1 Samuel: Looking for a Leader (Preaching the Word) John woodhouse cover image
Product Details
  • Cover Type:
  • 672 Pages
  • Publisher: Crossway/Good News Publishers
  • Publication Date: November 2014
  • ISBN: SWOODHJO1SAMUELLOOKINGFORALE9781433548840
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1 Samuel: Looking for a Leader (Preaching the Word)

Woodhouse, John

Pricing details
$36.36
$49.99 MSRP

The Old Testament book of 1 Samuel records the story of three important leaders in Israel’s history: Samuel, Saul, and David. The lives of these flawed men showcase God’s gracious response to ancient Israel’s leadership crisis, offering valuable lessons related to why leaders fail, the impact this failure can have on God’s people, and what it means to model godly leadership—even today.

In this accessible commentary, John Woodhouse shows how 1 Samuel reveals the importance of true leadership and the character of the godly leader. More significantly, this volume points forward to Jesus Christ, the fulfillment of God’s promises to his people and the only perfect leader the world has ever known.

Those who preach and teach God’s Word will find this an invaluable resource as they seek to help others embrace 1 Samuel’s timely message.

Table of Contents:

Part 1: Samuel: The Leader God Provided (1—7)

  1. The Leadership Crisis (1:1, 2)

  2. Does God Care? (1:3–28)

  3. The God of Knowledge (2:1–10)

  4. Corruption and Ineptitude (2:11–26)

  5. God and Corruption (2:27–36)

  6. When God Speaks (3)

  7. The Problem of the Power of God, Part 1 (4:1–11)

  8. Where Is the Glory? (4:12–22)

  9. The Problem of the Power of God, Part 2 (5)

  10. Knowing the Power of God (6)

  11. Effective Leadership (7)


Part 2: Saul: The Leader the People Asked For (8—15)

  1. The Leader Israel Wanted (8)

  2. Lost Donkeys and the Word of God (9)

  3. The Secret of the Kingdom (10:1–16)

  4. The King and the Kingdom (10:17–27)

  5. The Kingdom at War (11:1–11)

  6. Kingdom Renewal, Part 1 (11:12–15)

  7. Kingdom Renewal, Part 2 (12)

  8. 19 The Fool (13)

  9. A Leader Who Trusted God (14:1–23)

  10. Disobedience and Foolishness (14:24–52)

  11. The Leader Who Let Them Down (15:1–11

  12. The Rejected King (15:12–35)


Part 3: David: The Leader “According to God’s Own Heart” (16—31)

  1. Seeing as God Sees (16:1–13)

  2. Two Kings: A Confusing World (16:14–23)

  3. The Enemy (17:1–11)

  4. The God of the Unexpected (17:12–30)

  5. The Gospel of David (17:31–40)

  6. David and Goliath (17:41–58)

  7. Do You Love Him? (18:1–16)

  8. Love Him or Fear Him (18:17–30)

  9. “. . . Against the Lord and against His Anointed” (19:1–10)

  10. “. . . The Lord Holds Them in Derision” (19:11–24)

  11. What Do You Fear? (20:1–23)

  12. “If Anyone Does Not Hate His Own Father . . .” (20:24–42)

  13. “Have You Not Read What David Did?” (21:1–9)

  14. Out of the Frying Pan . . . (21:10–15)

  15. “God Chose What Was Low and Despised in the World” (22:1–5)

  16. The Antichrist (22:6–23)

  17. The Christ Must Suffer (23:1–14)

  18. “Therefore We Do Not Lose Heart” (23:15–29)

  19. “He Did Not Revile in Return” (24)

  20. Vengeance Belongs to the Lord (25)

  21. Righteousness and Faithfulness (26)

  22. Clever and Cunning Success (27)

  23. “Having No Hope and without God” (28)

  24. The “Trial” of David (29)

  25. A King Who Gives (30)

  26. The King Is Dead (31)

About the Author

John Woodhouse has been the principal of Moore Theological College in Sydney, Australia, since 2002 and previously was in pastoral ministry in a suburban Sydney church. He has a passion for teaching the Bible in a way that helps people understand the various parts of Scripture in light of the center of God's revelation, Jesus.

Endorsements (${ productEndorsements.length })

Im delighted to endorse the philosophy behind this series. Here sounds out the voice not of the scholar in the study but of the scholar in the pulpit. The authors are all able teachers who regularly expound Gods living Word to his people. May this rich material give us patterns of preaching that will not only feed the flock, but, by Gods grace, change the church.

R. C. Lucas

Retired Rector, St. Helen's Church, Bishopsgate, London, England

The Preaching the Word commentary series is one of my favorites. The focus upon explaining a text while preaching it as the goal makes the series resonate with the priorities of the pulpit. No academic aloofness here, but down-to-earth, preacher-to-preacher meat for Gods people.

Bryan Chapell

President, Covenant Theological Seminary

For this outstanding series of expository commentaries, Kent Hughes has assembled a team of unusually gifted scholar-preachers. The series will be widely used and much sought after.

Eric J. Alexander

Retired Senior Minister, St. George's-Tron Parish Church, Glasgow, Scotland

It is a pleasure to commend this series of homiletical commentaries. They fill an enormous vacuum that exists between the practical needs of the pastor/teacher and the critical exegetical depth of most commentaries. With this series, evangelicalism may now claim its own William Barclay. While remaining true to the text and its original meaning, Dr. Hughes helps us face the personal, ethical, theological, and practical questions that the text wants us to answer in the presence of the living God and his illuminating Holy Spirit.

Walter C. Kaiser

Jr., President Emeritus and Distinguished Professor of Old Testament and Ethics, Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary

"The single best resource for faithful biblical exposition available today. A great boon for genuine reformation!"

Timothy George

Founding Dean, Beeson Divinity School; Chairman of the Board, Colson Center for Christian Worldview

Throughout the Christian centuries, from Chrysostom and Augustine through Luther, Calvin, and Matthew Henry, to Martyn Lloyd-Jones and Ray Stedman, working pastors have been proving themselves to be the best of all Bible expositors. Kent Hughes stands in this great tradition, and his exciting expositions uphold it worthily.

J. I. Packer

Board of Governors' Professor of Theology, Regent College; author, Knowing God

There is a long history of informed, edifying biblical expositions that have been mightily used of God to shape and strengthen the church. These volumes admirably fit this tradition.

D. A. Carson

Research Professor of New Testament, Trinity Evangelical Divinity School

The Old Testament book of 1 Samuel records the story of three important leaders in Israel’s history: Samuel, Saul, and David. The lives of these flawed men showcase God’s gracious response to ancient Israel’s leadership crisis, offering valuable lessons related to why leaders fail, the impact this failure can have on God’s people, and what it means to model godly leadership—even today.

In this accessible commentary, John Woodhouse shows how 1 Samuel reveals the importance of true leadership and the character of the godly leader. More significantly, this volume points forward to Jesus Christ, the fulfillment of God’s promises to his people and the only perfect leader the world has ever known.

Those who preach and teach God’s Word will find this an invaluable resource as they seek to help others embrace 1 Samuel’s timely message.

Table of Contents:

Part 1: Samuel: The Leader God Provided (1—7)

  1. The Leadership Crisis (1:1, 2)

  2. Does God Care? (1:3–28)

  3. The God of Knowledge (2:1–10)

  4. Corruption and Ineptitude (2:11–26)

  5. God and Corruption (2:27–36)

  6. When God Speaks (3)

  7. The Problem of the Power of God, Part 1 (4:1–11)

  8. Where Is the Glory? (4:12–22)

  9. The Problem of the Power of God, Part 2 (5)

  10. Knowing the Power of God (6)

  11. Effective Leadership (7)


Part 2: Saul: The Leader the People Asked For (8—15)

  1. The Leader Israel Wanted (8)

  2. Lost Donkeys and the Word of God (9)

  3. The Secret of the Kingdom (10:1–16)

  4. The King and the Kingdom (10:17–27)

  5. The Kingdom at War (11:1–11)

  6. Kingdom Renewal, Part 1 (11:12–15)

  7. Kingdom Renewal, Part 2 (12)

  8. 19 The Fool (13)

  9. A Leader Who Trusted God (14:1–23)

  10. Disobedience and Foolishness (14:24–52)

  11. The Leader Who Let Them Down (15:1–11

  12. The Rejected King (15:12–35)


Part 3: David: The Leader “According to God’s Own Heart” (16—31)

  1. Seeing as God Sees (16:1–13)

  2. Two Kings: A Confusing World (16:14–23)

  3. The Enemy (17:1–11)

  4. The God of the Unexpected (17:12–30)

  5. The Gospel of David (17:31–40)

  6. David and Goliath (17:41–58)

  7. Do You Love Him? (18:1–16)

  8. Love Him or Fear Him (18:17–30)

  9. “. . . Against the Lord and against His Anointed” (19:1–10)

  10. “. . . The Lord Holds Them in Derision” (19:11–24)

  11. What Do You Fear? (20:1–23)

  12. “If Anyone Does Not Hate His Own Father . . .” (20:24–42)

  13. “Have You Not Read What David Did?” (21:1–9)

  14. Out of the Frying Pan . . . (21:10–15)

  15. “God Chose What Was Low and Despised in the World” (22:1–5)

  16. The Antichrist (22:6–23)

  17. The Christ Must Suffer (23:1–14)

  18. “Therefore We Do Not Lose Heart” (23:15–29)

  19. “He Did Not Revile in Return” (24)

  20. Vengeance Belongs to the Lord (25)

  21. Righteousness and Faithfulness (26)

  22. Clever and Cunning Success (27)

  23. “Having No Hope and without God” (28)

  24. The “Trial” of David (29)

  25. A King Who Gives (30)

  26. The King Is Dead (31)

About the Author

John Woodhouse has been the principal of Moore Theological College in Sydney, Australia, since 2002 and previously was in pastoral ministry in a suburban Sydney church. He has a passion for teaching the Bible in a way that helps people understand the various parts of Scripture in light of the center of God's revelation, Jesus.

  • Cover Type:
  • 672 Pages
  • Publisher: Crossway/Good News Publishers
  • Publication Date: November 2014
  • ISBN: SWOODHJO1SAMUELLOOKINGFORALE9781433548840
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Davis, Dale Ralph

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