The Chosen Key Word in this Book is “Anointed one” it comes from the Hebrew Word “mashiach” which means “anointed one (root of “Messiah”).”
One book, thirty-one chapters, and the turning point where Israel moves from judges to kings. First Samuel introduces three of the most important men in Israel’s early history: Samuel, the last judge and a faithful prophet; Saul, Israel’s first king, chosen by the people; and David, the shepherd boy God chooses instead, whose story will shape the rest of the Bible. Welcome to Bible Life Basics Book Reviews. I am Chris and this is First Samuel.
The book opens with Hannah, a woman deeply loved by her husband but unable to have children, weeping and praying at the tabernacle for a son. She vows that if God gives her a son, she will give him back to serve the LORD for his whole life. God answers her prayer, and she names her son Samuel. True to her word, once he is weaned, she brings him to live and serve at the tabernacle under the priest Eli, visiting him only once a year with a small coat she made him.
Eli’s own sons, Hophni and Phinehas, are corrupt priests who abuse their position and disrespect the offerings brought to God. Meanwhile, young Samuel grows up serving faithfully in the tabernacle. One night, God calls out to him by name while he sleeps. Samuel mistakes the voice for Eli three times before Eli realizes what is happening and tells him how to respond. Samuel answers, “Speak, LORD; for thy servant heareth,” and from that night on, God continues speaking to him as he grows into Israel’s next great prophet.
Chapter four brings disaster. Israel is defeated in battle by the Philistines, and in desperation, they carry the ark of the covenant onto the battlefield like a good luck charm rather than seeking God Himself. The ark is captured, and both of Eli’s sons are killed. When Eli hears the news, he falls backward and dies as well. His daughter-in-law, giving birth at that very moment, names her son Ichabod, meaning “the glory is departed,” since the ark, the symbol of God’s presence, has been taken.
The Philistines quickly regret capturing the ark. Everywhere they place it, their idol Dagon topples over, and the people are struck with tumors and plagues. Within seven months, they send the ark back to Israel on a cart, relieved to be rid of it. Years later, under Samuel’s leadership, Israel finally defeats the Philistines decisively at a battle near a place Samuel names Ebenezer, meaning “stone of help,” declaring, “Hitherto hath the LORD helped us.”
As Samuel grows old, Israel’s elders come to him with a request that troubles him deeply: they want a king “like all the nations” around them. Samuel warns them plainly what a king will cost them in taxes, labor, and freedom, but the people insist anyway. God tells Samuel to grant their request, and Saul, a tall and impressive young man from the tribe of Benjamin, is chosen and anointed as Israel’s very first king.
Saul begins well, rescuing the city of Jabesh-gilead from a brutal enemy siege and earning the nation’s confidence. But cracks appear quickly. In chapter thirteen, Saul grows impatient waiting for Samuel and offers a sacrifice himself, something only a priest was authorized to do, and Samuel tells him his kingdom will not endure because of it. In chapter fifteen, Saul is commanded to completely destroy the Amalekites and their possessions, but he spares their king and keeps the best of the livestock. When confronted, Samuel delivers one of the most quoted lines in the Old Testament: “to obey is better than sacrifice.” Saul is rejected as king that day, though he continues ruling for years afterward.
God sends Samuel to Bethlehem to anoint Israel’s next king secretly, from among the sons of a man named Jesse. One by one, Jesse’s older, more impressive-looking sons pass before Samuel, but God rejects each one, reminding Samuel that “man looketh on the outward appearance, but the LORD looketh on the heart.” The youngest son, David, is finally brought in from tending sheep, and God tells Samuel this is the one. The Hebrew word used for this anointing is “mashiach,” meaning “anointed one,” the very word from which we get the title Messiah.
Chapter seventeen tells the most famous story in the whole book. The Philistine army camps against Israel with a nine-foot-tall champion named Goliath taunting them daily, daring anyone to fight him one on one, and no Israelite soldier, including Saul, dares to face him. David, still just a young shepherd delivering food and supplies to his brothers at the battle line, is appalled that no one will defend God’s honor against “this uncircumcised Philistine.” Saul offers David his own armor, but it is too heavy and unfamiliar, so David refuses it and faces Goliath with only a sling, five smooth stones from a nearby brook, and a declaration that he comes “in the name of the LORD of hosts.” One stone finds its mark, and the giant who terrified an entire army falls before a shepherd boy.
David’s victory makes him wildly popular, and Saul quickly grows jealous, especially after hearing women sing that “Saul hath slain his thousands, and David his ten thousands.” Despite Saul’s growing hostility, David forms a deep, loyal friendship with Saul’s own son Jonathan, who recognizes David is meant to be Israel’s next king and protects him at real risk to himself. Saul attempts to kill David multiple times, even hurling a spear at him in his own house, forcing David to flee for his life.
The following chapters follow David as a fugitive, hiding in caves, gathering a band of loyal followers, and surviving on his wits. Twice, David has clear opportunities to kill Saul himself and refuses both times, unwilling to harm “the LORD’s anointed,” even though Saul is actively hunting him. Along the way, David also marries Abigail, a wise woman who prevents him from taking bloody revenge against her foolish husband Nabal.
In desperation, David eventually takes refuge among Israel’s enemies, the Philistines, serving under a king named Achish while secretly still loyal to Israel. Meanwhile, Saul, deeply anxious and abandoned by God’s guidance, secretly visits a medium at Endor to summon the spirit of the deceased Samuel, who delivers a chilling final warning that Saul and his sons will die the next day in battle.
The book closes exactly as Samuel warned. Israel is routed by the Philistines on Mount Gilboa, and three of Saul’s sons, including Jonathan, are killed. Badly wounded and unwilling to be captured, Saul takes his own life. It is a tragic end for Israel’s first king, a man who started with real promise but slowly let fear, jealousy, and disobedience cost him everything.
First Samuel is a book about what God looks for in a leader, and it is rarely what people expect. Saul looked the part, tall and commanding, but his heart drifted from obedience the moment it became inconvenient, and he spent his final years ruled more by fear and jealousy than by faith. David looked like the least likely candidate in the room, yet his heart stayed oriented toward God, even through years of unfair suffering as a fugitive with nothing guaranteed but a promise. The anointing that marks both of their lives points forward to a far greater anointed king still to come. First Samuel reminds us that God is never as interested in outward appearances as He is in a heart that stays faithful to Him, especially when no one else is watching.
Visit Us At: www.youtube.com/@BibleLifeBasics
Support Us On Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/cw/BibleLifeBasics