First let's get something clear about erroneous notions of Paul and his founding a new religion, which he didn't. True, the halakhah of his Judaism switched from the Pharisaic oral law to the Ruach Hakodesh, but his religion was still one of the Judaisms of the time, not a new non-Judaism Gentile religion.

SHMUEL ALEF (I SAMUEL)

This two-part work begins with the pollution of the religious

worship by Eli's apostate sons who were kohanim during the time

when the great prophet Shmuel (born ca. 1105 B.C.E.) was a child.

The two-part work ends with a foreshadowing of the purified Beis

Hamikdash worship which was the vision aof Moshiach of King Dovid

(died ca. 970 B.C.E.). A subtle indication of this is the linen

ephod (ephor) worn both by little Shmuel (1 Sm. 2:18) and many

years later by King Dovid (II Sm. 6:l4). The ephod of the Kohen

Gadol was an apron-like garment with an ornamented vest

containing the Urim and Thummim used to determine the will of G-d

(sacred lots that were cast to determine whether to go to war,

etc).

The kehunah (priesthood) we see being purified as the story of

I-II Shmuel unfolds looks forward to the perfect Moshiach-Kohen

who is coming (Ps. 110:4). A man of G-d comes to Eli and

prophesies to him about the kehunah (priesthood) of his ancestor

Aaron (see I Sm. 2:27f). Eli is told that he and his sons will

be replaced by another Aaronic family, which turns out to be the

family of Zadok. Eli's branch of the kehunah will be broken off

and "I will raise up for myself an "ne'eman (faithful) kohen"

(2:35), says the L-rd. Zadok and his sons will replace Eli and

his sons, just as Dovid the king after G-d's own heart will

replace Saul the unfaithful monarch and will take his crown (I

Sm. 28:17; Rev. 3:11). Yehoshua/Moshiach Yehoshua finally and

completely fulfills 2:35 through Psalm 110:4 and Zechariah 3:8

and Isaiah 53:10 (although Zadok was the immediate fulfillment).

One of the reasons King Saul angered G-d is because he usurped

the role of kohen (I Sm. 13:8-15), thus showing his lack of

respect for G-d's holy kehunah and for the king's covenant

obligation to keep the Law (see Deut. 17:11-20). When he

attacked and caused the death of the kohanim at Nob, that was the

last straw, though he had already been condemned for rebelliously

disobeying G-d in regard to the Amalakites (15:1-35; see Ex.

17:8-16; Deut. 25:17-19). The only kohen to survive the massacre

at Nob was Ahimelech's son Abiathar, who, because he later

supported David's son Adonijab instead of Solomon as David's heir

to the throne, was finally banished, leaving the Aaronic

kehunah to Zadok and his sons. Since Ahimelech and Abiathar are

descendents of Eli, we read the story of I-II Shmuel knowing

there is a curse on them and that their branch of the Aaronic

family tree will eventually lose the kehunah.

Eli should have feared G-d enough not to eat and drink judgment

on himself, especially in view of his unholy sons who were

kohanim (see Lev. 10:1,2,16-20). The backdrop of Eli's decadent

kehunah is the ominous military threat of the Philistines, who

are on the brink of subjugating the whole land and are already in

some sense holding sway (13:19-22), in spite of Shmuel's best

efforts (7:2-17). The sinful people discover that the ark will

not work as a good-luck charm or a magical weapon. Without

repentance and obedient holiness, Israel will be defeated, as

Samson found out in his own experience with the Philistines. But

the Philistine g-d Dagon cannot stand in the presence of the ark;

rather, it falls in broken obeisance. This means that if the

people of G-d through their sin lose the power of G-d, that does

not mean that G-d has lost his power. G-d is the true king of

Israel, and the people need to beware of the tyrannical

exploitation they may be asking for when they act like other

nations and demand a king. It turns out that King Saul, lacking

covenant loyalty to the Word of G-d, falls short of the

theocratic ideal, and his life becomes a foil against which to

view the description of the Moshiach in II Sm. 7:12-17, "But I

will not take my steadfast love from him (Dovid's Son, the

Moshiach), as I took it from Saul, whom I put away from before

you (Dovid)."

In I Sm. 17 we see the killing by the youth Dovid of the

Philistine champion Goliath (10 feet tall and weighing in with a

150 lb. coat and a 19 lb. spear head) and thereafter the

beginning of Saul's jealousy and eventual unraveling (18:7-8).

Later Saul tries to kill David, but G-d puts a wonderful

brotherly love for Dovid in the heart of Saul's son Jonathan, who

rescues Dovid from Saul's murderous wrath and seems to know quite

unselfishly that Dovid and not he will inherit the throne

(20:13-15). David's wife Michal, Saul's younger daughter, also

helps Dovid escape (19:11-17). In the Philistine city of Gath

Dovid has to use his wits to save himself, pretending to be mad.

The Philistine king Achish later makes Dovid his mercenary and

gives him the village of Ziglag (though as his mercenary Dovid

outwits him and destroys non-Israelite villages in a holy war

rather than his own Jewish people). In any event, Achish is

convinced enough by Dovid's acting to let him do whatever he

wants (see 21:10-15) except fight side by side with the

Philistine (29:3-11), something Dovid doesn't want to do anyway,

especially against his own people. Up to this point Dovid with

his own private army seems to act like a sort of Jewish Robin

Hood, even hiring himself out as a private police force. When a

wealthy sheep owner Nabal (naval = "fool") rejects Dovid's help

and thereby proves himself a true "fool," his death opens the

door for his widow to become Dovid's wife. This woman, Abigail,

is carried off from Ziklag by Amalekites (30:2) along with "the

women and all who were in it" (it = Ziklag). In a foreshadow of

the coming rejected Moshiach, Dovid is almost stoned by his own

people, very much like Moses (Ex. 17:4; I Sm. 30:6), both of them

being the rejected "servant of the Lord" (Deut. 34:5; I Sm.

25:39; Isa. 53:11). Chapter 8:8 shows that G-d is a rejected G-d;

therefore, we should not be surprised that the Moshiach is a

rejected Moshiach (Isaiah 53). But notice that when Dovid the

King is rejected by the Jewish people, he is accepted by the

Gentiles, the Philistines (see Acts 28:28)! Then, after that,

the Jewish people accept him and crown him king,as we shall see

in II Shmuel. At the end of I Shmuel, signalling that the people

of Israel once again have no king and need Dovid their King to be

their deliverer, a horrible picture comes into view: Saul and

Jonathan and all Saul's sons are killed in battle by the

Philistines at Mount Gilboa.

The second chapter contains ominous warnings against those who

are dabbling in religion and have not had the new creation

experience of the new birth. What happens to the judge and kohen

Eli's materialistic and hedonistic minister sons happens to

Goliath and to Saul: G-d becomes their enemy! What a fearful

thing! Look at how the Eli kohen's household was replaced,

indeed how the Shiloh mishkan itself was replaced (Jeremiah 7:12,

14). Shiloh was destroyed by the Philistines and replaced as a

religious center by Gilgal in the Jordan Valley near Jericho.

The Jerusalem Beis Hamikdash itself became the replacement during

Shlomo's reign.

But the most poignant part of the early section in I Shmuel is

the story of Hannah and Shmuel. How important a mother is! Look

at the dividends received from making sure a child has good

training in the faith. Shmuel was the greatest man of his time,

but it was only because he had a great mother! If you can read

this section without tears in your eyes, there is something wrong

with your reading. Samuel was the last of the judges and a great

prophet, a Levite (I Chr. 6:26) who lived in Ramah in the

territory of Ephraim. Chapter 9:17 shows us a word of knowledge

in operation along with Samuel's prophetic gifts (I Cor. 12:8; I

Sm. 3:11-14; 9:16; 10:1-7). Notice that Ramah was his

headquarters but he had an annual preaching mission (I Sm. 7:16)

to various cities. He was rejected by the elders who wanted a

king (I Sm. 8:7). But no set-back ever stopped him from pushing

ahead for the L-rd. He was a man of prayer (I Sm. 12:23). He set

many things in order (I Chr. 9:17-26) in the House of the L-rd.

He left a valuable heritage in his writings (see I Chr. 29:29;

I Sm. 10:25). He organized an unforgettable Pesach (II Chr.

35:18). When he kisses (nashak) the anointed King (I Sm. 10:1),

he is acting out a Messianic prophecy (see Ps. 2:12). Notice

that the ruler Nagid (I Sm. 10:1), the coming Moshiach, is called

G-d's King, G-d's Anointed one Moshiach (see I Sm. 2:10; 10:1;

12:3,5; 16:6; 24:6; 26:9). See the doctrine of the resurrection

in I Sm. 2:6. The institution of the king came into being to

protect the people from their enemies. Since the greatest enemy

of man is death, this is the connection between the King Moshiach

and the resurrection of the dead (see I Sm. 10:1). Notice in

Hag. 2:5 it says, "the desired (Chemdat) of all nations will

come. This is a Messianic reference to I Sm. 9:20, "on whom is

all Israel's desire chemdat fixed, if not on you?" Micah 5:2, a

Messianic prophecy, may have come to Micah as he was meditating

on I Sm. 16:1, where G-d says to Samuel, "I will send you to

Jesse the Bethiehemite, for I have provided for myself a king

among his sons.

Notice chapter 3:7 shows that the living Word of G-d, the

Moshiach, must reveal himself to us and give us a new heart and a

new spirit or we have no knowledge of G-d. We must have "the

Word of G-d revealed" to us through a "spirit of wisdom and

illumination" (Eph. 1:17) or we may remain as ignorant of the

Bible as Eli's sons.

See I Sm. 6:4,l4, where the Word of the Covenant (in the Ark)

with the guilt (asham) offerings (Isaiah 53:10) returns to the

field of Moshiach Yehoshua. See Lev. 5:14-6:7; 7:1-6; 16:14-17;

Isaiah 52:15; Yochanan 6:53 on blood sacrifices and the Word.

Chapter 8:3 has Samuel repeating Eli's sin as nepotism

degenerates into second generation nominalism.

A minister must stay small in his own eyes (15:17) unless he

wants to be replaced. There is always a Dovid waiting to replace

you if you become a proud Saul.

When you go into the ministry, don't imitate anyone else. Find

what you do best and do that for the L-rd (17:39).

Look at 23:2-3. Israel's military strength is still a testimony

to the strength of G-d, even today.

But 20:31 shows the folly of building your own kingdom.

Chapter 21:4 points to the Dovidic kohenhood of the King

Moshiach, for only kohanim could eat this bread (see Psalm 110

and Zechariah 3:8). Only the nation of priests mamlechet kohanim

(Ex. 19:6; Rev. 1:6) of the Brit Chadasha can eat the bread that

Moshiach Yehoshua offers (Yochanan 6:53; Heb. 13:10).

Look at chapter 23:2 again. Do you inquire in the Word of the

L-rd every day about the day's proceedings and decisions? If you

do, your victories will increase.

Strongholds of En Gedi" (23:29) means in accessible places. Do

you have them? Have you learned to hide in the L-rd from Saul

and HaSatan? We need periods of quiet and rest every day in our

quiet time and daily devotions.

Look at chapter 24:6. Unlike Saul, Dovid would not allow himself

to become jealous of another minister or to attack (in envy) a

fellow minister. David feared the L-rd too much for that. Do

you?

Chapter 28 has an important lesson: after you expel sinners from

your place of authority or kingdom, make sure you don't get

carnal and go back and consult with them (see also Psalm 1).

Chapter 30:6 says to find your strength in the L-rd, not in how

well you are doing in relation to others or from the standpoint

of their expectations.

I Shmuel is an amazing character study of the tragedy of King

Saul. A slow breakdown in his character is carefully presented

to us as a warning. We too could become like him, jealous,

cracking under pressure, not obeying G-d with fearful care and

attention to detail, taking our eyes off G-d, laying down carnal

and arbitrary policies, getting out of step with the Spirit. If

we don't hate sin as much as G-d commands us to, He may lose

patience with us and replace us, if we abuse our privileges, G-d

doesn't want to be obeyed our way; He wants to be obeyed His way.

See chapter 15 and what happens if we rebel against this

teaching. Saul's personal Meribah/Massah experience took place

at Gilgal where his rebellion cost him his ministry (review I Sm.

13:8-l4; Ex. 17:l-7; Num. 20:1-13; Ps. 106:32; 95:8; Deut. 33:8;

Heb. 3:8), repeating in his kingly person the experience of the

children of Israel in the wilderness. Also he repeated the sins

Israel committed when she entered the Promised Land: Saul almost

caused the death of Jonathan (compare Jephthah's daughter Judg.

11:39 and I Sm. 14:28-30) and Saul committed the sin of Achan

(compare Josh. 7 and I Sm. 15:13-23).

Notice the importance of spiritual song in 16:14-23. Very often

in a service there is not enough liberty in the Spirit to preach

until, through singing, the demonic oppression in the room is

lifted (see I Sm. 18:10-12). I Sm. 16:17 says that the L-rd's

musician must be an artist who can play well.

The man of G-d is necessarily a refugee in a wicked and

G-d-hating world, but G-d gives Dovid favor and guides his steps

to safety. See chapter 19. In chapter 22 we see the wickedness

of Saul, who has no respect for G-d's ministers. This is called

anticlericalism. Increasingly the world is filling up with Sauls

and preparing for the Great Tribulation when the Brit Chadasha

kehillah will be under a final massive assault of

anticlericalism. See 23:14.

Notice the connection of the Spirit of G-d with the new birth--

I Sm. 10:6. Notice that when Dovid seemingly lost everything at

Ziklag, he "strenghened himself in the L-rd his G-d" (30:6).

I SHMUEL 3:7

Now Shmuel did not yet know the L-rd: The Word of the L-rd had

not yet been revealed to him.

I SHMUEL 10:6

And the Spirit of the L-rd will come upon thee, and thou shalt

prophesy with them, and shalt be changed into a different person.