The History of Samuel

The book of Samuel is found in the Hebrew Canon directly after the book of Judges. This book is in the prophets section of the Canon but details more historical accounts of the people of Israel, much like Judges, rather than giving explicit prophecies like Isaiah or Jeremiah. Samuel’s main focus is introducing the role of the king of Israel as well as tracing the beginnings of King David’s rise to power. After the book of Samuel, Kings continues the historical account of David and his line. 

Historically, Samuel comes right at the close of the time of the judges in Israel. Israel is coming out of a repetition of disobedience and God’s punishment and grace. The book’s namesake, Samuel, served as the last judge of Israel, ushering in the period of the kings. Interestingly enough, the Bible says that Samuel served Israel as (1) a prophet, saying that, “all Israel from Dan to Beersheba knew that Samuel was established as a prophet of the LORD” (1 Sam. 3:20 [ESV]), as (2) a priest, saying that when he offered a whole burnt offering he, “cried out to the Lord for Israel, and the Lord answered him” (1 Sam. 7:9) and (3) a judge, saying that he “judged Israel all the days of his life,” (1 Sam. 7:15). Samuel is seen as a faithful servant of God which is a breath of fresh air after the repeated failings of Israel as seen in Judges. Samuel is very influential in the life of David who is inarguably Israel’s greatest human king and serves as one of the most prolific types of Christ in the Old Testament.

The Theology of Samuel

The most important theological focal point of Samuel is how King David typifies Christ, thus the great majority of theological reflection will be focused on that. However, it is also helpful to briefly discuss the theological implications Sameul has in the account of  King Saul.

Saul’s Worldly Kingship

Saul was the first king of Israel. The way Saul became king alone is a marker of the type of king he was to be. Because Samuel’s sons did not walk in his ways, Israel asked for a king to rule over them. Samuel goes to Yahweh to pray about this. Yahweh responds by saying to give them a king and that Israel had “rejected me [Yahweh] from being king over them,” (1 Sam. 8:7). Samuel tells this to Israel, even warning them about the consequences of their rejection of Yahweh. Yet, Israel responds, “​But there shall be a king over us, that we also may be like all the nations, and that our king may judge us and go out before us and fight our battles,” (1 Sam. 8:19) showing that Israel had fully missed the point Yahweh had been explicitly telling and showing them for decades. Israel was not to be like the other nations, but a holy, set-apart nation to Yahweh. God was the one who was to judge them, go out before them, and fight their battles. However, they wanted a weak man to do the job instead and desired conformity to the world. 

Saul ends up being chosen for his physical, outward appearance (1 Sam. 9). Israel loved him for how he looked on the outside but God knew his heart. In his reign, Saul became a vengeful, God-hating madman who repeatedly tried to kill the line of the woman that would eventually lead to Christ and the salvation of the nations. What looked good to the world was not good to God. In Israel’s attempt to be like the world, they became blinded to the good purpose of God and for a time admired a man who threatened (if that were possible) the line that would save the world. How the sinful world sees things is not at all how God sees.

From David to Christ

King David serves as not only one of the most important theological focal points of Samuel but of the Old Testament. During and after his rule, he is seen as the one whose line would contain the eternal king to rule Israel forever. For many reasons, David is seen as one of the pinnacles of the types of Christ. It is crucial to also understand the covenant God made with David to see the importance of David’s connection to Christ. The covenant is found in 2 Samuel 7, saying,

I will raise up your offspring after you, who shall come from your body, and I will establish his kingdom. He shall build a house for my name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever. I will be to him a father, and he shall be to me a son. When he commits iniquity, I will discipline him with the rod of men, with the stripes of the sons of men, but my steadfast love will not depart from him, as I took it from Saul, whom I put away from before you. And your house and your kingdom shall be made sure forever before me. Your throne shall be established forever. (2 Sam. 7:12-16)

This covenant is a continuation of the covenants made with Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and Moses. It is a continuation of the line of the woman promised in Genesis and is one of the first times God’s plan for redemption can be seen in immense detail in the Old Testament. This promise carries Israel through the next centuries as they await a Messiah who will establish an eternal kingdom. 

This Messiah, of course, is Jesus Christ who came a few hundred years later. As stated before, David typifies Christ in his life in many ways. David’s life begins with a miracle birth from a woman who was barren for years. He was then unjustly persecuted by Saul, yet elevated from a lowly state to that of kingship, typifying Christ’s humiliation and exaltation. In addition to being king over Israel and God’s anointed one, David also spends much of his life in opposition to the line of the serpent first mentioned in Genesis 3. 

As briefly mentioned before, this is most clearly seen in the unjust persecution he receives from Saul, thus typifying Christ’s persecution from worldly rulers. It is also seen in his conflict with Goliath. David, though lowly compared to the mighty Goliath, overcomes his enemy by the power of Yahweh. If Goliath won, the seed of the serpent would have crushed the seed of the woman. However, by God’s preserving power, the line of the woman cuts off the head of the line of the serpent. This is due solely to David’s intense loyalty and faith in Yahweh.

David also comes from a lowly place of a shepherd to be exalted to that of a king. This of course is similar to Christ who, though He is God, took on flesh and entered His creation in a state of humility. Throughout His life, Jesus did not live glamorously but lived without a place to lay His head under continuous persecution, even from the time of His birth. 

For David, this humiliation is most clearly seen in the Psalms. Interestingly enough, on the cross Jesus cries out “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” (Matt. 27:46) which is a direct quote from Psalm 22:1. Jesus doesn’t use this as a quote from David, but He speaks them as His own words. The words that David poured out in his suffering are the same ones Jesus chose to use in His suffering. This should not be overlooked. The disciples also began to connect this when Jesus cleansed the temple with a whip and the disciples remembered that Psalm 69:9 says, “For zeal for your house has consumed me,” even though this Psalm was written by David about himself. 

Jesus, from the line of David, exhibits characteristics of the greatest king Israel had known. However, His characteristics are not reflected from David, but David’s from Christ. Christ is the better David, who is the suffering, zealous servant of God, the shepherd of His people, and the king over His everlasting kingdom. However, Christ, as the God-man, also did what David could not do. By living a perfect life and dying in the place of His people so that they could enter into God’s presence by His righteousness, He fulfilled all the promises made to David and brought in the kingdom promised to David. Unlike David, Christ’s kingdom will be undefiled and unfading, the glorious fulfillment of the purpose of human history.