OUTLINES OF SAMUEL, KINGS AND THE CHRONICLES
C.A. Coates
AN OUTLINE OF THE FIRST BOOK OF SAMUEL
1 SAMUEL CHAPTER 1 (NOTES OF A READING)
1 Samuel 1: 1- 28
J. E. B. Samuel is spoken of as a prophet in the New Testament. What bearing would that have on this portion of Scripture?
C. A. C. I suppose the prophetic word definitely began with Samuel. Peter says in Acts 3: 24, "And indeed all the prophets from Samuel and those in succession after him, as many as have spoken, have announced also these days", bringing Samuel into this sphere.
J. E. B. Is there not a break in the Old Testament Scriptures at this point?
C. A. C. Yes, a break which is occasioned by the thought of the kingdom being introduced and Jehovah's Anointed coming into view. God had in view not only helping people in their distresses and delivering them as in judges, but He had in view the bringing in of something that was entirely of Himself in connection with which His strength, power and glory should be known.
H. B. Was it not a new departure in the ways of God?
C. A. C. It was, publicly. God had in mind the introduction of a king. The very fact that he is introduced in connection with the prophet rather suggests the present position, namely, the kingdom as introduced morally. What is in my mind is that it is rather the kingdom in the character that we know it now, not in its millennial aspect.
H. B. Do we get first Christ in rejection and then Christ in power?
C. A. C. Yes. 1 Samuel carries us to the death of Saul, making way for God's anointed; then 2 Samuel carries us on to the offering of the sacrifices in the threshing- floor of Araunah the Jebusite; that brings us to the house. I think we might find great profit in looking at these books with that as the governing thought as spiritual instruction. It would help to see how we come into the kingdom in a spiritual way and how the kingdom leads to the house and the service of God. We might find great instruction in pursuing these lines. The basic principle of the kingdom is obedience.
-. F. Is obedience a characteristic of a prophet?
C. A. C. I think so. The prophet is not one who has a mind of his own. The thing about a prophet is that he has the mind of God and can bring in moral power so that the people of God may be prepared for the kingdom. It is the kingdom in a moral way.
H. B. Are you thinking of prophetic ministry?
C. A. C. Prophetic ministry is the most important thing we have at the present time. The prophet as having the mind of God would pray for the people. In the light of that Samuel said in chapter 12 of this book, "Moreover, as for me, far be it from me that I should sin against Jehovah in ceasing to pray for you" (verse 23). The prophet prays in communion; as having the mind of God, he would pray on that line.
-. F. In this day, conditions were there that Samuel could pray for the people, but later on we read, "Though Moses and Samuel stood before me, my soul would not turn toward this people" (Jeremiah 15: 1).
C. A. C. Thank God the time has not come in church history for God to refuse to hear. We are still in the time when a feeble and despised remnant can secure things morally.
H. B. In that way you feel that this has a bearing on the present moment?
C. A. C. Yes, the circumstances here are very instructive.
Here is a Levite who was occupying a position that was then of God. He was occupying his local position in Ephraim but occupying it in the light of Shiloh. He was occupying a position locally in the light of what was universal; that is a great matter for us. Shiloh was where the ark was and the tabernacle. It represented what was universal and also a state of things that God was about to reject on account of the corruption that was there. We are living in times when the universal idea has been brought into discredit by the conduct of those identified with it. There are a vast number in christendom who occupy the universal position, and they bring discredit on it. Notwithstanding that, the man of faith does not give up the universal thought because it is discredited, he clings to it and goes to Shiloh every year.
H. B. Was Hannah in contrast to what was outward?
C. A. C. Quite so; we get intense exercise in Hannah. Elkanah is presented to us as having two wives who were of a very different spirit. The one was more outwardly favoured of God than the other, but that only leads to boastfulness. Hannah refers to that in the next chapter, "Do not multiply your words of pride, let not vain- glory come out of your mouth" (verse 3). A woman under reproach does not seem to have as much favour from God as her rival. Peninnah seemed to have the favour from God; she had sons and daughters, and it looked as though God was more favourable to Peninnah than to Hannah. Sometimes people talk of great numbers and great blessing and it seems as if all were right with them but we see here another woman who was outwardly sorrowful and going through the deepest exercise because she wanted something for God. It is open to us all to take up that exercise. That which is outward and is prosperous and successful always despises and looks down with contempt on that which is lowly in spirit and that only seeks something for God. We have to be prepared to face that exercise.
-. F. Would you connect this with the end of judges?
C. A. C. I think it is rather the beginning of a new chapter. We see the corruption in Shiloh and faith in Elkanah in that he goes up yearly to Shiloh; he could not give up the divine thought because it was publicly discredited.
A. B. I should like help as to Shiloh. We sometimes say that if we name the name of the Lord we must depart from iniquity; if so, why was it faith to go to Shiloh?
C. A. C. Because God had not abandoned Shiloh. The time came when He did, when He had to forsake Shiloh and then it had no claim on faith. But at this time God had not forsaken Shiloh or given "his strength into captivity, and his glory into the hand of the oppressor". In this part of the book Shiloh was owned of God and represented the universal thought which we are to cling to however much it may be discredited. The thought of the one church is discredited, but we are not to give up the divine thought because it is discredited; that is important.
H. B. Would the beginning of Luke correspond with this?
C. A. C. Yes, I think so. The remnant in Luke had profited by a long course of prophetic ministry from Samuel to Malachi. They had profited and come to realise that the time of fulfilment was at hand.
J. E. B. The link with Luke makes this book very valuable.
C. A. C. Yes, we are slow to take it in, but the kingdom has actually come into being. It is not an altogether future thought because God's King has appeared, 'Hosanna, Jehovah's Anointed has been exalted'; these are present facts. The books of 1 and 2 Samuel show us how we can come into the good of these blessed divine facts; they give us the moral history of how we come in. We are feeble in the service of God because we are feeble in the kingdom. If we were more in the good of the kingdom, we should be more use in the house. It is a great thing to have this exercise, to have a man- child. Hannah wanted a child that would develop into a man and be in life- long Nazariteship for God, and would maintain among the people of God what was suitable to the kingdom and to the Anointed. That is the object of all prophetic ministry.
H. B. She surrendered her natural ties for God?
C. A. C. She wanted a man- child who would be wholly for God; she wanted something better than was there. God can put that into our souls, that we may desire to have something better than anything we have got. There was nothing in Shiloh that was distinctively for the pleasure of God. The ark was there and the priests were there but the priests were sons of Belial and they caused the people to transgress. In such conditions Hannah had a longing for a man- child, something that was better. The exercises she went through were great spiritual gain to her because they developed in her the spirit of a vow. I do not think that success develops that spirit. It is defeat that develops the spirit of a vow. Her defeat was that she had no child and her rival had. It caused intense grief and that developed the spirit of a vow-- she makes a vow, 'If Jehovah will give me a man- child I will lend him to Jehovah all the days of his life to be a Nazarite'. That is an exercise that we can all take up, that something may be brought in that is not adulterated by any human element. We should all be zealous in desiring this. Hannah sets forth the state that should be found in a spiritual remnant. Peninnah had a place as in association with Elkanah; she profited by her nearness to a faithful man, but she had not the depth that was in Hannah. Peninnah represents an unspiritual believer; a spiritual person thinks of what is for God, that there should be something for God. Hannah got into the secret of the divine ways. God's way is to kill, "Jehovah killeth, and maketh alive" (chapter 2 verse 6). God brings low before He lifts up, "He bringeth low, also he lifteth up", (chapter 2 verse 7). Some of us get lifted up before first being brought low! Sometimes when I have been brought low I have taken courage by the thought that it was God's way and that He had got something on the other side for me. Paul speaks of the God of encouragement.
J. E. B. Hannah means grace and Peninnah means coral. You cannot do much with coral, it is showy but there is no substance.
C. A. C. That is very interesting. It is an exercise for us as to whether we are on the line that has real value for God-- are we seeking that? It is the privilege of every brother and sister to seek something that will be distinctively for God. It would be wonderful to have even one brother or sister in every meeting who was definitely set for God; it would be a wonderful thing. One who overcomes in an assembly would be sufficient to save the assembly. Hannah was a woman of a sorrowful spirit; it is a great thing to be brought to that experimentally. Hannah was brought to it experimentally by the consciousness of utter inability in herself and the deep consciousness of the state of things in Israel generally. In her sorrow and distress she pours out her soul before Jehovah, and He answers as He always will answer a soul like that.
-. F. She speaks in verse 11 of "Jehovah of hosts".
C. A. C. That brings in the thought of a great company.
-. F. However small things may appear outwardly, faith always looks beyond.
C. A. C. Yes, it is a great thing to be in the greatness of things. The smaller we are outwardly the more the necessity to be in the greatest things inwardly. In a morning meeting one does not care for a reference as to our being few or small. Scripture speaks of our being many. A brother prayed the other day about the little upper room, but the Lord says, "He will show you a large upper room"! We like these small ideas but the Lord speaks of the greatness of things. This thought of greatness was in Elkanah's mind also when he went up yearly to sacrifice to "Jehovah of hosts". It is very striking as it was a remnant time but these two had a thought of the thousands of them that love God and of the Lord who shall "come amidst his holy myriads". It is wonderful while in actual smallness to get into the wide range of the divine thought so that we can think of the many sons that He brings to glory. Faith always has great thoughts because, as the old divine said, 'Faith thinks God's thoughts after Him'.
J. E. B. Elkanah did not enter into Hannah's exercise.
C. A. C. We often find that those in the path of faith do not always understand the exercises of those who want something for God. Hannah had an ideal before her that had not come into the soul of Elkanah. He thought that she should be content with him. He was a man of faith, standing in the testimony but he did not share this deep exercise that Hannah had. She wanted something altogether different from what was at that time in evidence; the existing state of things did not satisfy her, she wanted something more. Paul was like that; he was an insatiable man. He was never satisfied with the brethren; he was always wanting something more! He encouraged them to abound more and more. That is the true exercise of faith that there should be more for God than there is now; that is never to flag until the King is set up in power and Jesus comes. We are never to flag; there is always to be something more in me and in all the brethren. It comes about in intense lowliness and deep sorrow of heart. Hannah got what she wanted. I believe what is asked for in reality for God and the Lord Jesus will always be answered. The Lord has that in mind when He says, "Whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, this will I do", John 14: 13.
F. B. She got the answer to her prayer before she got the child.
C. A. C. Yes, indeed. The whole history of these books of Samuel, Kings and Chronicles is summed up in, "Of the increase of his government and of peace there shall be no end", Isaiah 9: 7. Samuel's service was to anoint David; that was the greatest service he did. From that point we see a continual increase until we reach the climax in the glorious reign of Solomon and the temple is seen in its magnificent service, all divinely ordered. It is a wonderful history of increase.
-. P. All is seen to come from the godly exercise of a woman.
C. A. C. That is very fine. If we knew the secret of God's ways during the last 100 years when there has been such a flow of ministry going on we should find that it probably started in the prayers of some obscure unknown individual. It is wonderful to get behind the scenes as we shall by and by.
H. B. Hannah looked onto the day when Samuel would anoint the king.
C. A. C. Yes, she was not occupied with Samuel; her song was not about Samuel but about Christ. She understood that Samuel would be instrumental in the coming in of Jehovah and that is the secret of all prophetic ministry. All the prophetic ministry from Samuel to Malachi had in view the coming in of Christ, and that is so in the prophetic ministry of the church today. If this is not being worked out, prophetic ministry, as far as we are concerned, has been in vain.
Well, Hannah gets the man- child and then the next thing is she must have him weaned. She will not go up to Shiloh until then.
F. B. She brings him according to God.
C. A. C. Yes, weaning is an essential exercise if there is to be a man- child for God. There are two great weanings in Scripture, Isaac's and Samuel's. Nothing is said as to the weaning of Christ, there was no need for it in Him for Psalm 22 tells us that from the earliest moment of His history in this world He was entirely cast upon God. He never had to be weaned from other sources of supply. The thought of weaning is that the time has come when you have to take up things on your own exercises before God, apart from natural or even spiritual sources. Whatever spiritual help we have had there comes a time when we have to take up things in our own personal exercises. There is no man- child for God apart from that. Perhaps few believers reach it but it is a very important thing to reach. Samuel has now a definite spiritual history of his own. Weaning is the breaking off from what is legitimate and helpful to a certain point. The moment comes when things have to be taken up for ourselves. Timothy had a lot of help and comfort from the faith of his mother and grandmother, but the moment comes when he had to take things up on his own personal faith. Paul said, "I am persuaded that in thee also", 2 Timothy 1: 5. One is sustained in one's relations with God in the power of one's own exercises. Having weaned him Hannah brings him to Shiloh with three bullocks and one ephah of flour and a flask of wine. She dedicated him in all the greatness and preciousness of Christ, as if to say that nothing of the natural goes to Shiloh. He goes there in the preciousness of Christ-- it is wonderful. The bullock is the largest sacrificial animal.
H. B. What would the flask of wine represent?
C. A. C. The ephah of flour would be for the oblation, and would bring in the perfection of the life of Christ. The bullock sets forth His sacrificial capability in its largest measure, and the flask of wine the drink offering, the absolute devotion of Christ to the will of God. Hannah brings the full setting forth of Christ so that the boy, who does not yet know Jehovah, is identified in his mother's faith with all that.
-. F. Would the wine be for joy?