Study Questions | 1 Samuel 23:1-14

These questions are designed to help you read and study the Bible passage that will be preached next week. Our prayer is that these questions will assist you in growing deeper in God’s Word as you examine the Scriptures daily to see if these things are so (Acts 17:11).

Chapter 23:1–14

Read 1 Samuel 23:1–5.

  1. What’s the problem in v. 1?

  2. How does David respond to this problem in v. 2?

  3. How does God respond to David in v. 2? How do we often respond to problems? What can we learn from David?

  4. What do David’s men think of the plan in v. 3? Why are they afraid? Is their fear rational or irrational?

  5. How does David respond to their fear in v. 4? What principles of leadership can we learn from David’s response?

  6. What differences do you notice between God’s first response in v. 2 and God’s second response in v. 4? Would this make David and his men feel more or less confident?

  7. Did God keep his promise in v. 5? Will God keep his promises to us?

  8. How does David in vv. 1–5 remind us of Jesus? See Luke 1:67–80 for more context.

Read 1 Samuel 23:6–14 .

  1. Read Exodus 28:15–30. In your own words, describe the ephod.

  2. The Urim and the Thummim were kept in a special pocket in the ephod. What do we know about the Urim and the Thummim? Read Numbers 27:21 and Ezra 2:63.

  3. What is the problem in vv. 7–8?

  4. How does David respond to this problem in vv. 9–12?

  5. David had direct spiritual guidance from the priest. Who is our great High Priest in Hebrews 4:4–16?

  6. Without the Urim and the Thummim, what does it look like to seek God’s guidance for decisions today? How is it the same? How is it different?