Old Testament Devotional Commentary

First and Second Samuel trace the lives of three Jewish men in the eleventh century B.C.: Samuel, the last of the judges and the first of the prophets; Saul, the first of the kings, but rejected by God; and David, the beloved shepherd-king. Hannah, whose name means grace, "asked of the Lord" (the meaning of Samuel's name) and received a male child who selflessly served the Lord's people his entire life. Saul's name means "asked for," but he was not, given in grace, but rather in God's anger to teach His wayward people the ills of trusting a human ruler instead of Himself. Saul was a man after the flesh and His carnal reign caused the Jewish nation to yearn for a man of God to rule over them. The Lord had just such a man in mind, a faithful shepherd boy from Bethlehem. God's solution for what Israel needed was, answered in the beloved, the meaning of David's name. Likewise, our solution to all life's difficulties is also, found in God's Beloved born in Bethlehem, the Greater David, the Lord Jesus Christ.

Kings and Chronicles cover the era of Israel's kings, which spans almost four centuries. Kings picks up with the last days of David, while Chronicles commences with the death of Saul, Israel's first king. Chronicles follows only the Davidic dynasty; references to Israel's kings occur only as a necessary part of the narrative. The writers of Kings and Chronicles had different objectives. The writer of Chronicles intended to encourage disheartened Jews returning from Babylon to regain their identity as Jehovah's covenant people and to rebuild His temple. Kings highlights the ministry of God's prophets laboring among His idolatrous and wayward people. William Kelly surmises that "Kings is the book of responsibility, Chronicles of God's providence." Throughout Israel's history, God judges the wicked and rewards the faithful, but regardless of what Israel does, He proves His covenantal love to them. Consequently, even His stern judgments are tempered with mercy to ensure all His purposes are accomplished for those He loves.

The overall theme of Job, Psalms, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, and Song of Solomon is succinctly stated in Proverbs 9:10: "The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding." Concisely put, to know God is what knowledge means and such understanding should prompt fearful awe of Him. In his early years, Solomon's son learned that "The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and instruction" (Prov. 1:7). As Solomon's son advanced into the school of life, wisdom instructed him that it was foolish to live without God in the world. True wisdom is inseparable from the fear of the Lord; it is man's starting point in understanding the mind of God, which enables him to resolve questions otherwise inscrutable. Those who choose to walk in the path of godly obedience find life and blessing, and demonstrate their understanding of who God is and of His ways. Warren Henderson