Week 8: Israel’s First Kings (1 Samuel, 2 Samuel, 1 Kings)

Question 1

The Rise of the Monarchy

Answer 1

• The judges did not hand on their leadership to their sons
• Every time they passed on their leadership, there was controversy
• At the end of judges, there is a civil war against the tribes of Benjamin and all the female Benjaminites are wiped out, and they can no longer procreate
• So then the Benjaminites were given permission to capture women from other tribes
• And the book of judges end by saying “and everyone did want they wanted”
• So it gives rise to the social order of the time
• Book of Ruth is between Judges and 1 Samuel

Question 2

Why are the Israelites constantly warned off of engaging with other nations?

Answer 2

Other nations are associated with other gods, and that is the primary reason (according to the Bible) why they were avoided. Engagement with other nations implicitly meant engagement with other gods.

Question 3

The Strength of the Philistines

Answer 3

Philistia is on the Coast of the Mediterranian sea.

They have the best real estate. They were blacksmiths, so they controlled weapons and farming tools, and they put a limit on the success of the other peoples.

Eventually, all of Israel’s land holdings will be on the west of the Jordan.

It becomes a point of tension depending what side of the river one was on.

Note: Midian = descendents of Moses.

Question 4

1 Samuel: Overview

Answer 4

Part of the Deuteronomic History, divided into three parts:
1-7: Samuel
8-15: Saul, Israel’s first King
16-31: David, the main hero

Question 5

1 Samuel: Main Characters

Answer 5

Eli, Hannah, Samuel, Saul, David and Nathan

Samuel is a priest judge and prophet. He is a transitional figure; he is pivotal because he bridges the wilderness experience and tribal confederacy with the monarchic experience.

Nathan is a prophet, and enters the scene with David.

Where there are kings, there are going to be prophets
In the books of Samuel, we see the major figures of Prophets, Kings and Priests

Note: puns on characters names in Samuel are very important; play-on-words…

Question 6

1 Samuel 1: Birth Narrative

Answer 6

Extraordinary birth narrative…

Samuel’s Parents:
Elkanah (“God produces”)
Hannah (“grace”/”favour”)

Elkanah is from tribe of Ephraim (Joseph), north of Jerusalem.He had two wives: Hannah (“grace” or “favour”) and Peninnah (“the other one”). Peninnah had children, and Hannah had none.

Hannah is beloved of Elkanah, and even though she has no children, he gives her double to sacrifice.

Hannah was very upset, she wept and would not eat (Hannah is, in her person, modelling the turmoil of Israel as a nation).

Hannah presents herself to the Lord. She was deeply distressed and wept bitterly, but does not need an intercessor to present her to the Lord.

“The lord remembered” Hannah (1 Sam 1:19): She asks that God remember her (we saw this in Exodus and with Noah), and asks him for a male child, and promises to dedicate him as a Nazarite.

When God remembers something, he does something.

The Lord remembers her, and she conceives and bares a son, and she calls him Samuel.

Question 7

Samuel’s Call to Service as a Nazirite

Answer 7

Hannah dedicates Samuel as a nazirite…

Nazarite (“shoot”): refers to somebody who is consecrated to the sanctuary for a temporary period of time (works at the sanctuary of the Lord for a certain period of time).

• Devoted to the Lord, could be men and women
• To be a Nazarite, you had to let your hair grow and you could not drink alcohol or touch corpses
• The instructions for Nazarites are found in Numbers
• Nazarites: Samsonn (in OT), Anna and Simeon (in NT)

Question 8

Samuel’s Name

Answer 8

Samuel: “God hears” (emphasis on the spoken word and listening or hearing)

Saul: “petition” “to ask” (emphasis on asking/petition/request)

The Lord comes to Samuel, and asks for a King: I have come to Samuel (“God hears”) and Sauled (“asked) him for a King.

This story was intended to be about Saul and was re-adjusted to be about Samuel, because there was a lot of hope for Saul when he was a king, but he was unable to conquer the Philistines.

Question 9

Hannah sacrifices Samuel

Answer 9

According to the narrative, Samuel is Hannah’s son. Hannah will give up Samuel for his entire life, but wants to wait until he is weened, until he was 3 or 4.

The most impressive sacrifice you could make was slaughtering your first born son. You have offered God your life, lineage and survival but you are so faithful to God that you trust He will give you another son.

BUT the biblical story does not like the idea of slaughtering and writes against it.

Hannah brings a bull the same age as Samuel and slaughters it instead. Samuel is there with Eli (“I arise”). The kingship that will come is anticipated.

Question 10

Song of Hannah (1 Sam 2)

Answer 10

Hannah praises God for everything He has done (e.g. “the barren has borne 7”). The song is about a reversal of misfortunes; those who suffer misfortunes are blessed by God.

Question 11

Samuel’s Prophetic Call (1 Sam 3)

Answer 11

Plays on concepts of vision and sight. Prophetic call by name. Response: “Here I am!”

Samuel is called a total of 4 times. The first 3 times, he “gets up” and runs to Eli. This is a play on Eli’s name (“I arise” or “I go up”).
After the 3rd time, Eli realizes God is calling Samuel. Eli tells Samuel to lay down, and if He calls you, then ask the Lord to speak: “Speak, Lord, your servant is listening.” So it is Eli who perceives the prophetic call.

Hearing and proper worship are major focuses of Samuel (Samuel: “God hears”).

Samuel is established in a vocational position. He has been called by God and will lead Israel into the next phase. God does not let any of Samuel’s words fall to the ground.

Samuel is a transitional judge/prophet figure.

“And the word of Samuel came to all Israel.” “And all Israel from Dan to Beersheba knew that Samuel was a trustworthy prophet of the LORD.”

Question 12

1 Samuel 4-7: Capture of the Ark of the Covenant by the Philistines

Answer 12

The Philistines go to war against Israel and capture the ark. The Israelites try to use the ark as a shield/weapon, but the Philistines capture the ark in battle.

They take the ark of God and bring it to the house of Dagon. The Philistines install the ark next to Dagon, who is knocked on his face. The Ark gives tumours to the people of Ashdod and Gath, and those in Ekron are terrified.

Dagon is found on his face, on the ground before the ark of the Lord, and it appears he is praising God.

They propped the statue back up, and it happened again, except this time, his head and hands were cut off. (image of Dagon statue being face-down will come back.)

The Lord is killing their God.
Note: biblical humour to lessen the morale of the Israelites.

The Philistines return the ark to the Israelites, and it is housed at Kiriath-Jearim.

Samuel helps Israel win a battle against the Philistines. The book is emphasizing that proper sacrifice and proper worship and associated with victory.

Before we get to kings, the ark of the Covenant is not in Jerusalem.

Question 13

1 Samuel 8: The People’s Request for a King

Answer 13

The Israelites request for a king

The request for a king has a two purposes:

1. To ensure the safety of the people
2. So the king will act as a guarantor of the covenantal relationship.

Question 14

Israel’s First Three Kings

Answer 14

1. Saul
2. David
3. Solomon (son of David)

Question 15

The Role of the King

Answer 15

The DH emphasizes that the blessing of land and offspring are contingent on Israel’s fidelity
Then Samuel said to all the house of Israel, ‘If you are returning to the Lord with all your heart, then put away the foreign gods and the Astartes from among you. Direct your heart to the Lord, and serve him only, and he will deliver you out of the hand of the Philistines.’ (1 Sam 7:3)
The request for a king has a two-fold purpose:
1. To ensure the safety of the people AND
2. So the king will act as a guarantor of the covenantal relationship.

Question 16

The Formula for Kings

Answer 16

Each king was evaluated by the Deuteronomistic Historian with a single criterion: Was that king faithful to Yahweh?

No Northern Kingdom could be a good king because they are physically unable to worship Yahweh properly, since you have to be at the Temple in Jerusalem which is located in the Southern kingdom.

Since Israel had a high turnover of kings, sometimes the replacement king would be the son of the kings, but there is no dynastic succession in Israel. (UNTIL the Omride Dynasty).

Question 17

Saul (c. 1030/25-1009 BCE)

Answer 17

The people have asked for a king, and they get Saul…

Saul’s Name: “to ask, petion, demand”

God will direct Samuel to Saul; he is chosen by God, but Samuel is the one who will annoint him.
Distinction: Samuel is the prophet and Saul is the king.

Saul is the first king of Israel: he is tall and handsome (good = tov) and he is from the tribe of Benjamin (remember: at the end of the book of judges, the tribe of Benjamin was in hot waters).

Question 18

Saul’s Name

Answer 18

“to ask, petion, demand”

Question 19

Three different accounts of how he becomes King:

Answer 19

( 1 ) Pre-Monarchic (1 Sam 9)
God’s spirit comes upon Saul. He is annointed by Samuel.
Gideon in Judges 6:34

( 2 ) Anti-Monarchic (1 Sam 10)
Anti-monarchic with a mocking tone. The people are rebuked by Samuel and there are dissenters after Saul is chosen. Random, not intentional or God’s plan. Saul does not want to be the king, and he hides behind the suitcases.

( 3 ) Historical (1 Sam 11)
More historical depiction.
Saul is depicted as a military leader and hero known for his victories in battle who musters the tribes together. He is plowing a field of Oxen and receives news about the state of Israel against the Philistines. He cuts up one of the oxen into 12 pieces and sends the pieces out to Israel as a sign that they need to come and join together.

Question 20

Saul’s Dates

Answer 20

1000 BCE

Question 21

Saul’s Reputation: Saul, the Disappointment

Answer 21

Saul very quickly becomes seen as a disappointment…

Why? Saul does improper religious observances…
Examples:
( 1 ) Improper Offering (1 Sam 13)
Saul does an offering on his won without his tribe members
( 2 ) Improper Herem (1 Sam 15)
Saul keeps the spoils of war when he spares the life of King Agag. Samuel calls him out on it and kills the King.

The Bible is telling us that it is really important for the king to worship Yahweh properly

God regrets that he made Saul king, and the narrative quickly begins to show favouritism to David at the expense of Saul.

Saul is criticized because his worship practices are faulty, and he is depicted as emotionally unstable, moddly, violent, jealous and out of control.

Question 22

David (1005-965 BCE)

Answer 22

David is the second king of Israel.

David’s Name: “beloved”

He is the youngest of 8 sons, described as “ruddy, beautiful eyes, and handsome.” He is anointed by Samuel in 1 Sam 16.

Like Saul, David’s selection is chosen by a roll call, meaning that they go through each brother until they get to David.

David’s kingship is symbolized by anointing with oil.

When David is anointed, Saul is still King/the anointed one…so there is an overlap.

Question 23

David’s Name:

Answer 23

“beloved”

Question 24

David’s Reputation: God’s Anointed

Answer 24

It is indicated who is favoured of the two kings (Saul and David) by who the spirit of the Lords comes upon. The spirit of the Lord enters David and departs from Saul, and an evil spirit comes upon Saul.

The Lord said, ‘Rise and anoint him; for this is the one.’ Then Samuel took the horn of oil, and anointed him in the presence of his brothers; and the spirit of the Lord came mightily upon David from that day forward. Samuel then set out and went to Ramah.
Now the spirit of the Lord departed from Saul, and an evil spirit from the Lord tormented him.” (1 Sam 16:11-14).

TO ANOINT: masah
Use of expensive, perfumed oils, limited to the wealthiest elite.

David, as the first king to truly unite Israel, is looked to as the leader of the golden age.

The term messiah “annointed one” became synonymous for king.
These are the roots of Messainic expectations (hopes of restoration of this Davidic age led to the hope for a Davidic Messiah)

David is described as a shepherd, and David is a musician; he plays the harp and has a reputation as a healer.

Question 25

David vs. Saul

Exam Q: Saul and David have a strained relationship. How would you describe the relationship between David and Saul?

Answer 25

1 Samuel describes the relationship between Saul and David as tense; there is tension between the desire for kingship, and the narrative intends to show that God moderates the authority of the King.

Saul is jealousy of David’s popularity and paranoid that David poses a threat to Saul’s dynasty and lineage…he becomes obsessive.

Saul was anointed as the first King of Israel. Samuel notifies Saul that God regrets making him the King of Israel, because Samuel’s worship practices are faulty; he commits an improper offering (e.g., 1 Sam 13) and an improper harem (e.g., 1 Sam 15). The narrative is emphasizing the importance of proper religious observances to Yahweh, by expressing God’s disappointment in Samuel.

Immediately after, David enters the story. God anoints David as King while Saul is still King. It is indicated who is favoured of the two kings by who the spirit of the Lords comes upon.

While the spirit of the Lord comes upon David, it departs from Saul, and is replaced by an evil spirit which torments him.

Saul becomes jealous and erratic; he is depicted as emotionally unstable, violent, and out of control.

However, David is deeply devoted to Yahweh, and acknowledges that Saul is the King, and will not do anything to usurp Saul.

After David defeats Goliath and his excellence and accomplishments in battle are praised at the expense of Saul, David’s popularity increases and, in effect, Saul’s jealousy increases.

Saul views David as a threat to his dynasty, and his bitterness toward David becomes obsessive. Saul does not want to lose sight of David, and tries to keep track of him at all times.

(1) David marries Michal, Saul’s daughter, and becomes Saul’s son-in-law
(2) David joins into a close relationship with one of Saul’s other children, Jonathan (more than a platonic relationship?).

Saul hopes that David’s marriage to Michal will allow Saul to be on guard of David.

His paranoia about David becomes out of control, and Saul tries to kill David multiple times, so David runs away to hide. Saul is upset he does not know where David is, and takes 3000 of his men to look for him. David has a chance to kill Saul, but refuses because Saul remains the Lord’s anointed one, and David urges Saul to respect David in the same way.

Question 26

David and Goliath

Answer 26

Goliath: 9 feet tall Philistine who taunts the Israelites for 40 days, daring them to hand to combat.

Saul warns David not to fight Goliath because he is “only a boy” (1 Sam 17:33). David was too small to wear Saul’s armor.

David kills Goliath with a single shot to the forehead and then cuts off his head.

Compare to the Ark of the Covenant in the Philistine temple (1 Sam 4).

Question 27

David the Mercenary

Answer 27

1 Sam 27: David escapes to Philistines and becomes a mercenary there.

• Some Philistines worry David will deceive them and become an “adversary” (lit. a “satan”). This suggests that David may have been a ruthless warlord.

Not everyone loved David:
“What share do we have in David? We have no inheritance in the son of Jesse. To your tents, O Israel!” (1 Kings 12:16)

Question 28

David Acclaimed King (2 Sam 5)

Answer 28

• After Saul is killed in battle (1 Sam 31), the people are again plunged into uncertainty
• In the meantime, David becomes king of Judah (only)
  Saul’s sons are not able to successfully continue his dynasty in Israel

“There was a long war between the house of Saul and the house of David; David grew stronger and stronger, while the house of Saul became weaker and weaker” (2 Sam 3:1)

In 2 Sam 5, all the tribes come to David at Hebron
READ: 2 Sam 5:1-5

Question 29

David’s Impact

Answer 29

• David conquers Canaanite city of Jebus (Jerusalem), and establishes it as his capital
• Maintains the tribal boundaries
• Brings the Ark of the Covenant to Jerusalem, uniting the tribes under worship of Yahweh
• He does not build the Temple, Solomon does, but he purchases the land on which the Temple will be built
• He purchases the threshing floor of Araunah the Jebusite as the site of an altar (2 Sam 24) and this later will become the temple site where the Holy of Holies goes

Question 30

Take Home Points:

Answer 30

The stories in Samuel are depicting a tension between the desire for kingship and the Deuteronomistic effort to moderate authority of the King.

The first three kings of Israel are Saul, David, Solomon; they are all evaluated somewhat ambiguously.

David’s private life is a disaster
Saul and David have a strained relationship
David and Solomon have a significant impact on the cultural imagination of the Bible (e.g. Psalms [David], Solomon and Proverbs, Wisdom of Solomon)
The age of the monarchy coincides with the development of prophecy; in the monarchy, we begin to see prophets.

Question 31

Royal Theology vs. Covenantal Theology

Answer 31

God’s promises to David - and the clear favouritism the biblical narrative demonstrates to David - generate Royal Theology…

Question 32

Covenantal Theology

Answer 32

The theological conviction that Israel’s prosperity and security was dependent on individual Israelites’ adherence to the demands of the Torah and in particular matters of orthopraxis and social justice.

Two commands of covenant theology:

1. Correct worship (how you honour God)
2. Correct treatment of other people (how you treat other people)

Question 33

Royal Theology

Answer 33

The thorough-going conviction that a descendent of David would remain on the throne in Jerusalem forever and that the city of Jerusalem (aka City of David or Zion in poetry) would never be destroyed. A promise made by God to David that there will be an eternal dynasty in his name, and he is in a favoured position.

Royal Theology later led to overconfidence in the face of political threats and prophetic warnings.
Positive: stability; we can expect kings from the line of David for eternity
Negative: can lead to moral complacency (Do I need to go to Temple as often? Make as many sacrifices as needed?)

This leads to a tension between royal theology and everlasting promise and covenant theology (obey these commands to gain reward)…

The prophets (esp. Amos, Hosea, Micah, Jeremiah, and Ezekiel) emphasized the demands of the covenant lay at the individual level, rather than a divine promise made to the king.

Question 34

The Problem of Royal Theology

Answer 34

God promises that David’s line of lineage will continue for all time; he is promised a forever dynasty.

Royal Theology was the confidence that God would establish the dynastic line of David forever.

This line of thinking led to confidence in Judah, that the kingship would be everlasting and they had nothing to fear → this was severely challenged by the Babylonian Exile.

2 Samuel 7:11: predicts a dynasty coming from David.

In the short term, this is about Solomon. In the long term, this is about the prediction of a dynasty of the Messianic Expectation (from David, and the tribe of Judah). All the Kings will be descendants of David.

Judah becomes very stable because of the one ruling family of David.

Royal Theology stands in tension with Covenant theology (they are rooted in an understanding of how God is involved).

Royal Theology leads to complacency, and we see this being dealt with in the rest of the books, as the prophets urge the Kings not to be complacent, and emphasize that it is important to follow the two commands of covenant theology (correct worship and correct treatment of other people).

Question 35

David: A House for God

Answer 35

In Hebrew, there is no actual word for Temple (it is either house or palace, which suggests God as King, and God as dwelling in Israel). David wants to build a house for God, but God says He will build a house for David. What is meant by “house” is lineage or dynasty.

2 Samuel 7: 14: God will be a Father to David
There is a Father-Son relationship in the messianic expectation (aspect of love). The Davidic covenant is an eternal covenant - yet David is told that he is not the one to build the Temple (probably because he is unclean from his sin with Bathsheba).

At the end of the book of Samuel, David buys the smooth floor where they will build the Temple.

He purchases the threshing floor of Araunah the Jebusite as the site of the altar (2 Sam 24), and this later will become the temple site where the Holy of Holies goes.