From Theocracy to Monarchy: The "Missing" Story of King Saul | 1 Samuel 8-12 | Christopher Enoch

Join scholar Christopher Enoch for a profound scholarly examination of 1 Samuel Chapters 8-12. This live stream dives into the most pivotal section of the book, documenting Israel's turbulent transition from a decentralized tribal confederacy (the era of the Judges) to a centralized monarchy and the rise of its first king, Saul.

Set in the late Iron Age I (c. 1050–1020 BC), this study analyzes the complex, interwoven traditions—the "Pro-Monarchic" strand (viewing the king as a divine gift) and the "Anti-Monarchic" strand (viewing it as a rebellion against Yahweh).

In this detailed analysis, we will cover:

1 Samuel 8: The people's demand for a king "like all the nations," the corruption of Samuel's sons (Joel and Abijah), and the framing of this request as a rejection of Yahweh. We'll break down Samuel's dire warning, the Mishpat HaMelekh ("custom of the king"), and its historical context in the Ancient Near East.

1 Samuel 9: The shift to a pro-monarchic narrative introducing Saul of Benjamin. We'll follow his providential search for lost donkeys, his meeting with Samuel, and the crucial linguistic gloss explaining the archaic term "Seer" (Ro'eh) versus "Prophet" (Navi').

1 Samuel 10: Saul's three-stage ascension: his private anointing as Nagid (prince), the empowerment by the Spirit of Yahweh, his experience with ecstatic prophecy (prompting the proverb, "Is Saul also among the prophets?"), and his public election by lot at Mizpah.

THE SCHOLARLY BOMBSHELL (10:27b): A key focus on the "missing paragraph" found in the Dead Sea Scrolls (4QSamª) but absent from most standard Bibles. This passage, detailing the atrocities of Nahash the Ammonite, provides the essential background for the next chapter.

1 Samuel 11: Saul's first test as king. We explore the crisis at Jabesh-Gilead, Nahash's brutal terms (gouging out right eyes), and Saul's charismatic, Spirit-filled response (cutting up the oxen) that leads to a decisive military victory and the renewal of the kingship at Gilgal.

1 Samuel 12: Samuel's Farewell Address. We'll examine this "Covenant Lawsuit" (Rîv), which establishes the critical theological principle of a conditional monarchy in Israel—where the king remains subject to the Torah. We'll also look at the powerful sign of thunder and rain during the dry wheat harvest.

This study will primarily read from the World English Bible (WEB), with scholarly comparisons to the Brenton Septuagint (LXX) and the Peshitta (Syriac).

#1Samuel #KingSaul #BibleStudy #Theology #OldTestament #BiblicalScholarship #DeadSeaScrolls #ChristopherEnoch #BibleHistory #AncientIsrael

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