1 Samuel 16:7 tells us what is important to God: where our heart is. That is, when God is looking to use someone, He is looking for a completely devoted heart toward Him. The external things, like power, position, and abilities, are not nearly as useful to Him. Instead, God takes the not-so-impressive people of the world to accomplish His purposes on earth. When He does, He gets the glory because it is obvious that their accomplishments not of their own power or skill. David’s defeat of Goliath is a demonstration of that. Yes, God delights to take the lowly or undervalued of the world. I, for one, am thankful that He does.

1 Samuel 8 is a lesson in learning to accept God’s will.  Here is an outline:

I.    To accept God’s will, we must learn to  be patient and content (vv. 1-5)

II.   To accept God’s will, we must learn to talk to Him before making a decision, and then obey His Word (vv. 6-10)

III.  To accept God’s will, we should count the cost of rejecting His will (vv. 11-22)

In reading this passage, I am struck with the truth that sometimes God gives us what we ask for, even when it is outside His perfect will and our best interest. Be careful what you ask for, you just might get it!

Below are some of my teaching materials for this section of 1 Samuel.

Some basic info for 1-2 Samuel 

 Time period: 1105 BC – 975 BC

 Role in Israel’s history: transitional period from theocracy to monarchy

 Key people: Samuel (1 Sam 1-8), Saul (1 Sam 9-31[ 16-30]), and David (2 Samuel)

 Key phrases: 1 Sam 15:22 – “to obey is better than sacrifice”; 1 Sam 16:7 – “Man looks on the outward                  appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart”

God’s Power through His Faithful Followers (1 Samuel 1:1─2:11)

I.  The Sorrow of the Powerless but Faithful (1:1-16)

II.  The Reward of the Powerless but Faithful (1:17-20)

III.  The Evidence of the Powerless but Faithful (1:21-28; 2:11)

IV.  The Celebration of the Powerless but Faithful (2:1-10; 1 Cor 1:26-29)

Honor Bound Believers (1 Samuel 2:12-36)

I. God’s “honor system”: our responsibility to honor, not dishonor God

A. Dishonoring God: contempt and disregard for the Lord

1. We dishonor God when we disregard His commands (vv. 13-14)

2. We dishonor God when we are disobedient managers of God’s property (vv. 15-17)

3. We dishonor God when we dishonor God’s people (v. 16)

 B. Honoring God: a way of life

 1. We honor God by serving God (v. 18)

 2. We honor God by remaining faithful (vv. 26, 35)

II. God’s “honorable discharge”: avoiding His cursing, experiencing His blessing

A. Receiving a dishonorable discharge in life: experiencing God’s cursing

1. We may experience dishonor through shaming our reputation and God’s (vv. 22-24)

2. We may experience dishonor through consequences upon our progeny (vv. 31-33, 36)

3. We may experience dishonor through personal pain (vv. 32a, 34)

B. Receiving an honorable discharge in life: experiencing God’s blessing

1. We will be allowed the privileged experience of serving God (v. 18)

2. We will experience God’s favor (vv. 21b, 26b)

3. We will experience honor among men (v. 26a)

Being People of the Word (1 Samuel 3:1─4:1)

I.  People of the Word Comprehend the Word (3:1-9a)

A.  Comprehend the Word for the people’s sake (1)

B.  Comprehend the Word by spending time in the presence of God (3)

II.  People of the Word Connect to the Word (3:9b-10)

A.  Connect to the Word by waiting on the God to speak his Word to you (9b)

B.  Connect to the Word by responding with submission (10)

III.  People of the Word Communicate the Word (3:11─4:1)

A.  Communicate the Word boldly (15-17)

B.  Communicate the Word fully (18)

C.  Communicate the Word accurately (19)

D.  Communicate the Word frequently (20-21)

E.  Communicate the Word generously (4:1)

Summary: Know it, soak it up, share it.

Though the book is called “Ruth,” it is a story about God and how He provides for His people. In Ruth, God provides His people with food, shelter, joy, and family –  including conception. Divine providence and sovereignty drive the emptiness-to-fullness theme that also forms the macro-structure of the book: God gave Naomi an empty life (1:20-21), then God gave Naomi a full life (4:13).

Concomitantly to the revealing of His providence, God’s hesed (“love”) is revealed also. The use of the word in Ruth demonstrates that hesed can be described as:

•             loyal or steadfast commitment
•             based on the Covenant
•             going beyond what is required by duty
•             something given independently of the worthiness of the recipient
•             action-oriented in nature

Ruth is a story of the triumph of joy over tragedy. It is a book about the ways of God in human life. God is involved in everyday life, though we may not see Him or His hand. The hiddenness of God (deus absconditus) is balanced by or seen in light of God’s presence. The book shows how God chooses to work through everyday faithfulness of His people.

It is also a book of prayers, where petitions to respond favorably to the faithfulness of people are made. There is prayer from Naomi concerning Orpah and Ruth (bis: 1:8-9; cf. 2:20 [3:3]; 3:1; 4:13), Boaz concerning Ruth (2:12; cf. 4:13), the people in the Gate concerning Ruth (4:11; cf. v. 13), and concerning Boaz (bis: 4:11; cf. vv. 31-32/ 4:12; cf. vv. 18-22). There are also petitions for blessings on faithful people: Boaz for the reapers (2:4), the reapers for Boaz (2:4), Naomi concerning Boaz (bis: 2:19; cf. 4:18/ 2:20; cf. 4:11), and Boaz for Ruth (3:10; cf. 4:13).

Samson’s life is a lesson in self-control and consecration. It seems that Samuel could not control his passions. Rather, his anger and sexual desires seemed to control him. He became an example of a proverb: ”A man without self-control is like a city broken into and left without walls” (Proverbs 25:28, ESV). The result of such a highly vulnerable state for him was sad and disastrous. That need not be the case with God’s people. For when we yield to the Spirit of God and keep in step with Him, He produces self-control in us (Galatians 5:16, 23-25).  In context, self-control is actually Spirit-control, and that is the kind of self-control that will lead to success. Samson’s lifestyle was like many “macho” guys today. Such men think that toughness and strength is found in pursuing and acting on their desires. But actually self-control is a greater display of strength than the mighty deeds of a warrior (see Prov 16:32). Strong men have their desires under control – God’s control!

As for consecration, God chooses to empower and bless us when we are dedicated to Him and His plan. The good news is that even when we fail Him, He will use us for His purposes.

That the prophet was unnamed (6:8) speaks of the importance of the Message and how unimportant is the messenger. Whether we preach or share God’s Word one-on-one, it is the Message that is important.

At some point something clicked and Gideon went from timid to bold. But Gideon still lacked faith (6:13).  Gideon blamed God for Israel’s present crisis rather than accepting the responsibility. Gideon and his people needed to be reconsecrated to the Lord (6:10).

Gideon’s fleece test for God represented his lack of faith, not an acceptable method for discerning the will of God. The fact that God often answers our prayers, sometimes with great specificity, serves as a a “sign” of His faithfulness, sometimes His will, and always His interest and detailed involvement in our lives (see, e.g., Ps 86:17). But God’s Word, as in Gideon’s case, often has given us clear direction. More often that not, God is just waiting for people to act on what He has already commanded, promised, etc.

Before Judge Judy there was Judge Deborah! It would be great to have a prophet/ess for a judge today. Deborah was a judge, prophetess, community leader, and military commander. Deborah and Jael were some strong women.

By their idolatry, Israel did not adhere to their covenant obligations. As a result, God did not fulfill all His covenant promises for Israel, specifically full possession of the land. Some of the promises of God are unconditional, some, as here, are conditional (or at least some of its features).

The lesson?: Defeat and pain are the consequences of continued disobedience.