Introduction Last week, when we were studying 1 Samuel 18, we saw how everyone -- apart from Saul -- loved David. Jonathan, Saul's son, loved him and gave him his royal robe to wear. The women in the street loved him and sang a little song to celebrate his victory over the Philistines. All of … Continue reading 1 Samuel 19 →

Introduction I wonder did you notice from the reading the two very different attitudes towards David? On the one hand, there's Jonathan, who was Saul's son, and the women in the street and the people of Israel and Judah and Michal, who was Saul's daughter. They all loved David. And then, on the other hand, … Continue reading 1 Samuel 18 →

Introduction We come today to the well-known story of David and Goliath. But in order to understand this well-known story, let me take you back to the beginning of the Bible and to the Garden of Eden. Adam and Eve -- God's people at that time -- were there in the garden, the place God … Continue reading 1 Samuel 17 →

Verses 1 to 13 We read in chapter 15 last week that Samuel announced to Saul that the Lord had rejected him as king over God's people and he was going to give the kingdom to someone else. Today's chapter begins with the Lord asking Samuel: 'How long will you mourn for Saul?' Now, we … Continue reading 1 Samuel 16 →

Introduction The focus of last week's chapter was on Saul's foolishness. Remember the foolish oath and curse he put his men under, preventing them from eating anything on the day they needed all their strength to attack the Philistines? And remember too how he was determined to kill his son because of another oath he … Continue reading 1 Samuel 15 →

Introduction So, in chapter 13, which we studied last time, we read how Saul's son, Jonathan, did what Saul was meant to do, and failed to do, which was to attack the Philistines. And do you remember? Saul was also meant to wait for Samuel to come to Gilgal to offer sacrifices to the Lord … Continue reading 1 Samuel 14 →

Introduction In order to understand today's passage, we need to remember what happened in chapter 10 after Samuel anointed Saul to be king over the Lord's people. Do you remember? Samuel told Saul to expect three signs. Firstly, Saul will meet two men who will tell him that his father's lost donkeys have been found. … Continue reading 1 Samuel 13 →

Introduction Chapter 11 ended with Samuel summoning the people to Gilgal to reaffirm, or to renew, the kingship. And chapter 12 tells us what Samuel said to the people at Gilgal. So, the title the NIV gives to this chapter -- which is 'Samuel's Farewell Speech' isn't accurate, because this is not so much a … Continue reading 1 Samuel 12 →

Introduction By asking for a king like the other nations had, the Israelites rejected the Lord as their king, even though he had been a good king, who had rescued them from their slavery in Egypt and who had brought through the wilderness and into the Promised Land. But even though they were rejecting the … Continue reading 1 Samuel 10(17)–11(15) →

Introduction In chapter 8 of 1 Samuel -- which we studied together three weeks ago -- the elders of Israel came to Samuel and asked him to appoint a king to lead them 'such as all the other nations have'. Though the Lord was their king, and though the Lord had been a good king … Continue reading 1 Samuel 09(01)–10(16) →