Remember, in His Word, God has:
- Something to see – what does the text say
- Something to understand – what does it mean
- Something to apply – what does it mean to me
- Something to praise – for what are you thankful?
(1) Through the Bible
| Day 1: 2 Kings 11, 12 | Day 4: 2 Kings 17, 18 |
| Day 2: 2 Kings 13, 14 | Day 5: 2 Kings 19, 20 |
| Day 3: 2 Kings 15, 16 | Day 6: 2 Kings 21, 22 |
As we move into the narrative of 1 Samuel we continue to see the signs of spiritual decay in Israel. We need to maintain the echo in our ears of the last verse of Judges as we read 1 Samuel: “In those days there was no king in Israel. Everyone did what was right in his own eyes. (Judges 21:25)” In 1 Samuel we read first of a barren woman, we read that the “word of the Lord was rare”, and we read of sons who do not follow in the way of their fathers (Eli and Samuel). Samuel becomes the last of Israel’s judges as the nation rejects his sons and cries out for a king. That itself gives us pause, for Israel already had a King – Yahweh! So 1 and 2 Samuel cover this transitional period as Israel becomes a monarchy, first under Saul, then David, but more importantly pointed the people of God to their ultimate King. Even in Hannah’s beautiful prayer (1 Samuel 2) we read of a future triumphant King who will judge the earth; a King that the Lord anoints with power and exalts greatly. A number of themes present themselves, but the one we consider this week is “the God who calls”.
(2) Key Passages
| Day 1: 1 Samuel 1:9-20 | Day 1: 1 Samuel 3:6-10 |
| Day 2: 1 Samuel 1:24-28 | Day 2: 1 Samuel 3:11-14 |
| Day 3: 1 Samuel 3:1-5 | Day 3: 1 Samuel 3:15-4:1 |
(3) Key Verses
| Day 1: 1 Samuel 3:1, 2 | Day 1: 1 Samuel 3:10-13 |
| Day 2: 1 Samuel 3:3-6 | Day 2: 1 Samuel 3:15-18 |
| Day 3: 1 Samuel 3:7-9 | Day 3: 1 Samuel 3:19-4:1 |
(4) Pre-readers (in the translation of your choice, quoted below from the NLT)
And the Lord came and called as before, “Samuel! Samuel!” And Samuel replied, “Speak, your servant is listening.”
1 Samuel 3:10