1 Samuel 8

1 Samuel 8

Chart from recommended resource Jensen's Survey of the OT - used by permission 1 Samuel Chart from Charles Swindoll TIMELINE OF THE BOOKS OF SAMUEL, KINGS & CHRONICLES 1107 1011 971 931 853 722 586 1 Samuel 2 Samuel 1 Kings 1 Kings 2 Kings 31 1-4 5-10 11-20 21-24 1-11 12-22 1-17 18-25 1 Chronicles 10 1 Chr 11-19 1 Chr 20-29 2 Chronicles 1-9 2 Chronicles 10-20 2 Chronicles 21-36 Legend: B.C. dates at top of timeline are approximate. Note that 931BC marks the division of the Kingdom into Southern Tribes (Judah and Benjamin) and Ten Northern Tribes. To avoid confusion be aware that after the division of the Kingdom in 931BC, the Southern Kingdom is most often designated in Scripture as "Judah" and the Northern Kingdom as "Israel." Finally, note that 1 Chronicles 1-9 is not identified on the timeline because these chapters are records of genealogy. The Ryrie Study Bible Map on Left ESV Global Study Bible, on right Jensen's Survey of the OT The Man Samuel in 1 Samuel 1-8 1 Samuel 8 1 Samuel 9 1 Samuel 10 1 Samuel 11 1 Samuel 12 A King Requested A King Chosen King Goes Forth The Kingdom Admonished People request a king Saul comes to Samuel Saul Anointed Saul’s call to arms Samuel’s call to commitment 1 Samuel 8:1 And it came about when Samuel was old that he appointed his sons judges over Israel. KJV 1 Samuel 8:1 And it came to pass, when Samuel was old, that he made his sons judges over Israel. NET 1 Samuel 8:1 In his old age Samuel appointed his sons as judges over Israel. CSB 1 Samuel 8:1 When Samuel grew old, he appointed his sons as judges over Israel. ESV 1 Samuel 8:1 When Samuel became old, he made his sons judges over Israel. NIV 1 Samuel 8:1 When Samuel grew old, he appointed his sons as judges for Israel. NLT 1 Samuel 8:1 As Samuel grew old, he appointed his sons to be judges over Israel. NRS 1 Samuel 8:1 When Samuel became old, he made his sons judges over Israel. RSV 1 Samuel 8:1 When Samuel became old, he made his sons judges over Israel. he appointed De 16:18,19 Jud 8:22,23 2Ch 19:5,6 Ne 7:2 1Ti 5:21 sons judges: Jdg 5:10 10:4 12:14 1 Samuel 8 Resources - Multiple Sermons and Commentaries Carl Laney's outline - (Borrow First and Second Samuel) ISRAEL’S DEMAND FOR A KING (1Sa 8:1–22) The Demand of the People (1Sa 8:1–9) The Price of Kingship (1Sa 8:10–18) The Decision of the People (1 Sa 8:19–20) The Sovereign Permissiveness of Yahweh (1 Sa 8:21–22) SAMUEL'S POOR JUDGMENT REGARDING SON'S If you look at the chart above, you will notice that 1 Samuel 8 marks the second major segment of this book, and a major turning point in the history of Israel, transitioning from judgeship to kingship. Heretofore Yahweh had been their King and it was He Who raised up judges to deliver them from their enemies. There is an overarching application we should not miss in chapter 8 that God Is Still In Control When I Make Poor Choices! Ponder this point somewhat obscured by the chapter break (chapter breaks should always force us to check the preceding context because they were not inspired!) - What had God done for Israel in chapter 7? Only defeat their powerful enemy the Philistines! And what had Samuel done to create a "memory jogger"? In 1Sa 7:12 "Then Samuel took a stone and set it between Mizpah and Shen, and named it Ebenezer, saying, “Thus far the LORD has helped us.”" What is sad about Israel in the OT (and this same malady afflicts all of God's people through the ages) is that they had a short memory. The seemed to have forgotten that it was God Who had gone to battle for them and given them the victory. Memory joggers are great, but only if we remember them! And it came about when Samuel was old - Recall in 1Sa 2:22 we read "Eli was very old." (and this is when he heard about the evil of his sons)! How old was Samuel? We cannot really say, but this "time phrase" points to the fact that there were a number of years between the remarkable events in Chapter 7 and the sad event in Chapter 8. Presumably there was relative peace in Israel during these years Samuel served as judge. It seems that the nation was content with Samuel as their leader. Now that he was old the peace Israel had experienced was in jeopardy, and as we soon discover, there was no suitable replacement for him.