1 Samuel: Looking for a Leader

Preaching the Word

by John Woodhouse, R. Kent Hughes (editor)

What kind of leaders should we follow? What kind of leaders should we be? And what does God have to do with it? These are some of the questions inherent in 1 Samuel, with its portrait of divine response to ancient Israel's leadership crisis. That crisis was met through three men-Samuel, Saul, and David-in ways that forever changed the character of Israel's leadership and clarified what God requires of his people and their leaders. As John Woodhouse demonstrates, 1 Samuel's biblical context provides serious reflection on our need for leadership and the failure of human leaders. But it also reveals God's answer for Israel, which turns out to be his answer for the whole world and for each of us individually. This perceptive commentary not only illumines Old Testament history but brilliantly points to the New Testament promise that was fulfilled in Jesus, our sovereign leader and Savior. Part of the Preaching the Word series.

Genres: Christian, Nonfiction, Theology, Reference

Hardcover

First published January 18, 2008

About the author

Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.

John Woodhouse (DPhil, Victoria University of Manchester) served as principal of Moore Theological College in Sydney, Australia, from 2002 to 2013. Previously, he worked in pastoral ministry in a suburb of Sydney. He has published articles in various academic journals and is the author of two volumes in Crossway’s Preaching the Word commentary series.

Reviews

[Gwilym Davies · Rating 4 out of 5]

This collection of sermons contains lots of good insight into the text and is helpfully plugged in to the big picture of the gospel. At times, I felt the NT 'controls' slightly got in the way of making the most of the text in its book context, and the commentary would benefit from an introduction and more explicit attention to the shape of 1-2 Samuel as a whole. In one or two chapters, NT introductions rivalled his treatment of the text in 1 Samuel for length and felt like they set the agenda a little too much. He's also better on details than on following the shape of the bigger story arcs, and I think that sometimes had consequences: for example, I'd suggest that his 'negative' take on David's sojourn in Gath from 1 Samuel 27 onwards probably comes from a failure to trace the narrative arc of 1 Samuel 20-31. Actually, I thought that he was better on the first half of the book than the second half in general. And he's sometimes better on the significance of historical events than he is on the textual theology of the author: we're mostly reading through 1 Samuel to think about the historical significance of this eleventh century moment, and I think there's probably a bit more to be said about the purpose and application of the text itself. All of this means that 4 stars is probably 3.5 really. But a strong 3.5 - one that I'm very happy to call a 4. Because the truth is that Woodhouse is theologically astute, gospel-centered, thoughtful in application, and has a keen eye for the text. More than once, he changed my mind about the significance of key episodes in the book - and he changed my mind by reading the text of 1 Samuel more carefully than me.

[John · Rating 4 out of 5]

(4.5 stars)

This is an excellent commentary on 1 Samuel, not weighed down as so many are by technical discussions and/or interaction with a litany of other commentators. It's focused on the text and deals almost exclusively with the text itself and this makes it highly readable and engaging. It's my second favorite commentary on 1 Samuel after the one by Dale Ralph Davis.

His summary of 1 Samuel at the end is a good example of his commentating style:

"First Samuel has made clear that Israel’s hope was David. Saul’s failure was not the failure of God’s purpose. The Lord had provided another whom he would “establish as king over Israel” and “exalt his kingdom for the sake of his people Israel” (2 Samuel 5:12)...Israel’s hope was David. In due course, however, David also failed, and David died. Israel’s hope, and the hope of all mankind, in the face of the futility of human power and the inevitability of death is Jesus. Jesus’ death was not the failure of God’s purpose. In this case the Lord brought to life the one who had died, raised him up, and exalted him as both Lord and Christ. Here is the gospel that answers the false gospel of the Philistines:

“All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” (Matthew 28:18–20)

Excellent commentary.

[Carolyn · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is one of the best commentaries I've found in a while. I will be looking him up for other books of the Bible - I hope he's written more!

[Andy Febrico Bintoro · Rating 5 out of 5]

An expository commentary on 1 Samuel. More on practical based and each chapter could be adopted to the sermons directly

[Ben Allen · Rating 5 out of 5]

I found this commentary extremely easy to read. It can almost be read as a novel. Despite this seeming simlicity, Woodhouse does not miss any details or complexity, making excellent use of the endnotes to keep the body concise and clear. He discusses and critiques many other commentators' views and delves into Hebrew textual difficulties.

For me, this book brings Old Testament narrative to life and shows me the God who reveals himself in Jesus Christ, even 1000 years before Christ.

[Bob O'Bannon · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent commentary for sermon prep -- scholarly, but not too detailed. Woodhouse does a great job noticing patterns and repetitions in the text, so we marvel all the more at the great care the writer took to tell such a rich and multi-layered story. Best of all, Woodhouse constantly shows how the text points to Jesus. Not much application provided here, but that's the preacher's job anyway. Highly recommended.

[Adam · Rating 4 out of 5]

Solid exposition with sometimes keen insight and application. Didn't always find his focus on leadership helpful as a point of application, but it was not completely foreign to the text. Really appreciated the way Woodhouse showed how I Samuel points forward to Christ.

[Dr. Jake Brock · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very practical and insightful treatment of the book of 1 Samuel. A great resource in analyzing, applying, and illustrating the text for both research and sermon preparation, and a great help to a busy pastor!

[Noah Lykins · Rating 5 out of 5]

Accessible yet insightful. Christocentric conclusions at the end of each chapter, thoughtful notes on the Heb., excellent tracing of the narrative, helpful notes in the back.