In short
Israel demands a king to rule over them.
Why it is important
God didn’t want this. Well, I guess. I mean, He is disappointed in the people for having “rejected me” as king (1Sa 8:7). But this is exactly what God said would happen all along. This is REALLY prophesied in Deut 17:14-20, and implied in Gen 49:10.
And so, from these inauspicious origins, thus begins monarchy in Israel.
Main characters
- Samuel
- Saul
- David
What is in this book
There are three acts:
- The rise of Samuel, a judge (chapters 1-8)
- The rise and downfall of Saul, the first king (chapters 9-15)
- David’s star rises while Saul finishes his reign (chapters 16-31)
Theology and doctrine
God gave the people what they wanted. And I mean that in two ways.
First, God gave the people the guy that WE would pick as a leader – Saul, who looked like a hero. But he didn’t work out.
And then, God gave the people the man that God himself saw as Israel’s best hope (1Sa 13:14) – David, who was short, young and strong in his faith. And he was quite possibly the best king they would ever have.
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