1 Samuel

1 Samuel One….(1-28)

We now come to a turning point in the history of the nation of Israel….many changes begin. Let’s see what they are………

1.  Verses  1-7

a. Who are the characters in this chapter?  (verses 1-2)

A man named Elkanah and his two wives, Peninah and her children and Hannah who had none.

b.   What were the feelings of these two women? Why?         (verses 4-6)

Peninnah wasn’t very nice to Hannah and would make snide remarks on her childless state because elkanah loved her more than Peninnah and would give Hannah larger share of what was being given out. Hannah fretted over her childless state and yearned for a child of her own.

c.   What did Elkanah think about this ?         (verse 5)

He was helpless to stop this bickering and fretting and thought he could make up to Hannah for not having a child….this only made matters worse!

d. Is polygamy (more than one wife at a time) part of God’s plan for man’s marriage? What is God’s standard?  (Genesis 2:24; Matthew 19:4-6; Titus 1:6)

God’s standard is one man and one woman with no-one else coming between them

2.  Verses  8-28

a. What state was Hannah driven to by these circumstances?  (verses 9-11)

She was driven to making a specific request to the Lord with a promise attached to it….if God would only give her a son, then she would give him back to the Lord! She would bring him up as a Nazarite to the Lord.

b.   Who were the other characters in this story?         (verse 3)

Eli the priest, and his two sons Hophni and Phineas.

c.  What do we see about the characters and behaviour of  these people? (verses 3-7; 2:12)

 Eli was a godly priest but had spoiled his sons and didn’t deal with their bad behaviour….they didn’t know the Lord and indulged in all sorts of wickedness in God’s house.

d.   What state was Eli in as he observed Hannah weeping and  praying there? What was he thinking? Why?  (verses 12-14;  2:22)

He wasn’t at all helpful to her and jumped to the conclusion that she was  drunk and one of the loose women that his sons played around with in the house of God.

e.  What help was he when he found out differently?           ( verse 17)

Eli told her that her request would be granted. She believed him, dried her eyes and went off happy once more.

f. What was the result of this?      (verses 19-20)

They made one final sacrifice and went back home. Hannah conceived and had a son who she called Samuel.

g. What are we to do when we have a great desire for something?          (Philippians 4:6-7)

We are not to worry about it, but make our request to the Lord and thank Him for the answer BEFORE it happens (even if it is not what we want) and then we will find that God’s peace will over-rule in our hearts and minds.

h. What is a second insurance for us in doing this?  (Psalm 37:4-5)

If we delight ourselves in the Lord, then we will be happy with what He gives us….our desires become His desires for us….we won’t be happy with wanting our way, but we will be happy in wanting His way for us.

i.   Hannah DID receive her request….what did she do about it?  (verses 22-24)

She kept her word, and when Samuel was born she brought him up for the Lord, keeping him at home until she had weaned him and then took him back to the house of God and presented him to Eli (and the Lord)  with her sacrifice.

j.   She reminded Eli how she had been praying so earnestly those three or so years before for this son and now she was giving her him to the Lord to serve Him….what was Eli’s reaction to this?  (verses 26-28)

It caused him to worship the Lord.

k.   How do our actions react on other people? Do they cause others to follow the Lord better or to be encouraged in the Lord? Or do they cause other believers to stumble?      (2 John 1:4; 3 John 1:3-4)

Just the fact that we are still going on for the Lord brings joy to other believers; if we stumble, fall or stray away from the truth it not only causes the Lord grief, but other believers as well.

l.   Can you think of a common saying that illustrates this truth?

“No man is an island”….everything we do for good or bad, impacts on someone else somewhere.

m.   Looking back on this story, how can you see God working in Hannah’s life for His purposes?  ( 2:35)

By God keeping Hannah barren all those years, then granting her request with her subsequent promise, brought about this faithful priest (Samuel) to replace Eli and his wicked sons. If Hannah had been a normal mother, she would never have parted with her precious son to live in the environment that existed in Eli’s household at that time…..she would have had no reason to give her son to Eli.

1 Samuel Two….(1-36)

1.  Verses  1-10

a. What are the first few verses of this chapter?  (verses 1-10)

These verses make up the song that Hannah sang to the Lord as she left her precious son in the care of Eli in the process of giving him back to the Lord.

b.   Hannah could have felt sad at leaving her longed-for son behind, but what was her attitude instead?         (verse 1)

She was looking beyond her immediate circumstances and was rejoicing in the Lord instead, and in His salvation.

c.   How can we lift ourselves above our disappointments in life ?         (Colossians 3:1-3, 23)

We can take our minds off the things around us and set our minds on the things of the Lord, then do what we have to, as to the Lord.

d. Instead of worrying about the state of the people who she was leaving her little son with, what did Hannah concentrate on?  (verses 2,3b)

She concentrated on the holiness of God, the fact that there is no other God like Him who is as firm as a rock and that God would know what was done.

e.  What was the comparison she was thinking about here?           ( verses 5-8)

How that it is not what a person has that counts, it is what a person IS before the Lord that matters…the barren  woman could even yet have seven children and the mother of many could be someone who is feeble in the things of God. She was thinking how it is the Lord who makes the poor and the rich, and how He is in charge of all things.

f. What was her final thought?      (verses 9-10)

That God will keep His people safe and the wicked will not prosper.

2.  Verses  11-28

a. What did the little boy Samuel do in God’s house?  (verses 11, 18)

He helped Eli in his duties in serving God, and learned the priestly duties, doing what Eli’s sons should have been doing..

b.   Who were the other characters in this story? What were they like?         (verses 12-17)

Eli’s two sons Hophni and Phineas….these men did not know the Lord personally, and behaved wickedly in the way they offered the sacrifices, so much so that people were hating to bring their sacrifices.

c.  How did Eli feel about having this child with him? (verses 18-20)

He was very glad of Samuel’s help and blessed Elkanah and Hannah when they came up each year to make their sacrifices.

d.   Hannah had honoured God in keeping her promise and giving Samuel back to Him….how did God honour her? What principle do we see in action here?   (verses 21, 30b)

God honoured Hannah by giving her three more sons and two daughters….God always honours those who honour Him.

e.  What other wickednesses were Eli’s sons doing?    What did Eli do about it?       ( verses 22-25)

They were immoral men who consorted with prostitutes who hung around the tabernacle door. Eli remonstrated with them weakly but they took no notice.

f. What was the contrast between them and Samuel? Who else was like this in His boyhood?      (verses 9-10; Luke 2:52)

As Samuel grew up he was an obedient boy who everyone liked and  who loved the Lord…he had a sense of duty and was  in favour with God; we read exactly the same words about Jesus of Nazareth as He was growing up.

g. What did God do about Eli’s sons?          (verses 27-34)

He sent a messenger to Eli telling him that his sons would be cut off for their wicked behaviour and that none of Eli’s descendants would live to be very old….he also said that both of his sons would die the same day.

h. What promise did God make about the priesthood at that time?  (verses 35)

He said He would raise up a faithful priest who would walk in His ways for ever.

i.   We know that Samuel was the priest for that time, but Who was the longer range prophecy referring to?  (Hebrews 3:1; 5:6,10)

Jesus Christ who is our Great high Priest in heaven today.

1 Samuel Three….(1-21)

1.  Verses  1-3

a. What are we told about God’s Word at the time of Eli?  (verse 1)

That it was rarely heard in those days and because of that it was precious.

b.   What is the contrast between then and now?        

God’s Word is freely available in all the major languages of the world and portions of it in many of the minor language groups.

c.   Because it is available, what is our responsibility towards it ?         (John 1:1-2; 6:63b, 68c; 17:3)

We have the responsibility to read it, get to know it thoroughly and to obey it….God’s Word reveals His Son to us and to know him is to have eternal life.

d. What do we see about Eli’s physical condition?  (verse  2)

His vision was impaired and he couldn’t see very well.

e.  Do you think this was indicative of his spiritual condition? Why?           ( verse 4)

Yes, his spiritual perception was too small to hear God’s voice directly….his spiritual eyes had become dim.

f. What was Eli allowing to happen to the lamp in the temple?      (verse 3a)

He was allowing it to go out each night.

g. What was God’s command concerning the lamp in the tabernacle?          (Leviticus 24:2-4)

That it was to burn continually and never be allowed to go out.

h. What was this a picture of?  (Psalm 119:105; John 8:12)

It was a symbol of Jesus Christ, the Light of the world who lives for ever.

i.   Therefore what was Eli breaking down?  (Ephesians 3:11)

He was breaking down the fact that Jesus Christ is the eternal Son of God

j.   Thought to ponder….do we in our life style or habits, break down any of God’s symbols or types?  (2 Corinthians 6:14,17; Ephesians 5:25-32)

A common one today is a broken marriage …marriage is a type of Christ’s union with His people, His church, which cannot be broken, yet we take the marriage vows cheaply and break them easily. Any affiliation with a hobby, sport or interest that takes us away from the things of God is being “yoked” with the world. These things must be kept in their place which is not to be the priority in our life.

2.  Verses  4-21

a. What is the story in these verses?  (verses 1-9)

It is how Samuel heard a voice calling him afyter they were all in bed and how he ran in to Eli’s room asking what he wanted….after this had happened three times, Eli realised it must be God’s voice that was calling Samuel, and that He had a message for him.

b.   How does this story show that God was actually speaking physically to Samuel?         (verses 4-5)

Because Samuel thought it was Eli calling to him.

c.  What attribute of Samuel do we see here? (verse 6)

He was an obedient child….obedient to Eli and also to the Lord.

d.   What do we see about Samuel’s spiritual state at this time?   (verses 7-8)

He had not had any personal experience with the Lord….he didn’t know Him yet….he was still only a child.

e.  How old do we have to be to know the Lord?       ( Mark 10: 13-16)

A child is never too young to come to the Lord….a child has tremendous faith which has to be implemented as they become of more understanding….it must be followed through as that child grows older.

f. What was the message that God gave to Samuel?   How did Samuel feel about telling it to Eli?   (verses 10-15)

It was a message of judgment on Eli and his family….Samuel was afraid to tell it to him.

g. How did Eli take the message?          (verses 16-18)

He probably remembered the previous message from the Lord by one of the prophets, and realised it was just reiterating  what God had said then. He accepted it  as from the Lord but seemed to do nothing more about it.

h. Why do you think that God gave the message to Samuel and not direct to Eli himself?  (2:27-29)

God had already sent his prophet to Eli and he had done nothing about it.

i.   What sort of attitude did Eli show? What was his sin?  (verse 29)

Eli was apathetic…he honoured his sons more than he honoured God….they had been spoilt children and were no better now they were adults.

j.   What are we told about this sort of thing? What lesson can we learn from this for ourselves today?  (Proverbs 29:1)

If we don’t straighten things up when we first see they are wrong, they will only get worse and we will become hardened to them…but God will sort things out in the end.

k.   What do we see about Samuel’s spiritual growth?      (verses 19-21)

He came to know the Lord in a personal way, and his life was never the same after that visitation from God. Everyone could see this…he grew in favour with God and man.

l.   What are young people to be like today? Is it OK for them to “sow their wild oats” as the saying goes, and as some teach, before settling down?  (1Timothy 4:12-16)

Young people are to be a godly example to their peers , and is doing so will be a joy to others in the fellowship. They are to be diligent in the things of the Lord and throw themselves wholeheartedly into them and in learning God’s Word.

1 Samuel Four….(1-22)

1.  Verses  1-22

a. What was Samuel beginning to do?  (verse 1)

He was beginning his life work of bringing |God’s Word to the people and advising them what to do.

b.   What was the fact of the Philistines invading the land a sign of?        

It was a sign that Israel had turned away from God in their hearts and were not following Him as they should be.

c.   What did the people look to and do, for victory in the battle?         (verses 3-4)

They looked to the Ark of God to save them….they were relying on the THING rather than the One who it represented, God Himself.

d. What did they do with it, and who went with it? What did Eli think about this?  (verses 4-5, 13)

The people took the Ark from the  house of God into battle with them and Eli’s two sons went with it….Eli didn’t like the idea and was afraid for its safety, but no-one took any notice of him.

e.  The Philistines had the right idea of Israel’s God…,.what did they say ?           ( verses 6-8)

This is the Mighty God who smote the Egyptians with the plagues all those years ago.

f.  Why did God allow the Philistines to win the battle and take the Ark?      (verses 10-11)

Because Israel had sinned in  downgrading the Ark to a good luck charm, and left God out.

g. What do we have to be careful of?          (Psalm 66:18; Matthew 15:8)

To make sure we are REALLY following the Lord with out heart and not just with our lips. The Lord will not hear us if we have some secret sin or habit that we refuse to let go.

h. What happened in the course of this battle?  (verses 10-11)

Israel was overwhelmed with 30,000 men being killed….the Ark was captured and Eli’s two sons were killed.

i.   How was Eli feeling while the battle was going on?  (verses 12-14)

He was very apprehensive because he knew that he shouldn’t have allowed the Ark to be taken into battle.

j.   What happened when Eli heard the news that his sons were killed and the Ark taken by the Philistines?  (verses 15-18)

He collapsed at the news, fell backwards off his sit and broke his neck, dying as a result.

k.   What other tragedy happened in the family of Eli at this time?      (verses 19-20)

Eli’s daughter-in-law, Phineas’ wife came into early labour due to stress and she died after giving birth.

l.   What did she name the baby….why?  (verses 21-22)

She named him Ichabod which means “the glory is gone” because the ark of God was taken and her husband and father-in-law had died.

m.   What prophecy was fulfilled in the death of Eli’s two sons?  ( 2:31-34)

God had told Eli that both his sons would die the same day and that all his descendants would die at a young age.

1 Samuel Five….(1-12)

1.  Verses  1-12

a. What did the Philistines do with the Ark of God?  (verses 1-2)

They took it to their country and put it beside their idol Dagon.

b.   What did they find the next morning?         (verse 3)

That Dagon had somehow fallen flat on its face during the night.

c.   What did they do then? What happened this time? What did this prove?         (verse 4)

They stood it up again and the next morning the idol was not only flat on the ground but its head and hands were cut off with only the stump remaining.

d. What does this show us?       (2 Corinthians 6:14c-16a)

That God cannot live where there is an idol….the idol must be got rid of before God can operate in a person’s life.

e.  How does this apply in our lives today ?           ( 1 Corinthians 10:20-21; Ephesians 4:25-32)

If we put other things before God, He is grieved and cannot operate. We cannot serve God as well as idols (anything that has a priority in your life….God must be first)

f.  What must our standard and criteria be?      (1 Corinthians 10:31)

We must ask ourselves if what we are doing, thinking and saying  bring glory to God.

g. What was the plague that God afflicted the Philistines with?          (verse 6)

Some sort of itch or scab that could not be healed and which eventually killed the people.

h. What did the Philistines notice about the Ark of God?  (verses 6, 8-9)

Everywhere they took it, disaster struck.

i.   What conclusion did they come to? What does all this tell us?  (verses 11-12; John 3:36;  Romans 6:23)

They said to send it back where it came from, but no-one wanted to have anything more to do with it, not even to take it back to Israel. All this tells us that we cannot take the things of God lightly, there are no options with God, we either do as He decrees or we die eternally.

1 Samuel Six….(1-21)

1.  Verses  1-21

a. How long was the Ark of God with the Philistines?  (verse 1)

It was there for seven months.

b.   What did they decide to do with it?         (verses 2-9)

They decided  it should go back where it belonged, but at the same time they were curious to see if the God of Israel was really as powerful as they suspected He was. They put it on  a new cart with offerings of gold and jewels, yoked two milking cows to it and tied their calves up at home, sent them off and waited to see what would happen.

c. What was the theory of the Philistines?  (verses 5-6)

If we appease this God with presents of what is troubling us, maybe He will take these things away from us….we don’t want to be like the Egyptians who refused to let Israel go and were destroyed! If those cows leave their calves, we’ll know it really is the God of Israel behind these plagues!

d.   What normally happens when cows are separated from their calves?        

They hang around them bellowing.

e.  What happened in this exercise?           ( verses 6-8)

Once the cows were started down the track, they kept on going, bellowing all the way without stopping until they reached the border of Israel. The Philistines followed all the way and couldn’t believe their eyes!

f.  What time of the year was it? What were the people of Bethshemesh doing?      (verse 13)

It was autumn and harvest time, and the people were out in the fields reaping the grain.

g. Where did the cows with the cart stop? What did the people of Bethshemesh do that was correct?          (verses 14-15)

The cows stopped right beside a large flat rock. The people called Levites to take the Ark from the cart, and put it and the gold and jewels with it on the rock.  They then chopped the cart up, killed the cows and made an offering to the Lord.

h. What did the people of Bethshemesh do now that was wrong? What happened to them?  (verses 19-21)

Some of them peered into the Ark to see what was there, and God killed 50,070 men because of this. We aren’t told how they died, whether it was disease or just collapsing on the spot.

i.   What does this tell us?  (Exodus 19:10-13; Numbers 4:15-20)

God is a Holy God and is not to be taken lightly. Only the sons of Kohath of the tribe of Levi were to carry the Ark, and if they touched it in any other way or looked into it, they would die.

j.   Daniel was a man who had much experience of talking with the Lord….how did he react when faced by the Lord?  (Daniel 10:5-11)

He fell unconscious to the ground on his face, then got onto his hands and knees before standing and shaking in fear.

k.   What happened to Saul of Tarsus when he was faced with the Lord Jesus in His glory?   (Acts 9:3-11)

Paul fell to the ground and rose blinded.

l.   How is it that Christians today can approach God with confidence?       (Hebrews 10:19-22)

Through what the Lord Jesus did when He shed His blood  on the cross for us.

m.   How should our lives reflect this?  ( 1 Peter 1:15-16)

We are to live in a holy manner, above all reproach.

1 Samuel Seven….(1-17)

1.  Verses  1-17

a. What did the men of Bethshemesh do with the Ark of God?  (6:21)

They sent a message to the people of Kirjathjearim to come and get it and take it away from them.

b.   What happened then? For how long?         (verses 1-2)

They went to get it and appointed a Levite to be the priest to look after it….this lasted for twenty years.

c. What was Samuel doing all this time?  How old would he have been by this time?   (3:19-21)

He was growing in his knowledge of the Lord, and everyone knew and accepted him as a prophet….he would have been 25-30 by this time.

d.   What was the state of Israel during these years?        

They were still under Philistine rule, with the Philistine culture and idols, and wondered where God was.

e.  Remembering that the Philistines are a picture of the old fleshly nature within us, how can you relate this to the Christian  life today?           ( Ephesians 4:17-23)

If we drift away from God and let the fleshly desires, ambitions and habits take over, we will not feel satisfied or fulfilled within our souls…..we will feel as though God is far away.

f.  What did Samuel tell the people they had to do to come back into fellowship with God and see deliverance?      (verse 3)

They had to return to God in their minds and hearts first and then put away all the heathen idols and wicked habits and follow the Lord with all their hearts before He could deliver them.

g. What do we have to do today to be delivered from sin and enjoy the Lord again?     (1 John 1:9; Romans 12:1-2)

We have to confess our sin and have a change of heart and mind-set back towards God. If we take one step towards Him, He will take nine to us!

h. What happened when Israel did that?  (verses 4-7)

Israel confessed their sin and put away all the idols in their homes, and turned to the Lord again; then Samuel was able to pray for them

i.   What does sin do for a nation collectively? Or an individual?  (Isaiah 59:2; Jeremiah 7:12-16 )

It comes between us and God, and no amount of praying will make any difference if we continue to live that way.

j.   What did the Philistines intend to do to Israel? What did Israel do?  (verses 7-9)

The Philistines intended to wipe Israel off the map, but Israel cried to the Lord, and sacrificed to Him.

k.   How did God deliver them?   (verses 10-11)

He sent a thunderstorm that disrupted the battle and caused the Philistines to flee, and Israel began to attack and chase them.

l.   What did Samuel do at the end of the battle? What was the idea of this?       (verse 12)

Samuel erected a memorial stone and called it Ebenezer to remind people how God helped them in this battle against the enemy.

m.   Describe Samuel’s life briefly….  ( verses 13-17)

It seems that the people followed the Lord all the days of Samuel….he was tireless in his supervision of the people, travelling around the countryside to keep an eye on things, and then returning to his house where he had erected an altar to the Lord.

n.   What are the hallmarks of a good leader (shepherd, elder)?  ( Titus 1:5-9)

Someone who lives a blameless life before others, who is kind and hospitable, even tempered, honest and a non-drinker, who cares about others and sees to their welfare.

1 Samuel Eight….(1-22)

1.  Verses  1-22

a. Where did Samuel fall down on the job?  (verses 1-3)

When his duties were too much for him, he appointed his sons to take them over, but they were not honest and took bribes….it seems that Samuel didn’t correct them and the people got tired of this.

b. What did the people ask for?         (verses 4-5)

The people wanted to be like the other nations around them and have a king.

c. How did Samuel feel about this? What did he do?   (verse 6)

He felt rejected and was extremely upset and took the matter to the Lord.

d.   What did the Lord tell him?      (verses 7-9)     

He told Samuel to listen to them…it wasn’t him (Samuel) they had rejected as much as it was the Lord and His ways they had rejected. Samuel now knew how the Lord felt when His people rejected His ways. God told Samuel to tell the people exactly what they would suffer under a king.

e.  What would a king require of the people?  How would they feel then?    ( verses 10-18)

A king would take their young men for the army, their daughters to serve him, the best of their fields and give them to others and tax them until they would cry out to the Lord because of it….He would not listen if that happened.

f.  Did the people take any notice of this?      (verses 19-20)

No, they had made their minds up and wanted a king regardless…..they wanted a king they could see and be like the other nations around them.

g. What does this remind one of?     (Psalm 106:13-15)

God’s people who like to follow the world and its ways….they don’t want to be seen as being different. God will give them their request but send leanness to their souls.

h. What must we as believers, do to stop falling into this same trap?  (1 Corinthians  16:13)

We must stand fast and not deviate from the Scriptures.

i.   Who must we recognise as our King?  (1 Timothy 6:14-16 )

The Lord Jesus Christ  is our King, Lord and Master.

j.   When did Israel cry to God because of their king’s taxes?  (1 Kings 12:4, 13-14)

When Solomon died and his son began to reign, the people revolted against the high taxes and great costs of the kingdom.

k.   What must we be wary of in our church life?   (verses)

That we don’t look to a human head, but to God as the Head of the church…that we don’t do things that aren’t based on Scripture just because other people do them.

l.   What does God want His people to be?       (Deuteronomy 26:18-19; 1 Peter 2:9-10)

God wants His people of all ages to be a special people for Him, to be different in attitudes, thought and actions, a people that would follow Him.

m.   What did Samuel do with his problem? What can we do?  ( verses 21-22; Philippians 4:6))

Samuel took it all to the Lord and accepted His answer; in the same way we take our problems to the Lord and thank Him for the answer even when we don’t like it much.

n.  What was God’s response to Samuel?   ( verse 22)

Give them their way, let them have a king and take the consequences.

o.  What do we have to realise in making  our requests?   (Psalm 106:15; 2 Corinthians 12:7-10)

That God knows what is best for us, and if we pester Him He may give us what we want but it will be to the detriment of our souls. If we accept our lot, He can still work through us, maybe to His greater glory.

1 Samuel Nine….(1-27)

1.  Verses  1-27

a. Who comes into the picture now? How is he described?  (verses 1-2)

There was a mighty man of power named Kish of the tribe of Benjamin who had a tall handsome son named Saul.

b. What were the circumstances that brought Saul and Samuel together?         (verses 3-10)

Saul’s father had lost some donkeys and sent Saul to look for them. He couldn’t find them and his servant suggested they ask the prophet in the area if he could tell them where they were. So they went to see him.

c. How did Saul find Samuel?   (verses 11-14)

He asked some young girls who were going to get water where they could find this man of God, and they told him where to go.

d.   How did Samuel know this was God’s choice for the new king?      (verses 15-17)     

God had told him the day before that a man would come from the Benjamites who was to be the king, and then when Samuel met Saul, he knew immediately this was the one….God confirmed it to him.

e.  What did Samuel say to Saul?           ( verses 19-20)

Don’t worry about the donkeys, your father has found them….come with me to the sacrifice now and then come home with me afterwards….I have something to tell you.

f.  How do you imagine Saul felt at this turn of events?      (verse 21)

He was completely bewildered and wondered what it was all about.

g. What happened after the sacrifice?     (verses 22-24)

Samuel took Saul and his servant home with his where there was a gathering of thirty men and they ate of the feast that was prepared there…..Saul was given the choicest of the food.

h. It seems that Saul stayed there the night…..what happened the next morning?  (verses 26-27)

They got up early and Samuel went with Saul as he walked down the street to leave. Samuel told him to send his servant ahead as he had something else to tell him.

i.   Samuel was talking with Saul  to get to know him ….what did he consider the main thing was for Saul to know?  (verse 27c)

He wanted Saul to know what God had to say to him.

j.   What lesson can we get out of this story for ourselves?  How are we to take things as Christians? (Colossians 3:12-17)

To try to learn from circumstances that surround us, and to learn from God’s Word how to behave ourselves, to be humble and patient with others.

1 Samuel Ten….(1-27)

1.  Verses  1-27

a. What did Samuel do to Saul once they were on their own?      (verse 1)

He brought out a small container with oil which he poured on Saul’s head, kissed him and told him that God had chosen him to be the new king.

b. What was God’s immediate plan for Saul which Samuel told him?  (verses 2-8)

Samuel told Saul a string of things which would happen as he went home, people he would meet with things they were carrying and how the Spirit of God would come on him as he went.

c. What were all these signs given to Saul for?        

As confirmation that this was God’s plan for him

d.   What was Saul’s opinion of himself at that time?      (ch 9:21)     

Why me? I belong to the least known family in the smallest tribe…nobody knows me!

e.  What did Samuel tell Saul to do when he got home?           ( verse 8)

Wait for me for a week….I will come to you and make a sacrifice and tell you what to do.

f.  What happened to Saul when the Spirit of God came upon him?      (verses 9-13)

He found he had new ideas and thoughts, and when the band of prophets met him, he joined in with their prophesyings and singing.

g. What did those who knew him think about this?     (verses 11-12)

They could see something had happened to him and that he was different. They couldn’t believe their eyes!

h. When a person turns to the Lord today, what should others be able to see?  (2 Corinthians 5:17; Colossians 3:1-17)

A great change in them, they will be a new person with new aims and interests. If there is no change in their lives or language, they have only made a head decision , not a heart decision.

 i.   How did the Psalmist describe this new life?  (Psalm 40:2-3)

As being brought out of a horrible pit with no bottom and being set upon a firm rock with the purpose and aim of singing praises to God.

j.   What do we see about Saul’s character at this time? (verses 16, 22)

He was shy and bashful and hid rather than come forward into the limelight.

k.   What did Samuel do when he arrived at Saul’s home?   (verses)

Samuel called all the heads of the people together and reminded them that they asked for a king, and in doing so were rejecting God as their King; however, they were gathered together this day to be presented with their new king.

l.   How was he chosen?       (verses 20-21)

It seems that lots were cast…. tribe by tribe, and family by family, then person by person.

m.   What had Saul done when he saw what was happening?  ( verses 21-23))

He had run away and hidden himself out of sight.

n.  What happened when he was found? What did the people see?   ( verse 23-24)

They made him stand up among the people and they could see that he was a tall man (probably in his mid to late thirties as he a son old enough to go to war), better looking than most….the people liked what they saw and all shouted “God save the king!”

o.  Was everything going to be lovely now the people had got what they wanted?   (verses 26-27)

No, there were problems ahead….some supported Saul and others despised him and refused to acknowledge his new position.

1 Samuel Eleven….(1-15)

1.  Verses  1-15

a. What situation do we see here?      (verse 1)

Nahash the Ammonite came against them and was going to fight them….the people there said they would be their servants if they would let them live….they were prepared to be slaves rather than die.

b. What conditions do we see the enemy laying down for them?  (verse 2)

They would only agree if the people of Jabeshgilead had their right eyes put out.

c. Nahash, as an Ammonite, is a picture of the old fleshly nature of a believer….how can we relate this to ourselves today?         (Colossians 3:5-9)

Nahash had no mercy, he wanted all or nothing and the old nature within us is the same. If we give in to it our vision of spiritual things will be impaired and we will be one eyed as far as God’s word is concerned.

d.   What did the men of Jabeshgilead do to be delivered?      (verses 3-5)     

They made their need known to the rest of Israel and called on them for help.

e.  What can we do for help when we feel ourselves being swamped by circumstances?    ( Colossians 1:9; James 5:16)

Ask others to pray for us that we will receive strength to carry on….if we confess our problems to them as well as to the Lord, we will be helped in our spirit.

f.   What does the Holy Spirit do for us as believers?   (John 14:16-17)

He is our Comforter, Guide  and Teacher and lives with us for ever.

g.  What did Saul do when he heard about the situation? Who gave him the strength to help?  (verses 4-7)

The Spirit of God stirred him and gave him the wisdom to know what to do…he showed leadership in sending out the call to fight the enemy on behalf of the people of Jabeshgilead and everyone responded. Saul then sent a message to them that help was on the way.

h. What was the result?     (verses 10-11)

Victory for Saul and deliverance for Jabeshgilead.

i. What did this do for Saul?  (verses 12-15)

It established him as undisputed king over Israel.

j.   What was the end result of all this?  (verse 15c)

There was worship and joy among the people.

k.   What is the result of our victory over our old fleshly nature?         (Ephesians 4:24-32)

We will become good, kind and forgiving with God’s peace in our lives and will be able to give thanks and praise to God as we should.

1 Samuel Twelve….(1-25)

1.  Verses  1-25

a.  What did Samuel do before the elders of Israel?      (verses 1-2a)

He spoke before them all and told them that now they had their king, and they were to follow him.

b. What did he go on to say about his life before them?  (verses 2-3)

He said that his life had been an open book before them….they all knew he had had served them honestly and done the best he could.

c. The people agreed with him…..what did he go on to say to them?         (verses 6-15)

He reminded them of how the Lord had taken them from Egypt, keeping them and delivering them many times from the enemy right up to the present time, and now they had their king. It was up to them and the king now, to continue following the Lord and to remember what happened in the past when they turned away from Him.

d.   What did Samuel then do to prove the reality of all he had been saying?      (verses 16-18)     

He pointed out that it was wheat harvest time when it never rained and said he would call on the Lord to send a large thunderstorm…..this would prove that God was real and had seen their disobedience in wanting a king over them.

e.  What was the people’s reaction to this?    ( verses 18b-19)

They were afraid  and asked Samuel to pray for them.

f.   What must we do when we have slipped into sin?   (James 5:16; 1 John 1:9)

We must confess our faults before others as well as to the Lord and ask for prayer to help.

g.  Sometimes our foolishness results in consequences that cannot be reversed….what do we do then?  (Psalm 37:23-24; 1 John 2:1-3)

Realise that God is still with us and that He will give us a fresh start…get up and go on! Jesus Christ is our Advocate  before God and He will plead for us as He has paid the price of all our sins and foolishness.

h. What promise is there here for those who slip back?     (verse 22; Hebrews13:5c)

God has said He will never leave nor forsake those who trust in Him.

i. What were Samuel’s final words to Israel?  (verses 23-25)

I will never stop praying for you and will continue to teach you the right way, but you must do your part in fearing the Lord and serving Him. If you don’t, you will suffer the consequence

j. What is our responsibility towards those who have slipped away?  (1 Peter 5:16b, 20)

We are to pray for them and show them a better way of living.

1 Samuel Thirteen, ( 1-23)

1. Verses 1-14

 a.    Read the whole chapter through in one sitting…how long had Saul been king for?         (verse 1)

 For two years

b.   What was Saul’s army?       (verses 2, 22)

Saul had two thousand men with him, and Jonathan had one thousand with him….it seems that they were all unarmed except for Saul and Jonathan themselves

c.   What did Jonathan do? What did Saul say about this?  ( verses 3-4)

  Jonathan struck the Philistines at Geba, and Saul took the credit for it.

d.  What was the result?  How did Israel react?   ( verses 4-7 )

The Philistines gathered an enormous army together (36,000 chariots and 6000 horsemen as well as foot soldiers) and Israel was demoralised and ran away.

e.  Why did Israel flee in terror?   (verses 6-7)

They weren’t trusting in God…..they had no faith in Him.

f. What was the appointment that Samuel made with Saul?   (verses 8-10)

Samuel had arranged with Saul to come and make a sacrifice at the end of the week, but he was held up and couldn’t get there.

g.  What did Saul do that was so wrong?  (verses 8b-9; Numbers 18:7)

He saw that people were leaving so he made the sacrifice himself which was strictly forbidden; only a priest was qualified to do this.

h.  What did Saul tell Samuel when he eventually arrived?    (verses 11-12)

He said that seeing Samuel was late getting there and the people were starting to leave, that he forced himself to make the offering.

i.   What characteristics do we see coming out in Saul now?

Arrogance, impatience, wanting his own way, disregard for God’s order and splitting the truth (I forced myself)

 j.   What long term results do we see from Saul’s disobedience?   (verses 13-14)

God took his kingdom away from him, saying that none of his sons would carry on as king…..the kingdom would be given to another

2. Verses 15-23…..

a. What state was the country in at this time?   (verses 15-16, 22)

Samuel had left Saul, he was left with only 600 soldiers that had no weapons, and the enemy hordes were camped against them.

 b. What did the Philistines proceed to do?   (verses 17-18)

They split into three companies of soldiers and surrounded Israel.

 c. How well prepared was Israel for battle?   (verses 19-21)

They weren’t prepared at all, as they had no proper weapons, only their farm implements.

 d. How can we liken this state to people today?  (Ephesians 6:11-13)

People without God have no spiritual awareness or help against their enemies of bad habits, or fears that surround them; they do not belong to God’s family and they have no spiritual weapons to help them.

e. How much do people like this understand the spiritual things of God?   ( Ephesians 4:17-20; 1 Corinthians 2:9-14)

They can’t because they don’t have the Holy Spirit within them to teach them….their eyes are blind to the things of God no matter how smart they are in other ways.

f. What do we see about the weapons that Israel had to use?   (verses 22-23)

They had no weapons of war….Saul and Jonathan were the only ones to have proper weapons.

g.  What weapons do believers have that they can use in the battles of life against evil?  (Ephesians 6: 11-17)

We have the weapons that God provides….faith, truth, right living, salvation and most of all the sword of the Spirit, God’s Word.

h.  Looking at that list of weapons, what is the one that we most have to use and know?    (Ephesians 6:17)

It is the Sword of the Spirit, God’s Word….we must get to know it thoroughly so we can use it every day. As we get to know it, so it will keep us mindful  of the other weapons at our disposal.

1 Samuel Fourteen, ( 1-52)

1. Verses 1-23

 a.    Read the whole chapter through in one sitting…what is it mostly about?         (verse 1, 46-48)

About how Jonathan got on with the job without waiting any longer for his father……as a result Saul was able to establish the kingdom.

b.   How do you imagine Jonathan was feeling about this enforced wait of doing nothing?    (verses 1-3, 6)

It seems Saul was just dithering about what to do, so Jonathan thought he should get on with the job…. he knew that God could give the victory regardless of how many people went to war.

c.   What did Jonathan do?  ( verses 1,4-10)

  Jonathan took his armour bearer with him and they decided to scramble up between rocks to where the Philistine garrison was…whatever the reaction to this was, would be a sign from the Lord of what to do. If the enemy said to come up to them that would mean God wanted them to do that; if they said to wait for them to go down, they wouldn’t do it.

d.  What was the result?  How did everything work out?   ( verses 11-14 )

Jonathan and his man clambered on up and killed the twenty men that were up there. Immediately there was an earthquake, and all the enemy became demoralised and started fighting each other. When Saul saw what was happening he asked the priest to consult the Ark on who was missing and what to do. As the noise among the enemy continued and increased, the men of Israel came to join Saul and his men

e. What lessons do we get out of this story?   (Ephesians 6:13; )

    i.    Jonathan was armed….we too must use the armour God has provided for us

    ii.  He believed in getting moving and starting instead of sitting around and waiting….we must get going once we are convinced of God’s leading in a matter.

    iii.  He had faith that it was God’s battle and not his, so we must realise that any work we do is God’s work, not ours.

    iv.  Just as Jonathan had to scramble up the rocks, so we won’t find things easy….we must spend time on our knees.

    v.  When God intervened, people trembled and fled, so when the Lord works in people’s lives, they will tremble before Him.

f. Instead of Saul getting out and helping at first, what did he do?   (verses 17-19)

He wondered who was responsible for the uproar in the enemy camp and took the time to count the officers and found Jonathan was missing. Then he fussed about asking God what was happening via the priest and the Ark.

g.  What should he have been doing?  (verses 20-22)

He should have been out there helping from the beginning.

h.  Are we like this sometimes when a work of God is going on….do we fuss about who is doing it and if God is in it instead of getting out and helping?

      i.  What did Jesus Christ say about this attitude?    (Mark 9:38-40)

He said that we are not to criticize work that others are doing if God is working through them.

      ii.  What did Paul have to say about this attitude?    (1 Corinthians 3:5-7)

He said it doesn’t matter who the workers are, it is God who gives the end result….it is His work, not ours.

i.   Saul finally went out to help….who else came out of hiding to give a hand?   (verses 21-22)

The Israelis who had been living in Philistine territory came out of hiding and joined in.

j.   Whose was the ultimate victory that day?   (verse 23)

It was God’s victory.

2. Verses 24-52…..

a. What foolish curse had Saul put on his men? With what result?  (verses 24-32)

He cursed anyone who ate anything that day…as a result the men were faint and famished and ravenously hungry, so that by nightfall they killed the animals of the enemy and ate the meat raw and full of blood. Jonathan had not heard his father’s curse and he had eaten some wild honey that he found during the day.

 b. What was so wrong about the people eating the unbled meat?   (Leviticus 3:17)

It was one of God’s laws right from the time of Moses that people are not to eat blood.

 c. What about for us today? What about black puddings etc?   (Acts 15:20, 28-29)

We are specifically told that as believers we are not to eat unbled meat or anything made from blood

 d. Why is this? Does God give us a reason?  (Leviticus 17:10-14; Hebrews 9:19-26)

God does give a reason…it is because the life of a creature is in the blood, and every sacrifice for taking away sin is tied up in the taking of life…and especially that of the Son of God whose blood was shed to take away the sin of mankind. God says, There is no remission of sin without the shedding of blood.

e. The battle for Saul was now over (verse 23)….what did he now do?   ( verses 35-37)

He built his first altar to the Lord and then decided to go back and finish off the Philistines. When he asked God if he should, there was no reply.

f. Saul seemed to be doing all the right things now, so why was God not answering him?   (Psalm 66:18 )

He was doing the right things at the wrong time and for the wrong reasons…his heart was not right with God. He should have asked God at the very beginning and gone into battle himself instead of sitting around and leaving it to Jonathan to do.

g. Saul; knew something was wrong so lots were cast to see whose fault it was, and Jonathan was taken….what was Saul going to do with him? What did the people say?   (verses 38-45)

Saul was going to put him to death, but the people refused to allow it

h.  What do we see about Saul’s political career?  (verses 47-48, 52)

He was continually at war all his reign with the heathen nations around him.

i.  Saul was a man whose heart was not right with God…how can we relate his condition and career with someone today whose heart is not right with God?   (Romans 1:28-32)

Saul was not at peace with God or man and those today who are not right with God do not have either peace WITH God or the peace OF God in their hearts.  They are always at war with each other (wanting MY rights) or within themselves (being depressed or full of bad habits). They are full of unease at the mention of spiritual things and shut their minds to them, filling their lives with pleasure and fun to keep from thinking of such things.

1 Samuel Fifteen,  ( 1-35)

1. Verses 1-5

 a.   What was God’s next message to Saul?         (verses 1-3)

 God  remembered how Amalek attacked Israel when they were travelling through the wilderness and told Saul to go and utterly destroy them, not leaving anything of theirs.

b.   The people of Amalek are a picture of the believer’s old fleshly nature with all its bad habits and bad feelings towards others….how are we as believers to equate what God told Saul in our daily lives?       (Ephesians 4:22-23; Colossians 3:5-9)

Believers are to put away all evil thoughts and actions completely and not give way to them no matter how much they have been wronged..these things are not to be given any place in our lives.

c.   Where did Amalek originate from?  ( Genesis 36:9, 12)

Amalek was a descendant of Esau who was not of the godly line of Abraham and Isaac.

d.   Why did God want all of Amalek destroyed?  ( Exodus 17:8, 14-16)

Because they were continually at war with Israel and were a godless nation, always against the Lord….He had said they would be blotted out in the end.

e.   What principle do we see right from the beginning of the Bible ?  (Ezekiel 18:4, 20;  Romans 6:23a)

Sin must be punished with death….those who continue in sin will die that way….they will take their sin with them.

2. Verses 6-11

 a.   What message did Saul send to the Kenites who were living amongst the Amalekites?   (verse 6)

He told them to get out if they didn’t want to be destroyed with the others because they had been kind to Israel during their travels through the wilderness.

b.   They listened , got out and were safe…what message is there today for those who are living in the world of sin?       (John 3:16, 36; Acts 16:30-31)

Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ  who God sent into the world to save sinners and you will be saved from God’s wrath and judgment.

c.   What did Saul do and how did he go about it?  ( verses 4-9

.Saul did destroy most of what God told him to, but he thought it was a pity to kill the king and the best of the flocks.

d.  What do we see in these actions?   (  )

Incomplete obedience to God…he thought he knew better than God!

e.   Are we ever like this? What does God say about the heart of man?  ( Jeremiah 17:9-10)

Yes, we often think we know better than God, but our heart deceives us because it is desperately wicked….we know what we should do, and we know what we want to do, but do we do it?

f. How can we be sure of our own motives?   (Psalm 139:23-24)

We can never be sure…we have to ask God to search our hearts and know our thoughts and then lead us in the right way of thinking.

g.  How did God feel about Saul’s behaviour?  (verses 10-11)

He was disappointed in his disobedience and looked deeper than just his behaviour, right into his heart.

h.  How did Samuel feel when God told him this?         (verse 11b)

Samuel was most upset and cried to the Lord all night.

i.   In the light of God’s foreknowledge, why do you think God allowed Saul to be made king?   (1 Samuel 8:7-18)

To show the people that their request for a king was NOT a good idea….a king who did his own thing and didn’t follow the Lord was a disaster.

3. Verses 12-35

 a.   What did Saul tell Samuel ? What did he THINK he had done?   (verse 13)

He THOUGHT he had done what God said.

b.   What result does persistent sin have in a person’s life?       (Proverbs 14:12; 30:20)

Their senses of right and wrong are dulled and their conscience is seared…they think they have done nothing wrong! The end of that way is eternal death.

c.   What did Saul do when he  was confronted by Samuel?  ( verses 13-15)

He wouldn’t accept any responsibility for his actions but blamed the people (and indirectly God for wanting such good animals destroyed)

d.  Saul had compromised….what did God say about that?   (verses 16-19)

You have disobeyed Me in your pride, thinking you know better than I do….why?

e.   What was Saul’s excuse?  What does this show about him?    ( verses 20-21)

He blamed the people….this showed he was basically a coward and a poor leader (no leader at all really)

f. Saul had compromised….what did God go on to say?   (verse 22)

It’s not good enough…what’s the use of sacrifice when you have disobeyed Me?

g.  What does God class rebellion (doing one’s own thing rather than what He says) and stubbornness as bad as?          (verse 23)

It is as bad as spiritism (divination) and idolatry.

h.  Do you think that God still feels the same way today about compromise? What does He say about Himself?         (verse 29; Malachi 3:5-6a)

He says He does not change, He cannot change His character, and He will always judge sin and the neglect of Himself.

i.   Saul goes on to apparently repent…why did God not reverse His decision in the light of this?   (verses 24-31)

Saul ‘s heart was not right with God….he had repented before Samuel and was sorry he had lost the kingdom, but he had not repented before the Lord….we cannot fool God! Saul’s whole life is a picture of a person who goes through the motions but who has never repented before the Lord….like someone who goes to church on Sundays and then lives how they like during the week. Even if Saul had been genuine, he had to bear the consequences of his foolish action and lose his kingdom because God had decreed it.

j. What still had to be put right?   (verses 32-33)

Agag was still alive…..Saul refused to kill him, so Samuel had to.

k.  What does this show us for our own life? (Romans 8:12-13; Colossians 3:5-10; Galatians 5:19-21, 24)

We are to put the old nature to death ourselves and turn away from a sinful way of life such as we had before turning to the Lord.

l.  What was another example here of Saul doing the right thing in the wrong way?         (verse 31)

He was “worshipping” the Lord with the evidence of his sin and disobedience still there…Agag was still alive!

m.   What was Samuel’s attitude to Saul from this time on?   (verses 34-35)

He refused to see him again, but still continued to mourn for him.

1 Samuel Sixteen, ( 1-23)

1. 1.      Verses 1-12

 a.    What was the Lord’s rebuke to Samuel? What was he to do?         (verse 1)

Why are you mourning for that which is past? Get up and carry on….there are better things ahead.

b.   What lesson is there in this for us?   

We cannot live in the past or on past glories….we must move on and adjust to what is ahead.

c.   What are we told in Hebrews about this sort of thing?  ( Hebrews 12:12-13)

We are to get up and go on again and encourage others…otherwise we might become a hindrance rather than a help.

d.  What was Samuel told to do?   ( verses 2-5 )

He was to go to Bethlehem , taking a heifer with him for a sacrifice, and call Jesse to the sacrifice as one of his sons was God’s next chosen king.

e. What is the contrast between this choice of king and the first one (Saul)?   (ch 8:7-9, 22; 11:15 )

The people had rejected God from being their king, and so God gave them their choice….Saul. He was a dismal failure, relying on himself, so now God was giving them His choice, David who was a man after God’s own heart.

f. It seems that Jesse and his family had no idea why Samuel was calling them to this sacrifice, but Samuel knew that one of these young men was God’s choice….what was Samuel judging them by?   (verses 6-10)

He was judging them by their appearance and maybe attitude.

g.  What does God judge a person by?          (verse 7)

The state of their heart towards Him.

h.  What did David say to his son Solomon many years later?    (1 Chronicles  28:9)

Serve God with a perfect and willing heart because God knows and understands ALL hearts.

i.   What happened each time Samuel evaluated one of Jesse’s  sons?   (verse 10)

God said He had chosen none of them.

j.   Samuel must have been non-plussed….God had said one of these young men would be the next king and here He was refusing each one…..what did Samuel say next?   (verse 11)

He asked if all the sons were there, and then said the youngest one must be brought in from feeding the sheep.

k.  What are we told about David here?       (verse 12)

David was a handsome young man, and God said, “This is the one! Annoint him”

l.  What was God judging David on ? Was it merely his good looks?         (Psalm 119:10-11; 139:23)

God was judging David on the state of his heart towards Him….He knew that David’s heart, mind and thoughts were continually on Him.

m.   What was God’s intention for this king of His choosing?   (Psalm 78:70-72)

As he had fed his sheep, so he was to feed and lead God’s people.

n.   What is God’s intention for us, His people?   (John 21:16-17)

We are to encourage and feed each other on God’s Word.

2. Verses 13-23…..

a. What happened when Samuel annointed David to be king?                (verse 13)

The Spirit of the Lord empowered him and Samuel knew his job had been done.

 b. What about Saul’s spiritual state at this time?              (verses 14-17)

God’s Spirit left him, and he became very depressed….his servants suggested finding a harp player to jolly him out of his depression.

 c. What do you think was the root cause of the difference in these two men?   (ch.13:14; 15:23, 26; Psalm 19:7-14)

The difference was what their hearts and minds were focused on….Saul was focused on himself and what he wanted while David’s thoughts were all on God, His laws and statutes, and he wanted above all else to please Him.

 d. What happens when a person today comes to know the Lord?  (Romans 8:9-16; 2 Corinthians 5:17)

When a person today turns to the Lord, God’s Holy Spirit comes to live within them and they are a new person with new desires and new aims in life.

e. Saul remained stubborn and self centred….what can God do with a someone like that?   ( Hebrews 10:26-29; 2 Peter 2:21-22)

God can do nothing more for that person while their hearts remain in that state.

f. Saul’s servants suggested he find someone to play nice music to make him feel better….who was suggested to them? What attributes did they see in him?   (verses 17-18 )

One of Saul’s servants knew about David and suggested he would be a good one to play to Saul…he was musical, brave, a good soldier, wise, sensible, handsome and a godly person.

g. Which was the most important attribute of David?   (verse 18)

The fact that the Lord was with him, that he was a godly young man.

h.  What are some of the principles that guided David’s thinking that we should follow too?   (Psalm 119: 2, 8, 11, 15-16, 33, 72; 1 Corinthians 10:31b ) 

He kept God’s statutes and laws; he sought God with all his heart; he hid God’s Word in his heart and mind; he continually meditated and delighted in God’s Word; he wanted to learn more of God’s Word, and he prized it more than anything else in his life….it had first place. This is what we should follow and do…to put God first in everything that we do, and do everything for His glory.

i.  So David left his father’s sheep and went to the court of king Saul….how did Saul feel about him?   (verses 21-22)

Saul loved having David around, and kept him at court, making him his armour bearer. When he was moody and depressed, he would have David play and sing to him.

j. What do you think David sang about?   (Psalm 33:2; 47:6-7; 59:16-17)

He sang praises to God, songs of thanks for God’s protection and provision, and of the wonderful works of God.

k. What is one of the signs of a Spirit filled person today?   (Ephesians 5:18-19)

Someone who is always singing to (and of) the Lord, either silently or audibly. A singing soul is not grumpy, unkind or hard to be around.

l. What is  thing is going to continue on into eternity?   (Psalm 104:33; Revelation 5:9; 15:3)

Singing praises to God for His goodness, mercy and grace.

1 Samuel Seventeen, ( 1-58)

1. Verses 1-11

 a.    What is the picture here?         (verses 1-3)

The two armies  (Philistines and Israel) lined up on ridges with a valley between them.

b.   Remembering that the Philistines are a picture of a believer’s old nature (the flesh), how does this apply in our lives today ?    (Romans 8:5-7-modern translation)

It is just as though all our bad habits, fears and temptations are lined up waiting to assault us.

c.   What sort of person was the champion soldier of the Philistines?  ( verses 4-7)

He was a giant….no-one else came anywhere near him for size!

d.  What was his challenge to Israel?   ( verses 8-10)

Send a man to fight me! If he wins, we will serve you, but if I win, you will be our slaves!

e. How does this apply in our lives?   (Ephesians 6:10-11 )

As each temptation or fear challenges or attacks us, we must stand firm against it or we will become its slave.

2. Verses 12-51…..

a. What was the situation in Jesse’s family at this time of insecurity?  (verses 12-15)

His three eldest sons were in Saul’s army, and David returned from Saul’s court and went back to shepherding his father’s sheep.

 b. What did Jesse tell David to do after a few weeks?   (verses 16-18)

He told him to take some food to his brothers and bring back news of the war.

 c. What did David find when he got there?   (verses 19-31)

He found a few small skirmishes going on and then the giant coming out to defy and challenge the God and army of Israel.

 d. What did David think of this?  (verses 31-32)

How pathetic! I’ll go out and fight the giant!

e. What objection did Saul make?   ( verse 33)

How can you? You’re only a boy and he’s a trained soldier!

f. What proof did David give of his capabilities?   (verses 34-37)

His past victories with a bear and a lion and his faith in God….if God helped him then, He would help him now!

g. What did Saul want to load David down with?   (verses 38-39)

His own armour and sword….David felt too clumsy and overloaded with this all on, and took them off.

h.  What did David take in the end?  (verse  40)

His stick, his sling and five stones,  and his faith in God.

i.  What did David tell the giant as he faced him?   (verses 41-47)

He said he came in the name of the Lord of Hosts who the giant had defied, and that God would give him (David) the victory and everyone would know that there was still a God in Israel.

j. What happened? What did David use?   (verses 48-51)

The giant came towards David and as he ran to meet him, he put a stone in his sling and let it fly….it hit with great accuracy the only bare spot in the giant’s armour….between his eyes , and he fell to the ground. David ran up to him, took the giant’s own sword and cut off his head.

k. David became the champion of Israel….who is our champion in our fight against our old nature?   (1 Corinthians 15:57)

The Lord Jesus Christ gives us the victory as we rely on Him just as David relied on God.

l. What is  one thing we can take heart from about this battle of David’s? How many was he fighting?   (verse 54)

He was only fighting one giant at a time! We are to fight one giant at a time with the Lord’s help, even if there is another one around the corner! We are not to give up.

m. What sword do we use to cut off our enemy’s head?   (Ephesians 6:17)

We use the Word of God….hang onto verses that apply to your situation. To do this we must learn God’s word by continual reading of it and meditating on it.

3. Verses 52-58

 a.    What did David’s brave deed do for the others?         (verse 52)

It inspired them to get into battle and fight the enemy.

b.   What effect can our attitudes and actions have on those who know us…family and friends ?  (1 Timothy 4:12)

It may encourage them to do the same, so therefore we must always do what is right.

c.   What did David do with the armour he had been given? What must we do with our spiritual armour? ( verse 54; Ephesians 6:11-17)

He kept it with him for future use, and we must use the armour that God has given us ….the Word of God in faith, hope and salvation daily to keep Satan at bay.

d.  What effect had Saul’s disease on him with regard to David?   ( verse 58)

He had completely forgotten who he was!

1 Samuel Eighteen, ( 1-30)

1.    Verses 1-16

 a.    What do we see about the relationship between David and Jonathan?         (verses 1-4)

They became best friends and loved each other with a true, loyal love.

b.   What do we see about Jonathan?    (verse 4: ch 20:12-17)

He shared what he had with David, was totally loyal to him and followed the Lord God.

c.   What bond do believers have with each other?  ( John 17:21; Galatians 3:28)

We are all one in Christ Jesus, and all part of God’s family, brothers and sisters in Christ.

d.  What command did Christ give His people? Does this still hold good today? ( John 15:12; 1 John 4:7-8)

That they were to love each other, and this command still holds good for us today.

e. What do we see about David’s behaviour, especially as he became popular with everyone?   (verses 5-7 )

He behaved very wisely and sensibly….no-one could point a finger at him.

f. How did Saul react when he saw David’s popularity and what people were saying about the recent battle?   (verses 8-9)

He didn’t like it and became very jealous of David.

g.  What happened the next time Saul got in one of his bad moods?          (verses 10-11)

David was playing his harp to jolly him along and Saul was fiddling with his javelin when he suddenly let fly at David who dodged and left the room hastily.

h.  What made Saul afraid of David?    (verses 12-16)

The Lord had left Saul and it was obvious that He was with David….David behaved himself so well that Saul had no valid reason for dismissing him or killing him, and besides the people all loved him so much that this would have caused a revolt.

2.    Verses 17-30

 a.    Saul had attempted to get him with the javelin twice now….what was his next plan to get rid of him?         (verses 17-25)

Saul thought if he made David his son-in-law and put him in charge of the army, then he would die in battle and he would be rid of him that way.

b.   David was rather reluctant at this honour….what happened to Saul’s eldest daughter and who did he eventually marry?    (verses 19-22)

Saul’s eldest daughter was given to another man, but Saul’s youngest daughter Michal had fallen in love with David, so she was given to David instead.

c.   How did Saul plan that this would get rid of David?  ( verses 23-25)

Because David could not afford the dowry money, Saul said he would be satisfied with the death of 100 Philistines instead, thinking that maybe they would kill David in the process.

d.  What did David do at this offer? ( verse 27)

David went one better than Saul’s request….he brought proof of the killing of TWO hundred Philistines!

e. Saul kept his side of the bargain and gave Michal to David for his wife….what were Saul’s feelings for David now?   (verses 28-29)

Saul became more afraid of David because he couldn’t fault his behaviour, and because he knew that God was with him…Saul was David’s enemy from that time on.

f. Who do we read about who loved David?   (verses 1, 16, 20, 28)

Jonathan; the people; Michal; the Lord.

g.  We may not be as popular as David was, but what is the most important love we can claim? Why?          (John 3:16; 17:26; 1 John 4:9-11, 19)

God SO loved the world (us) that He gave His best for us; we love Him because He first loved us, and God IS love.

h.  What was David’s responsibility in the situation he found himself? What is our responsibility in the light of God’s great love towards us?    (verse 30b; Romans 12:1; 1 Corinthians  10:31b;  1 Peter 1:15-16)

David behaved himself more wisely than anyone else and so should we….we must present ourselves to God in living holy and honest lives so we do not discredit God’s Name.

1 Samuel Nineteen, ( 1-24)

1. Verses 1-24

a. What was Saul determined to do?             (verse 1)

He wanted David out of the way completely and told everyone to get him.

 b. What did Jonathan think of this command?   (verses 2-3)

He told David what was going on and that he would find out for sure just how serious Saul was about this.

 c. What was the result?   (verses 4-7)

Jonathan spoke to Saul and reminded him of how much David had done and was doing for the kingdom and Saul changed his mind and said he was not to be killed.

 d. What does Jonathan’s role as peacemaker and intercessor remind us of?  (Hebrews 7:25; 1 John 2:1b-2)

Just as Jonathan interceded with his father for David’s life, so the Lord Jesus Christ intercedes for His people to His Father presenting Himself as the payment for their sins.

e. What do we see about Saul’s attitude to David in this chapter?   ( verses 1, 6, 10-11)

He was very changeable and couldn’t be trusted.

f. How did David feel that night when Saul’s servants surrounded his house waiting to kill him in the morning?  Who was he confident in?          (verse 11; Psalm 59:1-2, 16-17)

He relied on God to save him….”God is my defence; You are my defence and refuge in the day of trouble”

g. How did David get away safely?  Who did he go to?     (verse  18)

His wife Michal told him she would let him down out of the window so he could escape, then she put an image in the bed with a blanket over it pretending David was there sick…..Saul was not very impressed! David went to stay with Samuel in the meantime.

h.  What should we do when things get tough in our lives?  (Colossians 1:9; James 5:16)

Seek the company of godly Christians….find someone you can trust and confide in and who will pray for you and encourage you.

i.  Who was operating in this gathering where Samuel and David were?   (verses 20-21)

The Holy Spirit  was there and everyone  who was there fell under His control.

j. What did Saul do when his men could do nothing to get David?  What happened?      (verses 22-24)

Saul decided to go himself and take David, but God’s power came over him and he was powerless to do anything but lie down before the others prophesying as well.

k. What do we see about Saul’s general condition in this whole chapter?  

He was unstable and changeable, being against David, then for him, and then against him again. He was a man without self control.

1 Samuel Twenty, ( 1-42)

1. Verses 1-42

a. Saul had tracked David down to being with Samuel, and David felt unsafe ….who did he turn to at this time?             (verse 1)

David felt he was facing certain death and so he went to Jonathan and  told him about it.

 b. What did Jonathan do for him?   (verses 2-9)

He was  prepared to sound his father out and cover up for David if need be.

 c. What arrangement did they make to let David know the result?   (verses 10-23)

David would miss the upcoming feast which Saul would expect him to be at, and Jonathan would give his apologies and see what Saul’s reaction would be. Three days later  David would hide on the edge of the field where Jonathan would be practising his arrow shooting,  and let him know by where he shot his arrows.

 d. What pact did Jonathan make with David at this time?  (verses 14-17)

That David would never turn against Jonathan or his family in the future.

e. What did Jonathan realise about the future of the kingdom?   ( ch. 23:16-18)

He knew that David had been appointed to be the next king by God, and he was happy to accept this, and be second in command.

f. What does it say again about their relationship?          (verse 17)

That Jonathan loved David as his own soul, and was prepared to go the whole way for David, even to happily relinquishing the kingdom to him.

g. What was Saul’s reaction when he found David was missing from the feast?     (verses 25-30)

He was very angry with both David and Jonathan.

h.  What reason did he give Jonathan for wanting to kill David?  (verses 31-33)

He knew that Jonathan would never be king while David was alive!

i.  Jonathan was very angry and left the room….when and how did he make contact with David again?   (verses 34-41)

He went to the field with his arrows and young lad as he had arranged with David, and called out to the lad (really to David) “hurry up and pick them up” and then sent the boy back with his gear. David came out of his hiding place and  they wept with each other…..they both knew this was the end of the road for their open friendship.

j. What were their parting words?      (verse 42)

They renewed their promises to each other and then Jonathan left to go back to his father.

1 Samuel Twenty-one,   ( 1-15)

1. Verses 1-15

a. David was on the run from Saul….who did he call in to see and what did he ask for?     (verses 1-3)

He called to see Ahimelech the priest  at the place where people went to worship and asked if he had any bread to spare.

 b. What was the only bread available?   (verses 4-6)

The only bread Ahimilech had to spare was the Lord’s bread, the Shewbread which was ready to be changed that day, so he gave that to David.

 c. What exactly was the shewbread?   (Exodus  25:30; 1 Chronicles 9:32; Matthew 12:4)

This was unleavened bread which was always on the holy table before the Lord in His house…it had to be made fresh every Sabbath day and then the priests could eat the old bread as it was replaced.

 d. What do you think the Shewbread represented?  (John 6:32-35, 47-51)

It was a picture of Jesus Christ, the Living Bread of Life who was to come to give His life to pay the price of sin for whoever  would  turn to Him.

e. Who noticed David doing this?   ( verse 7)

Saul’s chief herdsman was there and saw David receiving the bread from the priest.

f. What else did he see David get from the priest?          (verses 8-9; 22:9-10)

David asked if there was a sword there that he could have, and the priest brought out the sword of Goliath which was wrapped in a cloth and kept there…..Doeg noticed this too and reported it to Saul later.

g. What had David received that day from the house of the Lord?     ()

Food and a weapon (protection)

h.  What is this a picture of what we need in our spiritual life?  (John 6:51; Ephesians 6:17)

We need to feed on Christ the Living Bread, and to use His sword, the Word of God, continually.

i. Where did David then go for protection? What did he find there?   (verses 10-12)

He went to Achish the Philistine, and then found that the officials were very suspicious of him, so he was no safer there than on the run from Saul.

j. What warning is there in this for us?     

We cannot get any spiritual satisfaction or protection from unsaved friends in the world…..we are not safe from evil forces there.

k.  David realised that he had put himself into a compromising and dangerous position….what did he do? What can we do when we find ourselves in a similar situation?       (verses 12-15; 1 John 1:9)

David realised he was trapped so he acted as though he was mad and managed to escape; the only thing we can do is to confess our mistake to the Lord for His forgiveness and then to get out of situation as quickly as we can, making any reparation that is needed to be in the clear once more.

l. Who did David turn to in his extremity? What did he say?   (Psalm 56:3-4, 10-11)

He turned to the Lord  and trusted Him to get him out of the mess he was in.

m. Remembering that the Philistines are a picture of the world and the old nature, what is the warning for us in this episode of David’s life?   (2 Corinthians 6:14-17)

If we forget the Lord and go elsewhere for help we won’t find it and will end up worse off than ever.  Worldly counsellors cannot help our deepest needs. If we have to go to them for specific information etc, go through the Lord and with His direction.

1 Samuel Twenty-two,   ( 1-23)

1. Verses 1-23

a. Read the whole chapter through at once….what is it all about?     (verses 1-23)

David left the Philistines and went and lived in a large cave. Many others who were in trouble went with him until he had a band of 400 men. Saul heard about this and Doeg the Edomite reported that he had seen the priest helping David, so Saul had all the priests slaughtered except for one who escaped and went to be with David.

 b. What was David afraid of? What did he do for them?          (verses 3-4)

David was afraid for his parent’s safety….no-one connected to him was safe from Saul….so he took them to Moab and asked the king there to give them asylum.

 c. Who was David’s spiritual advisor?   (verse 5)

The prophet Gad was one of the men with him.

 d. How was Saul feeling at not being able to find David?  (verses 6-8)

He was feeling sorry for himself and grumpy with his people for not telling him where David was.

e. Who came forward in the end and reported David?   ( verses 9-10)

Doeg the Edomite told Saul that he had seen David at the priest’s place getting food and the sword from him.

f. What was the end result of that report?          (verses 11-19)

Saul commanded the priests come to  him and demanded to know why they had helped David. Then he told his servants to kill all the prophets. They refused to do it, so Doeg did it instead…. 85 priests and their families all died that day.

g. What happened next?     (verses 20-23)

One of the sons of the high priest escaped and went to David, telling him all that had happened. David was very sorry to hear the news and made room for Abiathar to stay with him.

h.  What did David say about the situation afterwards?  (Psalm 52:1-9…find a translation with a heading)

This psalm was written especially about this situation. David classes Doeg as an evil man, making mischief, but one who the Lord would judge. He felt that he (David) was like a growing olive tree in God’s house because he was trusting in God, and praising Him.

i. What did David tell Abiathar?   (verses 22-23)

He felt extremely sorry and responsible for the death of his relatives; he said that Abiathar would be safe with him because they had a common enemy.

j. What can we do when circumstances overtake us and things are out of our control? (Psalm 52:9; Philippians 4:6)

All we can do is to take it to the Lord in prayer and praise Him in spite of what is happening around us.

1 Samuel Twenty-three,   ( 1-29)

1. Verses 1-15

a. What did David hear and what did he think he should do?     (verses 1-2)

He heard that the Philistines were robbing the men of Keilah and he wondered if he should go to help them.

 b. How did David find the right course of action to take?          (verses 2 , 4)

He asked the Lord what he should do.

 c. How can we know if a course of action for us is right or not?   (Acts 13:2-4)

We must pray and think about it in the context of God’s Word and see what opens up for us….we must not go against the Lord’s leading or the advice of godly men. Others must have confidence before the Lord in what we are proposing.

 d. What did God tell David to do? What did his men think?  (verses 3-4)

God told David to go and save Keilah, but his men were dubious about it. David asked God a second time and God gave him the promise of deliverance this time.

e. What happened next and how were the men of Keilah going to repay him?   ( verses 5-12)

David and his men delivered Keilah from the Philistines, but the people there were going to hand David over to Saul….they were an ungrateful lot!

f. How did David know this? What did he do?          (verses 13-14)

David asked God what would happen….he received his answer and acted on it by escaping out of the town and going bush….on the run from Saul.

g. How did David feel during the time Saul was  seeking his life?       (Psalm 91:1-16)

He depended on the Lord and looked to Him for refuge and safety.

h.  What can we do in times of dire distress?  (Philippians 4:6)

Tell the Lord all about it and rest in His answer for us, giving thanks for it (whether it be good or bad)

i. If we do this, what will we experience?   (Philippians 4:7)

We will experience His peace surrounding us which can’t be explained.

2. Verses 16-29

a. Jonathan went to find David in the bush….what did he do for David?     (verses 16-17)

He encouraged David in the Lord.

 b. What are Christians to do for each other?          (Acts 18:23-27)

We are to encourage and strengthen each other in the Lord.

 c. What did Paul remind the Ephesians of?   (Ephesians 6:10-13)

To be strong in the Lord and to stand firm against the evil in the world….he reminded them  that they were in a spiritual warfare which does its best to overcome God’s people with fears, bad habits and thoughts.

 d. What did David and Jonathan promise each other?  (verses 17-18)

They made a covenant with each other to always work together well…David would be the next king and Jonathan would be his second in command.

e. What does this show us about Jonathan?   ( verse 17b; 2 Samuel 1:26)

It shows his humility of heart in recognising God’s choice of the next king (which was really his position) and his willingness to work alongside of David.

f. What happened next?          (verses 19-20)

The Ziphites, where David was, went to Saul and said they would hand David over to him

g. How did this work out?       (verses 21-26)

It didn’t happen as they planned….,David always managed to keep one step ahead of Saul’s men.

h.  How did David feel when he heard what the Ziphites were planning?  (Psalm 54:1-7)

He cried to the Lord and told Him all about it.

i.  What took Saul away from his aim of getting David this time?  (verses 27-29)

He received a message saying the Philistines were attacking another part of the land, so he went off to attend to that.

j. What confidence did David have in God?          (Psalm 18:1-6)

He knew He was his Helper in time of need, and that God heard his cry.

k.  What confidence can we have when circumstances overtake us?       (Romans 8:31, 37-39)

We know that God is for us in whatever happens, NOTHING can take this away from us or separate us from God’s love.

1 Samuel Twenty-four,   ( 1-22)

1. Verses 1-22

a. What is the scenario here?     (verses 1-3)

Saul had sorted his problem out and turned his attention to chasing David again. He took 3000 men with him and set out into the wilderness to find him. He came to the sheep pens where there was a a large cave and went into it to relieve himself, not knowing that David and his men were hiding further back in the same cave.

 b. What did David’s men tell him?          (verse 4)

The here was his chance to kill Saul….David crept forward and cut off the bottom of Saul’s coat which was lying there, and went back to the  back of the cave.

 c. How did David see the situation?   (verses5-7)

He still regarded Saul as God’s annointed king, and couldn’t bring himself to kill him…cutting off a piece of his coat proved that he could have.

 d. How are to treat our enemies today?  ( Romans 12:19-21)

We are to treat them with love and do good for them.

e. As far as David’s men were concerned, this situation appeared to be the answer….what lesson can we learn from this?   ( Romans 12:19 )

If the circumstances don’t measure up to God’s principles, we know it is NOT His will to act on them….they are a test of our obedience and integrity. God will work things out.  

f. What was David’s attitude in this situation?          (verses 8-15)

He took the humble place, calling himself a flea and a dog!

g. What can we learn from this?       (1 Peter 5:6)

We are to take the humble place and leave the situation in the Lord’s hands to work out.

h.  What did David’s action prove to Saul?  (verses 16-19)

That David had spared his life when he had the chance to kill him….David was NOT his enemy.

i. What was Saul’s reaction to this?   (verses 20-21)

He could see that he was in the wrong and that David had behaved rightly towards him. He admitted openly now that he knew that David would be the next king, not his son, and he asked that David would not destroy his family line

j. David agreed to this request…was this the first time he had promised this?       (ch 20: 14-17)

No, he had already promised Jonathan this and was now ratifying it in promising Saul as well.

k.  Saul did not deserve this favour from David (no other prospective king would ever have considered this)….what made David different and what can we learn from it?  (Matthew 5:43-48; 1 John 4:7-11)

David loved the Lord and because of this he was kind to his enemy Saul….this is how we should be in our lives. Because God loved us, we are to love other people…we cannot love God and hate others.

1 Samuel Twenty-five,   ( 1-44)

1. Verses 1-44

a. What great historical event is mentioned here?     (verse 1)

Samuel’s death….a man who had a great life serving God..

 b. What character comes into the picture now? What seasonal job was he involved in here ?  (verses 2-3)

Nabal was a wealthy man with many sheep (3000 of them) and he was shearing them at this time. He was known to be a grumpy character with a lovely wife.

 c. What did David want and what reason did he give for Nabal giving it to him?   (verses 4-9)

David wanted food from Nabal and reminded him that he could have taken it by force, but instead had looked after and protected his shepherds and servants. David was very polite in his request.

 d. How did Nabal answer him? What was his reputation?  ( verses  3c, 10-12)

He was very unhelpful and told them to get lost….he had no intention of giving David anything.

e. How are we to react when people ask for help?   ( James 2:14-18)

We are to show Christian love and supply what they need, even to our enemies…..this proves our faith.

f. What was David’s reaction? How many men did he take with him?          (verse 13)

David got 400 of his men together and they went to teach Nabal a lesson….if Nabal wouldn’t give him what he wanted, he was going to take it anyway.

g. What happened to stop David doing this?       (verses 14-19)

Nabal’s wife, Abigail, heard about the situation and she quickly got together a peace offering of food and went to meet David full of apologies and humility, begging him to listen to her.

h.  How would you describe Abigail from these verses?  (verses 18-19; 23-27)

She was beautiful, resourceful, quick thinking , capable and prepared to take the humble place before David.

i. What was her best attribute?   (verses 28-31)

She acknowledged God and His overall greatness in the situation.

j. What can we learn from Abigail?       (James 4:8-10)

To humble ourselves openly before the Lord, and people, offering no excuses, and being concerned that the Lord will give grace and wisdom to rectify the problem, even if it costs us personally.

k.  How did David respond to her?  (verses 32-35)

He accepted her gift and apology, and changed his mind about destroying Nabal and his men.

2. Verses 36-44

a. Meantime, what was Nabal doing while this was going on?     (verse 36)

He was putting on a feast for all his men and they were having a drunken party.

 b. When did Abigail tell him what had happened ?  What happened then?    (verse 37, modern translation)

She told him the next morning when he had sobered up, and he had a stroke at the news and couldn’t move.

 c. How much longer did he live?   (verse 38)

He died ten days later.

 d. What does this remind us of for ourselves?  ( Luke 12:16-21; James 4:13-16)

That we do not know what will happen in the future, and we cannot boast of what we are going to do….it is only as the Lord wills and allows.

e. What truth did David see in this event?   ( verse 39)

That God’s hand had over-ruled in this event, keeping him from senseless bloodshed.

f. What did David think of Abigail after this event?  What was his marital status now?        (verses 39c-43)

David liked her very much and took her to be his second wife (part of the custom in those days)…he now had three wives, Michal, Abigail and Ahinoam.

g. What had happened to Michal?       (verse 44)

Saul had given her to someone else when David escaped from him…..she was no longer with him.

h.  What was Abigail’s attitude to this turn of events?  (verse 41)

She took the humble place  of serving David’s men even though she was his wife….widows in those days had a very hard life.

1 Samuel Twenty-six,   ( 1-25)

1. Verses 1-12

a. What did these people called the Ziphites do?     (verses1-3)

They reported to Saul where David and his men were hiding.

 b. How did David feel when he heard this ?  (Psalm 57:1-11)

He prayed to God and trusted in Him to help him… he knew that.God had helped him before and  that He would again. He gave glory to God even in this dangerous situation.

 c. What did David do in this situation?   (verses 4-5)

He checked out the situation and faced the danger squarely, then assessed it and acted.

 d. What did David do?   ( verses  5-7a)

He took Abishai with him and went into Saul’s camp at night when they were all asleep.

e. Who was Abishai?   ( 2 Chronicles 2:15-16)

Abishai was one of the sons of Zeruiah, David’s sister, so he was David’s nephew.

f. What was Abishai’s assessment of the situation? How did he see it?          (verse 8)

Abishai saw it as God’s way of getting rid of Saul…he wanted to kill Saul while he slept there.

g. What did David say about this?       (verses 9-12)

David couldn’t bring himself to do this…he saw a sleeping man and he knew that this was not God’s way for him at that time. Even though Saul was sick in mind and thought of David as his enemy, yet he was still God’s annointed king, and it was for God to take him when the time was right.

h.  What does this tell us for today?  (James 1:12-14)

That even if circumstances seem right for a certain course of action, if it involves breaking God’s principles, then it is not the right thing to do….God will work it out in His time.

i. What did David do then?   (verse 12)

He took Saul’s spear and water bottle and then went across the valley and called out to Saul.

j. What did these two items mean to Saul?       ()

They were his protection and refreshment ….he was defenceless and weak without them .        

k.  What do you think these things represent to a believer today?  (John 4:13-14; Ephesians 6:11-17)

The water of life gives eternal life and sustains, and the armour of God protects and equips His people.

l.  What are the contrasts between these two men?  ()

David was the hunted and Saul the hunter, now the tables were turned; David now had the upper hand and Saul was at his mercy; David had the Lord on his side while Saul didn’t.

m. What are the contrasts between a Christian and a non-Christian?   ()

A Christian has the Lord’s help and protection, eternal life, peace and satisfaction with victory over attitudes …while the others don’t.

2. Verses 13-25

a. Who did David taunt with failing to do his job?     (verses 13-15)

He called out to Abner, Saul’s captain, and asked why he hadn’t been looking after his master better.

 b. What did David tell him ?  (verse 16)

He told him that he deserved to die for not doing his job properly….where was Saul’s spear and water bottle?

 c. What did David say to Saul?   (verses 17-20)

He asked why Saul was wasting his time chasing him, a nobody, (a flea) .

 d. What change of mind did Saul have now?   ( verse 21)

He said he had sinned and behaved like a foolish idiot; he called David his son again.

e. What do we see about Saul’s attitudes?   ( 1 Samuel 15:24-25; 18:10-11; 20:30-33; 23:14; 24:16-20)

He kept changing his mind….one minute he was trying to kill David and the next he was being kind to him. He kept saying he had sinned and yet there was no real repentance towards God. He knew that David was going to be the next king, but still kept trying to kill him. He was obsessed with trying to keep what God had already taken away from him.

f. What did Saul finally admit to David?          (verses 21c, 25)

I’ve made a big mistake in seeking to kill you….you are blessed, you will do great things and will prevail.

g. David  and Saul both went different ways, but David didn’t trust Saul and was still a fugitive….who did he put his trust in?       (Psalm 4:1-8)

He trusted in God and knew he could have full confidence in Him.

h.  What can we hang onto when everything seems to be falling down around our ears?  (Romans 8:31-39; 1 John 1:7b)

We can hang onto the fact that God has loved us enough to send His own Son to die for us, and that nothing can take away this love from us except our own fears and doubts. We can hang onto the fact that the blood of Jesus Christ cleanses us from all sin (and this includes doubting God’s Word)

1 Samuel Twenty-seven,   ( 1-12)

1. Verses 1-12

a. What did David decide to do next?     (verses1-3)

He decided to leave Israel’s territory and go to live in the land of the Philistines .

b. What did David ask for from the king of Gath ?  (verse 5)

He asked for a small town out in the country where he could stay with his men.

 c. Did this strategy work for David with regard to Saul?   (verse 4)

Yes, Saul left off chasing him.

 d. How long was David there?  What were his feelings now he had finally shaken off Saul’s chasing of him?  ( verse 7; Psalm 18:1-50)

He was there for sixteen months; he recognised that God was looking after him and still sang His praises even though he was in the enemy’s land..

e. What lesson is there in this for us when we are in desperate situations?   ( 1 Thessalonians  5:16-18)

We are to continue to rejoice IN the Lord and give Him thanks IN (not necessarily FOR) every situation we find ourselves…..there is always something we can find to be thankful for.

f. What did David do while based in Ziklag?   ( verses 8-9, 11)

He went into the surrounding heathen nations and slaughtered them leaving no-one to tell Achish what he had been doing.

g. Who had been told to do this earlier but hadn’t?       (1 Samuel 15:1-3)

God had told Saul to utterly destroy ALL the Amalekites, but he obviously hadn’t done it as God meant him to.

h.  David finished this job…what did he tell Achish?  (verses 10-11)

He made out he had gone against some of his own country of Judah.

i. David’s lie worked….does this give us licence to lie in similar circumstances?   (Ephesians 4:25)

No, we are to always speak the truth.

j. What did Achish think when he heard David’s report?       (verse 12)

He thought that Israel would never have David back and that he would have David for ever .

1 Samuel Twenty-eight,   ( 1-25)

1. Verses 1-10

a. What situation did David find himself in now? What would David find himself doing?    (verses 1-2)

Achish had decided to fight Israel, and he wanted to make David his chief protector in this war….this meant that David would be fighting against his Saul and his own people.

b. David’s ploy of pretending he had been skirmishing with Israel was now backfiring on his own head….what do we find if we flirt with sin in our lives ?  (Numbers 32:23)

It will overcome us and we can be sure that our sin will find us out!

 c. How did Saul feel when he saw this huge army of the Philistines coming against him?   (verses 4-5)

He started to panic, and was greatly afraid.

 d. What did he do for advice? What happened?  ( verse 6)

He asked the Lord what to do, but there was no answer from God.

e. Why do you think God wouldn’t answer him?   ( Psalm 66:18)

Because Saul wasn’t walking with Him  and was hanging onto his sin of hating David..

f. What did Saul resort to? Why?   ( verses 3, 7-10)

He disguised himself and went to a spiritist medium and said he wanted her to get advice….he had previously ordered all the mediums to be put to death, and hoped she wouldn’t know who he was.

g. What had God told His people they were to not to do?   What does God think of mediums and the occult?    (Deuteronomy 18:10-12)

They were not to allow these sort of people to practice their craft….they were an abomination to Him and must be put to death.

h.  What paradox do we see Saul making here?  (verse 10)

He was wanting to use this woman’s services which were an abomination to the Lord, and promising in God’s name she wouldn’t be put to death! Everything he did was upside down and back to front!

i. Can we play with the spirits and get away with it?   (1 Corinthians 5:11-13;  Ephesians 4:27-31)

No, as believers we are not to touch such things and are to excommunicate any person in the church who practices them.

j. This was the last recorded time in a long line of disobediences of Saul….what was he told that rebellion against God’s orders was as bad as?       (1 Samuel 15:23)

It was (is) as bad as practicing witchcraft….Saul was no better than the woman he was asking help from!

2. Verses 11-25

a. What did Saul ask her to do? What happened when he asked her this?    (verses11-12)

Saul asked her to bring up Samuel, and she immediately realised who Saul was.

b. Why did Saul want to talk to Samuel ?  (verse 15)

He said that God had left him and he wanted to find out the result of the forthcoming battle.

 c. Samuel told Saul the reason God had left him….what was it ?   (verses 16-18)

It was because of Saul’s disobedience in the matter of destroying the Amalekites…he thought he knew better than God.

 d. What is the future today for those who disobey God’s command to come to Him and be saved?  ( John 3:36; Romans 1:18-20)

They are under the wrath and anger of a holy God, and there is no hope for them if they die in their sins. Disbelief is making God a liar and thinking they know better than He does.

e. What did Saul think he saw? How did he react to the message he heard?   ( verses 14, 20)

Saul thought he saw Samuel as an old man, and when he heard what he had to say, he collapsed on the ground in shock.

f. What was the message he heard?   (verses 17-19;  ch 15:28-29.)

It was a message he already knew…that the kingdom would go to someone better than he, and that he and his sons would be killed in battle shortly.

g. Did this message make Saul feel any better? Does any good come out of playing with the occult today?    (verse 20; Deuteronomy 18:10-14)

If Saul was afraid before, he was terrified now! He had found out what he already knew in his heart and it did nothing for him except to make him a trembling mess. God has strictly forbidden people of all eras to have nothing to do with these things…they are utterly detestable to Him and knowing the future does no-one any good.

h.  What did the woman do for Saul now?  (verses 21-25)

She was upset at his condition (and her part in causing it!) and she insisted that he eat some food to build up his strength.

i. She was basically a good kind woman who had put her life on the line in granting Saul’s request….did this make her any better in God’s sight? Does being good and kind give us any better standing before God?   (Matthew 7:21-27; Romans 3:23)

No, because she was disobeying God’s command….it doesn’t matter how good we are, it is not enough to gain favour with God.

j. What is the criteria for God’s mercy?       (Matthew 7:23; Romans 10:9)

The main thing is, does God KNOW ME? We have to believe in the Lord Jesus Christ in our heart (not just in our head) and act upon this belief….telling someone that you do cements this belief into faith and action.

k.  John 3:16 tells us what God has done for us and how we can receive this eternal life….how is eternal life described?  (John 17:3)

Eternal life is described as KNOWING God the Father and Jesus Christ  who He sent. Knowing ABOUT them is not enough, if we know a person, then they too know us! To know a person is to talk with and fellowship with them…friendship is always a two-way thing.

1 Samuel Twenty-nine and Thirty,  

1. Twenty-nine, verses 1-11

a. David was prepared to go to battle with Achish against Israel and protect his friend….how did the Lord keep David from fighting against his own people?    (verses 3-5)

Achish’s princes and officers would have none of it…they didn’t trust David enough to think that he might not turn against them.

b. What did Achish have to tell David ?  (verses 6-7, 9-10)

Sorry mate, you’ll have to go home! I trust you, but no-one else does!

 c. David wondered what the problem was…what was it? Shouldn’t common-sense have told David this?   (verse 8)

He had been a good servant to Achish and Achish felt he could trust him, BUT the princes felt differently. David was living in enemy territory and common-sense should have told him he had no business going to fight against his own people….he should have stayed out of the enemy’s business.

 d. What can we learn from this? Can a Christian really fight the world’s battles using the world’s weapons (e.g. in counselling without using the Scriptures or Christian principles)?  ( Ephesians 6:10-18)

We cannot get answers to problems without taking it to the Lord first; He will show us what to do or bring others across our paths to help our problems in His ways. We need faith and His truth and honesty in our dealings as well as His Word in fighting against the powers of darkness and evil.

2. Thirty, verses 1-10

a. When David returned to Ziklag where he  and his men and their families were living, what did he find?    (verses 1-3)

He had expected the Amalekites to trust him, and found that he couldn’t trust them….no wonder they didn’t want him in their army! They had come in from the south and  attacked his home town, burned it down and taken all the women and children captive.

b. What circumstances did David find himself in ?  (verse 3)

There was nothing left, it was all gone!

 c. What do we see about David’s feelings?   (verses 4, 6)

He was greatly distressed and wept until he could weep no more, but he encouraged himself in the Lord his God.

 d. How would he have done this? How can we encourage ourselves in the Lord in times of trial and trouble?  ( Psalm 42:3-11; 62:5-8)

David concentrated on praising God for His power, salvation and ability to deliver. We can encourage ourselves by concentrating of God and His person, His characteristics and being thankful for the things we DO have which can never be taken away from us, rather than thinking of our circumstances, fears and losses.

e. What was David’s next step?   ( verses 7-10)

He went to the Lord for guidance and then put it into action, doing his best to rectify the situation

f. What steps can we take when we are real trouble?   ( Philippians 4:6-7)

We are tell the Lord all about it, then go to experts in whatever field we need to (medical, financial, legal), then make our moves and trust in the Lord and be thankful for the outcome BEFORE it comes to experience God’s peace.

3. Thirty, verses  11-31

a. Who did David’s men find who was able to help them?    (verses 11-13)

They found a young Egyptian guy nearly at the point of death, a most unlikely one to help..

b. How was he able to help them ?  (verse 13-15)

Once they had fed him and he revived, he was able to tell them what had happened and to lead them to where the enemy was.

 c. What lesson is there in this for us?   (

Never to discount any help that is available at all…sometimes help comes from the most unlikely source when we commit our problem to the Lord.

 d. What was the enemy doing when David caught up with them?  ( verse 16)

They were relaxing and feasting congratulating themselves on their victory  and what they had gained.

e. What did David do while the enemy’s guard was down?   ( verses 17-20)

Because they weren’t on guard and were slack and drunk,  David was able to recover all that they had taken and more besides with all the herds and flocks.

f. Remembering that the Amalekites are a picture of the old nature and the flesh, what is the parallel here for us?   ( Galatians 5:16-25)

We are to crucify the flesh, and not allow it to get the upper hand in our lives, but are to walk in the Spirit so these things will not  be able to control us. If we get slack in the things of God, then the flesh will take over!

g. We see that David’s attack was completely successful….what encouragement can we take from this?    (verses 23-25; Job 13:15a, 16a)

David was able to pass on to others what he had gained from his experience, and we will be able to do this too. Even if  our circumstances don’t change, at least our attitude can. Job said that even if the worst came to pass,  he would continue to trust in God and that his salvation would be secure.

h.  What bad attitude did David’s men have?  (verse 22)

They were selfish and unwilling to share their booty with those who were disadvantaged.

i. What did David do about this? How should we behave?   (verses 23-25; Romans 12:19-21)

He shared it all out equally, and we are not to repay evil with evil.

j. What was David actually doing when he sent off these presents of animal to his friends round about him?       (verses 26-31)

He was actually paying off his debt for the food they had provided when he was on the run….six hundred men plus their wives and children would take a lot of feeding!

1 Samuel  Thirty-one, (1-13)  

1. Verses 1-13

a. What was happening to Saul and his men while David was salvaging his personal belongings ?    (verses 1-3)

The Philistines were chasing hard behind him and his men and killed his three sons (including Jonathan) and then wounded him.

b. No-one could ever say that David engineered Saul’s death….what had David’s attitude to Saul always been ?  (ch 26:9-11)

David always respected Saul as the Lord’s annointed king….he refused to put his hand against him, preferring to wait for God’s time.

 c. What does this teach us?   (Romans 12:19)

That God will see to it  that His purposes will work out if we will only wait for His timing.

 d. What were the actual circumstances of Saul’s death?  ( verses 3-6)

When he saw that he was seriously wounded with an arrow, he wanted his armour bearer to finish him off before the Philistines arrived to do it. His armour bearer refused to do it so Saul did it himself with his own sword.

e. What did the Philistines do with the bodies of Saul and his sons?   ( verses 8-10)

They cut Saul’s head off, stripped the armour off  and sent it all around the country to gloat over. Then they strung the bodies up in public view on a wall in Bethshan.

f. What happened to the people of Israel who were fighting?   ( verse 7)

They completely left that area and territory, and the Philistines moved in and took over the land and towns.

g. What was the contrast between the actions of the Philistines and the men of Jabesh-Gilead? What can we see in this?   (1 Chronicles 10:11-12)

The Philistines were cruel and unmerciful, even to dead bodies, whereas the men of Jabesh-gilead showed respect and did the best they could for the remains. Those who are controlled by the flesh give way to actions of revenge and bestiality whereas those who follow the Lord do not behave in this way. The Lord gives His people different behaviour patterns and different attitudes.

h. What are we as believers told to do our fleshly (old) nature?   (Romans 8:5-13; Galatians 5:16-25)

We are to crucify it and not give way to it….the more  we do what the Spirit of God shows us, the less control the flesh has over our actions and attitudes.