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The Scriptorium

Transition

The period of judges enters the beginning of its end.

The Heart of God: Judges through 1 Samuel (5)

And beginning at Moses and all the Prophets, He expounded to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning Himself.
Luke 24.27

Read and meditate on 1 Samuel 1-3.
Here, near the end of the period of the judges, the people of Israel enter into a time of transition. God is moving His relationship with His people to a new stage, but only after they stumble during their first steps into monarchy.

For reflection
1.  Like the book of Ruth, 1 Samuel begins in a personal story of a faithful woman. From that story will emerge the next stage of God’s unfolding covenant relationship with Israel. From what you see in these chapters, how can you see each of the unifying threads of Scripture?

2.  In what ways do God’s dealings with Hannah remind us of previous periods in God’s covenant? Would this have mattered to the first readers of 1 Samuel? Why?

3.  In her song (1 Sam. 2.1-10), Hannah seems acutely aware of various stages of God’s covenant with His people. How is she encouraged by this awareness? How aware does she seem to be of the unifying threads of revelation? How can you see that Hannah is able even to glimpse ahead in the development of God’s covenant?

4.  God chose to bypass a priest in order to reveal His purposes to a child (1 Sam. 3). What does this suggest about the state of faith in Israel at this time? What does it suggest about those whom God chooses to use in furthering His covenant?

5.  Meditate on 1 Samuel 3.19-21. Given the kind of judges Israel had prior to Samuel, how should we be encouraged by what we see here? And why does the writer make a point to tell us that all Israel sensed something new was up?

Summary
The birth of Samuel represents the beginning of a turning point – out of the period of the judges into the monarchy. It’s both a step forward and a step up, since now, with Samuel appearing as a prophet, the Word of God resumes its proper status among the people of God. This is not, as we know, the final stage of God’s unfolding covenant, but it is a new stage while, at the same time, a return to a former stage, when the Word of God was prominent among His people. In what ways is Samuel a prophet like Moses?

Closing Prayer
O God, in the multitude of Your mercy,
Hear me in the truth of Your salvation.
Deliver me out of the mire,
And let me not sink;
Let me be delivered from those who hate me,
And out of the deep waters.
Let not the floodwater overflow me,
Nor let the deep swallow me up;
And let not the pit shut its mouth on me.
Hear me, O LORD, for Your lovingkindness is good;
Turn to me according to the multitude of Your tender mercies.
And do not hide Your face from Your servant,
For I am in trouble;
Hear me speedily.
Draw near to my soul, and redeem it;
Deliver me because of my enemies.

Psalm 69.13-18

T. M. Moore

Two books can help you gain a fuller understanding of the terrain we will be covering in this series. Kingdom Documentsprovides a concise overview of the primary teaching of the Old and New Testaments, and shows, through early Church creeds, how our forebears understand the primary teachings of God’s Word. (click here to order). I Will Be Your Goddevelops more fully the idea of God’s covenant and leads us to consider the practical implications of our covenant relationship with God (click here).

Visit The Ailbe Seminary, where our course,
Introduction to Biblical Theology, offers a parallel study of our theme in this series, using brief video presentations and the workbook God’s Covenant: An Introduction. All courses at The Ailbe Seminary are available without charge.

We are happy to be able to offer each week’s Scriptorium studies in a free weekly PDF, suitable for personal or group use. You can download all the studies in this series by clicking here. Please prayerfully consider sharing with The Fellowship of Ailbe through your giving. You can contribute to The Fellowship by clicking the Contribute button at the website or by sending your gift to The Fellowship of Ailbe, 19 Tyler Drive, Essex Junction, VT 05452.

Except as indicated, Scripture taken from the New King James Version. © Copyright 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

T.M. Moore

T. M. Moore is principal of The Fellowship of Ailbe, a spiritual fellowship in the Celtic Christian tradition. He and his wife, Susie, make their home in the Champlain Valley of Vermont.
Books by T. M. Moore

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