The Bows of the Mighty Are Broken: The "Fall" of the Proud and the Exaltation of the Humble in 1 Samuel (original) (raw)
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It may be said that the entire theological framework of 1 and 2 Samuel is indelibly contained and poetically predicted in the songs which begin and end it. Said differently, the songs of Hannah and David, which form a kind of collaborative prologue and epilogue, contain the primary theological motifs of 1 and 2 Samuel in hymnic form. This phenomenon is made clear not only in the narrative of Hannah’s own experience in the early chapters of 1 Samuel, but also in the many subsequent chapters of the one story, in which are worked out the key themes of kingship, the Davidic covenant, and the reversal of fortunes in the humiliation of the prideful and the exaltation of the humble. The significance of these songs should not be understated, as they provide a coherent structure, as well as a prophetic foreshadowing and interpretation of the events of the book. Indeed, V. Philips Long affirms: “the story [and song] of Hannah provides essential orientation to the dynamics of the book of Samuel as a whole.” Likewise, William J. Dumbrell, in “The Content and Significance of Books of Samuel” agrees, stating: “the song [of Hannah] in substance presents the program to which the books of Samuel will be devoted.” While scholars have historically debated whether the Song of Hannah is her own composition, or a psalm later compiled in the post-exilic period and inserted into the text anachronistically, the content of the song clearly and undoubtedly functions in an organic way to serve the whole by establishing a narratival and theological lens through which the rise and fall of Israel’s monarchy, and the significant characters involved, may be understood. Therefore, it follows: if we desire to better understand the plot, theme, and theology 1 and 2 Samuel, we would do well to understand the content and significance of Hannah and David’s songs. The significance of songs that are full of theological import and reflect on the events of Biblical history should come as no surprise to the careful reader of Scripture. The people of the LORD have always been a people of song. In key moments of redemptive-historical significance, God’s people have verbally and poetically recounted the wondrous works of YHWH, solidifying in their memory the particular events associated with them. The power of song and of poetry is particularly the capability to compress significant theological and narratival data into relatively brief stanzas. And this is precisely how Hannah and David’s songs function; capturing the broader theological landscape of 1 and 2 Samuel in a combined total of 60 verses. Thus, it is the scope and purpose of this paper to provide an exegetical examination of the hymnic theology of Hannah’s Song in 1 Samuel 2:1-10 in comparison with David’s Song in 2 Samuel 22:2-51, to demonstrate that these psalms provide the theological framework or grid through which the whole of 1 and 2 Samuel may be understood, and therefore provide the key to understanding not only how the monarchy of Israel comes to be established, but also how and why it will ultimately fail and fall. This examination will inevitably lead us to consider the redemptive-historical significance of Israel’s search for a true king who can fulfill the perfect, personal, and perpetual requirements of obedience to the covenant of God and lead the people of God into the promised land of perfect peace and rest. Thus, our study will ultimately conclude with a brief examination of one final song—that of another divinely favored woman, Mary, in Luke 1:46-55; which song forms the biblical-theological bridge to the content and theology of 1 and 2 Samuel, demonstrating convincingly that it is God’s prerogative to take what is lowly, abased, and weak in the eyes of the world, and by it shame the strong, self-righteous, and prideful (1 Cor. 1:26-31), for truly God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble (1 Pet. 5:5-6; James 4:6-7). Finally, through our examination of Mary’s Magnificat, we will seek to show the fulfillment of these theological motifs in the person and work of Jesus Christ, whose advent, life, ministry, and death, is the penultimate model of humiliation unto exaltation.
Foreword to Nicholas Majors's THE KING-PRIEST IN SAMUEL: A MESSIANIC MOTIF
Wipf & Stock, 2023
Majors convincingly argues that Israel's monarchs were all to be king-priests and that 1 Sam 2:10, 35 build on the Pentateuch's predictions of a single anointed king-priest who would deliver and mediate God's blessing to the world. Majors also shows that 1–2 Samuel portray Saul and David as failed king-priests and David as one whose life and hope anticipate the one we know as Christ. Majors's study provides solid foundation for future research both of Israel's monarchy elsewhere in the Old Testament and of Christ's role as king-priest who fulfills all earlier shadows. It also provides a model of thematic biblical theology within a single book, and it will help skeptical readers recognize the early roots of messianic hope.
Teleioteti, 2019
Though many studies have probed the significance of the Davidic Covenant (2 Sam 7:1-17) within the biblical canon, few have endeavoured to explore its significance within the narrative of Samuel. This thesis argues that by weaving references to God's promises made to David (collectively known as the Davidic Covenant) throughout his narrative, that author of Samuel reveals God's will to strip away all human pretension by bringing His promises to fulfillment through the lowly David, whose acension to kingship and endurance therein is owing all to God. In this way, the author fulfills his purpose to demonstrate God's sovereign working in history to establish His kingdom on earth through His chosen priest-king, a descendant of David, in fulfillment of the promises He made beforehand. Engaging in a literary close-reading of the text of Samuel, the author shows how the narrative of Samuel is shaped towards this end. In the present environment of high interest in the Book of Samuel, this contribution by James Rutherford is most welcome. Rutherford is well versed in current scholarship on Samuel, but his work moves well beyond this scholarship to contribute fresh insights, not least in respect of the priestly character of King David. And concerning its structure, Rutherford argues that the Book of Samuel as a whole is arranged and narrated so as to draw attention to the centrality of the Davidic Covenant of 2 Samuel 7. Having myself studied 1 and 2 Samuel for decades now, I was nevertheless benefitted at numerous points from Rutherford’s creative interpretive suggestions. His is a work well conceived, well written, and worthy of a serious read." V. Philips Long, Professor of Old Testament, Regent College This thesis argues that by weaving references to God’s promises made to King David throughout his narrative, the author of Samuel reveals God’s will to strip away all human pretension by bringing his promises to fulfillment through a lowly man whose ascension to kingship and endurance therein is entirely owing to God. In this way, the Samuel author fulfils his purpose of demonstrating God’s sovereign working in history to establish his kingdom on earth through his chosen priest-king, a descendant of David. The thesis represents an excellent piece of work that does a great job of bringing together into one coherent argument, focused on the Davidic covenant, much of the best recent narrative-critical research on 1-2 Samuel, and from this point of view represents a distinctive contribution to the field of Samuel studies." Iain Provan, Marshall Sheppard Professor of Biblical Studies, Regent College
Of Royal Widsom and Royal Family: A Narrative and Theological Analysis of 2 Samuel 16:15-18:18
2017
The present essay argues that the biblical narrator in 2 Samuel 16:15-18:18 uses literary devices to make a critique of what kind of wisdom should be sought by a king in Israel, and to increase the tension in a clash that is both political and personal for David. My contention is that reading this episode through the categories of literary artistry (especially characterization, plot structure and control of time pace) at the service of theological potency may prove very fruitful in terms of delineating the divine presence in the midst of political-military struggles, and what are the results of proper wisdom in ancient Israelite thought.
Learning from their Own History: An Analysis of the Leader’s Speech in the Book of Samuel
Perichoresis: The Theological Journal of Emanuel University, 2022
The final speech given by Samuel to mark the passing from a theocratic to a monarchical regime is distinguished by the strategy of learning from their own history. The leader uses historical elements to determine the community to obey Yahweh as a part of an educational strategy whereby the leader uses history for pedagogical purposes. The mentioned events are subjective in nature and reflect the re-validation of Samuel as leader, the belief that Saul had become a part of the divine plan of government, and it highlights the sins of the people showing the decisive contribution of Yahweh to the progress of the community up until that moment.