The Tabernacle, Temple, and Sanctuary: Samuel, Saul, and the Story of David

By Dennis Herman

This book covers the lives of Samuel, Saul, and David as recorded in the two books of Samuel. It is a verse by verse look at each of their lives, and goes beyond a look at each as an individual. When we look back, compare stories, and the lives of the three main characters in Samuel's books, we learn how each developed a personal relationship with God, received gifts, and how each of them used those gifts to represent God. Some times we learn from simple lessons. Other times we learn from contrasts between the lives of Samuel, Saul, and David. Together those stories reveal vital lessons on communication with God, as well as the gift of prophecy.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Lulu.com
• Release date: Mar 3, 2017
• ISBN: 9781365796722

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The Tabernacle, Temple, and Sanctuary: Samuel, Saul, and the Story of David

The Tabernacle, Temple, and Sanctuary

Samuel, Saul, and the Story of David

Written by Dennis Herman

Copyright © 2017 Dennis Herman

All rights reserved

ISBN-978-1-365-79672-2

The Tabernacle, Temple, and Sanctuary: Samuel, Saul, and the Story of David

by Dennis Herman

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Bibles:

NLTse New Living. Translation®. SECOND EDITION Tyndale House Publishers, Inc

KJV King James Version

MKJV Modern King James Version Sovereign Grace Publishers

Scripture quotations marked (NLT) (NLTse) are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2007 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

Introduction

This book covers the life of Samuel, Saul, and David as recorded in the books of First and Second Samuel. As with other books in this series, a verse by verse analysis of those stories brings out details often missed using other methods of writing. Using a few simple rules of context such as looking back at previous stories, certain facts are illustrated in ways no other method would reveal.

Samuel was more than a boy chosen by God. Samuel was an illustration explaining how God trains certain prophets, and why God choose certain people to deliver His messages. The fact Samuel established a school to train prophets reveals his deep understanding of the office and title of prophet. Samuel underwent a transition from seer to prophet when Saul showed up on the scene. Saul experienced his own transformation when given the gift of prophecy. Later chapters showed how Saul took that gift for granted and eventually lost what God gave to him, including his throne, and his life.

Much of Saul's life was wasted chasing David throughout the wilderness, over hills and mountains. Saul left the luxury and security of his palace to face hardships and disappointments while hunting David. The entire journey was a learning experience for young David as he honed his communication skills with God. The contrast between Saul and David shows us how one person learns from a situation, while another person misses so many details.

David's lessons began at an early age while tending his father's sheep. As a shepherd, David took advantage of the solitude to develop a personal relationship with God. When we compare Samuel's early encounters with God with those David experienced, we begin to see how God reacts with this world in a simple and consistent manner. Comparing that to the contrasts established by Saul's life, we begin to understand why some people succeed in their walk with God, while others failed.

David's life was not an easy one, nor was David a perfect person. David didn't have to be perfect to be loved and respected by God. David developed his personal relationship with God in his own way, at his own speed. There was one thing consistent in David's life. Whenever he slipped away, God sent in the prophet to draw him back. David was man enough to admit his mistakes, and talk them over with God in prayer. Was that what God loved about David?

Some stories reveal details about David that will draw you even closer to the man God loved. Other stories will show a side of David some people try to avoid. Special attention was given to minor details such as, when David consulted God before acting, and when David made decisions on his own. Stories show both the good we can learn from David as well as his mistakes, which also teach vital lessons.

Chapter 1 Samuel

1 Samuel 1:1-8  There was a man named Elkanah who lived in Ramah in the region of Zuph in the hill country of Ephraim. He was the son of Jeroham, son of Elihu, son of Tohu, son of Zuph, of Ephraim.  (2)  Elkanah had two wives, Hannah and Peninnah. Peninnah had children, but Hannah did not.  (3)  Each year Elkanah would travel to Shiloh to worship and sacrifice to the LORD of Heaven's Armies at the Tabernacle. The priests of the LORD at that time were the two sons of Eli--Hophni and Phinehas.  (4)  On the days Elkanah presented his sacrifice, he would give portions of the meat to Peninnah and each of her children.  (5)  And though he loved Hannah, he would give her only one choice portion because the LORD had given her no children.  (6)  So Peninnah would taunt Hannah and make fun of her because the LORD had kept her from having children.  (7)  Year after year it was the same--Peninnah would taunt Hannah as they went to the Tabernacle. Each time, Hannah would be reduced to tears and would not even eat.  (8)  Why are you crying, Hannah? Elkanah would ask. Why aren't you eating? Why be downhearted just because you have no children? You have me--isn't that better than having ten sons?

I had to skip a few stories in the book of judges, and the book of Ruth to get to this point. You can go back, review those stories, and see what new information the LORD wants to share with you.

Here we have the beginning, or introduction to the story about Samuel. Many people may think of this book as a story about Saul, David, or the beginning of the history of the kings in Judah. To an extent, they are all correct. In this book we will concentrate on the Tabernacle and the high priests at the time. Of course this part of Samuel's book is about himself.

We already know how important the introduction is to a chapter in the Bible. The introduction is also very important in a book. I would expect every author to give a great deal of consideration to the introduction of the book they are about to write. Samuel was no exception.

Samuel used the introduction of his book to do nothing short of dedicating his book to his mother. Of course this is the Bible, and we have to ask, why would God allow such a thing? The only answer could be, to teach an important lesson. What lessons do we learn from such an introduction?

The first answer has to be, it is one of the Ten Commandments. "Honor your father and mother. Then you will live a long, full life in the land the LORD your God is giving you. (Exodus 20:12). How many people give that any thought when they begin study a book such as Samuel's? We could go a step further. Some women are not mentioned in the Bible by name. The woman Jesus met at the well is one of them. Other woman like Mary, who loved Jesus, is mentioned by name, but not as detailed as men are described. So some scholars like to debate if there was one Mary, or several different women mentioned in the New Testament.

We may never know why Elkanah had two wives, but he did. That is the type of household Samuel grew up in. And there is one point I want to set straight at the beginning of this section on Samuel and the other priests who served Israel's kings. Or in Samuel's case, guided Saul. The point I want to set straight is, Samuel was a Levite.

The son of Elkanah, the son of Jeroham, the son of Eliel, the son of Toah, The son of Zuph, the son of Elkanah, the son of Mahath, the son of Amasai, The son of Elkanah, the son of Joel, the son of Azariah, the son of Zephaniah, The son of Tahath, the son of Assir, the son of Ebiasaph, the son of Korah, The son of Izhar, the son of Kohath, the son of Levi, the son of Israel. (1 Chronicles 6:34-38).

It takes a bit of searching, and for some reason, some translations do a good job of changing a few names to hide that fact. But, Samuel was a Levite, and God eventually appointed Samuel high priest, and gave Samuel the role of prophet. That is very special. Samuel was one of the few to have such an honor. This is what we want to learn, what it takes to get so close to God, He assigns you multiple tasks, or titles.

We can see Elkanah was a very dedicated man, going to the Tabernacle every year to fulfill the prescribed sacrifices. After reviewing a number of stories in the book of Judges, and seeing how far many people in Israel slipped away, this should sound rather unusual to us. The book of Judges showed how many people forgot about God, made their own decisions, and basically slipped away. Life in the promised land was not going the way God planned it. That showed how people were left to their own decisions. Elkanah confirmed that, based on the fact, he was one of the few, or many who stuck to the plan and followed God.

We also see Eli's two sons mentioned. This translation pointed out the fact, Hophni and Phinehas served as priests. A detail we will cover later in the next chapter. To Samuel, pointing out Hophni and Phinehas were priests was an important point in the introduction of his book.

When we compare the beginning of this book to previous books in the Bible, we can see, we can't judge everyone based on limited knowledge. Although Judges covered a lot of mistakes Israel made, along with some of the heroes who followed God's commands, and saved Israel, we can't assume the entire nation forgot about God. The lesson for us is, not everyone has forgotten about God today. People are all on their own personal levels with God.

We have to keep that in mind. Many Christians make a carrier out of separating the chaff from the wheat. Or weeds from the wheat, placing everyone in a particular group in the same category. They like to think, if someone belongs to a particular church or denomination, they all think alike. I know why. People who think like that, want everyone in their church to think and act just like themselves. They have the attitude, if everyone was like me, this would be a perfect world. Would that really make this a perfect world?

Most translations say, Elkanah gave Hannah a double portion. But the use of the word, choice portion conveys the same thought. Elkanah loved Hannah more than his other wife. It didn't matter, Hannah didn't provide any children up to that point. There was something about Hanna, Elkanah really loved. Was it her beauty? Did Hannah do a better job taking care of the house? Was Hanna a better cook? Was it her attitude? Maybe the way she listened to Elkanah when he had a problem. We can't be sure of all the reasons. What we do know is, Elkanah loved Hanna more than Elkanah.

Samuel told us one little part of Peninnah's personality. She taunted Hanna. Something made her jealous over Hannah. Was it the extra food she received from Elkanah? Was it the extra attention Hanna received from Elkanah? Once again, we can't be sure of all the answers. All we know is, there must have been a drastic difference between Hannah's and Peninnah's attitude.

Hannah and Eli

1 Samuel 1:9-18  Once after a sacrificial meal at Shiloh, Hannah got up and went to pray. Eli the priest was sitting at his customary place beside the entrance of the Tabernacle.  (10)  Hannah was in deep anguish, crying bitterly as she prayed to the LORD.  (11)  And she made this vow: O LORD of Heaven's Armies, if you will look upon my sorrow and answer my prayer and give me a son, then I will give him back to you. He will be yours for his entire lifetime, and as a sign that he has been dedicated to the LORD, his hair will never be cut.  (12)  As she was praying to the LORD, Eli watched her.  (13)  Seeing her lips moving but hearing no sound, he thought she had been drinking.  (14)  Must you come here drunk? he demanded. Throw away your wine!  (15)  Oh no, sir! she replied. I haven't been drinking wine or anything stronger. But I am very discouraged, and I was pouring out my heart to the LORD.  (16)  Don't think I am a wicked woman! For I have been praying out of great anguish and sorrow.  (17)  In that case, Eli said, go in peace! May the God of Israel grant the request you have asked of him.  (18)  Oh, thank you, sir! she exclaimed. Then she went back and began to eat again, and she was no longer sad.

Based on previous texts, we know why Hannah was crying. Peninnah was making fun of her again. Hannah reached the breaking point. She had to do something. Hannah was so desperate, she turned to God. That may sound a little mean, but I think that is one of the lessons Samuel wanted to bring out in this story. How many people have to wait until a breaking point before turning to God? The book of Judges tried to teach us that lesson. Will we ever learn?

Hannah made quite a promise to God. Was that part of God's plan? Was God going to appoint Hannah's baby the next high priest, no matter what? To choose the next high priest, certain details had to fall into place. Samuel needed the right father and mother. Samuel needed the proper influences in his life. When we look at stories like this unfolding, we have to consider all the angles. It seems to me, some people just like to think, God had everything under control. God knew how things were going to turn out. If that was true, why did Israel fail after they entered the promised land? Why did God have to turn them over to people Israel was supposed to totally eliminate?

In this story, we also learn not to judge people too quickly. Eli judged on sight. His first impression was seeing a woman crying. He thought Hannah was drunk or something. Look at the sequence. They didn't speak a word, and Eli thought he had her all figured out. Is that the way a priest is supposed to act? Much less the high priest. What kind of example was that?

This brings us right back to people from one church judging others from a different church. I've been there. I've seen it happen. Like this story teaches us, those impressions are often derived, or taught by the priest. Or in these days, they are more often called pastors. Sad to see people today still making the same mistake Eli made. It is sadder to see many of them preaching on this story and missing most of the major points. Ouch – another thing to watch out for. Not only do we have to be careful about people teaching with the use of selective sentences from scripture, we have to be careful to look out for people teaching selective sides of the story they use to illustrate a point. How selective can people be?

My question is, why would Samuel put details about the high priest thinking his mother was drunk? Is that the type of information you would write about your mother? How did Samuel learn those details? The obvious answer is, his mother told him. Remember stories in books Moses wrote about how parents are held responsible for teaching their children? It seems Hannah took that to heart. At least the teaching part of those lessons. We'll have to read a bit more about Samuel to see if he learned anything about the laws and Commandment part of the message. We can't be too quick to judge Hannah on the good or negative side.

Samuel Dedicated to the LORD

1 Samuel 1:19-28  The entire family got up early the next morning and went to worship the LORD once more. Then they returned home to Ramah. When Elkanah slept with Hannah, the LORD remembered her plea,  (20)  and in due time she gave birth to a son. She named him Samuel, for she said, I asked the LORD for him.  (21)  The next year Elkanah and his family went on their annual trip to offer a sacrifice to the LORD.  (22)  But Hannah did not go. She told her husband, Wait until the boy is weaned. Then I will take him to the Tabernacle and leave him there with the LORD permanently.  (23)  Whatever you think is best, Elkanah agreed. Stay here for now, and may the LORD help you keep your promise. So she stayed home and nursed the boy until he was weaned.  (24)  When the child was weaned, Hannah took him to the Tabernacle in Shiloh. They brought along a three-year-old bull for the sacrifice and a basket of flour and some wine.  (25)  After sacrificing the bull, they brought the boy to Eli.  (26)  Sir, do you remember me? Hannah asked. I am the woman who stood here several years ago praying to the LORD.  (27)  I asked the LORD to give me this boy, and he has granted my request.  (28)  Now I am giving him to the LORD, and he will belong to the LORD his whole life. And they worshiped the LORD there.

What are the chances of a husband waiting so long for a son, then agreeing to leave that son at the Tabernacle to be raised by priests? If you know this story, you know Eli's sons were not going to be the best influences in the world. But let's look at Elkanah for a moment.

What kind of man would give up the firstborn son so easily? Well what do we know about the situation? We know Elkanah was a Levite. So the priesthood was in his blood. We also know, men always want their sons to go much further in life and accomplish more than what they had been able to accomplish. We know Elkanah was a dedicated man of God.

The world tells us, men in those days always wanted their sons, especially the firstborn to follow in their footsteps. That may have been the case with Elkanah. Being a Levite, Elkanah was allowed to live in any of the cities of refuge he chose. But, Ramah in the region of Zuph in the hill country of Ephraim was not one of the original cities of refuge. The following cities were designated as cities of refuge: Kedesh of Galilee, in the hill country of Naphtali; Shechem, in the hill country of Ephraim; and Kiriath-arba (that is, Hebron), in the hill country of Judah. (Joshua 20:7). So we may have to ask why Elkanah lived in Ramah, and not in Schechem.

None of that tells us why Elkanah would give up his son so easily. Of course, he had other sons from his other wife, Peninnah. We also know, Elkanah loved Hannah more than Peninnah. Does that tell us Elkanah listened to Hannah and respected not only her decision, but vow to God? Is this another aspect God looked for? Is this one of those aspects God is looking for today, but we find a little difficult to understand?

I wonder why Hannah remained at home with Samuel while Elkanah and the rest of the family went on their annual trip to the Tabernacle. Was Peninnah still pestering Hannah? Did her attacks grow after Samuel was born? Maybe Hannah needed some time alone. Mary and Joseph traveled with Jesus to the Tabernacle in Jerusalem when Jesus was only eight years old. We don't see any record of Samuel being dedicated at the Tabernacle when he was eight days old. We are given some information, but there seems to be missing information. How do we find that missing information? Or do we continue to study using words and information we've been given?

Look at how years were skipped over. In a few sentences, Elkanah slept with Hannah, then Samuel is left with Eli. We have to assume that is where the story really began.

Chapter 2 Samuel is Left at the Tabernacle 1 Samuel 2

1 Samuel 2:1-10  Then Hannah prayed: My heart rejoices in the LORD! The LORD has made me strong. Now I have an answer for my enemies; I rejoice because you rescued me.  (2)  No one is holy like the LORD! There is no one besides you; there is no Rock like our God.  (3)  Stop acting so proud and haughty! Don't speak with such arrogance! For the LORD is a God who knows what you have done; he will judge your actions.  (4)  The bow of the mighty is now broken, and those who stumbled are now strong.  (5)  Those who were well fed are now starving, and those who were starving are now full. The childless woman now has seven children, and the woman with many children wastes away.  (6)  The LORD gives both death and life; he brings some down to the grave but raises others up.  (7)  The LORD makes some poor and others rich; he brings some down and lifts others up.  (8)  He lifts the poor from the dust and the needy from the garbage dump. He sets them among princes, placing them in seats of honor. For all the earth is the LORD's, and he has set the world in order.  (9)  He will protect his faithful ones, but the wicked will disappear in darkness. No one will succeed by strength alone.  (10)  Those who fight against the LORD will be shattered. He thunders against them from heaven; the LORD judges throughout the earth. He gives power to his king; he increases the strength of his anointed one.

Most people rejoice when they receive something. How many of us rejoice when they give up something? Especially something as dear as a child.

When we look at Hannah's prayer, we learn a lot about her. Who would have thought, a woman was concerned about Israel's enemies? Of course Hannah wasn't referring to Peninnah. What were you thinking? Do you think Hannah used Samuel to get back at Peninnah, then came up with the plan of giving Samuel away to appear more holy than Peninnah? Or do you think God gave Hannah a son for a sort of sporting revenge? Some people do? I've seen this story presented in that light.

Some people think, because Hannah was a woman, her prayer only concerned herself, problems, and own little world. Yes, that's the way some preachers think. They place a manly interpretation on scripture, then make sure every bit supports their views. In a way, they are like Peninnah. She used Hannah's misfortune to twist it into a curse from God. That seems logical. So many people like to turn Hannah's blessing into a curse pointed at Peninnah. That may sound logical to some people.

When we live in our own little world, it is difficult to see how other people view the world with open eyes. Or better yet, with the overall view