Dear Readers,

I hope you are remembering to pray before beginning each Bible reading section. Pray that the Holy Spirit will be your teacher as you read. Pray that God will remove any preconceived ideas or perspectives so that you will be able to understand what God is trying to teach you. Pray that you will be able to see past some of the events and accounts that are strange. Pray to see God's truth and his principles. Pray that the truth of II Timothy 3:16-17, "All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting, and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work".

We will be starting the books of I and II Samuel this week. This is a transitional period for the nation of Israel. We are transitioning from the rule of the judges to the rule of the kings. There are three main characters that we will be looking at: Samuel, Saul, and David. You will see all these three people in their good and their bad (God doesn't hide the truth about the shortcomings of mankind). Samuel is a man of prayer with a number of character and leadership shortcomings. Saul is the first king if Israel. God gave the people a man after their own heart. You will notice many of the character and spiritual shortcomings of Saul. According to God, David is a man after His heart. As you read the account of David you will see he sins in many areas. Why do you think, despite his sin, that he was a man after God's heart? See if you can note the difference in Saul and David as you read.

The authorship of these book is not completely known. It is thought that an editor might have compiled them from Samuel. It was probably written around 900 BC. It is the historical account of the establishment of the covenant nation under the rule of David who is the line of Jesus.

Have fun reading!

DAY ONE, APRIL 23 - I SAMUEL 1-3
Chapter 1
NOTE: This book opens with the dysfunction of a family that didn't choose God's best. How do you see the jealousy and favoritism lived out in this family? What does Hannah do in the Tabernacle?
Have you ever prayed with that intensity for something before?
Was Hannah's request selfish or selfless? Why do you think that?
What is the hope she received from Eli?
I said in the introduction letter that Samuel was a man of prayer. How was the true even from the very beginning?
How does Hannah fulfill her agreement with God?
When you pray to God in great need, how committed are you to fulfil your part of your agreement with God?
Chapter 2
What did you find interesting about Hannah's prayer of praise?
According to verse 11 what happened to Samuel when he was left in the Tabernacle?
How hard do you think it was for Hannah to give Samuel back to God?
What do you need to give to God?
Describe Eli's sons.
According to verse 21 and following, how did Samuel grow up?
How are you growing up in the presence of the Lord and as his helper?b Eli may have been a good mentor for Samuel, but what kind of a father and priest was he?
Chapter 3
What did Samuel hear in the night?
Who was it?
What did God say to Samuel?
What did Eli ask Samuel in the morning? How did he respond?
Have you ever had to tell someone the truth even though it was difficult?
Samuel's mother gave Samuel to God without Samuel's involvement at the time. How did Samuel also accept and honor that position and make it personal?
How did God honor Samuel's obedience and establish a personal relationship with him?
Is there something in your life that you need to make personal?

DAY TWO, APRIL 24 - I SAMUEL 4-7
Chapter 4
That was going on with Israel at this time?
Thinking back to your reading about the establishment of the Tabernacle, where was the Arc of the Covenant kept and who was the only ones who went in to see it? What did the Arc represent?
What must the attitude of the people and Eli's son be, for them to consider taking the Arc of the Covenant into battle?
It had been hundreds of years since Israel left Egypt, who still remembered what happened and how did that, make them react?
What happened to Israel and the Arc in this battle?
What happened to Hophni and Phinehas?
What happened to Eli and others in the family?
Why did all this happen according to the previous chapter?
Chapter 5
Where was the Arc brought?
What happened to the god Dagon?
What is God saying about what must happen in his presence and who is the Mighty One?
What happened to the people in the town it was in?
What happens when people do not reverence God?
Chapter 6
What did the Philistines do with the Arc?
Even though they weren't believers in God, what did they understand about him?
How did they try to honor God?
What was the name of the man whose field it was where the Arc stopped? What does the name Joshua mean?
What attribute of God is seen and describe in this account?
How do you react to the Holiness of God?
Chapter 7
According to verse 2, what does Israel feel God has done to them?
Who really abandoned whom?
When God feels far away from you, what is one possible cause of that feeling?
What does Samuel tell the people they need to do?
Is God inviting you to return to him today? If so, what must you do?
What does Samuel lead them in at Mizpah?
How do the Philistines react when they hear all Israel is gathered together?
What do the people do and how does God respond?
When has God been your Ebenezer?

DAY THREE, APRIL 25 - I SAMUEL 8-10
Chapter 8
What were Samuel's sons like?
From where might Samuel have learned his parenting skills?
What do the people want?
According to verse seven, who are the people really trying to replace?
What warning did Samuel give the people? How do they respond?
How do you respond to the wise counsel in your life?
Chapter 9
Describe Saul.
How does Samuel respond to Saul?
What is Samuel supposed to do to Saul?
How does God work out all the details in this meeting?
Chapter 10
What does Samuel do to Saul?
How much detail does Samuel go into explaining the coming events to Saul?
What will come upon Saul and how will he react?
Where is Saul when he is supposed to be anointed king?
What are the peoples' reactions to Saul?
What seems to be Saul's character at this time?

DAY FOUR, APRIL 26 - I SAMUEL 11-13
Chapter 11
What does King Nahash want to do to the people of Jabesh-gilead?
What happens to Saul when he hears the news?
How does God's support and help of Saul, in battle, confirm to the people that Saul will be their king?
What does the nation of Israel do in Gilgal after the battle?
Chapter 12
THOUGHT QUESTION: Why do you think God gave the people a king, when they asked for it, even though it wasn't what God wanted for the people?
Has there been a time in your life when you received from God what you asked for and then realized that it wasn't God's best for you?
How did God still use that event in your life for good when you followed him?
What is God's warning through Samuel to the people?
How do we see God's justice, holiness, mercy, love, and grace in that warning?
What does Samuel promise to continue doing for the people?
Chapter 13
Describe the length of Saul's reign.
What family member of Saul is mentioned in this account?
What is Israel's relationship like with the Philistines?
How does Saul disobey God? Was it just an action or does is say something about his heart and reverence for God?
What is the result of his disobedience?
How many soldiers were left and what type of weapons did they have?

DAY FIVE, APRIL 27 - I SAMUEL 14-15
Chapter 14
What does Jonathan decide to do?
How do we see his faith in God?
What happens?
What is Saul's foolish oath (do you remember another foolish oath give by a judge?) and how does it affect the men?
How did the oath brake down their defenses and lead to sin?
How can one foolish choice affect other decisions in your life?
What could have happened to Jonathan because of Saul's rash oath?
Who were the members of Saul's family?
Chapter 15
What was God's command in verse 3? What was Saul's action according to verse 9?
How do we see Saul adding to that disobedience in the next verses?
What does Samuel say to Saul in verse 22-23?
How is that teaching still true for us today?
What is Saul's reason for disobedience according to verse 24?
How often do we do the things that please people rather than ones that please God?
Do you think Saul's confession and worship was done with a right heart? Why or why not?
How would you describe Saul's character now?

DAY SIX, APRIL 28 - I SAMUEL 16-17
Chapter 16
What does God instruct Samuel to do?
What is God's measurement of people, according to verse 7?
What can we learn from that verse?
What happened to David when he was anointed?
NOTE: In the OT the Holy Spirit often came on people to accomplish various roles or jobs that God gave for him/her to accomplish. In the NT the Holy Spirit indwells all believers. How has the Holy Spirit helped you live the Christian life?
What is replaced in Saul when the Holy Spirit leaves him?
How does God get David into the royal court to train him?
How has God arranged circumstances in your life so that he can train you better for his service?
Chapter 17
Describe Goliath.
Who was the biggest and tallest man in the Israelite nation (HINT: I Samuel 9:1-2)?
So who should have been the one to lead the people against Goliath?
How does David get to the battlefield and then into the presence of Saul?
How has God been training David for this battle?
How has God used the common events and training in your life to use for His service?
According to verse 45, in whose power does David come against Goliath?
In whose power are you able to fell the "enemy giants" in your life?

DAY SEVEN, APRIL 29 - I SAMUEL 18-19
Chapter 18
Who became David's best friend?
What does God give David in everything he does?
What changes Saul's feeling toward David? How does Saul feel toward David?
How does Saul try to take care of David?
Are you harboring anger, jealousy, revenge, bitterness, or hatred toward one of God's children?
What do you need to do to get rid of it?
Chapter 19
What is Jonathan willing to do for David?
How did Jonathan's reasoning affect Saul?
Do you need to talk to someone about his or her attitude and behavior? NOTE: If God is prompting you to talk to someone.
Remember you can't control the outcome. You can only present the truth. Their choice is their responsibility.
How did God protect David against Saul?
How can you see God's plan ultimately succeeding in the course of these events?
How have you seen God's hand in your life recently?

YOU CAN ALWAYS USE THESE FOLLOWING SUGGESTIONS FOR ANY BIBLE READING:

Always begin your time of God with prayer. Ask him for understanding and insights. You can pick out a verse, thought or feeling from the passage and think on it (mediate) on it all day. Meditating on God's word means to digest it, put it into your mind, think on it, and concentrate in different ways on the passage.

Some ways you can do this is:
1. Put yourself into the scene.
2. Emphasize different words in the verse.
3. Paraphrase the passage in your own words.
4. Pray the passage back to God if it is a prayer, song, poem, etc (personalize it).
5. Use SPACE PETS acrostic to ask some standard questions.
     S - Sins to confess? Do I need to make restitution?
     P - Promises to claim? Have I met the conditions(s)?
     A - Attitudes to change? Am I willing?
     C - Commands to obey? Even if I don't feel like it?
     E - Examples to follow? One to copy or avoid?
     P - Prayers to pray? Is there something I need to tell God?
     E - Errors to avoid?
     T - Truths about God or the Bible I need to believe?
Adapted from 12 Dynamic Bible Study Methods (Chapter 1) by Richard Warren and William A. Shell.