THE BOOK OF FIRST SAMUEL

INTRODUCTION:

1.We have studied the three Theocratic Books: JOSHUA, JUDGES, and RUTH; Now we come to the first of the six Monarchical Books (1 SAMUEL and 2 SAMUEL,
1 KINGS and 2 KINGS, 1 CHRONICLES and 2 CHRONICLES), which trace the history of Israel’s monarchy from its beginning to its destruction.

2.NAME: SAMUEL (The most important character between the time of Moses and the time of David).

3.AUTHOR: The author is unknown; Perhaps it was Samuel himself.

4.DATE: It may have been written about 900 BC.

5.The Book covers approximately one hundred years from the birth of SAMUEL (the last Judge) to the death of SAUL (the first King).

6.It tells of the last two Judges (ELI and SAMUEL) and the first two Kings (SAUL and DAVID).

7.SUMMARY: FIRST SAMUEL tells of the transition from the Judges to the Monarchy.

a.The people asked for a king; Saul was anointed, and began well, but soon degenerated.

b.David was anointed as God’s King-elect, and was pursued by jealous Saul until Saul’s death.

8.The Book is made up of three overlapping divisions which cover the interwoven lives of three men: SAMUEL, SAUL, and DAVID.

1.CHAPTERS 1-8 - CENTRAL FIGURE IS SAMUEL: PROPHET - PRIEST - JUDGE - ANOINTER.

A.SAMUEL’S BIRTH AND YOUTH -- CHAPTERS 1-2.

1.Chapter 1, The vow of Hannah, and the birth of her son Samuel.

a.This Book begins in the days of Eli, the Judge-Priest of Israel.

b.Samuel was born in answer to the prayer of childless Hannah, Verse 11.

c.Samuel was brought to Eli when he was about 2 or 3 years old; He grew up in Eli’s household, Verses 24-28.

d.After Eli’s death, Samuel would become the Nation’s spiritual and civil leader.

2.Chapter 2, Hannah, Samuel, and the wicked sons of Eli.

a.Hannah’s prophetic prayer: God will bless His people and destroy His enemies, Verses1-10 (NOTE: First use of the word “MESSIAH” - Verse 10).

b.Samuel ministered in the tabernacle even as a child, Verses 11b,26.

c.The wicked sons of Eli, Verses 12,17,22-24.

d.A prophet’s warning to Eli about his sons, Verses 27-36, cf Verses 34-35.

1)Parents of all generations should be students of this Book -- Learn that our personal beliefs, valuees, and character will NOT automatically be passed to our children.

2)It is constant example and training in godliness, not heredity, that builds faith and character in the next generation.

3)Those who allow their children to be evil, without trying to restrain and punish them, involve themselves in the guilt (parents should stand for right; teach the children; then just remember Rom 14:12).

4)Samuel grew up in the company of Eli’s worthless sons, BUT HE WAS FAITHFUL, Verse 26 (Don’t ever blame our wrong lives or any specific personal sin on our environment, or on other people -- Anyone can be faithful who wants to be faithful).

B.SAMUEL’S CALL AND HIS OFFICE -- CHAPTER 3.

1.In this Chapter, Samuel became God’s Prophet-Priest.

a.Qualities that made him great were indicated even in his early childhood, Verses 1,9-10.

b.Others had prophesied, but there had been no organized prophetic office - cf Ac 3:24; 13:20.

c.Even during his training, he came to be recognized by the Nation as a Prophet of God - Verses 19-20.

2.Eli’s house was headed for doom, Verses 11-13.

C.SAMUEL’S TIMES AND HIS ACTS -- CHAPTERS 4-7.

1.Chapter 4, The ark of the covenant of God was captured by the Philistines.

a.The corruption of Eli’s sons led to Israel’s defeat and the loss of God’s “Throne” (the ark of the covenant), Verses 3,10-11.

b.The news brought the death of Eli, Verses 17-18.

c.Eli’s grandchild was named ICHABOD (“NO GLORY”); The glory of God was then gone from the tabernacle, Verses 18-22.

2.Chapter 5, The ark of God was a curse to the Philistines, Verse 11.

3.Chapter 6, After seven months the Philistines sent the ark back to Israel.

4.Chapter 7, The revival and Victory at Mizpeh.

a.Samuel led Israel in victory over the Philistines, Verses 3,10.

b.Samuel raised a STONE OF HELP (this is the meaning of “Ebenezer”),
Verse 12.

c.Samuel became an annual circuit Judge among the people - Verses 15-17.

D.SAMUEL’S SADNESS -- CHAPTER 8.

1.Here Israel rejected God’s direct rule, and demanded a king.

a.Samuel was old; His sons were dishonest Judges; The people wanted a military leader, Verses 1-5.

b.Samuel’s reaction to the request, Verse 6.

2.This was the way of human wisdom, not faith in God; And it involved a practical rejection of God, Verse 7.

3.Samuel protested and tried to dissuade the people, Verses 10-18.

4.Refusing to obey, they demanded a king, Verses 19-20.

5.God told Samuel to hearken to their voice, Verse 22a.

a.Remember that any king they had was to come from the Tribe of Judah as the Royal Tribe - Gen 49:10.

b.Moses gave principles regarding kings - Deu 17:14-20; Note Verse 15.

6.Israel took the lower level by refusing God’s best, and settling for man’s wisdom, which SEEMED best to the unspiritual people (See Jer 10:23).

7.They thought their being like other nations would solve their problems; They soon learned that they then had even greater problems.

LESSON: Our Troubles Always Increase When We Choose Less Than God’s Best:

God has His best things for the few

Who dare to stand the test;

God has His second choice for those

Who will not take His best.

It is not always open ill

That risks the promised rest;

The better often is the foe

That keeps us from the best.

And others make the highest choice,

But when by trials pressed,

They shrink, they yield, they shun the cross,

And so they lose the best.

2.CHAPTERS 9-15 - CENTRAL FIGURE IS SAUL: A MAN AFTER
MAN’S HEART.

A.SAUL’S APPOINTMENT AS KING -- CHAPTERS 9-10.

1.Chapter 9, Saul was selected to be the first King, Verses 2,17,27.

2.Chapter 10, Saul was anointed, and proclaimed to be the King, Verses 1,10,19,24.

B.SAUL’S PROMISING BEGINNING -- CHAPTERS 11-12.

1.Chapter 11, Saul’s victory over the Ammonites; The people made Saul their King, Verses 1a,11,13,15.

2.Chapter 12, Samuel’s exhortation; It was confirmed by a storm.

a.In his final address to the Nation, Samuel spoke of their sin; He warned
them not to forget God, he then called upon God for a miraculous storm to impress the Nation with their wickedness in demanding a King, Verses 1,7,12,14-17,23-25.

b.This caused the people to fear God, at least for that moment, Verse 19.

C.SAUL’S LATER FOOLISHNESS AND SIN -- CHAPTERS 13-15.

1.Chapter 13, Saul’s FIRST mistake.

a.The Philistines were about to attack; Saul was to wait for Samuel; However, in his impatience he offered sacrifice, which was the exclusive right and function of the Priests, Verses 5-12.

b.Because of this disobedience, God rejected him, Verses 13-14.

2.Chapter 14, Saul’s SECOND mistake.

a.Unknown to Saul, God used Jonathan to confuse the Philistines, Verses 1-16 (This requires study in order to grasp the details; Compare various commentaries you may have).

b.Saul called the priest to seek God’s guidance, but was too impatient to wait for the full answer, Verses 18-20.

c.Israel, under Jonathan (son of Saul), won a great victory over the Philistines, Verses 21-23.

d.Saul gave the order that no one was to eat that day, Verse 24.

e.Hence, his men were entirely too weak to follow up the victory, Verses 30-31.

f.They then sinned by eating flesh with the blood not drained, Verse 32.

g.Jonathan ate, not knowing Saul’s order; Saul ordered his death; The people rescued him, Verses 27,43-45.

3.Chapter 15, Saul’s THIRD mistake.

a.Saul was guilty of deliberate disobedience; He blamed others, and made false pretense, Verses 1-3,9-11,13,15,17-26,29.

b.Partial obedience spells disobedience; Either one fully yields to God’s will, or else simply does not obey Him.

c.Summary of Saul’s rejection, Verses 23,28,35.

3.CHAPTERS 16-31 - CENTRAL FIGURE IS DAVID: A MAN AFTER GOD’S HEART.

A.DAVID’S ANOINTING BY SAUL -- 16:1-13.

1.Here is the beginning of Saul’s decline, and the beginning of the rise of David.

2.God’s choice of David as the King-elect, Verses 1-3.

3.God’s standard for the King was vastly different from the standard of the people, Verses 6-7.

4.DAVID is one of the three great names in Old Testament history: ABRAHAM was the Founder of the Hebrews; MOSES was the Law-Giver; DAVID was the Great King (He brought the Nation to power and prosperity), Verses 11-13.

5.DAVID was of the Tribe of Judah, was the son of Jesse, and the great-grandson of Ruth and Boaz - Ruth 4:21-22.

B.DAVID’S SERVICE BEFORE SAUL -- 16:14-20:42.

1.The Spirit departed from Saul; After that his decline was steep indeed, 16:14.

2.David, an accomplished musician, was called to the King’s court to comfort him, 16:17-18,21.

3.Chapter 17, David and Goliath.

a.The nine-foot giant defied Israel, Verses 4,10,24.

b.David, with faith and a sling, defeated Goliath, Verses 25-26,32-51.

c.David brought the giant’s head to King Saul, Verses 57-58.

4.Chapter 18, The friendship and love of Jonathan and David.

a.Jonathan, heir to the throne, made a covenant with David, Verses 1-4.

b.Saul became jealous of David; Jealousy turned to hatred, and Saul tried to kill David with a javelin, Verses 5-12.

c.Saul gave his daughter, Michal, to be David’s wife, but Saul was afraid of David, Verses 14-16,20-21,28-29.

5.Chapter 19, Saul pursued David with murderous hatred.

a.Jonathan protected David; He also protected Michal and Samuel, Verses 1-3,6,8-10,12.

b.Saul continued to pursue David, Verses 18-20a.

6.Chapter 20, Jonathan further protected David.

a.David noted his precarious predicament to Jonathan, Verse 3.

b.The covenant of true friendship, Verses 16-17,23.

c.Jonathan made a plan to send David a message by using three arrows, Verses 18-22.

d.Saul, angry at Jonathan, threw a spear at him, Verses 24-34.

e.The parting of Jonathan and David, Verses 41-42.

C.DAVID’S YEARS AS A FUGITIVE -- CHAPTERS 21-30.

1.Chapter 21, David fled to Ahimelech, the Priest, Verses 1-2.

a.He ate the showbread, Verses 3,6; cf Mt 12:1-8.

b.He took the sword of Goliath for a weapon, Verses 9-10.

c.He fled to the king of Gath and feigned insanity in order to find protection, Verses 10-15.

d.It was during these days of danger, that as a fugitive he wrote many Psalms - cf Psa 22:1-3,11-19.

2.Chapter 22, David fled to the cave of Adullam.

a.Four hundred men gathered around David and he became their captain, Verses 1-2.

b.Angry Saul became angrier, Verses 6-8.

c.A spy told Saul of Ahimelech’s helping David, Verses 9-10.

d.Saul had 85 priests killed, with all their families, Verses 16,18-19.

3.Chapter 23, The wandering of David in warfare, in danger, and in suffering, Verses 2,5,7-8,12,14,16,25.

4.Chapter 24, Saul continued to pursue David.

a.Saul was trapped in a cave, but David refused to take the throne from him by murdering him, Verses 1-15.

b.Saul admitted to being a fool, but he kept right on being one, Verses 16-22.

c.David was being trained in the school of adversity.

5.Chapter 25, The Death of Samuel; The Marriages of David.

a.THE END of the life of a great man, Verse 1.

b.This is an interesting story of David’s encounter (at a distance) with Nabal (The name means “Fool”), Verses 3,14,17-18,25,27-28,32-33,37-39.

c.Being defrauded of his rightful wife, David went into the error of polygamy, Verses 42-44.

6.Chapter 26, This was David’s second opportunity to kill Saul.

a.David rejected the suggestion of Abishai, Verses 2,7-9.

b.We must never use wrong means in order to work out God’s plans for Him - Verses 10-11.

c.Again Saul admitted his error, but he soon showed that he was not sincere, Verses 13-18,21,25.

7.Chapter 27, David fled to the Philistines for protection.

a.He was assured he would be King, yet he thought he would perish - Verse 1.

b.King Achish gave David the city of Ziklag, Verses 5-7.

c.David made a raid on the Philistines and told Achish he was making raids on Israel, Verses 8,10,12.

8.Chapter 28, Saul consulted with a witch.

a.David was among Israel’s enemies, Verses 1-3.

b.Israel had been forbidden to go to spiritists and mediums - Deu 18:9-12.

c.We are not certain if this was real, or just a trick, Verses 7-8,11-14.

1)If it was real, then God allowed a display of Satanic power.

2)Notice THE WOMAN SAW SAMUEL, Verse 12; and SAMUEL SPOKE, Verses 15-16.

d.Samuel’s message (?) brought fear to Saul, Verses 15-20.

9.Chapter 29, The Philistine princes did not trust David; He was excused by King Achish from fighting with the Philistines against Israel.

10.Chapter 30, The matter of the City of Ziklag.

a.The Amalekites made a raid against Ziklag, burned it, and captured the women and children, Verses 3-6.

b.David went after them; He recovered people and possessions, Verse 19.

D.DEATH OF SAUL -- CHAPTER 31.

1.Saul and his sons died in battle, Verses 1-6,9-10.

2.Valiant men buried them, and fasted, Verses 11-13.

3.Saul had descended from greatness to witchcraft and finally to suicide.

**CONTRIBUTION OF THE BOOK OF FIRST SAMUEL TO THE BIBLE:

1.FIRST SAMUEL is a fast-moving Book and has led us from Israel’s Judges to Israel’s Kings.

2.Along with SECOND SAMUEL, this Book shows the Divine origin of the Throne of David.

3.David’s central role in Old Testament history and in the Messianic line will become more apparent in the Book of Second Samuel.

4.FIRST SAMUEL gives a spiritual perspective on three very different personalities whose lives were tightly interwoven: SAMUEL -- SAUL -- DAVID.

**CHRIST IN THE BOOK OF FIRST SAMUEL:

1.This is the first Book to use the word MESSIAH (“Anointed”) - 2:10.

2.It has the first reference to a priesthood that would last forever - 2:31-35; cf Heb 7:17,21.

3.DAVID -- In his birth at Bethlehem, his sufferings, his conquering of the enemy, his kingdom, and perhaps in some other ways -- Pictures the KING OF KINGS - Rom 1:3-4; Rev 22:16.

**FIRST SAMUEL IN THREE WORDS:

Samuel -- Saul -- David.

**FIRST SAMUEL IN FIFTEEN WORDS:

SAMUEL: Prophet, Priest, Judge, Anointer.

SAUL: Man After Man’s Heart.

DAVID: Man After God’s Heart.

**GOD SHOWS THE IMPORTANCE OF THE:

1.Reign of a righteous King: David . . . Christ - 1Ti 6:15.

2.Faithful submission of subjects, without reservation - 1Sa 15:22; Lk 6:46; Ac 2:38.

IS THE SON OF DAVID YOUR KING?

THE BOOK OF SECOND SAMUEL

INTRODUCTION:

1.The SIX MONARCHICAL BOOKS of the Bible trace the political history of God’s chosen people from the beginning of the monarchy, through the division of the kingdom, to the fall of both ISRAEL (The Northern Kingdom) and the fall of JUDAH (The Southern Kingdom).

2.The Book of FIRST SAMUEL traces the beginnings of the monarchy, and the failure of King Saul.

3.SECOND SAMUEL tells of the expansion of the kingdom, the success of King David, and the beginning of an Eternal Dynasty of Kings.

a.It reviews the key events in the 40-year reign of David, who marks the halfway point between Abraham and Christ.

b.DAVID was not a man “after God’s heart” because he was perfect, for he was not perfect -- He made many mistakes.

c.However, he strongly desired that his steps be directed BY JEHOVAH, TO JEHOVAH’S HONOR, and TO THE GOOD OF JEHOVAH’S PEOPLE - 1Sa 23:2,4; 2Sa 2:1; 7:1-2.

4.DATE: This Book probably was written about 900 BC. It covers forty years from the death of SAUL (About 1010 BC) to just before the death of DAVID (About 970 BC).

5.AUTHOR: We cannot be sure; It may have been written by Nathan and Gad - 1Chapter 29:29-30.

6.These notes will survey the Book in THREE SEPARATE DIVISIONS:

a.David’s Triumphs - Chapters 1-10.

b.David’s Transgressions - Chapters 11-14.

c.David’s Troubles - Chapters 15-24.

1.DAVID’S TRIUMPHS -- CHAPTERS 1-10: THE ESTABLISHMENT OF KING DAVID IN THE MONARCHY.

A.DAVID’S REIGN IN A DIVIDED NATION; CIVIL WAR -- CHAPTERS 1-4:

1.Chapter 1, David Mourned The Death Of Saul And Jonathan.

a.Was Saul’s death a suicide (1Sa 31:3-5)? Or was he killed (2Sa 1:1-16)?

1)Possibly the Amalekite was telling a lie in order to claim glory for himself, thinking David would approve instead of disapprove.

2)Note that David refused to kill God’s anointed, and would not tolerate its being done, Verses 14-16.

b.In a poem, David forgot injuries and considered only pleasant things, Verses
17-27. (Could we say Verse 23a about our “Sauls”?)

2.Chapter 2, David Began His Reign In Civil War.

a.David was anointed to be the King of Judah; The Capital City was Hebron, Verses 3-4a.

b.Isbosheth, Saul’s son, was made a puppet king over the eleven Northern tribes by Abner, Commander of Saul’s army; Those tribes did not yet accept David as Saul’s successor, Verses 8-10.

c.David reigned in Hebron over Judah for a period of seven and one-half years, Verse 11.

d.He conducted himself with calm restraint, as he waited for God to do His will in His way at His time, cf Verse 1.

e.David’s forces, under Joab, defeated Abner and Israel, Verses 17,30-32.

3.Chapter 3, Abner Deserted To David; Joab Murdered Abner.

a.During the long civil war, David grew stronger while Israel grew weaker,
Verse 1.

b.Abner turned from Ishbosheth and promised Israel to David, Verse 12.

c.Abner knew all along that he was wrong in opposing David, Verses 9-10,
17-18.

d.Joab took Abner aside and stabbed him in revenge for Abner’s having earlier killed Joab’s brother, Verses 30-31,38.

4.Chapter 4, The Murder Of Ishbosheth.

a.At the death of Abner, Ishbosheth and Israel lost the desire to fight, Verse 1.

b.Here we are introduced to Jonathan’s crippled son, Mephibosheth, Verse 4.

c.Ishbosheth was murdered; Then David executed his murderers, Verses 7-12.

B.DAVID’S REIGN OVER A UNITED NATION -- CHAPTERS 5-7:

1.Chapter 5, David Became King Over All Israel.

a.The Leaders knew all along David was God’s choice, Verse 2.

b.David was anointed King, Verses 3-5.

c.Their words showed that David’s right to the kingdom rested on three principles:

1)His human kinship: WE ARE THY BONE AND THY FLESH, Verse 1.

2)His proven leadership: THOU LEDDEST OUT AND BROUGHTEST IN ISRAEL, Verse 2.

3)His Divine orders: THE LORD SAID UNTO THEE: THOU SHALT FEED MY PEOPLE ISRAEL, AND . . . BE A CAPTAIN OVER ISRAEL, Verse 2.

NOTE: The same three things are true of Christ’s right to be King of our lives.

d.David captured Jerusalem and made it the center of government of the United Nation, Verses 6-7.

e.David grew to be a great man; He defeated the Philistines, Verses 10-12,17,25.

2.Chapter 6, David Brought The Ark To Jerusalem; This Then Made Jerusalem Also The Religious Center Of The Nation.

a.The ark was to be carried by poles through rings on its sides so as not to be touched; Hence, the sudden death of Uzzah when he touched the ark, Verses 6-7; Num 4:15; 1Ch 15:2,13.

LESSON: God’s work must be done in God’s way; There are to be NO EXCEPTIONS; There is NEVER any room for Variance from GOD’S WAY.

b.Michal despised David for dancing; He seemed to despise her in return, Verses 16,20-23.

3.Chapter 7, David Was Forbidden To Build The Temple; The Davidic Covenant.

a.David wanted to build God a HOUSE (that is, a temple), Verse 2; But God said He would build David a HOUSE (that is, a dynasty -- >“A succession of kings of the same line or family”),vv10-16.

b.The great “Davidic Covenant” thus called for the Messiah to come from David’s line; That is, to come through David’s family, Verses 28-29.

c.This is clearly a “dual prophecy” -- The near and primary fulfillment was in David’s son, SOLOMON.

1)SOLOMON built the temple David had envisioned, Verse 13.

2)SOLOMON was chastened by God for his sin, Verse 14.

d.The ultimate and greater fulfillment was and is in David’s Son, THE MESSIAH.

1)The Old Testament spoke of a future time when David’s fallen house would be restored - Amos 9:11; cf Hos 3:5.

2)The New Testament claims a complete and final FULFILLMENT of this prophecy in CHRIST and the CHURCH -- See these passages: Lk 1:30-33; Ac 2:29-31; 15:12-18.

C.DAVID’S REIGN OVER AN EXPANDING NATION -- CHAPTERS 8-10: THIS WAS THE ZENITH OF DAVID’S 40-YEAR REIGN.

1.Chapter 8, The Full Establishment Of David’s Kingdom.

a.David succeeded in war against the surrounding political powers, Verses
11-12,14.

b.David was building the insignificant nation of ISRAEL into a mighty power, Verse 15.

2.Chapter 9, David’s Kindness To Mephibosheth, Verses 1,7,13.

NOTE: This is an example of how we should treat the less fortunate, cf Mt 7:12.

3.Chapter 10, Great Victories Over The Ammonites And The Syrians.

NOTE: All this consolidation of power by now had made Israel perhaps the strongest power on earth, cf Verse 19a.

2.DAVID’S TRANSGRESSIONS -- CHAPTERS 11-14: THIS WAS A SAD TURNING-POINT FROM THE GLORY THAT HAD PRECEDED.

A.DAVID’S SIN AND GOD’S JUDGMENT:

1.Chapter 11, David’s Adultery With Bathsheba.

a.David committed adultery; Then tried to hide one sin by committing another when he exposed Uriah to death in battle, Verses 2,4-5,14-17,26-27 (sin always gets worse).

b.Note the honesty of the Bible in reporting this incident.

c.This marks the pivotal point of the Book: SIN changed David’s VICTORIES to TROUBLES (Personal Troubles, Family Troubles, and National Troubles).

d.David’s glory and fame began to fade, and it was never the same again (“The bird with the broken pinion never flies as high again”).

e.If DAVID, a spiritual giant, could be tempted, then what about us? - 1Pe 5:8-9.

2.Chapter 12, Nathan’s Parable; David’s Confession; The Child’s Death; Solomon’s Birth; More Victories.

a.God was not asleep -- He sent Nathan to David, Verses 1-12.

b.See David’s broken heart and his remorse, Verse 13a; Compare Psa 51:1-4a.

c.God forgave and restored David, but Nathan said he would have trouble from this time forward, Verses 13b-14.

1)The fallen giant got up and grew again, but had trouble and sorrow.

LESSON: God’s forgiveness is abundant and free (be thankful!), but we may still have to bear bitter consequences because of sin.

2)Augustine: “David’s fall should put on guard all who have not fallen, and save from despair all those who have fallen.”

d.Bathsheba’s son became Very ill; David fasted on his behalf, but the child died, Verses 15-21.

1)Already, very soon, again David towers as a giant, Verses 22-23.

2)Let us learn that we may not be able to change things, but we surely can change ourselves.

3.Chapter 13, Rape; Murder; Estrangement Of Father And Son.

a.True to Nathan’s prophecy, much more trouble came.

b.Now we have the sordid story of Amnon (David’s son) raping his sister, Tamar, Verses 1-20.

c.Absalom (also David’s son) then murdered Amnon for his crime against his sister, Verses 21-36.

d.Absalom fled; David mourned, Verses 37-39.

4.Chapter 14, Absalom And David Reunited.

a.Through a woman’s long story about her sons, Joab convinced David to send for Absalom, Verses 1-22.

b.After two years of complicated procedures, the reunion between the King and his son took place, Verses 23-33.

3.DAVID’S TROUBLES -- CHAPTERS 15-24: THE DYNASTY WAS PLAGUED BY INTERNAL CORRUPTION AND EXTERNAL FORCE,
AS THE CONSEQUENCES OF SIN CONTINUED.

A.ABSALOM ATTEMPTED TO OVERTHROW DAVID -- CHAPTERS 15-18:

1.Chapter 15, Absalom’s Conspiracy; David Fled For His Life.

a.Absalom stole the people’s affections, Verses 1,5-6.

b.The rebellion of Absalom drove David into exile, Verses 10,
12-14,17,23,30,37; cf Psa 3.

2.Chapter 16, The Tangled Web Got More Tangled.

a.A servant of Mephibosheth brought some provisions to David, Verses 1-4.

b.A man named Shimei cursed David, Verses 5-14.

c.Absalom was proclaimed King at Jerusalem, Verses 15-19.

d.The immoral counsel of Ahithophel to Absalom, Verses 20-23.

3.Chapter 17, The Plot Thickened Even More.

a.Later there was conflicting counsel by Ahithophel and Hushai, Verses 1-14.

b.Hushai sent spies to advise David of the bad situation, Verses 15-22.

c.Ahithophel committed suicide, Verse 23.

d.Absalom pursued David, Verses 24-26.

e.Friends supplied David’s needs, Verses 27-29.

4.Chapter 18, Absalom Was Killed; David Grieved.

a.The showdown battle finally came, Verses 5-7.

b.Absalom was caught in a tree and was killed by Joab and his armor-bearers, Verses 14-15.

c.A runner brought the news to David; David was terribly grieved, Verses 31-33.

B.CONTINUING UNREST AND VIOLENCE -- CHAPTERS 19-20:

1.Chapter 19, There Was Momentary Calmness; Then Conflict.

a.David was restored to power, Verses 1-40.

b.Conflict over David’s headquarters broke out between ten Northern Tribes and two Southern Tribes, Verses 41-43.

2.Chapter 20, A Revolt, And Its Defeat.

a.Sheba led Israel in revolt against David, Verses 1-2.

b.Sheba was pursued by David’s army under Joab, Verses 7,15.

c.A wise woman averted war, Verses 16,20-22.

C.DAVID’S FINAL WORDS AND ACTS -- CHAPTERS 21-24:

1.Chapter 21, A Famine; A Hanging; A War.

a.At this point in time, a famine came on the land because of Saul’s
viciousness, Verse 1.

b.Because of the famine, the Gibeonites wanted, and got, seven of Saul’s sons, whom they hanged, Verses 6,9.

c.The Philistines and several giants among them were defeated in various battles with David’s forces, Verses 15-22.

2.Chapter 22, David’s Song Of Thanksgiving. (This chapter is almost the same
as Psa 18).

3.Chapter 23, David’s Last Psalm; His Thirty-Seven Mighty Men.

a.In this chapter we hear the “sweet Psalmist of Israel” who spoke by inspiration, Verses 1-3.

b.Here, near the end of his life, David thought of his just reign, his Psalms, his devotion to God’s Word, God’s covenant with him of an eternal kingdom, and the final destruction of the ungodly.

c.This chapter tells of 37 mighty men who served David.

4.Chapter 24, A Census; A Plague; A Threshing Floor.

a.We do not know what David’s sin was; It may have been that he trusted the greatness of his kingdom rather than trusting implicitly in the power of God, Verse 10.

b.God’s punishment upon Israel was a plague, Verse 15.

c.This chapter gives the account of ARAUNAH, and DAVID the spiritual giant, Verses 18-25.

**CONCLUSION:

1.The two Books of SAMUEL cover a critical period in Israel’s history.

2.They are vital in the development of the Messianic theme of the Old Testament.

3.They teach us that obedience brings God’s blessing; And, disobedience brings God’s judgment.

a.The consequences of sin cannot be avoided, even though sin can be forgiven.

b.The Nation enjoyed God’s blessing when David was obedient to God, and suffered hardship when David disobeyed God.

**THE GREAT KING DAVID:

1.David’s 33 year reign in Jerusalem (the final 33 years over all Israel) brought the Nation from the brink of ruin under the heel of the Philistines, and transformed it into a powerful empire.

2.He sometimes failed in personal life; But generally he was a true servant of God, obedient to God’s law; And he was AN IDEAL KING.

3.Unlike all successive kings, he never had the problem of idolatry in the Nation.

4.He was the standard by which all later kings were measured.

5.His two great accomplishments were the expansion of the Kingdom and the writing of his Psalms.

**CONTRIBUTION OF THE BOOK OF SECOND SAMUEL TO THE BIBLE:

1.FIRST SAMUEL shows how the kingdom was established.

2.SECOND SAMUEL shows how Israel was unified, how it obtained Jerusalem as its capital, how it subdued its enemies, extended its boundaries, and achieved economic prosperity.

3.SECOND SAMUEL records the beginning of an endless dynasty.

**CHRIST IN THE BOOK OF SECOND SAMUEL:

1.David is one of the most important types of Christ seen in the Old Testament.

2.Christ is THE SON OF DAVID Who now sits upon the throne - Isa 9:7; Mt 21:9;22:41-46; Rom 1:3-5; 1Ti 6:15.

**SECOND SAMUEL IN THREE WORDS:

Triumphs -- Transgressions -- Troubles; OR:

Success -- Failure -- Trials.

IS THE SON OF DAVID YOUR KING?