1 Samuel

The tribes of Israel lack concern for their divine King. This grows into a desire to be like other nations by having an earthly king. God gives them what they want but warns that they will also have to suffer the consequences. Taught by Tom Bradford.

• Lesson 1 – 1 Samuel Introduction

  I Samuel Lesson 1 – Introduction Today we begin a study on a series of books that were at one time a single unified work. However in our modern Christian (especially Protestant) bibles that single unified work became divided into 4 books. We’ll examine all 4, in order, and the book we’re going to examine […]

• Lesson 2 – 1 Samuel 1

  I Samuel Lesson 2 – Chapter 1 Today we start our study of 1st Samuel in earnest. We had an introduction last week and found that 1st Samuel is part of a 4-book set of Holy Scripture consisting of 1st and 2nd Samuel along with 1st and 2nd Kings that originally were but one large […]

• Lesson 3 – 1 Samuel 1 & 2

  I Samuel Lesson 3 – Chapters 1 and 2 Let’s continue with our study of 1st Samuel. Hannah was barren, a degrading and humiliating condition for a woman of the ancient Middle East. Her husband Elkanah, a prosperous man, had taken two wives and the other, P’ninah, had provided Elkanah with the always needed and […]

• Lesson 4 – 1 Samuel 2

  I Samuel Lesson 4 – Chapter 2 I prepared you a bit last week for what we’ll study today: Hannah’s prayer or Hannah’s song. This 10-verse segment that introduces 1st Samuel chapter 2 isn’t particularly familiar to the Church (because it is buried deep within the much maligned Old Testament). However Judaism sees it as […]

• Lesson 5 – 1 Samuel 2 Cont.

  I Samuel Lesson 5 – Chapter 2 Continued I sure hope you are ready for a bit of a tough lesson and a little frank talk today. This is one of those lessons that makes me a little nervous but at the same time it needs to be addressed. Open your Bibles to 1st Samuel […]

• Lesson 6 – 1 Samuel 2 Concl.

  I Samuel Lesson 6 – Chapter 2 Conclusion We’ll finally finish 1st Samuel chapter 2 today even thought there really is enough here to probably spend another week at the least; but we need to move forward. Last time we met we were informed about the dysfunctional apostate condition of the Priesthood of Israel and […]

• Lesson 7 – 1 Samuel 3 & 4

  I Samuel Lesson 7 – Chapter 3 and 4 We ended 1st Samuel 2 by going over the prophetic judgment against Eli and his family that had come from the mouth of an unnamed prophet. To summarize, God’s oracle was that Eli’s descendants (who were by custom destined to be the next High Priests and […]

• Lesson 8 – 1 Samuel 4 & 5

  I Samuel Lesson 8 – Chapter 4 and 5 Last week in 1st Samuel chapter 3 we witnessed the chosen moment that the Lord moved upon young Samuel and commenced his preparation as a Prophet for God. As Samuel matured and began prophesying soon all Israel from north to south, all 12 tribes, became aware […]

• Lesson 9 – 1 Samuel 6 & 7

  I Samuel Lesson 9 – Chapter 6 and 7 When we finished up 1st Samuel chapter 5 last week the Philistine people were still in possession of the precious Israelite Ark of the Covenant; but by now they wished they had never laid eyes upon it. No doubt the Philistines had confiscated many an idol […]

• Lesson 10 – 1 Samuel 7

  I Samuel Lesson 10 – Chapter 7 Indulge me please as I begin today’s lesson with a brief personal sermon that I think is pertinent in connecting our study of 1st Samuel with conditions present in our time. Because afterwards this is going to get personal for you; and if you’re paying attention today, before […]

• Lesson 11 – 1 Samuel 7 & 8

  I Samuel Lesson 11 – Chapter 7 and 8 We’ll finish up 1st Samuel 7 and get a short glimpse into chapter 8 today. This section of 1st Samuel brings up deep and complex theological issues so we’re going to spend all the time needed to thoroughly examine them. I ask you to keep your […]

• Lesson 12 – 1 Samuel 8

  I Samuel Lesson 12 – Chapter 8 Last week we began a bit of a detour that will circle back and intercept Samuel chapter 8 the next time we meet. Please be patient; this detour is a needed one that revolves around how to deal with a sticky theological issue that is at the core […]

• Lesson 13 – 1 Samuel 8 Cont.

  I Samuel Lesson 13 – Chapter 8 Continued We completed our detour last week and return to 1st Samuel chapter 8 today. Recall that the reason for our detour was to deal with the entire underlying substance of the series of 4 books consisting of Samuel and Kings. The substance I’m speaking of is the […]

• Lesson 14 – 1 Samuel 8 & 9

  I Samuel Lesson 14 – Chapter 8 and 9 As we continue in 1st Samuel chapter 8 today, we find that certain tribal and clan leaders of Israel have come to Samuel and announced that they want to be ruled by a king. This of course meant that Samuel would no longer be top dog […]

• Lesson 15 – 1 Samuel 10

  I Samuel Lesson 15 – Chapter 10 Last week we saw how the decision was arrived at for Sha’ul, son of Kish, of the tribe of Benjamin to become (what is usually called) the first King of Israel. However in the Lord’s eyes Saul was not Israel’s first king; rather, Saul was going to be […]

• Lesson 16 – 1 Samuel 10 Cont.

  I Samuel Lesson 16 – Chapter 10 Continued We continue today in 1st Samuel chapter 10. We ended our last lesson as I expanded the spiritual context in which we ought to view the life of the first human king of Israel Saul (Sha’ul) who had been appointed on God’s behalf by the unique priest/prophet/judge […]

• Lesson 17 – 1 Samuel 11

  I Samuel Lesson 17 – Chapter 11 Continued Last week we ventured fairly deeply into territory that may at first glance seem unnecessary, but in fact is a needed piece of the puzzle to help us understand the goings on in the book of Samuel. And that territory is the political landscape surrounding and directing […]

• Lesson 18 – 1 Samuel 11 &12

  I Samuel Lesson 18 – Chapter 11 and 12 Let’s pick up today with the story of the beginning of King Saul’s reign as the first king of Israel as it is told in 1 st Samuel chapter 11. And before we re-read this short chapter and then summarize what we’ve learned about Samuel and […]

• Lesson 19 – 1 Samuel 12 &13

  I Samuel Lesson 19 – Chapter 12 and 13 Last week things were very historical in presentation as we saw the torch pass from Samuel to Saul, and it was necessary to explain the behind-the-scenes political and social realities that pushed Israel towards the decision that the leadership made. And equally important we saw the […]

• Lesson 20 – 1 Samuel 13 &14

  I Samuel Lesson 20 – Chapter 13 and 14 First let’s get our bearings. Sha’ul was now the recognized and undisputed King of Israel; however his main support and loyalty came from the 8 northern Israelite tribes and to some degree those 3 tribes to the east of the Jordan River. The 2 southern tribes […]

• Lesson 21 – 1 Samuel 14

  I Samuel Lesson 21 – Chapter 14 As we continue in 1 st Samuel chapter 14 today, we’ll re-read a major portion of this chapter in a few minutes, since it is long and involved and we won’t even finish this chapter today. The scene that is unfolding is of King Saul’s first war with […]

• Lesson 22 – 1 Samuel 14 & 15

  I Samuel Lesson 22 – Chapter 14 and 15 As we move forward with 1 st Samuel chapter 14 today, we are in the midst of King Sha’ul of Israel’s first war with the Philistines. This war was fought at Mikhmas pass, essentially over a ravine (that was a wadi, a dry river bed) that […]

• Lesson 23 – 1 Samuel 15

  I Samuel Lesson 23 – Chapter 15 It is always a challenge for me to know how long to remain in any chapter or book, because if we go too fast we miss the impact of certain vital God-principles that are presented to us, and if we go too slow and methodically we’ll become so […]

• Lesson 24 – 1 Samuel 15 Cont.

  I Samuel Lesson 24 – Chapter 15 Continued We spent most of our last lesson talking about Amalek. 1 st Samuel 15 is primarily about the Lord’s instructions to His earthly king (Saul) to carry out the total destruction of Israel’s oldest earthly enemy, most of who were descended from Esau. And it is this […]

• Lesson 25 – 1 Samuel 15 Cont. 2

  I Samuel Lesson 25 – Chapter 15 Continued 2 We have spent an inordinate amount of time in 1 st Samuel chapter 15 due to the several powerful Biblical principles and lessons that we find operating here. Keep in mind that we’re not discovering new principles in 1 st Samuel, but rather we’re seeing the […]

• Lesson 26 – 1 Samuel 15 &16

  I Samuel Lesson 26 – Chapter 15 and 16 This week we will finish up 1 st Samuel 15 and get a little way into chapter 16. It’s important to keep in mind that at this point in our study of the book of 1 st Samuel the Lord has announced that Saul is forthwith […]

• Lesson 27 – 1 Samuel 16

  I Samuel Lesson 27 – Chapter 16 Samuel chapter 16 is where we encounter David for the first time. Samuel has (with great personal pain) done his job in firing King Saul at God’s instruction however King Saul has no intention of relinquishing the throne. Let us not make the mistake of thinking that Saul […]

• Lesson 28 – 1 Samuel 16 & 17

  I Samuel Lesson 28 – Chapter 16 and 17 Last week in 1 st Samuel 16 we saw young David, son of Yishai (Jesse) anointed by Samuel, but the narrator is careful NOT to say that David was anointed “king over Israel”. It was probably not entirely clear to David’s family (and whoever else was […]

• Lesson 29 – 1 Samuel 17

  I Samuel Lesson 29 – Chapter 17 We’ll pick up our study today in 1 st Samuel chapter 17, which is essentially the world’s most famous story of the shepherd boy David fighting and defeating the giant Philistine warrior Goliath. And while the story itself is so memorable, legendary, and universal (and even the term […]

• Lesson 30 – 1 Samuel 17 &18

  I Samuel Lesson 30 – Chapter 17 and 18 I said last week that the 2 books of Samuel, and especially where we are now, simply explode with God-principles (that we learned about in the Torah) applied to the situations at hand. We’re going to bump into and examine several of those principles today. As […]

• Lesson 31 – 1 Samuel 18 & 19

  I Samuel Lesson 31 – Chapter 18 and 19 Because it’s been awhile since our last lesson, let’s begin by re-reading 1 st Samuel 18 in its entirety. RE-READ 1 ST SAMUEL 18 all The chapter begins with the story of a strong personal and spiritual bond being formed between David, and Saul’s son Y’honatan. […]

• Lesson 32 – 1 Samuel 19

  I Samuel Lesson 32 – Chapter 19 As we began 1 st Samuel chapter 19 last week, King Saul openly announced what was at one time only a secretive dark desire that had grown to become an obsession: to kill David. He told his royal court, including his son Jonathan, that if any of them […]

• Lesson 33 – 1 Samuel 20

  I Samuel Lesson 33 – Chapter 20 We concluded 1 st Samuel chapter 19 in our last meeting and we’ll begin exploring chapter 20 that has much more to it than meets the eye. We’re going to dissect it rather carefully so as not to miss some of the important information it conveys. Last week’s […]

• Lesson 34 – 1 Samuel 20 & 21

  I Samuel Lesson 34 – Chapter 20 and 21 As we concluded our lesson in 1 st Samuel chapter 20 last week, we were as an audience to Jonathan and David establishing a new covenant between them. The covenant I speak of begins with the 12 th verse and it continues to be elaborated upon […]

• Lesson 35 – 1 Samuel 21

  I Samuel Lesson 35 – Chapter 21 The last time we were together we began a section of the Bible that deals with David’s escape from the now paranoid and homicidal King Saul. This is a major turning point in redemption history as up to now David had been part of King Saul’s government administration, […]

• Lesson 36 – 1 Samuel 22

  I Samuel Lesson 36 – Chapter 22 It is a characteristic of the historical books of the Old Testament that we’ll see the God- principles laid out for us in Torah brought to life application in a variety of cases and circumstances. For me, personally, this is further evidence that Believers need to begin at […]

• Lesson 37 – 1 Samuel 22 & 23

  I Samuel Lesson 37 – Chapter 22 and 23 A terrible disaster is about to befall Israel and the people are none the wiser. King Saul has determined that the Priesthood (set-apart to serve Yehoveh) is to be exterminated. That means that the Word of God, as well as all of the vital ritual observances […]

• Lesson 38 – 1 Samuel 23 & 24

  I Samuel Lesson 38 – Chapter 23 and 24 >We ended last time as David and his growing group of political dissenters and socially disenfranchised rescued the food supply of the Judean city of Ke’ilah from the Philistines. The Philistines did not attack the city or residents of Ke’ilah; they merely showed up in force […]

• Lesson 39 – 1 Samuel 24 & 25

  I Samuel Lesson 39 – Chapter 24 and 25 In 1 st Samuel chapter 24 is one of the more famous Bible stories that speaks of the incident when David cut off a piece of King Saul’s robe at a time when he could just as easily killed him, ended his status as a fugitive, […]

• Lesson 40 – 1 Samuel 25

  I Samuel Lesson 40 – Chapter 25 David is a complex man; which is a nice way of saying that as upright and God-fearing and determined to be obedient to the Lord as he is, he can also be proud, self-promoting and tend to overreact; and at times let his volcanic anger and passions overwhelm […]

• Lesson 41 – 1 Samuel 26 & 27

  I Samuel Lesson 41 – Chapter 26 and 27 Last week we concluded the episode in David’s life when Avigayil interceded in her husband, Nabal’s , fight with David by convincing David that he should not take vengeance into his own hands. God is David’s avenger and surely He will act to punish Nabal for […]

• Lesson 42 – 1 Samuel 27 & 28

  I Samuel Lesson 42 – Chapter 27 and 28 David has given up all hope in reconciling with the unstable and thoroughly fallen King Saul; as a result he took the drastic and morally questionable step of moving his large and growing army of disaffected Israelites and (no doubt) their families out of Israel after […]

• Lesson 43 – 1 Samuel 28 & 29

  I Samuel Lesson 43 – Chapter 28 and 29 War is coming. The Philistines have once again determined to establish a higher state of dominance over Israel and undoubtedly hope to convince Saul to accept vassal status over destruction because empire building was not their aim. The King of Gath summoned David in order to […]

• Lesson 44 – 1 Samuel 29 & 30

  I Samuel Lesson 44 – Chapter 29 and 30 We left chapter 29 last week after establishing that the story is being told in a flashback style, and thus it integrates and overlaps with the narrative of chapter 28. The flashback concerns the battle camp of the Philistines that is said in chapter 28 to […]

• Lesson 45 – 1 Samuel 30 & 31 End

  I Samuel Lesson 45 – Chapter 30 and 31 (End of Book) Today we’ll conclude the book of 1 st Samuel. But unlike most times when we conclude a book and begin the next, we won’t feel much of a change. The book of 2 nd Samuel is nothing more than a point at which […]