1 Samuel (Reformed Expository Commentary | REC)

by Richard D. Phillips

Publisher:

P&R

, 2012

Overview

David is more than a great hero, a man of faith, and a model for Christians to follow. He is one of the most important Old Testament types of Jesus Christ. It is as an anointed one—called and provided by God to lead Israel—that David plays his chief role in redemptive history and makes his distinctive contribution in preparing God’s people for the Anointed One, the Messiah who comes to rule and to save.

Two other significant figures—Samuel and Saul—appear in 1 Samuel. Samuel, an epochal figure whose significance equals that of Joshua, guides Israel out of the chaotic period of the judges and serves the coming of the Davidic kingdom. Saul, an alter ego first to Samuel and then to David, personifies idolatry and unbelief that plague Israel throughout the Old Testament. The ways in which he contrasts with Samuel and David provide valuable spiritual lessons.

The lesser characters in 1 Samuel are hardly incidental—Eli the corrupted priest, Hannah the tearful believer, and Jonathan the faithful friend, to name just three.

Key Features

• Provides insight into the lives of Samuel and Saul
• Discusses the valuable spiritual lessons found in 1 Samuel
• Explores the lesser characters in 1 Samuel

Contents

• Last of the Judges
• A King like All the Nations
• A Man after God’s Own Heart

Top Highlights

“Finally, David’s anointing reminds us that the qualities that God desires in his servants are those he grants by the sending of his Holy Spirit.” (Page 264)

“First, we should see this event as God’s rebuke to a principle at the heart of idolatry: a focus on outward appearance” (Page 261)

“Third, Hannah prayed knowing who she was. She referred to herself as God’s humble servant (1 Sam. 1:11” (Page 19)

“The answer is that this spirit of harm was sent by the Lord as an act of judgment on Saul’s sin. Robert Bergen explains: ‘Saul’s tortured state was not an accident of nature, nor was it essentially a medical condition. It was a supernatural assault by a being sent at the Lord’s command, and it was brought on by Saul’s disobedience.’” (Page 271)

“‘The man who stood calmly before Goliath because he was possessed with faith now acts like a maniac because he is possessed with fear.’” (Page 367)

Endorsements

Faithful exposition of God’s Word instruct and transform, disturb and comfort—edifying us through godly exhortations and gospel proclamation. That is precisely what I have found in Richard Phillips’ commentary on 1 Samuel.

—Michael S. Horton, J. Gresham Machen Professor, Westminster Seminary, CA

This commentary is an indispensable tool. Phillips addresses the memorable narratives of Samuel, Saul, and David carefully and pastorally, paying special attention to character development, historical background, sound doctrine, and practical application. All who love God’s Word will surely want to consult this essential volume and add it to their personal libraries.

—Steven J. Lawson, senior pastor, Christ Fellowship Baptist Church, Mobile, AL

Phillips provides scripturally faithful, satisfyingly readable, and spiritually challenging expositions that will strengthen the believer’s soul. Like a diver, Phillips has gone deep down to uncover the pearls of heaven.

—Michael A. Milton, James M. Baird Jr. Chair of Pastoral Theology, Reformed Theological Seminary

This commentary is everything we’ve come to expect from Rick: painstaking exegesis, nuanced application, careful attention to relevance for today’s world, and a discernible and memorable structure. It is an outstanding model of Reformed expository preaching. A finer exposition of 1 Samuel you will not find.

—Derek W. H. Thomas, professor of systematic and historical theology, Reformed Theological Seminary

Product Details

• Title: 1 Samuel
• Author: Richard D. Phillips
• Edition: 1st ed.
• Series: Reformed Expository Commentary
• Publisher: P&R
• Print Publication Date: 2012
• Logos Release Date: 2014
• Pages: 576
• Era: era:contemporary
• Language: English
• Resources: 1
• Format: Digital › Logos Research Edition
• Subject: Bible. O.T. 1 Samuel › Commentaries
• ISBNs: 9781596381971, 1596381973
• Resource ID: LLS:REC09SA1
• Resource Type: Bible Commentary
• Metadata Last Updated: 2022-09-30T02:38:56Z

About Richard D. Phillips

Richard Davis Phillips has been the Senior Minister of Second Presbyterian Church in Greenville, South Carolina (PCA) since July, 2007. He earned his bachelor’s degree at the University of Michigan, and a master of business administration degree at the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School of Business. Prior to entering the ministry, he commanded tank units as an officer in the U.S. Army and later served as an assistant professor of leadership at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point. He came to faith in Jesus Christ at the age of 30, and was soon was leading evangelistic Bible studies at the college where he was teaching. A few years later he received God’s call to enter the gospel ministry, and received a master of divinity degree from Westminster Theological Seminary in Philadelphia, PA.