First Samuel
tells of the establishment of a monarchy in Israel, especially the rise of David from shepherd to king. It is named for the prophet Samuel, a principal person in the book.
Samuel was
the son of Elkanah and Hannah. Hannah
was one of Elkanah’s two wives. Elkanah
loved Hannah and doted on her, but she had no children, which grieved her and
made her feel inferior to Elkanah’s other wife, Peninnah. She prayed that she would have a son and
promised to dedicate him to the Lord. That
is what happened.
Samuel helped
the priests from the time he was a boy. As
a child he heard God’s voice. God told
the boy He would do things in Israel so astounding that hearing it would make
your ears tingle.
It started
with the overthrow of wicked priests.
The Ark of the Covenant fell into the hands of the Philistines and would
not return to Israel in Samuel’s lifetimes.
As a prophet,
Samuel led Israel in the manner that the judges before him did. The people began to clamber for a king so
they could be a nation like the others around them. Samuel was understandably hurt by the
rejection. God told the prophet they
were really rejecting Him. He saw fit to
give them a king anyway.
Saul was the
first king of Israel. Like many modern
leaders, he was tall and handsome.
Unfortunately,
he was week. He craved approval from the
people and was jealous of his position and power. Eventually, his disobedience was too much and
God sought out another king.
David did not
immediately become king. He was still
youth when he was anointed by Samuel.
God led him through a series of events to prove David, the most famous
being the battle with the giant Goliath.
David became a great general in Saul’s army, a fast friend of Saul’s son
Jonathan, and popular with the people.
Saul’s
jealousy of David was severe. David had
to get of the country. He lived in
foreign lands where he was permitted, along with many fighting men who were
loyal to him and their families.
Israel had
enemies all around and it was the king’s job to lead the defense, through
diplomacy or war. Saul faced capture during
a battle and fell on his sword rather than face humiliation in the hands of his
enemies. Most of Saul’s family was wiped
out, including Jonathan.
David became
king of the portion of Israel called Judah and later the whole nation. Samuel was a witness and participant in these
events. His death is described at the
end of the book.
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