1 Samuel 8: Group Study Handout

How to use: read 1 Samuel 8 aloud together, then take the questions in order. One page is enough for an evening.

Overview

Samuel appointed his sons, Joel and Abijah, as judges over Israel in Beersheba. However, they did not follow his ways and became corrupt, taking bribes and perverting justice. The elders of Israel gathered at Ramah and asked Samuel for a king, stating that his sons did not walk in his ways (vv.

Key verse

“Yahweh said to Samuel, “Listen to the voice of the people in all that they tell you; for they have not rejected you, but they have rejected me as the king over them.”
1 Samuel 8:7 (WEB)

Outline

1 Samuel 8:1–3 Samuel's Sons as Judges
1 Samuel 8:4–9 Israel's Demand for a King
1 Samuel 8:10–18 Samuel's Warning
1 Samuel 8:19–20 The People's Rejection
1 Samuel 8:21–22 God's Response to Samuel

Discussion questions

In v3, what specific actions do Samuel's sons take that show they are not following his ways?
What do the elders of Israel specifically request from Samuel in v5?
In v7, why does God say the people have not rejected Samuel but have rejected Him?
What is the contrast between the king's actions described in vv. 11-17 and the leadership God provided?
When have you felt pressured to conform to what others want, as the people did in v20?

Go deeper

Passages that echo 1 Samuel 8: 1 Samuel 12, 1 Samuel 10, Hosea 13.

Before next time: read 1 Samuel 9.