A. The writer(s), the place, and the time: [The book of Ruth is connected to the preceding book of Judges and the following books of Samuel in history and in time. Therefore, it was most probably written by Samuel.] Its events take place between 1322 B.C. and 1312 B.C., but they were recorded much later, after David had become king.
B. The subject: Boaz is seen as one valuing the God-given birthright and ushering in the king that built the kingdom—David.
C. The background: This book is part of and a supplement to the book of Judges. Judges is a book of the history of darkness and suffering. But this book is likened to an oasis in the desert or a bright star shining in a dark night. It causes the reader to rejoice and get excited.
D. The central thought: That man may have the birthright through the redemption of Christ and a union with Christ.
E. The general sketch: [In the book of Ruth, Boaz typifies Christ and Ruth typifies the church. This book shows us how Boaz redeemed both Ruth and her birthright. The birthright included a double portion of the land, the priesthood, and the kingship, that is, the right and position to enjoy Christ fully with the privileges to be a priest to bring people to God and a king to bring God to men. Ruth was Naomi’s daughter-in-law, and both had lost their birthright due to poverty. According to God’s ordination, the recovery of one’s birthright required the redemptive effort of a kinsman.
Boaz treasured the God-given birthright. He was not only concerned for his own birthright, but also for that of others. He paid a price to redeem his kinsman’s inheritance and married his widow (Ruth 4:1-17). It was due to his compassion on the poor and weak Ruth and his redemption of her birthright that David, the king that built the kingdom, was brought in.]
F. The sections: 1) the loss of the birthright (1:1-5), 2) the desire for the birthright (1:6-22), 3) the seeking of the birthright (chs. 2—3), and 4) the recovery of the birthright (ch. 4).
A. The writer(s), the place, and the time: [The first twenty-four chapters of 1 Samuel were probably written by Samuel. Chapter twenty-five, verse 1 says that Samuel died. Therefore, from chapter twenty-five on, the rest of 1 Samuel and the whole book of 2 Samuel were surely not written by him. First Chronicles 29:29 says that regarding the things of David, there was not only the recording of Samuel, but also the recordings of the prophets Nathan and Gad. Bible scholars have concluded from this verse that the recordings in the books of Samuel after the death of Samuel must have been continued by the prophets Nathan and Gad.] The book of 1 Samuel was written in Canaan and covers the period between 1171 B.C. and 1056 B.C.
B. The subject: The degradation of the priesthood, the establishment of the prophethood to speak for God, and the anointing of the kingship after God’s heart.
C. The background: [The priests occupied an important position, because the people needed to go through the priests when they served and drew near to God.] But Eli the priest was weak, thus, the priesthood had deteriorated. Therefore, God needed to establish a prophet to speak for Him so the people could come to God through him. Furthermore, God wanted a habitation on earth. He used Samuel to anoint David, a man after His heart, to be the king and to build His temple.
D. The central thought: Prayer. Hannah’s prayer produced a son (fruit). Samuel’s prayer caused Israel to win the victory. Samuel prayed for a king according to the request of Israel. He regarded prayerlessness as sin.
E. The general sketch: The key word for this book is prayer. “Samuel” means God listens to prayer. God gave Samuel to his mother Hannah because of her prayer. Samuel lived in the temple from his youth. Eli the priest had allowed the priesthood to deteriorate due to his weakness in disciplining his two children. God bypassed Eli and established Samuel to speak for Him. Samuel was a praying person. The Israelites wanted a king. Samuel anointed Saul to be king. Saul rebelled and was given up. Then David was anointed to be the king. David defeated Goliath as a young man and became famous. Saul was jealous of David and tried to kill him many times. David became a fugitive for many years, but he never rebelled against Saul. Eventually, Saul was killed.
F. The sections: 1) Samuel (chs. 1—7), 2) Saul (chs. 8—15), and 3) David (chs. 16—31).