1 Samuel 18 - 19 | Psalm 59

The Lord blesses David in all that he does, and king Saul begins to see him as a threat to his authority, because the people love David, and he begins to hate him, and look for ways to kill him.  Even in the face of Saul’s hatred David remains faithful to the king, and trusts in the Lord to protect him.

1 Samuel 16 - 17

The Spirit of God is withdrawn from Saul.  Samuel anoints young David as God’s choice to be king in Israel, and the Spirit of God falls mightily upon him.  David becomes Saul’s armor-bearer, and then God uses him to defeat Goliath, the Philistine giant.

1 Samuel 14 - 15

The Lord brings victories over the Philistines and the Amalekites, but Saul acts foolishly, and then disobeys the command of the Lord in not killing the king of the Amalekites, and in taking plunder.  Samuel confronts Saul, but he has nothing be excuses, so it’s make clear what the Lord expects of us all…

So 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 heed than the fat of rams.
- 1 Samuel 15:22 NKJV

Samuel then tells Saul that the Lord has rejected him from being king in Israel, and will place it on a man who is better.

1 Samuel 11 - 13

Saul is established as king in Israel with the defeat of Nahash, the Ammonite, and his army.  However, he begins to take upon himself more than God gave, and Samuel declares that his kingdom will not pass to his descendants, but go to a man after God’s own heart.

The Philistines are aroused against Israel, and plan to bring the nation back into submission to them after Jonathan attacked a garrison of them in Geba.

1 Samuel 8 - 10

When Samuel is advanced in years, he tries to put his sons in as judges in Israel, but they are wicked, and the people despise them.  It’s an interesting thing to realize how often the men in the Bible had blind spots regarding their own children, and we are no different today.  No one can assume that their children will be like themselves, as every person must come to God in repentence, and in the faith of Jesus Christ.

The people demand that Samuel give them a king to rule in Israel, and God allows this to happen, telling Samuel that they have not rejected him, but they were rejecting God as their leader.  The Lord causes Samuel to anoint Saul as king of Israel, and His Spirit is placed upon Saul for that purpose.  This anointing will eventually be lifted when Saul’s heart is lifted up, and he turns away from following God, but that will not happen for many years.

1 Samuel 4 - 7

When Eli was 98 years old the Philistines attacked Israel at Ebenezer, took the ark of the covenant captive, and his two sons died during the conflict.  When Eli heard that the ark had been captured, he fell over backwards and died.  Eli’s daughter-in-law went into premature labor and named the boy Ichabod before she died, lamenting that the glory of the Lord had departed.

The Philistines had possession of the ark for 7 months, and nothing but bad happened to them, so they placed it on a cart, and two milk cows pulled the cart back to the territory of Judah.  The ark is taken to Kirjath Jearim, where it will stay for 20 years.  Samuel rallies Israel in returning to God, and turning away from false idols, and God brings them victory over the Philistines.

1 Samuel 1 - 3

This is the story of God’s dealings with Israel in the last days of the judges, and the transition of the nation from being a Theocracy (led by God) into a Monarchy (led by a king).  Samuel is dedicated to the service of God from his birth, and he will not only be the last great judge in Israel, but he will also be a great prophet of God.

Eli is the high priest serving at God’s tabernacle in Shiloh, however God declares judgement against him and his sons, prophesying that the Lord will bring an end to his line as high priest, and set up a faithful high priest in his place.

Then I will raise up for Myself a faithful priest who shall do according to what is in My heart and in My mind. I will build him a sure house, and he shall walk before My anointed forever.
- 1 Samuel 2:35 NKJV

This is prophetic of Jesus, Who will ultimately become both King and High Priest in Israel, however there is also a more immediate fulfillment in the days of Solomon, when the line of Eli’s priesthood is cut off, and Zadok is appointed as high priest.

Ruth

This short story of Naomi and Ruth occurs during the times of the Judges. Naomi, with her husband and 2 sons move to Moab during a famine in Israel, and in the 10 years there her husband and 2 sons all die. Both sons were married, but died childless, and Ruth chooses to stay with Naomi and go with her back to Bethlehem, where she was from.

This story demonstrates the role of the “Goel”, or kinsman redeemer, who would assume familial responsibility to keep the property of the dead man within their family, and to also raise up children in his name. Boaz fulfills this role and not only redeems the property of Naomi’s dead husband, but marries Ruth, and she bears a son named Obed, who would become the grandfather of David, and an ancestor in the lineage of Jesus.

This whole story also presents Boaz as a type of Jesus, who takes a gentile bride out of mercy and love, Who had no obligation to do so.

Judges 20 - 21

The evil done in Gibeah is abhorrent to all the remaining tribes in Israel, and they gather to make war with Benjamin, where Gibeah is located. As a consequence of this war, almost all of the tribe of Benjamin is wiped out, with less than a thousand men who survived. However, the tribes in Israel are not willing to let Benjamin be completely wiped out, and they make provisions for the remaining men to get wives from among them. King Saul in the future will come from the tribe of Benjamin, as will the apostle Paul.

Judges 17 - 19

The last five chapters in Judges tell of an earlier age in Israel, which would have followed the death of Joshua, but preceded the first judge Othniel. In chapters 17 - 18 is the sad story of idolatry that was ultimately established in the tribe of Dan, who stole a silver idol from the house of Micah in Ephraim, and hired a Levite to be the priest of that idol for their tribe. The tribe of Dan would serve this false god for generations, until the northern tribes would be taken into captivity by the Assyrians many hundreds of years later.

The last three chapters in Judges tells the story of civil war in Israel during the days of Phinehas, who was High Priest in Israel, and the grandson of Aaron. A Levite stops to spend the night in the town of Gibeah with his concubine, and the men of Gibeah behave like the men of Sodom, in the days of Lot, and she ends of dying as a consequence of their abuse.

Judges 13 - 16

We have the story of Samson, who was given by God to judge Israel for 20 years. He was dedicated to God from before his birth, and demonstrated mighty works of God against the Philistines. Hebrews 11:32 includes Samson in the accounting of those who exhibited great faith, which is difficult for many to see. Samson was highly flawed, yet God used him mightily as long as he obeyed. His flaws and sensual lusts brought him down, but he had great faith in God in his death, and it can be said that he ended well.

Judges 10 - 12

These chapters recount the years of many judges in Israel who rose up to save the nation from their enemies, which always occurred when they betrayed the Lord in going after the false gods of the countries around them. The story of Jephthah is told, who God raised up to save Israel from the Ammonites. Jephthah makes a foolish vow that ruins the life of his only daughter. This vow was foolish for many reasons, but primarily because God required no such vow, and was going to use him to defeat the Ammonites anyway. We should be careful in making promises to the Lord, as He will be gracious without them, but will nevertheless expect them to be honored.

Judges 9

Abimelech, a wicked son of Gideon, kills 70 of his brothers, and seeks to be king over his own people in Shechem. However God prophesies of his demise through Abimelech’s brother Jotham, and then brings about the defeat of Abimelech and the people of Shechem, who were worshipping Baal.

Judges 6 - 8

When Israel is oppressed by the Midianites, the Lord calls out Gideon to be His leader in destroying the kings and armies of Midian. Gideon is timid and fearful, from the smallest of families in Manasseh, but he goes forth in faith, and leads 300 men in routing the army of the Midianites. Like many great men who God calls, Gideon was flawed, but he is included in the Hebrew 11 recounting of those who walked by faith.

Judges 2 - 5

After Joshua died, and the elders who were alive in his time, the people gradually fell into worshipping idols, and as God had promised to them through Moses and Joshua, He allowed the enemies of Israel to persecute His people. When the people would repent, and cry out to God for help, He would then raise up judges to lead the people, and fight against their oppressors.

In the decades that followed, God raised up Othniel to defeat the king of Mesopotamia, and then many years later He raised up Ehud to lead Israel in defeating the king of Moab. After the days of Ehud, the Canaanite king Jabin oppressed the people, and God raised up Deborah as judge in Israel, and Barak to fight against the Canaanite general Sisera.

Deuteronomy 31:30 - 34:12

! Note !
This post is out of order!
We have been a day off for a week or so now and this will get us back into alignment with the correct schedule. My apologies for the inconvenience!

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As God commanded, Moses taught that song to the people, so that they would remember it in years to come when they find themselves abandoned in slavery among foreign nations, and God would hear them and answer. Moses also declares his blessings upon the tribes of Israel, and then goes up to Mount Nebo, where the Lord shows him the promised land from afar. Moses dies at 120 years of age, and the Lord Himself buries Moses near that place. Joshua is presumed to have penned the final 2 chapters of this book, declaring the final words of Moses, and recounting his death.

Joshua 23 - Judges 1

At the end of Joshua’s life he calls together the elders of Israel, and challenges them to a commitment of serving Jahweh, and refusing to serve the idols of Egypt, or of the remaining pagans living in their land. The people swear to serve the Lord, but over time that commitment fades, as those elders in Israel died off.

After Joshua died, the tribes of Judah (under Caleb’s leadership) joined with Simeon and did a good job of driving out the Canaanites and Perizzites from most of their inherited territory. The remaining tribes were not so diligent in doing that same thing, and they left many of the pagans living among them.

Joshua 20 - 22

Six cities of refuge are established (which are also among the cities given to the Levites), with 3 to the west of the Jordan, and 3 to the east, so that a person inaccurately accused of murder can flee to the closest one for refuge. Forty eight cities in all of Israel are given to the Levites, by their families. The men of Reuben, Gad, and half of Manasseh are released to return to their inheritance and families to the east of the Jordan, and they build a monument as a message to future generations that they also serve Jahweh, even though they live on the far side of the Jordan River.

Joshua 18 - 19

The Tabernacle of Meeting is set up at Shiloh, and it will remain there some 400 years, until the days of David, and then the building of Solomon’s Temple in Jerusalem.

The remainder of the land is surveyed, and divided by lot between the remaining 7 tribes (Reuben, Gad, Manasseh, Ephraim, and Judah were already allotted). Simeon is not given a distinct boundary, but is given some cities within the inheritance of Judah, and the Levites are similarly given cities throughout the territories of Israel, fulfilling the prophecy of Jacob, who predicted that they would be “dispersed and scattered in Israel” (Genesis 49:7).

Joshua 15 - 17

The inheritance of Judah is with much territory in the southern half of the country. Ephraim and (half of Manasseh) are given territory in the central region of the land. Caleb drove out the inhabitants in his allotted territory, but in Judah the Jebusites continued to hold the city of Jerusalem (until the days of David), and the Philistines continued to control the Gaza Strip, and the land between Judah and Egypt to the Southwest. Likewise, Ephraim and Manasseh failed to completely drive out the inhabitants of the land within their allotted territories.