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The prophet Gad comes into touch with David just after his escape from the cave of
Adullam (I Sam. 22: 5), and is called "David's seer" in I Chron. 21: 9. Nathan also
was closely associated with David, and continued on into the days of Solomon.
"Now the rest of the acts of Solomon, first and last, are they not written in the books
of Nathan the prophet?" (II Chron. 9: 29).
The records contained in the first four books of Kings are, therefore, the work of these
three prophets, Samuel, Gad and Nathan.
The reader may, perhaps, be surprised at the phrase we have just used: "The first four
books of Kings." The name of the book we are now studying is given in the A.V. as
"The First Book of Samuel, otherwise the First Book of Kings". The books that are now
called I and II Samuel were always reckoned by the Hebrews as one book, the present
sub-division being derived from the Septuagint. That there was no break between the
two books is evident from the Sedarim, or cycles for public reading. The twentieth
Sedarim begins with I Sam. 30: 25 and ends with II Sam. 2: 6, without showing the
slightest break.
As to the purpose of these records, we are assured that beyond the mere preservation
of the historical facts there was a more important purpose served. Speaking of the
rejection of Christ and His Second Coming, Peter refers to the testimony of the prophets
as follows:
"Yea, and all the prophets from Samuel, and those that follow after as many as have
spoken, have likewise foretold of these days" (Acts 3: 24).
In several ways Samuel stands to David as John the Baptist stands to the Lord. Both
were born to mothers who were naturally barren. Samuel was dedicated as a Nazarite all
his days, while of John it was said: "He shall neither drink wine nor strong drink."
Samuel anointed David as King, while it was the special office of John the Baptist to
testify at the baptism of Jordan that the Messiah had come. Samuel was rejected by the
people, while John "decreased" until at last he suffered death in prison.
Hannah's song at the birth of Samuel has often been compared with Mary's song in
Luke 1: 46-55, but few seem to have noticed the close parallel between Hannah's song
and that of Zacharias. Of Samuel, also, it is written: "And the child Samuel grew before
the Lord" (I Sam. 2: 21), while of John we read: "And the child grew, and waxed strong
in spirit" (Luke 1: 80). As Samuel was the last of the judges and the first of the prophets,
so John was the last of the prophets and the first of the disciples.
The first seven chapters of I Samuel take us back to the days of the judges and show
us the sad state of the times, the failure of the priests, and the great need for a wise and
firm ruler. With the opening of chapter 8:, we find Samuel aged and his sons made
judges; but alas, they follow in the footsteps of Eli's sons rather than in those of Samuel
their father. The result of this is that Israel demand a king. They were certainly wrong to
do so, but it was the misrule of Samuel's sons that was the main cause.