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Scripture Review - OT - 1 Samuel

This weekend's Primary lesson is on 1 Samuel. Last week's lesson also covered the first part of 1 Samuel, however this lesson goes on to look at the rest of the book. We left off in last week's lesson with Samuel being born of Hannah, who thought she was infertile and was granted a child by Heavenly Father. Samuel goes to care for the priest Eli, but hears Heavenly Father calling him during the night, and goes on to be recognised as a Prophet. The Come Follow Me Primary manual's section for this week covers 1 Samuel: 8-10, 13 and 15-18. 

When I start reading scriptures, the BibleProject is my first port of call. Their overview videos are brillianty constructed, and they summarise the whole book in just 7 minutes through illustrations. Their YouTube video of 1 Samuel is no exception, and it highlights several points about the structure and themes of the book that I would have otherwise missed.

Screenshot of the BibleProject's summary video of 1 Samuel. At just 7 minutes, I can't think of a better way to dive into the scriptures. 

Below is a summary of the key scriptures for this lesson:

  • 1 Samuel 8: Samuel was a wise judge/prophet, but his sons are decidedly less so. The Israelites notice this discrepancy in standards, and ask an elderly Samuel to find them a king. Quite why they think a king would be better is unclear (they say in verse 20 that "our king may judge us, and go out before us, and fight our battles"). Samuel questions Heavenly Father about this, and Heavenly Father sees it as a sign of the people's rejection of him. Samuel tells the people why a king would be a bad idea (v11-17), but they persist, so Heavenly Father gives in and agrees to find them one.

  • 1 Samuel 9: The story shifts to Saul, the son of Kish the Benjamite (one of the 12 tribes of Israel). Kish's donkeys (asses) go missing, and Saul is told to go and find them with the help of a servant. Saul travels far and wide but can't find them. Heavenly Father gives Samuel a tip off to keep an eye open for Saul. They meet, and Heavenly Father declares "Behold the man whom I spake to thee of! this same shall reign over my people." Samuel takes Saul under his wing.

  • 1 Samuel 10: Samuel talks to Saul about the expectations upon him, and what will happen next. Saul goes to prophesy with a group of prophets, and is presented to the people as the king.

  • 1 Samuel 13: Saul initially starts his kingship well with big victories against the Ammonites. However his rule begins to decline. Things come to a crux in this chapter where Saul's actions lead Samuel to confront him and tell him that he's no longer the chosen one. 


  • 1 Samuel 15:  Saul continues to decline and get Heavenly Father's commandments wrong. After one final mis-step (he's tasked with killing everyone and every animal associated with the Amelekites, but keeps some of the animals for himself), Samuel cuts all ties with him.

  • 1 Samuel 16: Heavenly Father sends Samuel to meet with Jesse, the Bethlehemite (the smallest of the 12 tribes), one of whose eight sons has been chosen. Samuel meets the youngest son, David, who's presented last. Saul is afflicted by an evil spirit, but David is able to cast it away.

  • 1 Samuel 17: The biggie David v Goliath story. Israel and the Philistines go to war again, but this time the Philistines send their champion, a hulk of a man, who presents a challenge that the Philistines will stand down if anyone who can best him in battle. Nobody wants to volunteer except David, who declares that he's taken down a lion and a bear before. David steps up with a sling and stones, and nails Goliath in the head. This YouTube clip from the TV show "The Bible" has a Game of Thrones-y version of the scene.

  • 1 Samuel 18:  David befriends Saul's son Jonathan, and marries Saul's daughter Merab. Saul starts to get jealous of David.

There's a lot of material here to base a lesson on. I've got a few ideas already, and I'll outline those in my next post. Any comments or thoughts on this summary? If so, feel free to comment below or on the Twitter thread.

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