BRIEF REVIEW OF THE SAGA OF ISRAEL IN THE HISTORICAL BOOKS.
The Historic Books extend from
• Joshua’s entry into the Promised Land;
• Israel’s exile into Babylonian captivity; and
• The Jews final, but gradual return to Jerusalem, staged under Medo-Persian imperial decrees.
The salient and memorable periods in the time span covered by these twelve books are as follows:-
1) Israel ceases its forty years of desert wanderings and enters Canaan;
2) Canaan is conquered by Joshua, but not fully possessed. The Canaanites were not always expelled;
3) Wayward Israel loses sight of God’s deliverance; forgets its purpose & faith.
4) In the endemic cycle of godlessness, wickedness and lawlessness:
a. Israel goes astray and succumbs to Baal’s religion;
b. it receives divine punishment from foreign tyranny;
c. it prays to Jehovah for a deliverer to rescue it in its plight;
d. God answers by raising up a god-fearing, judge, seer, prophet or prophetess;
e. Once relief is experienced Israel quickly becomes wayward again;
f. It reverts to its cycle of backsliding and the pattern repeats itself.
g. Despite notable judges, seers, and deliverers Israel stays apostate.
5) The prophet Samuel and his ministry to Israel’s first two kings: Saul and David.
6) David’s son Solomon reigns: the tabernacle tent is superseded by Solomon’s temple.
7) The success and failures of the aforesaid two kings.
8) Solomon’s kingdom of Israel divided:
a. The tribe of Judah in the south with its temple worship of Jehovah
b. Ten rebel tribes in Samaria with their golden calf worship in Dan & Bethel.
9) The rebel kingdom of Israel ended by Assyrian captivity & forced migration after the siege of Samaria,
10) The ongoing concurrent southern kingdom of Judah under King Ahaz, lasts a farther hundred and twenty years.
11) Judah goes into Chaldean captivity under Nebuchadnezzar who razes Jerusalem to the ground.
12) King Darius, acting for Cyrus, releases captives from Babylon, who return to Jerusalem in stages.
13) The captivity period belongs to the three historic books of Ezra, Nehemiah, and Esther.
CHAPTER HEADINGS AND DIVISIONS OF RUTH & SAMUEL.
RUTH: 1. Naomi and her husband leave Judah & take refuge in Moab from famine.
Naomi’s planned departure home to Bethlehem.
Naomi’s daughter-in-law refuses to be separated and both arrive in Bethlehem.
RUTH: 2. Boaz, kindred of Naomi’s late husband, sustains Ruth.
RUTH: 3. Marriage proposal of Boaz and Ruth; Naomi approves.
RUTH: 4. Boaz satisfies ancestral law; free to marry Ruth; blessed couple: forbears of David & Jesus.
THE BOOK OF 1ST SAMUEL.
1 SAMUEL: 1. The birth of Samuel; his weaning; his parents loan him to tabernacle at Shiloh.
1 SAMUEL: 2. Wayward sons of Eli, who turns a blind eye to their immoral acts.
1 SAMUEL: 3. Samuel a servant of the tabernacle; God’s calls him as seer and prophet.
Samuel hears God’s first prophecy; imminent retribution upon Eli & sons.
1 SAMUEL: 4. Philistines kill Eli’s sons and capture the Ark of the Tabernacle.
1 SAMUEL: 5. The Ark of the Testament plagues its hosts.
1 SAMUEL: 6. The Philistines attempt to return the Ark to Shiloh in Israel.
1 SAMUEL: 7. The Ark returns; Pursuing Philistines repelled; Samuel the Judge.
1 SAMUEL: 8. Samuel creates dynasty of judges; monarchy replaces Israel’s theocracy.
1 SAMUEL: 9. Saul looks for his lost asses; Samuel meets Saul and draws him aside.
1 SAMUEL: 10. Samuel anoints Saul as Israel’s first king; Despite Samuel’s signs Saul hides.
1 SAMUEL: 11. Saul defeats the Ammonite invaders; the coronation of the new king.
1 SAMUEL: 12 . The prophet Samuel foreshadows his retirement with a warning.
1 SAMUEL: 13. Saul’s 1st mistake: sends 2000 against 30,000 Philistines; the people hide.
Saul’s 2nd mistake: he blasphemously acts as prophet & priest on impulse.
The prophet Samuel rebukes the king; he predicts Saul’s demise.
1 SAMUEL: 14. Jonathan miraculously routs Philistine army whilst Jews hide in fear.
1 SAMUEL: 15. Saul’s rank disobedience; God rejects Saul as king of Israel.
1 SAMUEL: 16. Saul clings to the throne; Samuel anoints David as the next king.
The unpredictable illness of Saul’s mind and his severe melancholy.
1 SAMUEL: 17. David kills Goliath the giant with a slingshot; King Saul’s increasing dementia.
1 SAMUEL: 18. King Saul’s rapid mental decline; his unstable maliciousness and jealousy.
1 SAMUEL: 19. Saul’s malice becomes murderous as he pursues David.
God’s mysterious use of prophesy for restraining confusion to shield David.
1 SAMUEL: 20. Saul’s son, Jonathan, aides David’s final escape.
1 SAMUEL: 21. Ahimelech helps David, giving refuge when he and his men were faint.
1 SAMUEL: 22. David and his band of men become refugees in Adullam’s cave.
1 SAMUEL: 23. Exploits of King David & his six hundred men in exile.
Jonathan & David covenant together; David is surrounded by Saul, but escapes.
1 SAMUEL: 24. David encircled, but escapes by bravery, humility & Saul’s armies’ stupor.
David’s honourable plea & Saul’s pretentious repentance.
1 SAMUEL: 25. Saul dies; Nabal’s contempt for David; godly Abigail stops massacre; Nabal dies.
1 SAMUEL: 26. David avoids Saul, David continues to forgive him; the king pretends to be sorry.
1 SAMUEL: 27. David flees to Philistine refuge; David the secret saboteur behind the lines.
1 SAMUEL: 28. Abandoned by God, Saul faces invasion consults a medium for Saul’s advice.
1 SAMUEL: 29. Forces gather against Saul; Philistine army sends David away from them.
1 SAMUEL: 30. David returns to Philistia having lost his wives & property to Amelakite raiders.
1 SAMUEL: 31. Philistines defeat Israel; Saul falls on his own sword and dies.
THE BOOK OF 2ND SAMUEL.
2 SAMUEL:1. David’s grievous lament over loss of Jonathan & Saul.
2 SAMUEL: 2. David, returns; Judah makes him king; Abner crowns Ishbosheth king instead.
Joab’s murderous mischief against dissenting tribe of Benjamin.
2 SAMUEL:3. Civil war erupts between Judah and the late King Saul’s kingdom; Abner defects.
Joab continues his murderous mischief & assassinates Abner during détente.
2 SAMUEL:4. Ishbosheth flees after Joab murder of Abner, but he is assassinated.
2 SAMUEL:5. Saul’s former kingdom of Israel returns to Hebron to make David king.
David takes Jerusalem & expels Jebusites; Philistines oppose King David.
2 SAMUEL: 6. David seeks God’s glory his own way bypassing Levitical precedent.
Uzzah struck dead; ark’s transit aborted; arrives in Jerusalem 90 days later.
2 SAMUEL:7. David plans temple for the tabernacle; Prophet Nathan postpones progress.
King David pours out his heart’s plea that Jerusalem be the eternal city.
2 SAMUEL:8. David expands his kingdom reaching from the Euphrates to the Mediterranean;
2 SAMUEL:9. David shows mercy to Mephibosheth; Ziba, reassigned to him.
2 SAMUEL:10. David’s merciful kindness to Lot’s descendents spurned; Ammon & Syria attack.
2 SAMUEL:11. David’s success breeds indolent lethargy; David’s evil waywardness.
2 SAMUEL:12. Prophet Nathan reproves David; his repentance; consequence is family blight.
2 SAMUEL:13. David’s son Amnon rapes Tamar, sister of Absalom.
Absalom plans murderous retaliation then flees into exile.
2 SAMUEL:14. Joab’s deception allows Absalom to return to Jerusalem.
2 SAMUEL:15. Absalom’s treacherous subterfuge to steal the kingdom of David..
David’s self imposed exile; he flees from Absalom’s revolution.
David plants foreign agents in Absalom’s Jerusalem.
2 SAMUEL:16. Ziba’s provisions of sustenance; Dad mercifully tolerates his detractors.
2 SAMUEL:17. Agent Hushai in Jerusalem cripples the credibility of Ahithophel.
Dejected Ahithophel commits suicide and David’s life is preserved.
Aged Barzillai sustains David’s flight to Gilead, on Jordan’s east bank.
2 SAMUEL:18. Israeli loyalists arrive en masse to defend David in battle; Joab slays Absalom.
2 SAMUEL:19. David’s continued grief over enemy Absalom is misunderstood.
2 SAMUEL:20. Sheba’s coup d’etat leaves king David with only one tribe: Judah.
2 SAMUEL:21. God’s blight of famine upon the land for Saul’s slaughter of Gibeonites.
The Gibeonite demand for reparation; David executes seven sons of Saul.
2 SAMUEL:22. David recounts his life’s blessings in his psalm of praise and prayer.
2 SAMUEL:23. Last words of godly King David’s throne: his worship; his mighty men.
2 SAMUEL:24. David’s sin; he conducts another census; God’s wrath; his mercy on Jerusalem.
