off the edge of Saul’s robe, convicted that he should not harm the Lord’s anointed; when he reveals to Saul that he had spared his life, Saul realizes David will be king, and asks him not to cut off his descendants
· Psalms 7, 27, 31, 34, 52, 56, 120, 140-142
· Samuel dies
· David asks Nabal the Carmelite, whose shepherds he and his men have protected, to include his men in his sheep shearing festival feast and Nabal rebuffs him; Nabal’s wife Abigail greets him with a feast when David is on his way to take revenge on Nabal; when Abigail tells Nabal what she prevented, his heart dies within him and, 10 days later, the Lord strikes him and he dies; David takes Nabal’s widow Abigail as his wife; he had also taken Ahinoam of Jezreel as a wife (his first wife Michal had been given to another after he fled)
· the Ziphites again give David’s position up to Saul; David enters Saul’s camp at night and again does not kill him, but lets him know what has done (proving his opportunity by taking the king’s spear and jug of water); Saul repents; David then escapes again to Achish, the king of Gath, and lives in Ziklag (of the Philistines); he attacks and raids enemy peoples, but he leaves no one alive so word does not get to the king of Gath about what he is doing
· Psalms 17, 35, 54, 63
· the Philistines gather to fight against Israel; since Samuel is dead and God will not answer him, Saul seeks a spiritist to call up Samuel, who tells him Israel will be defeated and Saul and his sons will die
· David appears to plan to fight with Achish against Israel, but the lords of the Philistines are suspicious of David, so Achish sends him away, back to Ziklag; while he had been gone from there, the Amalekites had raided, burned the city, and taken all the wives and children captive; David seeks the Lord through Abiathar the priest’s ephod and God confirms that David will overtake the Amalekites and rescue all, which he does, slaughtering most of the Amalekites; David establishes that those who stayed with the baggage share in the spoil with those who went to battle; he sends spoil to his friends and allies in all the places that he and his men were accustomed to going
· the Philistines conquer Israel and kill Saul and his sons; the Philistines find Saul and his sons slain at Mount Gilboa, so they cut off his head, send his weapons throughout the land, and fasten his body to the wall of Beth-shan; the men of Jabesh-Gilead hear, walked all night to rescue the bodies of Saul and his sons, and fast seven days
· Psalms 121, 123-125, 128-130