Shmuel Alef

Shmuel Alef

Introduction

This two-part work begins with the pollution of the religious worship by Eliʼs apostate sons who were kohanim during the time when the great prophet Shmuel (born ca. 1105 B.C.E.) was a child. 1-2 Samuel ends with a foreshadowing of the purified Beis Hamikdash worship which was the Messianic vision of King Dovid (died ca. 970 B.C.E.). A subtle indication of this is the linen ephod worn both by little Shmuel (

I Shmuel is an amazing character study of the tragedy of King Saul. A slow break-down 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, off His Word, laying down carnal and arbitrary policies, getting out of step with the Ruach Hakodesh, no longer lifting up the glory of G-d but instead building a monument to ourselves [see

Saulʼs personal Meribah-Massah experience took place at Gilgal where his rebellion cost him his ministry [review

We see in Saul a man demonized and depressed and very much in need of, among other things, deliverance through music ministry. We see the importance of spiritual song in

A concordance search of the word “Moshiach” in 1Sm reveals it as a concept lying just under the surface in the Bibleʼs discussion of the first king of Israel. There are also Messianic allusions in 1Sm that are cross-referenced by other parts of the Tanakh. Notice