These chapters of 1 Samuel move rapidly from jubilation to humiliation. Saul went from following the direction of the Spirit to being dominated by selfish ambition. Though Israel’s choice of…
Category: <span>Old Testament</span>
These chapters recall themes established in the initial scenes of 1 Samuel: the relationship between the ark of the covenant and the Lord’s presence and concerns about who would provide…
The concluding scenes of the book of Judges emphasize the void of godly leadership in Israel. The first four chapters of 1 Samuel set out an initial solution. The Lord…
The book of Ruth has long been one of the most beloved short stories of the Church. Its literary features include parallelism, poetry, and vivid characterization. The book of Ruth,…
Often writers wish to save their most telling ideas for the end of their composition. The author of Judges seems to have followed suit. Judges 19-21 reveals that while Israel…
The author of Judges was not content to blandly state the waywardness of God’s people. He arranged his material in such a way as to display the degree of shameful…
After the Lord submitted Israel to the will of the Philistines for forty years, He raised up Samson to deliver His people. Samson’s leadership points to the fact that God’s…
Judges 9-12 records some of the most disturbing scenes in the Old Testament. The leadership of Abimelech and Jephthah, which was founded on love of power and bargaining with God,…
God allowed Israel’s enemies to dominate them. When they cried out to God for deliverance, He sent judges to deliver them from oppression. The record of Gideon’s leadership in Judges…
1 Samuel 15-16
While the early days of Saul’s reign were effective, after the Israelites grew cowardly and deserted before the Philistines, the king took matters into his own hands. He could no…
1 Samuel with Select Psalms and Proverbs Commentary Old Testament