Introduction to 1 Samuel

Since the formation of Israel, God was ruling this unique nation through His appointed leaders. Each of them was raised by God to guide the people. Theocracy or the rule of God was the mode of government during this early history. However, the propensity of man made them inconsistent. Their tendency to sin made them repulsive to God and He had to deal with their sinful nature. Whenever they sinned, God would allow their enemies to oppress them. Then they would cry to God, who would mercifully raise a leader to deliver them. But when they had been delivered, they would soon gravitate to their sin again and offended God. This cycle repeated itself many times. This phenomenon can be seen in the book of Judges. The people of Israel were largely unfaithful to God. There came a point when they clamored for a king to rule over them, like what they saw in the surrounding nations. In so doing they were rejecting God and the theocratic rule. Yet God remained faithful for the sake of His covenant with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. 

First Samuel ushers us into the period of the monarchy or the period of the kings, which lasted approximately 500 some years from 1050 BC to 586 BC. Of this duration, 1 Samuel covers about 115 years. This thirty-one-chapter book covers three earlier stages of Israel’s history under the monarchy. Three key characters were introduced, and each would demarcate the three different stages. Firstly, we have Samuel the prophet, who ended the era of the Judges. And he largely became a kingmaker. He not only anointed Saul as king but also David. Then there was Saul, the first king, a people’s choice. He was better known as a man after man’s heart. Then we have David, the king whom God Himself would raise and was a man after God’s own heart. In 1 Samuel, David was being prepared so that God could fulfill the promise to establish his throne.

Samuel was believed to have written the larger portion of the book. It was either the prophets Nathan or Gad who then completed it. Since the genre of this book is written in the narrative form, let’s be ready for a very exciting time, gleaning the lessons God intends for us through it. Again, we will be journeying through this book devotionally. And as we do, let’s pray that God will enable us to appropriate the lessons we will glean and grow spiritually, to become the person we ought to be in Christ.