Hannah and Samuel
God answers Hannah's anguished prayers for a son, and she dedicates Samuel to the Lord's service. Samuel grows wise, becoming Israel's judge and leading prophet.
 
Philistines vs Israel
Israel struggles with the Philistines' continued rise in power. They irreverently bring God's Ark into battle and it's stolen, but God's mercy brings it back.
 
Israel Wants a King
Israel insists that Samuel give them a king like other nations. This displeases Samuel and he asks God, who chooses Saul as the first king.
 
The Tragedy of Saul
Saul becomes proud and disobeys God, who tears Israel away from him and gives it to someone else. Saul descends slowly into madness and dies.
 
David - God's King
Samuel anoints the young shepherd David as God's new king. David defeats Goliath and becomes Saul's assistant, but Saul hunts David, who trusts in God.

►1 Samuel / Chapters 1-31

OT/NT (a): Old Testament (1)
 
SECTION (a): Historical Books (2)
 
PLACEMENT (a): 1 Samuel is the ninth book of the Holy Bible (3), the ninth book of the Old Testament, and the fourth of the twelve Historical Books. Originally, the books of 1 Samuel and 2 Samuel (4) were one book. The translators of the Septuagint (5) separated them, and we have retained that separation ever since.
 
TRADITIONAL AUTHORS (b):  The author is anonymous. We know that the Prophet (6) Samuel (7) wrote a book (1 Samuel 10:25), and it is very possible that he wrote part of this book as well. Other possible contributors to 1 Samuel are the prophets/historians Nathan (8) and Gad (9) (1 Chronicles 29:29).
 
TIMELINE: The events of 1 Samuel span approximately 100 years, circa 1102 BC (10) to 1010 BC (11). For much more info, explore our Bible Timeline (12) and Judges of Israel (13) webpages.
 
KEY FIGURES: Absalom (14), Amnon (15), David (16),  Jonathan (17), Samuel, Saul (18).
 
SUMMARY (b): 1 Samuel records the history of Israel (19) in the land of Canaan (20) as they move from the rule of Judges to being a unified nation under kings (21). Samuel emerges as the last Judge of Israel, and he anoints the first two kings, Saul and David.
 
The book of 1 Samuel can be neatly divided into two sections: the life of Samuel (chapters 1-12) and the life of Saul (chapters 13-31).
 
The book starts with the miraculous birth of Samuel in answer to his mother's (22) earnest prayer. As a child, Samuel lived and served in the Temple (23). God singled him out as a prophet (1 Samuel 3:19-21), and the child’s first prophecy was one of judgment on the corrupt priests.
 
The Israelites go to war with their perennial enemies, the Philistines (24). The Philistines capture the Ark of the Covenant (25) and are in temporary possession of it. But when the Lord (26) sends judgment, the Philistines return the Ark. Samuel calls Israel to repentance (1 Samuel 7:3-6) and then to victory over the Philistines.
 
The people of Israel, wanting to be like other nations, desire a king. Samuel is displeased by their demands, but the Lord tells him that it is not Samuel’s leadership they are rejecting, but His own. After warning the people of what having a king would mean, Samuel anoints a Benjamite (27) named Saul, who is crowned in Mizpah (1 Samuel 10:17-25).
 
Saul enjoys initial success, defeating the Ammonites (28) in battle (chapter 11). But then he makes a series of missteps: he presumptuously offers a sacrifice (chapter 13), he makes a foolish vow at the expense of his son Jonathan (chapter 14), and he disobeys the Lord’s direct command (chapter 15). As a result of Saul’s rebellion, God chooses another to take Saul’s place. Meanwhile, God removes His blessing from Saul, and an evil spirit begins goading Saul toward madness (1 Samuel 16:14).
 
Samuel travels to Bethlehem (29) to anoint a youth named David as the next king (chapter 16). Later, David has his famous confrontation (30) with Goliath the Philistine and becomes a national hero (chapter 17). David serves in Saul’s court, marries Saul’s daughter (31), and is befriended by Saul’s son. Saul himself grows jealous of David’s success and popularity, and he attempts to kill David. David flees, and so begins an extraordinary period of adventure, intrigue, and romance. With supernatural aid, David narrowly but consistently eludes the bloodthirsty Saul (chapters 19-26). Through it all, David maintains his integrity and his friendship with Jonathan.
 
Near the end of the book, Samuel has died (circa 1014 BC), and Saul is a lost man. On the eve of a battle with Philistia, Saul seeks for answers. Having rejected God, he finds no help from Heaven, and he seeks counsel from a medium instead (32). During the séance, Samuel’s spirit rises from the dead to give one last prophecy: Saul would die in battle the next day. The prophecy is fulfilled; Saul’s three sons, including Jonathan, fall in battle, and Saul commits suicide (circa 1010 BC).
 
APPLYING 1 SAMUEL TO MY LIFE (b): The tragic story of Saul is a study in wasted opportunity. Here was a man who had it all—honor, authority, riches, good looks, and more. Yet he died in despair, terrified of his enemies and knowing he had failed his nation, his family, and his God.
 
Saul made the mistake of thinking he could please God through disobedience (33). Like many today, he believed that a sensible motive will compensate for bad behavior. Perhaps his power went to his head, and he began to think he was above the rules. Somehow he developed a low opinion of God’s commands and a high opinion of himself. Even when confronted with his wrongdoing, he attempted to vindicate himself, and that’s when God rejected him (1 Samuel 15:16-28).
 
Saul’s problem is one we all face—a problem of the heart. Obedience (34) to God’s will is necessary for success, and if we in pride rebel against Him, we set ourselves up for loss.
 
David, on the other hand, did not seem like much at first. Even Samuel was tempted to overlook him (1 Samuel 16:6-7). But God sees the heart and saw in David a man after His own heart (1 Samuel 16:13-14). The humility and integrity of David, coupled with his boldness for the Lord and his commitment to prayer, set a good example for all of us.

CHAPTER SUMMARIES: Explore (35) chapter by chapter summaries!
 
COMING UP:  Next up is the Book of 2 Samuel (4)!

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All Bible verse references linked herein are courtesy of Bible Gateway (a). The narrative (b) offered herein has been published with permission (c) and no monetary gain is being sought. Any footnotes within the narrative have been inserted by The Marion County Manna Project and re-direct to our webpages (unless otherwise noted) for additional spiritual insight and discernment.
 

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The Invitation: If you're seeking additional info about Christianity on a more personal level, consider visiting a Christian Church here in Marion County (36). Introduce yourself to members and ask to speak with someone to learn more about Jesus. Surrendering your life to Christ (37) (f) is the most rewarding, everlasting decision you'll ever make, and it's comforting to have someone guide you as you begin your new life as a child of the Most High! May God shower you with great favor in this endeavor!
 

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Footnotes, Page Credits and External Resources appear below. Consider printing and sharing the offered PDF narrative and other listed resources with family, friends and strangers alike for use in Bible Studies (38), Home/Church Faith Sharing Groups (39), Discipleship Encounters (40) and/or Personal Faith Enrichment!
 
Modifications are welcome at [email protected].
 

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FOOTNOTES:
  (1) https://www.marionmannaproject.com/old-testament
  (2) https://www.marionmannaproject.com/historical-books
  (3) https://www.marionmannaproject.com/the-good-news
  (4) https://www.marionmannaproject.com/2-samuel
  (5) https://www.marionmannaproject.com/septuagint
  (6) https://www.marionmannaproject.com/prophets-of-the-bible
  (7) https://www.marionmannaproject.com/samuel
  (8) https://www.marionmannaproject.com/nathan-ot-prophet
  (9) https://www.marionmannaproject.com/gad
(10) https://www.marionmannaproject.com/1200-bc
(11) https://www.marionmannaproject.com/1100-bc
(12) https://www.marionmannaproject.com/bible-timeline
(13) https://www.marionmannaproject.com/judges-of-israel
(14) https://www.marionmannaproject.com/absalom
(15) https://www.marionmannaproject.com/amnon
(16) https://www.marionmannaproject.com/david
(17) https://www.marionmannaproject.com/jonathan
(18) https://www.marionmannaproject.com/saul
(19) https://www.marionmannaproject.com/twelve-tribes-of-israel
(20) https://www.marionmannaproject.com/canaan
(21) https://www.marionmannaproject.com/united-monarchy-kings
(22) https://www.marionmannaproject.com/hannah
(23) https://www.marionmannaproject.com/temple-first
(24) https://www.marionmannaproject.com/philistines
(25) https://www.marionmannaproject.com/ark-of-the-covenant
(26) https://www.marionmannaproject.com/God-of-the-Bible
(27) https://www.marionmannaproject.com/benjamin-1
(28) https://www.marionmannaproject.com/ammonites
(29) https://www.marionmannaproject.com/bethlehem
(30) https://www.marionmannaproject.com/david-goliath
(31) https://www.marionmannaproject.com/michal
(32) https://www.marionmannaproject.com/medium-at-endor
(33) https://www.marionmannaproject.com/disobedience
(34) https://www.marionmannaproject.com/obedience
(35) https://www.marionmannaproject.com/1-samuel-1-31-chapter-summaries
(36) https://www.marionmannaproject.com/listing-by-city
(37) https://www.marionmannaproject.com/the-gracious-visitor
(38) https://www.marionmannaproject.com/bible-studies
(39) https://www.marionmannaproject.com/christian-education
(40) https://www.marionmannaproject.com/discipleship
 
PAGE CREDITS:
(a) Bible Gateway, New International Version (NIV) Bible, accessed September 18, 2020, https://www.biblegateway.com/

(b) Summary of the Book of 1 Samuel, Got Questions Ministries, accessed February 4, 2021, https://www.gotquestions.org/Book-of-1-Samuel.html
 
(c) Copyright Policy, Got Questions Ministries, accessed January 11, 2020,
https://www.gotquestions.org/about.html
 
(d) Chronology of United Kingdom, Steve Rudd, accessed February 3, 2021,
https://www.bible.ca/archeology/bible-archeology-exodus-route-date-1200-1004bc.jpg
 
(e) Videos, Milestones, Blogs & Poster, BibleProject, accessed September 29, 2020, https://www.bibleproject.com/terms/#use
 
EXTERNAL RESOURCES:
(f)  How Do I Convert to Christianity?, Got Questions Ministries, accessed January 12, 2020, https://www.gotquestions.org/convert-to-Christianity.html

Information offered herein has been generated for non-profit use.
 
Feel free to re-produce and distribute without monetary gain.
 
SPREAD JESUS.
 
 
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