1st Samuel

Book Written:  During the reigns of David and Solomon from 1000 B.C. to 930 B.C.;  written by court scribes

Time Period/Setting:  The one hundred years from 1070 to 970 B.C. so a transition between the time of Judges and the establishment of the kingdom of Israel;  Samuel evenutally becomes one of Israel's judges and will appoint first Saul and then David as kings 

Title:  Two of my study guides make the point that although this book of the Bible is largely about earthly kings, Saul and David, the book takes the name of the prophet Samuel who appoints them. 

In fact, my study Bibles notes that once the Israelites insist on an earthly king, the role of the prophet in the life of Israel changes.  "With the advent of kingship, the role of the prophet in the new age is defined as twofold: the prophet will be an intercessor between Israel and the Lord and an advocate of morality and justice."  See Chapter 12.

The story begins with another barren wife (Hannah), another rivalry between wives (Hannah vs. Peninnah, wives of Elkanah) and another mother who "sacrifices" her only son (Hannah, Samuel).  Hannah explains that for as long Samuel will live, she lends her son to the Lord.

The first book of Samuel gives one of those accounts of God's anger with his disobedient flock that depict the Lord as quick to anger and slow to forgive, just the opposite of how we are to understand him.   Much as He says in Genesis that he's sorry that he made us, he tells Samuel, "I regret that I made Saul king, for he has turned back from following me, and has not carried out my commands (15,10-11)."  An act of disobedience on the part of Saul prevents him from ruling over Israel forever. He's punished.  It's that simple I suppose though it 's a little hard to accept. The matter of obeying God is serious and seems eminently non-negotiable in the Old Testament.  When you're bad, you're bad.  When you're good, well, at least that's better.

In Chapter 9, Samuel travels to Saul's home country to anoint him as king of Israel.  As HC mentions, the account reads  like a fairy tale which, ironically, I find, makes the whole account of Samuel seeking out Saul more believable (didn't C.S. Lewis write about that, myths and reality, etc.):  Saul goes looking for his father's missing donkeys and finds a kingship besides (the donkeys do turn up).   And, looking at the New Testament as an extension of the Old Testament and the Old as a prefiguring of all that is to happen later (allegory or typology according to the Catechism 117.1), Saul, a soon-to-be king of Israel meeting up with a prophet at the well (1 Samuel 9,11-12) is a sign or type of Christ's kingdom and the living water that Christ will bring (John 4, 1-40).  Saul joins Isaac and Jacob as such a sign or type.  Abraham's servant encounters Isaac's future bride Rebekah at the well (Genesis 24, 15-21) as Isaac will assume the role of patriarch.  Jacob meets Rachel at the well (Genesis 29, 9-12) and Jacob will soon be the earthly king of the Hebrew kingdom that will soon follow.  

In Chapter 16, we meet up with Ruth and Boaz's grandson, Jesse, father of their great grandson, David.  David eventually marries Saul's daughter, Michal, but the intrigue and enmity between Saul and his son-in-law and daughter has none of the devotion and charity that Ruth had toward her in-laws or that Ruth and Boaz demonstrated to one another in their marriage.