UNIVERSITY OF SAINT LOUIS

Tuguegarao City

SCHOOL OF EDUCATION, ARTS and SCIENCES

Department of Philosophy and Religious Instructions

First Semester
A.Y. 2021-2022

CORRESPONDENCE LEARNING MODULE

CFED 1013- God’s Journey with His People

Prepared by:
MR. MICHAEL ANGELO U. AGUDO
MISS THELMA BARICAUA, MARS
MISS SARAH MARIE IBAY
MISS MICA TALAY
MRS. EZPERANZA ZABLAN
MISS CHARISSA ZALUN

Reviewed by:

WILSON J. TEMPORAL, LPT, MST

Department Head

Recommended by:

VENUS I. GUYOS, Ph.D.

Academic Dean

Approved by:

EMMANUEL JAMES PATTAGUAN, Ph.D.

Vice President for Academics

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 School of Education, Arts and Sciences
Department of Philosophy and Religious Instruction
Curriculum 2021-2022

This Week’s Time Table: (November 3-4,2021

For this week, the following shall be your guide for the different lessons and tasks that you need to accomplish.
Oops! Be patient, read them carefully before proceeding to the tasks expected of you.

HAVE A FRUITFUL LEARNING EXPERIENCE 😊

Date Topics Activities or Tasks

November 3-4 Samuel: The Last Judge Read and Internalize Lesson
Saul: The First King of Israel Read and Internalize Lesson
David: The Great Fighter Read and Internalize Lesson
Solomon: Man of Wisdom or Man of Read and Internalize Lesson
Foolishness?

CORRESPONDENCE LEARNING MODULE

CFED 1013 (God’s Journey with His People)
A.Y. 2021-2022

Lesson 12: SAMUEL AND THE THREE KINGS OF ISRAEL

Topics: Samuel and the three Kings of Israel

Learning Outcomes: At the end of this module, you are expected to:

1. Identify the different characteristics of the first three kings of Israel;

2. Elucidate the contributions of the three kings of Israel; and
3. Explain the personal relationship of these three kings with God and with their people.

LEARNING CONTENT:

Introduction:

The prosperous life of the Israelites in the Promised Land/Canaan had some negative effect. They had
forgotten or become unfaithful to the God of their ancestors especially with their marriage to Canaanite women
which resulted in the worship of the Canaanite god (Baal: their god of fertility). Their faith in God-YHWH which
was the only uniting force/element was no longer there. They were no longer strongly united as people of
God/YHWH. This situation often caused their defeat and oppression from their enemies. During this period, the
Israelites saw that the Canaanites/Philistines were so great that they needed to be united under one military
leader or king. Such demand was directed to Samuel, who was the last of the judges of Israel.

Clarification of some terms

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 Philistines is a modern term for the Canaanites. The Philistines or Canaanites were the first migrants in
Canaan, the land which God promised to the ancestors of the Israelites. The Canaanites/Philistines are
composed of different tribes such as the Hittites, Amorites, Perizzites, Hivites and Jebusites, etc. Palestine is
the modern term for the land of Canaan. The Israelites are called such since they were the descendants of
Jacob whose name is also Israel. Judah was one of the twelve sons of Jacob/Israel. Later the whole land of
Canaan will be called Israel and later the southern part of the land will be called Judah or Judea where the
Israelites will get their modern name Jews.

SAMUEL:
Prophet, Last of the Judges and Anointer of Kings

Samuel was a man chosen by God from his miraculous birth until his death. He is known by
answering God’s call when he was still young by saying: “Speak Lord, your servant is listening”. He
served in several important positions during his life, earning God's favor because he knew how to obey.

Israel’s often oppression from their enemies made them demand for a king to Samuel. At first
Samuel was hesitant since this was a sure evidence of their unfaithfulness and not acknowledging
God/YHWH as their King. Later Samuel will give in to their demand with great conditions; The king
must still acknowledge and be faithful to God/YHWH as the Highest King and the king should be faithful
to the Israelites’ covenant with God. If the king and the people will again be unfaithful to God, they will
be wiped away or perish.

LESSON PROPER: The First Three Kings of Israel

As the Lord granted the Israelites’ demand, Samuel anointed Saul as their first king. He was a tall and
handsome man from the tribe of Benjamin.

“Then, from a flask he had with him, Samuel poured oil on Saul’s head; he also kissed him, saying: “The
Lord anoints you commander over his heritage. You are to govern the Lord’s people Israel, and to save them
from the grasp of their enemies round about.” This will be the sign for you that
the Lord has anointed you commander over his heritage: (1 Samuel 10:1)

“Now you have the king you want, a king the Lord has given to you. If you fear
the Lord and worship him, if you are obedient to him and do not rebel against
the Lord’s command, if both you and the king who rules you follow the Lord
your God – well and good. But if you do not obey the Lord and if you rebel
against his command, the Lord will deal severely with you and your king.” (1
Samuel 12: 13-15, 21-25)

At the beginning of his reign, Saul appeared to be a meek and humble king,
and a great blessing for Israel. He had some good achievements like freeing
Israel from their enemies and extending their territorial boundaries, but soon did not live as expected of him by
God. He would greatly disobey God by listening more to his own desires and to the people around him. He did
not follow God’s plans especially in dealing with some enemies but implemented his own desires. God was so
displeased with Saul’s disobedience and regretted making him king. This led to his rejection by God.

Before the rise of David, there is a story of a woman named Ruth. Ruth was a Moabite or non-
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 Israelite who was married by Boaz. Boaz was the father of Obed, who was the father of Jesse who became
the father of David. So, Ruth who was a non-Israelite became the great grandmother of the icon king
David. The strong message is, anybody can become/join the people of God so long as you believe in and
be faithful to Him. God is not just a God for the Israelites. Recall Ruth’s very remarkable words to her
mother in law Naomi: “Your people will be my people and your God will be my God”.
This story of Ruth is also the same with the story of Rahab, a woman from Jericho who saved the
two spies of Joshua and later joined the Israelites when they conquered Jericho. This will again remind us
that God’s salvific plan is intended for all people.

After Saul’s rejection, God asked Samuel to look for a new King. Samuel went to Bethlehem
and anointed the young shepherd David, son of Jesse. At first Samuel was confused on whom to

anoint since the sons of Jesse were all handsome or good looking. God told Samuel, “God does not
look at the appearance but the heart of a person”.

David rise to stardom began when he killed the giant Philistine warrior Goliath. With complete
trust in God’s protection, the young David eventually defeated the giant warrior. David was on the rise
while Saul was falling. The jealous Saul often attempted to kill David who was also his son in law but
failed. David on the other hand would spare Saul if Saul is cornered by David’s men since David
respected Saul as his father in law and most especially being the first anointed by God. So, David
really had this fear of the Lord. Saul’s end came when he died in a battle with the enemies. David
asked the people to mourn for Saul and later the people will “anoint”/proclaim David as their king.
Since David was anointed by Samuel while still young, his kingship was realized fully after the death
of Saul.

DAVID’s ACHIEVEMENTS: In his reign as the King of Israel, David was very successful as he
defeated all their enemies from every side. The peak of his kingship was his settlement in
Jerusalem which he captured from the Jebusites. He named Jerusalem as the City of David,
the City of God. David was overwhelmed and humbled by God’s graciousness to him as the
king of Israel. As a sign of gratitude, David brought the Ark of the Covenant to Jerusalem, in
the midst of singing and dancing. The Ark was placed in a tent prepared for it, and David
offered sacrifice before the Lord. David was also a psalmist and a player of a harp.
In Jerusalem, David wanted to build a house for the Lord (temple) since he was somewhat
guilty by living in a palace as a king while the Ark of the Covenant was just staying in a small simple
tent. God did not accept such plan, but rather promised David a “house” for his faithfulness. This

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“house” would later mean an eternal dynasty; that after him, his descendants would be the next kings
to reign until the end.
David was not all righteous during his reign as king. He also had his weaknesses. Though he
was a great conqueror, he was not able to conquer his own selfish desires, especially the desire of
the flesh. After his triumphs over his enemies, David succumbed to the temptation of the flesh. He
became obsessed with a beautiful woman named Bathsheba, the wife of Uriah, one of his soldiers.
To get her, he sent Uriah to the forefront of the battle that led to his imminent death. Thus, David
committed the sins of adultery and murder by planning the death of Uriah and marrying Bathsheba.
Through the prophet Nathan, David realized his sins and asked God’s forgiveness. (read Psalm 51,
David’s asking God’s for forgiveness)
The death of the first son of David with Bathsheba was conceived by some as his punishment
for his sin. His son Absalom revolted against his father David due to his ambition to become the next
king but failed. He was killed in the end by the general of David. David still mourned for his son
Absalom.
Remember, David will not be defeated since he was the king chosen and anointed by God through
the prophet Samuel.

SOLOMON: Man of Wisdom or Man of Foolishness?

Solomon became the ruler of Israel after the death of his father David. He became famous for two
outstanding achievements: his wisdom and the building of the temple. At the start of his reign, Solomon prayed
to God for wisdom. This was generously granted by God. Such wisdom was shown in the story of how he
discovered the true mother of a baby whom the two women both
claimed to be theirs. He is believed to be the author of many
sayings and proverbs found in the Book of Proverbs.

Solomon answered: “You have shown great

kindness to your servant, David my father, because he
walked before you with fidelity, justice and an upright
heart; and you have continued this great kindness toward
him today, giving him a son to sit upon his throne. Now,
Lord, my God, you have made me your servant, king to
succeed David my father; but I am a mere youth, not
knowing at all how to act. I, your servant, among the
people you have chosen, a people so vast that it cannot be numbered or counted. Give your servant,
therefore, a listening heart to judge your people and to distinguish between good and evil. For who is
able to give judgment for this vast people of yours?” (1 Kings 3:6-9)

King Solomon fulfilled David’s plan to build a temple for the Ark of the Covenant. The temple
was very large and impressive; it was made of the best and finest materials. It became the visible
sign of God’s presence and served as a strong reminder of the covenant between God and the
Israelites. The temple became the center of Israel’s worship, faith and hope in God. The Ark of the
Covenant was placed inside the Holy of Holies, the innermost and sacred part of the Temple. The
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temple was built in the City of Jerusalem. Because of the belief that God dwells in his temple,
Jerusalem became the City of God.

The Temple built by King Solomon

THE FALL OF THE KINGDOM OF SOLOMON

1. The Sins of Solomon

King Solomon’s reign was not all an impressive success. He used forced labor for his ambitious
building projects like the walls of Jerusalem and others. He lived in luxury, out of the heavy taxes that he
imposed on the people. He married the daughters of neighboring kings to assure their support and friendly
relations. He had 700 wives of princely rank and 300 concubines. He succumbed to the request of some of
his foreign wives to build temples for their gods. Thus, Solomon committed the very serious sin of idolatry. This
sin is very much against the First Commandment. The punishment of Solomon’s grave sin will come later by
God allowing Jeroboam, Solomon’s servant to rule most of the kingdom of Israel.

*****END OF LESSON*****

REFERENCES:

Textbooks:

Basic Ecclesial Community Youth Bible: Good News Translation with Deuterocanonicals

Becoming a Household of God in the Old Testament (150 years of CICM in the Philippines) by CICM
Philippines pp.115-121, 125-126, 129-133

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Online References:

Britannica: Saul – King of Israel. Retrieved October 25, 2020 from https://www.britannica.com/biography/Saul-
king-of-Israel

Learn Religions: Who was Samuel in the Bible? Meet Samuel: Prophet, Last of the Judges, and Anointer of
Kings. Retrieved October 25, 2020 from https://www.learnreligions.com/samuel-last-of-the-judges-701161

Your Dictionary: Saul Facts. Retrieved October 25, 2020 from https://biography.yourdictionary.com/saul

Picture credits:

Babylonian siege of Jerusalem: https://www.eternitynews.com.au/world/evidence-of-babylonian-conquest-of-

jerusalem-confirms-biblical-account/

David and Goliath: https://www.pinterest.es/pin/190558627966655118/

Jeroboam and the Golden Calf: https://blog.israelbiblicalstudies.com/holy-land-studies/the-real-meaning-of-the-

golden-calf/

Prophet of God: https://biblicalfoundations.weebly.com/recognizing-false-prophetsteachers.html

Rehoboam and Jeroboam Division of Kingdom: https://www.pinterest.ph/mcdaniel1430/rehobom-and-

jeroboam/

Samuel and the Judges: https://www.learnreligions.com/samuel-last-of-the-judges-701161

Samuel anoints David: https://newlifenarrabri.wordpress.com/2017/03/21/reflection-on-1-samuel-161-13-2/

Samuel anoints Saul: https://www.pinterest.ph/pin/468796642453350225/

Solomon and the Two Prostitutes: https://www.christgateway.website/solomon-and-the-two-women/

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