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Old Testament Overview - I Samuel - II Samuel
I Samuel: Choose your leader! Israel rejects God's chosen man and the rule of God and seeks after a human king like the other nations.
Key Events: Samuel the last judge (1-7) (1) The Lord gives Samuel to Hannah. (1:1-20) (2) Hannah gives Samuel to the Lord. (1:21-28) (3) Eli the priest's wicked sons are described. (2:12-36) (4) The call of Samuel as a prophet of God (3) (5) The Philistines steal the Ark of the Covenant because Israel used it as a magic charm to protect them. (4-5) (6) The Philistines return the Ark to Israel. (6)
Israel's first king—Saul, a king after man's heart (8-15) (1) God gives Israel a king who is like the kings of the nations. (8-10) (He was an impressive man, 9:1-2, 10:23-24) (2) Samuel's words of farewell (12) (3) Saul does not wait for Samuel and, out of panic, offers a sacrifice. (13:1-15) (4) Jonathan's unusual victory over the Philistines (14:1-14) (5) Saul makes a foolish oath to fast in a time of war and Jonathan unknowingly breaks his father's oath. (14:24-45) Saul disobeys God by not killing all the Amalekites (15) (15:3, 9, 14, 22-23) (God rejects Saul as king. 15:26)
David a king after God's heart (16-31) (1) David is selected by God to be king (16:1-13) (2) David plays the harp for King Saul. (16:14-23) (An evil spirit comes on Saul.) 16:14) (3) David and Goliath (17) (17:26, 32-37, 40-54) (4) Saul's jealousy of David (18:6-16) (19:7-11) (5) Jonathan warns David, but Saul tries again to kill David. (19:1-10) (6) David goes on the run. (19:11-24) (7) Jonathan warns David using the location of arrows to communicate to David whether or not he is in danger from Saul. (20) (8) David's men eat the consecrated bread at Nob. (21:1-10) (9) David pretends to be insane. (21:10-15) (10) David spares Saul's life twice. (24:4-22; 26:9-25) (11) Abigail saves David from seeking murderous revenge on Nabal. (25) (Samuel died. 25:1) (12) Saul seeks a medium to speak to Samuel—Samuel does speak to him from heaven. (28:7-24) (seeking mediums was forbidden, Lev. 19:31; Deut. 18:10-12; Isa. 8:19, 19:3) (Saul also banned mediums, I Sam. 28:3, 9; See I Chron. 10:13-14) (13) Jonathan is killed and Saul takes his own life. (31)
Key People: Eli, Hannah, Samuel, Saul, David, Goliath, Jonathan, Ahimelech, Nabal, and Abigail
Key Verses: 2:3, 3:4-21, 4:22, 5:1-12, 7:3-6, 12, 15, 8:4-9, 10-22, 9:1-2, 17, 21, 10:6, 9, 15, 17-19, 22-24, 12:18, 23, 13;1, 15:2, 9, 14, 22-23, 26, 16:7, 10-13, 14, 17:26, 32-37, 40-54, 18:7-11, 19:9-11, 20:16-17, 22:20-22, 23:16-18
Key Teachings: God looks on the heart. (16:7) Saul allowed jealousy to dominate his life. (18:6-16) (When we hold on to sin, it gives evil spirits room to operate in our hearts. See James 3:14-16; Eph. 4:26-32) Jonathan's lack of jealousy is a good model for us. (20:16-17, 23:16-18) God used David even though he was very human—for example, he lied a number of times. (21:2-3, 13, 27:8-12) David is submissive even when Saul tries to kill him. (24:6, 10, 26:22-23) We should be gracious to those who hate us, even when we have an opportunity to hurt them—David did not kill Saul even when he had the opportunity. (24:4-22, 26:9-25) (How we respond when we are in a "position of advantage"—Luis Palau—tells us a great deal about the quality of our walk with God.) We need not to act rashly as David almost did with Nabal. (25:14-35) We each should seek to be a peacemaker like Abigail was. (25:14-35) Do not be a fool like Nabal. (25:10-11, 14-17)
II Samuel: The fall of God's king leads to family and national troubles.
Key Events: David's triumphs (1-10) (1) David's godly response to Saul's and Jonathan's deaths (1) (2) David and Ish-Bosheth—are rival kings (2:1-3:21) (David grew stronger and Ish-Bosheth grew weaker.) (3) Joab murders Abner—David abhors what Joab did. (3:22-39) (4) Ish-Bostheth is murdered—David executes the murderers. (4) (David was opposed to gaining power through treachery.) (5) David becomes king at Hebron (5:1-5) (He became king at 30 years of age and was king in Hebron for 7.5 years. 5:4-5) (6) David conquers Jerusalem. (5:6-16) (7) The ark brought to Jerusalem (6:1-23) (Uzzah dies from touching the Ark, 6:6-8) (David danced and Michal did not like it, 6:14-23) (8) God's covenant promises to David—his son will build the temple (7:11-15) and David's kingdom will last forever (7:16) See I Chron. 28:1-10 (9) David is submissive to God's will that he not build the temple. (7:18-29) (10) David's kindness to Mephibosheth, Jonathan's crippled son. (9)
David's fall (11-12) (1) David's sin with Bathsheba (11:1-5) (2) David arranges for Uriah's death. (11:6-27) (3) Nathan rebukes David. (12:1-14) (4) God's judgment on David—his child dies (12:15-23) (5) David and Bathsheba's son Solomon is conceived. (12:24-25) (See 12:11-12, 16:21-22)
David's family troubles (13-18) (1) Amnon, David's son rapes Tamar, David's daughter and Absalom's sister, and then coldly rejects her. (13:1-22) (2) Absalom kills Amnon and flees. (13:23-38) (3) Absalom returns to Jerusalem. (14) (4) Absalom conspires against David. (15:1-12) (He tried to gain the support of the discontent in Israel.) (Ahithophel sided with Absalom, possibly because Bathsheba was his granddaughter. See 11:3, 23:34) (5) David flees from Absalom. (15:13-37) (David's sin with Bathsheba led to his being slack in his discipline of his children. See I Kings 1:6 Now, one of his children is so out of control that he has to flee from him.) (6) Shimei curses David, but David does not retaliate against him. (16:5-14) (7) Absalom lies with David's wives. 16:15-23) See 12:11-12 (Ahithophel advises Absalom to do this; possibly in revenge against David for doing the same with his granddaughter Bathsheba.) (8) Hushai's advice to Absalom saves David. (17) Hushai advised Absalom to ignore Ahithophel's advice. Athithophel hanged himself when his advice to Absalom was ignored. (17:23) See 15:31 (9) Absalom dies. (18:1-18) (10) David mourns Absalom's death (18:19-33)
David's national troubles (19-24) (1) David's sorrow over Absalom's deathparalyzes him. (19:1-7) (Joab pulls him out of his depression.) (2) David retakes the throne. (19:8-43) (Shimei asks David to forgive him, 19:15-20; David forgives him. 19:21-23) (3) Sheba starts a rebellion against David, but David's army overthrows him. (20) (Joab murders Amasa. 20:8-10) (4) the Gibeonites are avenged. (21:1-9) (Saul broke the covenant that Joshua made with them. God brought famine on Israel until they were avenged. See Josh. 9:15) (5) David proudly counts his fighting men. (24) (It was a poor decision.) See 24:10 (God gives him three choices for what the judgment will be for prideful choice.) See 24:11-17 "Satan rose up against Israel and incited David to take a census of Israel." (1 Chronicles 21:1)
Key People: David, Bathsheba, Uriah, Nathan the prophet, Ish-Bosheth, Joab, Abishai, Asahel, Amnon, Absalom, Adonijah, Mephibosheth, Uzzah, Ahithophel, Shimei, Hushai, Sheba, Amasa
Key Verses: 2:11, 4:4-5, 5:4-5, 10, 13-16, 19, 11:1, 2-27, 12:1-10, 11-12, 21-23, 15:31, 18:9, 19:5-8
Key Teachings: Do not take revenge as Joab did against Abner. (3:22-39) David was opposed to gaining power through treachery. (3:22-39) David inquired of the Lord before marching against an enemy. (5:19) The Davidic Covenant promised that a King in David's line will reign forever. (7:16) (See also Ps. 2, 45:6, 89:1-4, 27-37, Ps. 110; Isa. 9:7, 11:1-5; Jerem. 23:5-8; Ezek. 37:24-28; Dan. 2:44, 7:13-14; Lk. 1:29-37; Heb. 1:8)David was humbly submissive to God's will about the temple not being built by him. (7:18-29) We can learn from David the consequences of giving in to temptation as David did with Bathsheba. (11:1-5) Covering up a sin leads to more sin and even to greater sin. (11:6-27) (He should have confessed his sin. See Psalm 32:1-5, Ps. 51) David believed he would see his dead son again in heaven. (12:22-23) Because of David's repentance, he is able to resume his victorious ways. (12:26-31; Ps. 51:13) There are consequences for David's sin (and our sin)—the death of David's son and his family problems with Amnon, Tamar, and Absalom. We see the importance of keeping an oath. See Josh. 9:15 and 21:1-9
