Course Name: [ Old Testament Survey ] Lesson Five: [ 1 Samuel-2 Chronicles ] The Historical Books, Part Two The six books from 1 Samuel to 2 Chronicles record the history of God s people from Samuel, the last of the judges, to the end of the captivity in Babylon. This period of about 600 years can be divided into three sections: The end of the judges rule and the leadership of Eli and Samuel The united kingdom with Saul, David and Solomon each ruling for 40 years The divided kingdom The divided kingdom included ten northern tribes known as Israel. They were ruled from their capital city of Samaria by nineteen different kings. All of these kings were evil and turned the people away from God and Israel was taken into captivity by the Assyrians in 721 B.C. The tribes of Judah and Benjamin made up the Southern Kingdom known as Judah. Their capital was at Jerusalem and they were ruled by nineteen kings and a queen. Eight of these rulers were good and served God faithfully. The rest were evil and led the people away from the Lord. Judah was taken into captivity in Babylon in three stages: In 606 B.C. many young adults from the royal family were taken to Babylon, including Daniel and his peers. In 596 B.C. some of the priests and skilled craftsmen were taken to Babylon, including Ezekiel. In 586 B.C. the Babylonians destroyed Jerusalem, including the temple built by Solomon, and took the rest of the people into captivity in Babylon. With this historical background in mind, let s look briefly at key aspects of the books of Samuel, Kings and Chronicles.
1. 1 and 2 Samuel These books begin with the focus on Samuel in chapters 1-7 of 1 Samuel, including his role as judge and prophet in Israel. Then the attention turns to the kingship of Saul (chapters 8-15) and the rise of David (chapters 16-31 and throughout 2 Samuel). Samuel s life and ministry cover the following important phases: His miraculous birth and dedication as a child. His unique calling. The spiritual climate he inherited. The scope and influence of his ministry. Israel s transition to monarchy. Saul began his reign as the first king of Israel with great promise after he was anointed by Samuel. But his humility and heart for God turned into pride, rebellion and disobedience over time. The Lord made it clear that Saul s character weakness disqualified him as Israel s king. 1 Samuel 15:22-23 (NLT) But Samuel replied, What is more pleasing to the Lord: your burnt offerings and sacrifices or your obedience to his voice? Listen! Obedience is better than sacrifice, and submission is better than offering the fat of rams. 23 Rebellion is as sinful as witchcraft, and stubbornness as bad as worshiping idols. So because you have rejected the command of the Lord, he has rejected you as king. Although Saul s charisma was obvious, he lacked the character he needed to sustain him as the king of God s people. This ultimately cost him his position and his life came to a tragic end. 1 Samuel 31:4 (NLT) Saul groaned to his armor bearer, Take your sword and kill me before these pagan Philistines come to run me through and taunt and torture me. But his armor bearer was afraid and would not do it. So Saul took his own sword and fell on it. God, in His wisdom and sovereignty, had prepared and chosen another king for Israel, a young man from Bethlehem named David. Saul had been the choice of the people; David was God s choice. The story of David s rise to the kingship is full of grace and beauty and many lessons for us. First Samuel tells us about David s anointing and early successes, the severe testings he faced and his exemplary responses. Second Samuel continues the account of David s leadership and can be divided into two main sections: Pastor Dale O Shields // The Historical Books, Part 2 // Page 2
His great successes (chapters 1-10) His disappointing failures (chapters 11-24) David was a man after God s own heart (1 Samuel 13:14). His successes include the anointing as king of Judah and Israel, the establishment of the Davidic covenant, the phenomenal extension of his kingdom and his gracious dealings with Saul s son Mephibosheth. From the heights of spiritual and military success, David s sin with Bathsheba led to a downward spiral that included the murder of her husband Uriah and subsequent tragedies and troubles in David s family. There are distinct differences between David and Saul. Perhaps the most notable is David s response to sin. Saul allowed sin to progressively harden his heart. When confronted with his sin, Saul denied and excused his failures instead of acknowledging and repenting of them. David also failed, but he owned up to his failures and demonstrated sincere repentance for his sin. Unlike Saul, David responded to God s confrontation and conviction. He experienced moral failure and paid a significant price for it, but David ended his life in right relationship with God. 2. 1 and 2 Kings Jewish tradition identifies Jeremiah as the author of these books that focus on the kings of Israel and Judah. First Kings can be easily outlined around the themes Israel united (chapters 1-11) and Israel divided (chapters 12-22). As 2 Samuel comes to a conclusion, David is at the end of his life and reign. The transition of leadership from David to his son Solomon over approximately 40 years can be traced in 1 Kings 1-11 as follows: Solomon begins his reign Solomon receives divine wisdom Solomon s work and wealth expand Solomon s life ends sadly Following Solomon s disappointing disobedience, Israel entered into a period of great spiritual and political turmoil. First Kings 12-22 gives us some of the history of this era when the united nation became a divided nation. Solomon s son Rehoboam became Israel s king after the death of his father. Unwisely, Rehoboam increased the tax burden on his subjects and an influential, rebellious man named Jeroboam used this event to gather support for his ambitions to become king. Pastor Dale O Shields // The Historical Books, Part 2 // Page 3
Ten tribes aligned themselves with Jeroboam, while two remained loyal to Rehoboam. This began the period of the divided kingdom consisting of: The Northern Kingdom (Israel) with its political and spiritual center in Samaria The Southern Kingdom (Judah) with its political and spiritual center in Jerusalem In the first 80 years of the divided kingdom (931-852 B.C.) Israel had eight different kings while Judah had four. All the kings of Israel were evil; Asa and Jehoshaphat among the kings of Judah were good. An important Old Testament character appears on the scene during this dark time Elijah the prophet. A weak and wicked king named Ahab, along with his evil, manipulative and controlling wife Jezebel, led Israel into the worship of Baal, but Elijah was uniquely anointed to call the people back to the one true God. 1 Kings 18:20-24, 36-40 (NIV) So Ahab sent word throughout all Israel and assembled the prophets on Mount Carmel. 21 Elijah went before the people and said, How long will you waver between two opinions? If the Lord is God, follow him; but if Baal is God, follow him. But the people said nothing. 22 Then Elijah said to them, I am the only one of the Lord s prophets left, but Baal has four hundred and fifty prophets. 23 Get two bulls for us. Let Baal s prophets choose one for themselves, and let them cut it into pieces and put it on the wood but not set fire to it. I will prepare the other bull and put it on the wood but not set fire to it. 24 Then you call on the name of your god, and I will call on the name of the Lord. The god who answers by fire he is God. Then all the people said, What you say is good.... 36 At the time of sacrifice, the prophet Elijah stepped forward and prayed: Lord, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Israel, let it be known today that you are God in Israel and that I am your servant and have done all these things at your command. 37 Answer me, Lord, answer me, so these people will know that you, Lord, are God, and that you are turning their hearts back again. 38 Then the fire of the Lord fell and burned up the sacrifice, the wood, the stones and the soil, and also licked up the water in the trench. 39 When all the people saw this, they fell prostrate and cried, The Lord he is God! The Lord he is God! 40 Then Elijah commanded them, Seize the prophets of Baal. Don t let anyone get away! They seized them, and Elijah had them brought down to the Kishon Valley and slaughtered there. As the story of the divided kingdom continues in 2 Kings, Elijah s servant Elisha is miraculously commissioned to succeed him as the prophet in Israel. Chapters 1-8 feature Elisha s unique ministry that addresses the spiritual needs of Israel. The rest of 2 Kings tells us about the decline of Israel and Judah to the point when the Northern Kingdom was taken captive by the Assyrians in 721 B.C. and the Southern Kingdom by the Babylonians in 586 B.C. Pastor Dale O Shields // The Historical Books, Part 2 // Page 4
Captivity was the result of both Israel and Judah rejecting the prophetic warnings about their persistent idolatry and spiritual rebellion. Jonah, Amos and Hosea prophesied to Israel during this time and Isaiah, Jeremiah, Obadiah, Joel, Micah, Nahum, Habakkuk and Zephaniah called Judah to repentance before she fell into the hands of Babylon. 3. 1 and 2 Chronicles These books were probably written by Ezra the priest as a history of God s people, particularly the Southern Kingdom, for the exiles who were returning to Jerusalem from Babylonian captivity. This history helped the Jewish people identify their roots and their purpose the worship of God Almighty. First Chronicles begins with a long section of genealogies in chapters 1-9. Then the focus in chapters 10-29 turns to King David and his plans for building the temple. Second Chronicles emphasizes the building and dedication of the temple by Solomon, the history of Judah s kings following Solomon and the Babylonian invasion that led the Southern Kingdom into captivity. The book closes with an amazing emancipation proclamation issued by King Cyrus of Persia in 539 B.C. that enabled the Jews to return to Jerusalem, rebuild the temple and establish the worship of Yahweh in the land once again. 2 Chronicles 36:23 (NLT) This is what King Cyrus of Persia says: The Lord, the God of heaven, has given me all the kingdoms of the earth. He has appointed me to build him a Temple at Jerusalem, which is in Judah. Any of you who are the Lord s people may go there for this task. And may the Lord your God be with you! The purpose of 1 and 2 Chronicles was to remind God s people of His sovereign work in their nation and to reinforce the importance of worship and obedience to Him. These truths were vital for the returning exiles and they continue to encourage and challenge us to trust, worship and obey the Lord in all we do. Pastor Dale O Shields // The Historical Books, Part 2 // Page 5
Small Group Discussion Guide Getting Started This part of Israel s history shows us how they went from freedom to captivity, from the Promised Land to exile in foreign lands. What factors contributed to their decline and fall? Talking It Over What unique role did Samuel play as Israel transitioned from the time of the judges to the time of the kings? What impact did he have on the nation and its leaders? What are some of the differences between David and Saul? What made David successful in establishing the kingdom in Israel when Saul had failed to do this? What was Elijah s message to Israel? Why was this so important at that point in their history? In what ways do you see God s sovereign plan and redemptive purposes at work in these historical books? How does this relate to the redemption we have in Christ? Putting the Word to Work Freedom is valuable yet it is so easy for us to take it for granted and to lose our freedom. Israel learned some hard lessons about this in the time of the kings. They did not know how to guard their spiritual freedom and were overwhelmed by spiritual and military attacks. How do these lessons apply to us as believers in Christ? What can we do to guard the freedom we have in Christ? (See Galatians 5.) Memorizing the Word 1 Samuel 15:22 (NLT) But Samuel replied, What is more pleasing to the Lord: your burnt offerings and sacrifices or your obedience to his voice? Listen! Obedience is better than sacrifice, and submission is better than offering the fat of rams. Pastor Dale O Shields // The Historical Books, Part 2 // Page 6