1 Samuel: from the last judge to the king after God's heart
1 Samuel narrates a decisive transition: Israel moves from judges to monarchy. Three figures follow one another: Samuel, the child of prayer become prophet; Saul, the first king, tall in stature and small in obedience; and David, the shepherd anointed in secret, victor over Goliath, hunted by the throne's jealousy.
The pivotal verse lights up the whole book: "the Lord doesn't see as man sees; for man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart" (1 Samuel 16:7). A book about what God truly seeks in those he calls.
Frequently asked questions about 1 Samuel
Who was Samuel?
The child Hannah asked for in tears, consecrated to God from birth, who became Israel's last judge and first great prophet. He anointed the first two kings, Saul and then David.
Why was Saul rejected?
For repeated disobedience dressed up as religion. Samuel's sentence remains famous: "to obey is better than sacrifice" (1 Samuel 15:22). God prefers a submitted heart to shiny offerings.
Where is the story of David and Goliath?
In chapter 17: the unarmored shepherd fells the giant with a sling and total confidence — "the battle is the Lord's" (17:47). The most famous chapter of the book.