4. Is the book of Samuel pro-monarchy or anti-monarchy? Why/Why not?
The book of Samuel is neither pro-monarchy nor anti-monarchy.
The key character of the book is not Saul or even the favorably presented David, but Samuel. Samuel’s function is to highlight the central theme of Yahweh’s kingship. As Yahweh’s representative, he is the king maker and the king breaker. As prophet, his word is the king’s word – to disobey Samuel is to refuse Yahweh’s rule.
The structure highlights Samuel’s central role. The book begins with Samuel’s birth, and even though he dies half way through the book, Samuel still gets the last word, making a dramatic curtain call just before the end (Chap 29). The book closes with the fulfillment of his prophecy – Saul’s death in chapter 31.
The Old Testament books of 1 and 2 Samuel are best understood together. The story moves from Israel worshipping God in a tent at Shiloh, to the temple promised and all but built; from Israel virtually a vassal of the Philistines and under threat from other nations, to the stability of the Davidic Empire; and from the unstable rule of the Judges, to the monarchy and the promise of an everlasting house. In short, the two books were taken together move from apostasy, to the golden era of the Old Testament.
Most probably written during the Exile, 1 and 2 Samuel ask the question: “what went wrong?” There are seemingly both favorable and unfavorable reflections on kingship intertwined (e.g. 1 Samuel 8 anti-monarchy, 1 Samuel 9 pro-monarchy). However, the institution of Israel’s monarchy is not judged as either good or bad. The real issue is Yahweh’s kingship. 1 & 2 Samuel are book-ended by Hannah’s song (1 Sam 2) and David’s song (2 Sam 22), and the theme of both is Yahweh’s kingship. Monarchy is OK, provided the monarch understands that Yahweh is the real king. This is the obvious lesson in both Saul’s failure and David’s rise. The exilic writer is pointing out that what has gone wrong is that Israel has always been a nation that has refused to submit to Yahweh’s kingship. The big application for us today is the importance of obedience.
Reference: Perspective online: 1 Samuel—quest for a king.
