1 Samuel

The books of 1-2 Samuel were originally compiled as a single document, and deal with a transitional period in the history of ancient Israel—from the priest Eli to the judge Samuel, then from Samuel to the king Saul, and then from Saul to David, God’s chosen king. The prophet Samuel was the link between the judgeship and the kingship, which was established in fulfillment of God’s promise to Abraham to make him a father of a multitude of nations, saying “Kings will come from you” (Gen. 17:4-6). Eventually God would bring the Messiah through the line of David, finally fulfilling the purpose of the Abrahamic promise, that “through your offspring all nations on earth will be blessed” (Gen. 22:18). Therefore, the establishment of the kingship was of utmost importance for God’s redemptive plan, and the king in Israel was to be subject to the word of God as spoken through his prophets.

The two main purposes of 1 Samuel are to record the establishment of the monarchy in Israel, and to show the preparation of David to sit on the throne after Saul. The kingdom was ushered in as a result of the people choosing an autonomous ruler for themselves like the other nations had. Nevertheless, God was still faithful to bring his chosen king, David, to prominence. David’s reign under God brought victory and prosperity, but he was also flawed, and his kingdom did not bring everlasting peace. Thus, he was just a shadow of the one to come—the True King, Jesus—who would ultimately fulfill God’s promise to bless the nations, by showing perfect subjection to God the Father, even up to “death on a cross” (Phil. 2:8).

1 Samuel is an important record of Israel’s history, but it is also much more. Through this record we can see that God’s sovereign plans will not be thwarted, and his promises will always be fulfilled. Listen to John as he unpacks this crucial historical book, and many of the implications it still holds for us today.