The Book of Samuel - Teaching

The Book of Samuel is a page-turner. There are battles and chases and feuds and plots and lies and familial conflict. Some of the Bible's most well-remembered stories and characters are in the Book of Samuel. There's David and Goliath and Saul and Samuel (who was a priest and prophet at the time).

You can't explain the story of the Bible (the story of the Israelite people eventually meeting Jesus Christ) without referring to the events which happen in the Book of Samuel. Israel transitioned from being a theocracy (a collection of tribes with sporadic leadership, all submitted under God as sovereign Leader) into being a monarchy (a nation with a human king and reigning dynasty). Saul, Israel’s first king, ruled exactly like any pagan king would. He was tyrannical and saw himself as the ultimate authority. King David, on the other hand, understood that he shared his authority with the priests and prophets, all of whom were submitted under God.

A repeated theme in the Book of Samuel is the heart; i.e. what was going on internally in the characters throughout the various stories. When Saul saw the Philistine army, his “heart trembled greatly.” When David cut off a corner of Saul’s robe, he was “stricken to the heart.” When Michel saw David dancing, she “despised him in her heart.” We readers can be challenged to notice our own heart postures too. Do we as Christians internally behave like we belong to a kingdom with a King (Jesus)?

It is possible that the repetition of the heart-theme aimed to illuminate the book’s larger theme. God sought for Israel's king to be one after His own heart. Saul failed at this whilst David succeeded. But, both kings ultimately weren't the leaders Israel needed to fix their national sin problem. A future King would be needed to do that: Jesus. See 2 Samuel 7 for its beautiful Messianic promises.