#first samuel

Sometimes what we think we want is not what we need.

Samuel anoints Saul as king, by Unknown artist Then Samuel took a flask of olive oil and poured it on Saul’s head and kissed him, saying, “Has not the Lord anointed you ruler over his inheritance? When you leave me today, you will meet two men near Rachel’s tomb, at Zelzah on the border of Benjamin. They will say to you, ‘The donkeys you set out to look for have been found. And now your father…

One cannot worship the Lord by day, then have a moonlighting job with other gods.

Samuel prays to the Lord on behalf of the people, by Bible Art So Samuel said to all the Israelites, “If you are returning to the Lord with all your hearts, then rid yourselves of the foreign gods and the Ashtoreths and commit yourselves to the Lord and serve him only, and he will deliver you out of the hand of the Philistines.” So the Israelites put away their Baals and Ashtoreths, and served…

Trying to leverage the divine for a personal agenda isn't going to end well.

A fresco of the Philistine captivity of the Ark of God, from the ancient Dura-Europos Synagogue, excavated in 1932 The Ark of the Lord remained in Philistine territory seven months in all. Then the Philistines called in their priests and diviners and asked them, “What should we do about the Ark of the Lord? Tell us how to return it to its own country.” “Send the Ark of the God of Israel back…

Rationalization is the way of sinners.  Repentance is the path of saints. 

“Tell me,” Samuel said. “Does the Lord really want sacrifices and offerings? No! He doesn’t want your sacrifices. He wants you to obey him. Rebelling against God or disobeying him because you are proud is just as bad as worshiping idols or asking them for advice. You refused to do what God told you, so God has decided that you can no longer be king.” “I have sinned,” Saul admitted. “I disobeyed…

"A person who talks too much gets into trouble. A wise person learns to be quiet." (Proverbs 10:19, ERV)

Stained glass of the boy Samuel at the bed of Eli the priest Now the boy Samuel was ministering to the Lord under Eli. The word of the Lord was rare in those days; visions were not widespread. At that time Eli, whose eyesight had begun to grow dim so that he could not see, was lying down in his room; the lamp of God had not yet gone out, and Samuel was lying down in the temple of the Lord,…

THE BOOK OF FIRST & SECOND Samuel – (HEOTI)

The Hebrew-English Old Testament Interlinear (HEOTI) First Samuel [Hebrew Reads Right-Left] CHAPTER 1

1 אֶפְרָתִיan Ephraiimite    בֶן־צוּףson of Zuph   בֶּן־תֹּחוּson of Tohu בֶּן־אֱלִיהוּאson of Elihu בֶּן־יְרֹחָםson of Jeroham אֶלְקָנָהElkanah וּשְׁמוֹ  whose name אֶפְרָיִםEphraim    מֵהַרof the hill country θמִן־הָרָמָתַיִם צוֹפִיםof Ramathaim-zophim אִישׁ אֶחָדa certain man וַיְהִי  there…