Articles
Books of Samuel
Books of Samuel
As we begin reading the events during the life of Samuel, we would again do well to look not at the lives of these men but at the story of God. We will have some important bible people in these books - Samuel, Eli, Saul, Jonathan, and David among them. However it is God's dealing with these men that makes the story. The story started long before these men were born and the story looks far beyond their deaths to the coming of God's Messiah. It is the story of how God is bringing to pass his eternal purpose that people will be reconciled unto Him through His Son.
God is the great King over all the earth and more specifically over Israel. We already have learned the "The LORD will reign forever and ever" (Ex. 15:18). Their wanting a human king was a rejection of having God as their King (1Sam. 8:7). Interestingly, while God gives them a human king, it is still God that rules for God rules over these kings! He is King of Kings. He gives the right of kingship to Saul and then removes it. It gives the right of kingship to David. God makes a covenant with David to have his lineage to always be the king. God however conditions the individual's privilege of being such a King on their obedience unto Him (2 Sam. 7; Ps. 89:29-33). God had foretold the fact that Israel would have a king by giving laws concerning the kings that would come (Deut. 17:18-20).
In 1 Samuel we see the transition from judges (Samuel being the last of them) to the Kingship. The story of Samuel takes us from chapter 1 - 7. The story of Saul is recorded in two parts. The rise and kingship of Saul are recorded in chapters 8 - 14, and then the decline of Saul in chapters 15-31. The decline of Saul parallels the rise of David. David's kingship will come in 2 Samuel. Through all of the glory and failure of men, God is faithfully there being God.
