Introduction

1 and 2 Samuel. I love the three main characters of these two books. We see Samuel, a man who heard from God. We see Saul, a man who ran from God. And then we see David, a man after God’s own heart. I love to be able to see the contrast that we examine here. Samuel comes on the scene at a time when the Bible says that every man pursued that which was right in their own eyes as far as the nation of Israel was concerned. And he comes on the scene with the hand of God blessing and calling him to service to lead his people back to himself. He does an amazing job, but the Israelite nation comes to a point where they constantly are longing for what takes place in the nations around them and they want a physical king. Rejecting God and accepting man’s choice, God gives them Saul. Saul starts out rather well, and yet he is the picture of what man would choose. A tall, good-looking leader, but didn’t truly have a heart for God. And Saul ends in a disgraceful way, but God’s king then comes on as David takes the throne and leads the nation to a point of conquering their enemies, establishing God deeply rooted in the fabric of the Israelite nation, and being able to prepare the way where we’ll see, as we continue our studies, to look at the building of the temple as well. This is an incredible opportunity for us to see three men and their responses to Yahweh, the God Jehovah.