Introduction Chapter 11 ended with Samuel summoning the people to Gilgal to reaffirm, or to renew, the kingship. And chapter 12 tells us what Samuel said to the people at Gilgal. So, the title the NIV gives to this chapter -- which is 'Samuel's Farewell Speech' isn't accurate, because this is not so much a … Continue reading 1 Samuel 12 →

Introduction By asking for a king like the other nations had, the Israelites rejected the Lord as their king, even though he had been a good king, who had rescued them from their slavery in Egypt and who had brought through the wilderness and into the Promised Land. But even though they were rejecting the … Continue reading 1 Samuel 10(17)–11(15) →

Introduction In chapter 8 of 1 Samuel -- which we studied together three weeks ago -- the elders of Israel came to Samuel and asked him to appoint a king to lead them 'such as all the other nations have'. Though the Lord was their king, and though the Lord had been a good king … Continue reading 1 Samuel 09(01)–10(16) →

Introduction It's been a while since we studied the book of 1 Samuel together. So, let me remind you of what we've seen already in chapters 1 to 7. In chapter 1 we were introduced to Hannah, who was barren. She had no children; and her husband's other wife used to provoke her and make … Continue reading 1 Samuel 08 →

Introduction When we were studying 1 Samuel 4 and 1 Samuel 5 and 1 Samuel 6 over the past three weeks, you might have wondered to yourself: What has happened to Samuel? Chapters 1 to 3 were all about Samuel, weren't they? In chapter 1, we read how Hannah prayed for a son; and the … Continue reading 1 Samuel 07(02–17) →

Introduction Chapter 6 of 1 Samuel is the conclusion to the story which began in chapter 4. In chapter 4, the Israelites went out to fight against the Philistines on two occasions. And on both occasions, the Israelites were defeated and suffered heavy losses. But most importantly, on the second occasion, Eli's two worthless sons … Continue reading 1 Samuel 06(01)–07(01) →

Introduction Last week we saw two failed attempts by the Israelites to defeat the Philistines. On the first attempt, four thousand of their men, or four units of men, were killed. On the second attempt, thirty thousand of their men, or 30 units of men, were killed. And as well as losing all those soldiers, … Continue reading 1 Samuel 05 →

Introduction So, we've been reading how the Lord gave Hannah a son in answer to her prayer; and how, when that son was born, Hannah gave him to the Lord to serve him all the days of his life. And we've read how her son, Samuel, grew in stature and in favour with the Lord … Continue reading 1 Samuel 04 →

Introduction Last week we read about the mysterious man of God who appeared to Eli, the old priest, to announce to him that the Lord was going to cut short Eli's family so that there would not be an old man among them and none of them would serve the Lord as his priests. It … Continue reading 1 Samuel 03 →

Introduction The hymn we just sang -- 'Tell out, my soul' -- is based on the words of Mary, which are recorded for us in Luke chapter 1. The angel Gabriel had announced to Mary that she would give birth to the Lord Jesus. And Mary then visited her relative, Elizabeth, who was due to … Continue reading 1 Samuel 02(01–11) →