Reflections on a Repeated Reading of 1-2 Samuel

For a number of years, I have been following Joe Carter’s excellent Bible reading plan: Read an entire book of the Bible 20 times. Pick another; read it 20 times. Repeat. I’m currently working through 1 & 2 Samuel (since it’s really one long book). Here are some unorganized reflections upon completing my tenth readthrough.

• Upon reading the entire book rapidly (about 8-9 days for each time through), the large characters arcs are clear. There is a Samuel arc, followed by a Saul arc, and then a David arc. There is much overlap between them, but the Bible Project videos get these arcs just right.
• It seems the summary statements of the king’s “cabinet” may serve a major structuring role. I haven’t pinpointed them all yet, but a few are found in 1 Sam 14:49-52 and 2 Sam 20:23-26. In each case, there is a tangible sense of narrative resolution and conclusion. I wonder if these statements mark the ends of the book’s main divisions, but more reading and testing is required to see if this is so.
• The beginning is quite dark, with a barren woman, a high priest who cannot recognize either a praying woman (1 Sam 1) or the voice of God (1 Sam 3), and the ark of the covenant being forever separated from the tabernacle of Moses (1 Sam 4).
• The end is a mosaic of David’s legacy: making restitution for Saul’s mistakes (2 Sam 21), celebrating the God who rescues (2 Sam 22), recounting mighty men’s exploits (2 Sam 23), and one last, glorious failure—which God uses for good, to clear the ground on which the temple will be built (2 Sam 24).
• The lengthiest poetry occurs in 1 Sam 2 (Hannah’s prayer) and 2 Sam 22 (David’s song; copy of Psalm 18). This must be on purpose at beginning and end, as the two poems have so much in common. Both are celebrating the “Messiah,” the anointed king:
  • “The LORD will judge the ends of the earth; he will give strength to his king and exalt the horn of his anointed” (1 Sam 2:10b).
  • “Great salvation he brings to his king, and shows steadfast love to his anointed, to David and his offspring forever” (2 Sam 22:51).
    • The other sizable poem (2 Sam 1) laments the untimely slaying of the Lord’s anointed (messiah), Saul, and his son Jonathan (see 2 Sam 1:14-16).
• The “exile” of the ark to Philistia (1 Sam 4-6) parallels David’s own exile out of the land (1 Sam 21:10-15, 27:1-28:2. The ark’s return to Beth-Shemesh, and then Kiriath-Jearim (1 Sam 6:12, 7:1-2) parallels David’s return from Ziklag to Hebron (2 Sam 2:1-4). After David takes control of Jerusalem (2 Sam 5:6-10), he knows it is time to bring the ark there as well (2 Sam 6). It requires two tries to get it right (transporting it the way God commanded and not the way they thought most expedient), but once he does, God’s covenant is quick to follow (2 Sam 7). God is present with this king and his dynasty forever.
• After the stress of being on the run from Saul (1 Sam 18-31), much tension is relieved as David comes into his kingship (2 Sam 1-10). But it gets really tense once again, beginning with his sin with Bathsheba (2 Sam 11-12) and continuing in the resulting family fallout (2 Sam 13-20).
• Even Absalom’s rebellion spends more time describing David’s exile from Jerusalem (2 Sam 15:13-17:29) and return (2 Sam 19) than it spends describing the rebellion (2 Sam 15:1-12) and civil war (2 Sam 18) itself.
• The faithfulness of God, the presence of God, exile and return, and the anointed of God are all major themes that point us ahead to the Lord Jesus.

I’m only halfway through my time in this book. I’m eager to see what the Lord does with my next ten times through it. But these reflections may shape up into something more organized and useful in the next few months.