1 Samuel Overview + Outline
One of the most well-known stories in the Bible takes place in 1 Samuel. Remember the story of David vs. Goliath? Many misconceptions and bad theology surround this story, primarily that we are all David and can slay any "giant" or hurdle in our way. (Spoiler alert: nothing could be further from the truth, for we were the cowardly Israelites who feared the Philistines.) When reading 1 Samuel, we sometimes make David the hero of the story instead of Christ Jesus! That's why we need to look at the overview and outline of this book from a biblical theology perspective. Here goes!
WHAT TYPE OF BOOK IS THIS? (LAW, HISTORY, POETRY, WISDOM, GOSPEL, EPISTLE, OR PROPHECY)?
1 Samuel falls into the historical genre, retelling the transition of God's people being led by judges to kings, starting with Saul. It also tells the story of Christ's lineage that traces back to King David! Praise God that we have a king who was the opposite of Saul in every way!
WHO WROTE THIS BOOK? WHAT DO WE KNOW ABOUT THE AUTHOR?
Our earliest Hebrew manuscripts include 1 and 2 Samuel as one book! This massive historical book received its name from Samuel, who led Israel through the last judges to their first established king.
Jewish tradition names Samuel as the sole writer. Other scholars believe Samuel, Nathan, and Gad filling co-wrote the manuscript. (1 Chronicles 29:29 tells us that Nathan and Gad recorded chronicle history.) However, Samuel dies in 1 Samuel 25:1, leaving a portion of 1 Samuel and the entirety of 2 Samuel unable to be written by him! Additionally, Nathan and Gad were alive during David's lifetime, so they would not have information for the earlier parts of 1 Samuel. Ultimately, we don't know *exactly* who wrote this book of the Bible. Yet, we can still trust that it is the inspired Word of God!
WHO IS THE AUDIENCE OF 1 SAMUEL? WHEN IS IT WRITTEN?
1 Samuel reminded God's people of His faithfulness despite their unfaithfulness to the Lord; however, the precise date is unknown. Context clues date it after Israel and Judah split in 931 BC because many texts reference Judah separated from Israel. Not much to go off of!
WHAT IS THE SETTING AND LOCATION OF THIS BOOK?
Israel primarily takes place in the central highlands of Israel, which spans about ninety miles from Ephraim in the north to Judah in the south, and between fifteen to thirty-five miles wide. It also had an elevation change ranging from 1,500 feet to 3,300 feet.
Throughout this book, we see many location changes between cities. Eli lived in Shiloh, where the Tabernacle resided. Samuel's hometown was Ramah. Gibeah served as Saul's headquarters while David was born in Bethlehem. Later on, Hebron was David's chosen capital when he ruled over Judah. Lastly, Jerusalem was known as the City of David.
These places do not include the many foreign territories and cities mentioned by other tribes in the region.
WHAT'S THE GENERAL OUTLINE AND STRUCTURE OF THE BOOK AS A WHOLE?
Samuel, the Prophet and Judge to Israel (1:1-7:17)
Meet Samuel the Prophet (1:4-4:1a)
Samuel's birth (1:1-28)
Hannah's prayer (2:1-10)
Samuel grows (2:11-26)
God rejects Eli's household (2:27-36)
God speaks to Samuel (3:1-4:1a)
Meet Samuel the Judge (4:1b-7:17)
The Philistines capture the ark (4:1b-7:1)
Israel gains victory over the Philistines, and Samuel becomes a judge (7:2-17)
Saul, the First King of Israel (8:1-15:35)
Saul's rise to the throne (8:1-12:25)
Israel demands a king (8:1-22)
Saul's process of becoming king (9:1-11:13)
Samuel's appeal to Israel concerning the effects of a king (11:14-12:25)
Saul's decline as king (13:1-15:35)
Saul's rebuke of Saul (13:1-15)
Saul's wars (13:16-14:52)
God's rejection of Saul (15:1-35)
David, the named second king of Israel (16:1-31:13)
Meet David (16:1-17:58)
David's anointing (16:1-13)
David in Saul's court (16:14-23)
David, God's warrior (17:1-58)
Saul drives out David from his court (18:1-20:42)
Saul's anger and fear of David (18:1-30)
Jonathan and Michal defend David (19:1-20:42)
David flees Saul's pursuits (21:1-28:2)
Saul has the priests at Nob killed (21:1-22:23)
David spares Saul's life twice (23:1-26:25)
David grows in despair in the Philistine's refuge (27:1-28:2)
Saul dies (28:3-31:13
Saul's final night (28:3-31:13)
The Philistines dismiss David (29:1-11)
David destroys the Amalekites (30:1-31)
Saul's last day before he dies (31:1-13)
HOW DOES THIS BOOK FIT INTO THE TIMELINE OF SCRIPTURE? WHAT HAPPENS BEFORE IT? WHAT HAPPENS AFTER IT?
The beginning of 1 Samuel starts with Israel in a poor spiritual state. For many generations before, the Israelites chose a cycle of rebellion. Their rejection of God as their king led Israel to the slippery slope of kings reigning over them. After the tumultuous run that Israel experienced with Saul, David eventually took the throne in 2 Samuel.
HOW DID CHRIST FULFILL THE TRUTH FOUND IN 1 SAMUEL?
Christ fulfilled the truth in 1 Samuel by keeping God's Word perfectly, unlike Israel's first king, Saul. In John 8:55, Jesus declares, "'But you have not known him. I know him. If I were to say that I do not know him, I would be a liar like you, but I do know him and I keep his word.'" He later would say in John 15:10, "'If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father's commandments and abide in his love.'" Christ's perfect obedience to die on the Cross allows believers to repent, believe in Him, and live in the Spirit!
KEY VERSES IN 1 SAMUEL
"But the thing displeased Samuel when they said, "Give us a king to judge us." And Samuel prayed to the Lord. And the Lord said to Samuel, "Obey the voice of the people in all that they say to you, for they have not rejected you, but they have rejected me from being king over them."
1 Samuel 8:6-7
"And Samuel said to Saul, "You have done foolishly. You have not kept the command of the Lord your God, with which he commanded you. For then the Lord would have established your kingdom over Israel forever. But now your kingdom shall not continue. The Lord has sought out a man after his own heart, and the Lord has commanded him to be prince over his people, because you have not kept what the Lord commanded you."
1 Samuel 13:13-14
"And Samuel said,
"Has the Lord as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices,
as in obeying the voice of the Lord?
Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice,
and to listen than the fat of rams."
1 Samuel 15:22
KEY THEMES IN 1 SAMUEL: CONTRAST OF FLESH VS SPIRIT
Contrast brings clarity throughout 1 Samuel through the glaring differences between Saul and David. Both were sinful men. However, Saul was disobedient and stubborn by remaining in his flesh while David submitted his heart to the Lord. The theme of living in the flesh vs. living in the spirit highlights how we respond to the gospel and Christ crucified.
WHERE DOES THE NEW TESTAMENT QUOTE OR REFER TO 1 SAMUEL?
Christ's genealogy in Matthew 1 reminds us that the Son of Man came through David's bloodline as promised by God (find Scripture here). Jesus referred to the bread David ate on the run from Saul (1 Sam. 21-22) to make a point (Matthew 12:3, Luke 6:3). Stephen's sermon before his stoning included the reminder of David, being the one who was after God's very heart) (Acts 13:22 quotes
2 Timothy 2:8 reminds us to "Remember Jesus Christ, risen from the dead, the offspring of David…." Hebrews 11:32 refers to David and Samuel in the Hall of Faith.
Romans 1:3, 4:6, and 11:9 refer to David so do Revelation 3:7, 5:5, and 22:16.
Matthew, Mark, Luke, John, Acts Romans, 2 Timothy, Hebrews, and Revelation all declare that Christ came through David's bloodline established in 1 Samuel.
Acts 3:24 and 13:20 talk about Samuel's role as a prophet.