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Galatians 5:16-23 teaches that at any moment we are either walking by the Holy Spirit or according to the sin nature. Walking by the Spirit, enjoying fellowship with God, walking in the light are virtually synonymous. During these times, the Holy Spirit is working in us to illuminate our minds to the truth of Scripture and to challenge us to apply what we learn. But when we sin, we begin to live based on the sin nature. Our works do not count for eternity. The only way to recover is to confess (admit, acknowledge) our sin to God the Father and we are instantly forgiven, cleansed, and recover our spiritual walk (1 John 1:9). Please make sure you are walking by the Spirit before you begin your Bible study, so it will be spiritually profitable.

1st and 2nd Samuel (2015)

1st and 2nd Samuel (2015)

February 2015 - November 2020

The quote from the title slide is from the words of a young David in 1 Samuel 17:37, “The Lord who delivered me from the paw of the lion and from the paw of the bear, He will deliver me from the hand of this Philistine”, that we derive the central theme for this study of 1st and 2nd Samuel, THE BATTLE IS THE LORD’s.

We all face overwhelming circumstances in our life and the only thing that can give us strength to overcome those horrific circumstances is a realization that it is not by our might or power, but by the power of the Holy Spirit. It is the only way that we can overcome and address the challenges that we have in life.

One scholar has praised the writing of Samuel: “It is no exaggeration to say that the author of Samuel produced what is still the best book ever written in the Hebrew language.”

In this series we will cover an array of significant biblical teachings on everything from how to face and surmount the giants in our lives, to biblical worship and praise, to the divine viewpoint of politics and leadership, to the importance of the Davidic Covenant and Messianic prophecies, and so much more. An understanding of these key teachings in Samuel is foundational to the rest of the Old Testament, the arrival and mission of the Messiah, the gospel, and many passages in the New Testament. Every believer should have a thorough understanding of the material covered in this series.

Note: Classes in this series are arranged with the most recent class appearing first.

Video DVDs of these lessons can be ordered here and here.

To view all video Bible studies in the 1st and 2nd Samuel series, click here (Vimeo) or here (YouTube).

To listen to this series as a podcast, copy and paste the following URL into your podcast software.
www.deanbibleministries.org/podcasts/2015-12samuel.xml		  
21 - God Prophesies Judgment on the House of Eli [B]
Tue, Aug 11, 2015
by Robert Dean
Passage: 1 Samuel 2:12-36
Series: 1st and 2nd Samuel (2015)
Duration: 59 mins 19 secs
Guilty! God pronounced judgment on the degenerate sons of Eli, the high priest. In contrast, listen to this lesson to learn how the child, Samuel, obeyed the Lord. Hear about how cultures who reject God become sexually degenerate and manifest this in countless ways, such as in our country today. Learn that God has provided a Mediator between Himself and mankind in the person of the Lord Jesus Christ, who provides salvation.
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22 - From Darkness to Light [B]
Tue, Aug 25, 2015
by Robert Dean
Passage: 1 Samuel 3:1-21
Series: 1st and 2nd Samuel (2015)
Duration: 57 mins 59 secs
Light versus darkness. Self destruction or illumination and hope. Listen to this lesson to hear about a time in Israel very much like our own when moral degeneracy was rampant and there was little knowledge of God’s Word in the land. Hear about how Samuel obeyed the Lord while Eli, the high priest, stumbled around in the darkness. Hear the doctrine of the silence of God and the reason for His silence at different periods. Reflect upon your own life and ask yourself if you are a light in the darkness of the culture around you because of the Word of God you have learned.
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23 - The Essence of True Freedom [A]
Tue, Sep 01, 2015
by Robert Dean
Passage: 1 Samuel 4:1
Series: 1st and 2nd Samuel (2015)
Duration: 57 mins 48 secs
What does morality have to do with freedom? Listen to this lesson to learn that obedience to God’s standards has consequences in all areas of life. Begin an outline of the book of 1 Samuel and see how God works to bring about a shift in the direction of Israel. Learn the time frame for these events and the correlation between Judges and 1 Samuel. When problems in our life or in our nation have us in a downward spiral, accept that the only solution is to turn to the Word of God which is sufficient for all of our needs.
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24 - Sufficiency of God [A]
Tue, Sep 08, 2015
by Robert Dean
Passage: 1 Samuel 4:1
Series: 1st and 2nd Samuel (2015)
Duration: 58 mins 13 secs

How should we handle the problems that wreck our lives? Advice is given to us from every side for quick solutions but listen to this lesson to see that only the Bible has all the answers. Understand that we need to learn the basic foundation of the events of the Bible in order to apply the doctrinal principles. See that in the days of Samuel the people were turning to their cultural solutions rather than trusting God. Begin to realize the depths of depravity of our sin natures and see that we cannot compromise but must battle through the ministry of God the Holy Spirit to defeat its effects and find divine peace.

The book Dr. Dean references in this class is called The State of the American Mind: 16 Leading Critics on the New Anti-Intellectualism.

Dr. Dean also quoted from Anatomy of an Epidemic: Magic Bullets, Psychiatric Drugs, and the Astonishing Rise of Mental Illness in America by Robert Whitaker.

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25 - Consequences of Disobedience [A]
Tue, Sep 15, 2015
by Robert Dean
Passage: 1 Samuel 4:1-22
Series: 1st and 2nd Samuel (2015)
Duration: 1 hr 2 mins 51 secs
Warning! This lesson may make you uncomfortable. Learn how individuals and nations who do not follow divine institutions and obey God will implode. Find out about a time in Israel when they were being oppressed by the Philistines and were trying to solve their troubles their own way rather than follow God. See that when the Israelites were defeated in a battle they decided to use the Ark of the Covenant as a good luck charm. Learn about the Ark of the Covenant, its characteristics, and what it represents about God. To avoid divine discipline in your own life, never compromise with your sin nature but submit to God’s authority.
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26 - Ichabod: Glory in Exile [B]
Tue, Sep 22, 2015
by Robert Dean
Passage: 1 Samuel 4:5-22
Series: 1st and 2nd Samuel (2015)
Duration: 1 hr 0 mins 46 secs
If you’re a fan of true battle stories you’ll want to listen to this lesson to learn about a battle that determined Israel’s future for many years. Find out that when they lost the first skirmish, they decided to take the Ark of the Covenant with them as a good luck charm. Learn that they lost even more disastrously, including the enemy capturing the Ark, and when the news was brought back to the high priest, he fell backwards and died. Find out what the name his daughter-in-law gave her new baby means. See how these watershed events are mentioned throughout Scripture. Learn that although God is very patient and gave the Israelites many chances to change, eventually He stepped in and judged them. See that often when we continue in disobedience, He deals with us in the same way.
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27 - When it Looks Like God is Defeated [B]
Tue, Sep 29, 2015
by Robert Dean
Passage: 1 Samuel 5:1-2
Series: 1st and 2nd Samuel (2015)
Duration: 57 mins 57 secs
Why should we learn about the events that happened long ago in ancient Israel? Listen to this lesson to hear about a time when it looked like God had been defeated. See how the Philistines captured the Ark of the Covenant. Find out where they took the Ark and how discouraged the people of Israel became. Learn four things that this defeat showed about how God works in human history. When we feel God has let us down and that doctrine doesn’t work for us, see that we need to confess our sins and make God the centerpiece of our life.
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28 - God Never Fails [B]
Tue, Oct 06, 2015
by Robert Dean
Passage: 1 Samuel 5:3-12
Series: 1st and 2nd Samuel (2015)
Duration: 58 mins 53 secs
Caution! Parts of this lesson may be offensive to those who insist all religious beliefs should be treated with equal respect. Listen to learn that when the Ark of the Covenant was captured by the Philistines they rejoiced in triumph which soon turned to terror. God showed His superiority by wreaking havoc on their god, Dagon, and sending humiliating and painful tumors which decimated the population wherever the Ark was taken. As we face the problems in the world today, we need to remember to relax because God is always in control and is bringing His ultimate plans to pass.
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29 - The Holiness of God [B]
Tue, Oct 13, 2015
by Robert Dean
Passage: 1 Samuel 6:1-7:2
Series: 1st and 2nd Samuel (2015)
Duration: 58 mins 48 secs
Triumph turned to tragedy and horror. That’s the story of what happened to the Philistines when they thought they had conquered God. Learn how God handled them with dire consequences tinged with humor. See how they turned in desperation to their demonic gods for answers and sent the Ark back to Israel. Learn six aspects of the holiness of God and what God means when He tells us to be holy for He is holy. Begin to think more precisely about the holiness of God and realize its implications for your own life.
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30 - Confession, Godly Sorrow, Repentance, Change [B]
Tue, Oct 20, 2015
by Robert Dean
Passage: 1 Samuel 7:2-4 & 2 Corinthians 7:8-11
Series: 1st and 2nd Samuel (2015)
Duration: 1 hr 10 mins 2 secs
Have you ever tried to pull the wool over God’s eyes? Impossible, isn’t it? When you know you’ve done something wrong, what should you do? Listen to this lesson to learn the meaning of confession of sin. See the relationship between confession, regret, remorse, and repentance. Understand that the goal is not to feel bad over what you’ve done but to change from spiritual disobedience to spiritual obedience. See that there are two options when we sin. We can either grieve and lament or we can admit our sin and turn back to God and recover our spiritual life.
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