The Casual Catholic's view on Samuel Books 1 and 2.

I did not skip a day of reading the bible. As you can see by the title of this post, Samuel was divided into 2 books. I decided then that I should read both and then put my thoughts on it since it seemed like they were two parts of the same book. In a sense they were and in a sense they were not.

The titular character, Samuel, was only alive for the first, but the second continued the story that he had started. I shall give my thoughts on each book individually and then give my thoughts on the book as a whole.

Samuel 1: The people of Israel are just a bunch of morons. One could say this about Humanity in general, and they would be correct; however, I focus specifically on the Israelites for one reason: they act like God does not have any control over them until they need his help. The crazy has continued on from Judges. They even make the excuse that they need a king to rule over them, but when God gives them a King, namely Saul, they trample all over God's authority and bend Saul to their will. This is the second time God has regretted doing something.

I know I have angered people with the idea that God is learning since he supposedly knows everything that has, is, and will be all at once. I would love them to explain to me, that if God knew that Saul was going to be a disappointment, why would he feel regret? I mean he knew it was going to happen, just like the flood. So how does an all knowing being even make a mistake, let alone feel regret over it? 

My answer is in two parts First, he is all knowing in the sense that he can look into what different path's bring, Such as he knows how once choice will be different from another, but to claim that there is a set path that everyone would follow would deny the idea of free will. Free will has been evident in the bible because people have had the choice to be morons, and God every so often has to test people. If the outcome was already known, why even bother with the test?

The second part to my answer is what I've asserted before, God is learning about humanity and how best to deal with them. There are no cataclysmic events in this book. God acted with subtle specific control of people in this book, like sending and evil spirit to only deal with Saul, and actually in a way he made Saul kill himself so that the new king, David would not have the blood of an anointed King of God on his hands.

Samuel 2: Samuel 2 was a good read. It was about David, and David was a fascinating person. He was truly a holy man, but he was a man. I mean he's the most human human in the bible thus far, but this could because he was flushed out properly in the 2 books.

Most people only really know about David through Goliath, that's how I knew him. I did not know the true amount of well, goodness that was in this man. David was just, David was kind, He would straight up end you if you were an enemy of God, but the most part he would not end you unjustly. I did say for the most part.

David was very much a man who enjoyed sex. He had plenty of it counting all the concubines and wives he had. It's actually one of his more human traits. One of his few sins was that he slept with a man's wife, and then sent her husband to die. God did not like that one bit, and god took their son that came from that affair.

I know I have not justified my previous compliments of him with that story so I shall make up for it now. Saul tried to kill David. Several times. Saul was very jealous of David, especially since Saul knew that god was on David's side. Saul did horrible things to try and kill David. David would not lay a single hand on him. David tried everything he could to make peace with Saul. David till the end respected that Saul was God's anointed and even mourned for his death. David was a man undying in his faith and for that I have to give him my respect.

So both books were just fun. It was nice reaching a well known biblical landmark. It's also good that we have God being less fire and brimstone, and more person specific punishments. I will not post tomorrow for the same thing has occurred with Kings. it is again split into two books and I'll be reading both before I post my thoughts.