1 and 2 Samuel: The Rise of Kingship
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Lesson OneOverview of 1 and 2 Samuel (1 Samuel 1–3, 8)19 Activities|1 Assessment
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Getting Started
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Lesson Text: 1 Samuel 1–3, 8
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In | Workbook: Hannah and Elizabeth, Part 1
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In | Workbook: Hannah and Elizabeth, Part 2
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In | Overview
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In | Monarchy in the Torah and 1 and 2 Samuel, Part 1
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In | Workbook: Monarchy in the Torah and 1 and 2 Samuel
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In | Monarchy in the Torah and 1 and 2 Samuel, Part 2
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In | The Slow Emergence of Monarchy
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In | Prayer of Hannah and Song of David
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In | Tragedy and Comedy
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In | The Sons of David
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In | Kingship
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Behind | The Philistine Threat
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Behind | Onsite: Failed Leadership in Israel
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In Front | The Real King of Israel
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In Front | Workbook: Prayer of Hannah and Song of Mary
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In Front | Workbook: Our Expectations and God’s Hopes
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Wrap-Up
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Getting Started
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Lesson TwoSamuel and Kingship (1 Samuel 4–12)24 Activities|1 Assessment
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Getting Started
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Lesson Text: 1 Samuel 4–12
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In | Workbook: The Corruption of Priests
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In | The Death of Eli’s Sons
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In | Workbook: Deaths of the Sons of Eli and Saul
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In | Deaths of the Sons of Eli and Saul
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In | The Ark’s Journey
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In | Mapping the Ark’s Journey, Part 1
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In | Request for a King
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In | Workbook: The Price of Kingship, Part 1
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In | Workbook: The Price of Kingship, Part 2
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In | Workbook: Monarchy in 1 Samuel
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In | Final Thoughts In the Text
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Behind | Ancient Near Eastern Kingship
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Behind | The Question of Sources for 1 and 2 Samuel
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Behind | Superstition, Magic and the Ark of YHWH: Dr. Catherine McDowell
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Behind | Onsite: Ashkelon - One of the Five Mighty Philistine Cities
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Behind | God in a Box
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Behind | Gods and Ritual Objects, Part 1
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Behind | Workbook: Gods and Ritual Objects
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Behind | Gods and Ritual Objects, Part 2
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In Front | Father and Sons
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In Front | Workbook: God in a Box, Revisited
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Wrap-Up
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Getting Started
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Lesson ThreeSaul’s Demise (1 Samuel 13–19, 28–31)25 Activities
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Getting Started
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Lesson Text: 1 Samuel 13–19, 28–31
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In | The Spirit of God and Saul, Part 1
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In | Workbook: The Spirit of God and Saul
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In | The Spirit of God and Saul, Part 2
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In | Saul’s Call
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In | The Judges and Saul
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In | Workbook: Saul’s Fatal Errors
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In | Saul's Failure
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In | David and Jonathan
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In | Death and Doom in Samuel
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In | Workbook: The Death of Saul
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In | The Death of Saul
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In | Body Parts in the Mail
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In | Workbook: An Echo from Judges
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In | An Echo from Judges
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Behind | The Tribe of Benjamin
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Behind | Philistines vs. Israelites
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Behind | Onsite: Father and Son at Michmash
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Behind | International Territory
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In Front | Workbook: Reading Paul in the Time of Saul
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In Front | Reading Paul in the Time of Saul
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In Front | Two Ways of Facing “Competition”
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In Front | Workbook: Playing a Supporting Role
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Wrap-Up
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Getting Started
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Lesson FourDavid’s Rise (1 Samuel 16–27, 29–30)26 Activities|1 Assessment
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Getting Started
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Lesson Text: 1 Samuel 16–27, 29–30
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In | Workbook: Looks and Appearances
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In | Looks and Appearances
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In | What’s in a Number?
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In | Workbook: What’s in a Number?
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In | Workbook: David’s Two Introductions
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In | Respecting the Lord’s Anointed
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In | Narrative Lament
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In | Shame to Exoneration
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In | A Covenant Pattern
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In | Comedies and Tragedies
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Behind | David and the Philistines
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Behind | The Valley of Elah
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Behind | 360 View: Valley of Elah
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Behind | Onsite: Families, Flocks and Fields - Understanding David’s World
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Behind | Onsite: From Ruth to David to Jesus - In Bethlehem’s Shepherd’s Fields
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Behind | Onsite: David's Detour from Royalty - Exploring the Caves of Adullam
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Behind | The Wise Woman, Abigail: Dr. Carol Meyers
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In Front | A Tension of Strategy and Miracle
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In Front | Taking a Risk on God's Name
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In Front | The Exoneration of William Wilberforce
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In Front | Workbook: The Exoneration of William Wilberforce
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In Front | Workbook: Taking a Risk on God’s Name
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In Front | “Cave of Adullam” by Sara Groves
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Wrap-Up
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Getting Started
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Lesson FiveDavid's Reign (2 Samuel)23 Activities|1 Assessment
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Getting Started
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Lesson Text: 2 Samuel
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In | David’s Power Consolidated
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In | Workbook: David’s Power Consolidated
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In | A Defense of David’s Legitimacy in 1 and 2 Samuel, Part 2
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In | Workbook: What’s in a Name?
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In | What’s in a Name?
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In | David's Fall
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In | Family Trouble
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In | Workbook: Joab’s Story
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In | Joab’s Story
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In | The Census
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In | David and Jesus
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Behind | Onsite: Taking the City of Jerusalem - Joining Joab Inside the Canaanite Tunnels
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Behind | Onsite: Jerusalem - An Orientation: Archaeologist Dr. Gabriel Barkay
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Behind | Onsite: David’s Palace and Neighborhood - Archaeologist Dr. Gabriel Barkay
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Behind | Jerusalem: City of David
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Behind | David’s Reign: A Hermeneutic of Suspicion
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Behind | David’s Story and Ancient Propaganda
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In Front | Prerogatives and Pretense
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In Front | The Adulteries of King David and a U.S. President
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In Front | Workbook: Guiding Questions - 1 and 2 Samuel
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Wrap-Up
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Getting Started
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Course Wrap-UpCourse Completion1 Activity|1 Assessment
Participants 13
In | Workbook: What’s in a Name?
Grab your Workbook Journal!
[Record your answers in the workbook provided at the beginning of this course.]
When her husband Nabal refuses to help David in 1 Samuel 25, Abigail intercedes. Bowing before David, she criticizes Nabal openly:
Please do not let my lord pay attention to this worthless man, Nabal, for as his name is, so is he. Nabal is his name and folly is with him; but I your maidservant did not see the young men of my lord whom you sent.
1 Samuel 25:25 (NASB)
Abigail associates her criticism of Nabal with his name, “for as his name is, so is he.” Nabal is a variation on nebalah, the Hebrew word for folly. Abigail identifies it with the character of her husband. As it appears in translation, the connection between “folly” and “Nabal” is not so obvious, but to the Bible’s original audience the connection would have been.
Now the sons of Jacob came in from the field when they heard (about the rape of Dinah); and the men were grieved, and they were very angry because he had done a disgraceful thing in Israel by lying with Jacob’s daughter, for such a thing ought not to be done.
Genesis 34:7 (NASB)
Then they shall bring out the girl to the doorway of her father’s house, and the men of her city shall stone her to death because she has committed an act of folly in Israel by playing the harlot in her father’s house; thus you shall purge the evil from among you.
Deuteronomy 22:21 (NASB)
(Re: Amnon’s rape of Tamar) But she answered him, “No, my brother, do not violate me, for such a thing is not done in Israel; do not do this disgraceful thing!
2 Samuel 13:12 (NASB)
- After reading the passages above, with the English for nebalah highlighted in bold, offer a brief description of Abigail’s reference to Nabal’s character: