Journey Through 1&2 SamuelSample

Intro

Nicole introduces this lesson on Israel’s journey to kingship, which shows a lack of faith in their true King. Israel’s preference for substitutes explains what’s at the heart of God’s judgment on Israel and Saul, but, surprisingly, God will use these misguided efforts to show his own indisputable sovereignty.

Samuel & Kingship: In the Text

Although Eli was a godly man, his children were not. Ironically, the person God called to replace his sons did not raise his own sons to be godly either. This pattern has been present already in Scripture and will be with us throughout 1 & 2 Samuel.

Death of Eli’s Sons

Deaths of the Sons of Eli & Saul

Obituaries today have standard features and formulas. The accounts in 1 and 2 Samuel of the deaths of the sons of Eli and Saul are not obituaries, but they follow ancient motifs and patterns that suggest literary conventions of that time.

Read the two accounts in 1 Samuel 4:12-17 and 2 Samuel 1:1-4 and note the parallels.

The two death descriptions are shown below in a table. As in other places, the presence of conventional features in these accounts doesn’t make them fictitious. It clues us in to the norms and rhythms of biblical prose and improves our ability to look for patterns in the text.

The repetition of these two accounts reinforces the ominous sense in 1 Samuel that Israel has a leadership crisis—without and with a king. Eli was a faithful leader, but his sons were not. Saul was not a faithful leader, but his son was. In both cases, their “dynasty” came to an abrupt end. We are building anticipation for a new kind of leader, whose dynasty will last. But what kind of king is he going to be?

Reference: P. Kyle McCarter Jr., 1 Samuel, 1980, p. 113.