Bring on the tough stuff - there’s not just one right answer.
- Samuel becomes a priest because he's left at the temple by his mother and Eli's sons are bad. But when Samuel's sons grow up, they also turn out to be bad. What's up with that? Why do you think that some people have a hard time learning from the mistakes of others?
- In 1 Samuel 5, the Philistines have to deal with a plague because they have stolen the Ark of God. What other places in the bible does God send plagues or natural disasters as punishment? How do these circumstances compare?
- David is asked to play music for Saul when an evil spirit is troubling him. What effect does that music have on Saul? What does that tell you about what kind of young man David is? Does this musicality appear elsewhere in the book?
- David is one of the world's most famous underdogs. What makes him an underdog, and why do you root for him, aside from the obvious reason?
- Jonathan and David become very good friends—even though David was taking the throne that rightly belongs to him. Why do you think they have managed to become friends? What role does that friendship play in the book as a whole?
- When you read the book of Samuel, do you think that Saul is crazy? Or do you think that he should be worried because people really are out to get him? In other words, is his paranoia justified? Why or why not?
- A producer asks you to create a television series updating the story in 1 Samuel to the 21st century. Write a story or create an outline to show the challenges that David will face. Make sure to include backstories for all your major characters.
- The story of David has inspired great works of art. Research a few of them and tell us what you think. And hey, if you're an artist, think about painting or sculpting a scene from 1 Samuel. If you're not into this type of art, try writing a story, a poem or composing a song. What elements and themes of the story do you include? What scene have you chosen to focus on?
- 1 Samuel is written as a story and not as a history. What parts of the story do you think was embellished for the sake of storytelling? Do you think all history is embellished or are some parts 100% truthful? What makes you say so?