1 Samuel 20
1 Samuel 20 - Saul has become a volcanic madman. David is struggling with trust and discernment. Jonathan is caught in the middle. The first day of the month was the New Moon festival which was celebrated ...
1 Samuel 21
1 Samuel 21 - David has lost so much. He has gone from the beloved and admired son-in-law of King Saul to the forsaken fugitive, alone and rejected. We don't know exactly why he would choose to ...
1 Samuel 22
1 Samuel 22 - There's no doubt that David felt completely isolated. Living in a cave, he was completely humiliated. It's hard to imagine how he managed to get through this time. But God was at work. ...
1 Samuel 23
1 Samuel 23 - All Saul cares about is killing David. He doesn't care about worshiping God. He doesn't care about hearing from God. He doesn't want to follow God. Yet, he justifies his actions by using ...
1 Samuel 24
1 Samuel 24 - David retreats with his men to the caves of the Wilderness of En Gedi. This was a strategic move and a very good one on David's part. The canyon of En Gedi is ...
1 Samuel 25
1 Samuel 25 - As well as David reacted to having a moment with Saul to himself, he backtracks with his emotions when it comes to dealing with Nabal. Yes, it's true, Nabal was an arrogant and ...
1 Samuel 26
1 Samuel 26 - If there was ever a justifiable moment for David to end Saul's life, this was it. Saul had repented of his wrongdoing back when David had his first opportunity to kill Saul in ...
1 Samuel 27
1 Samuel 27 - The life of David is not all sunshine and rainbows. Though he was a man after God's own heart, he was still human. Here in 1 Samuel 27, he makes a controversial decision. ...
1 Samuel 28
1 Samuel 28 - I've always had lots of questions about 1 Samuel 28. Was David actually going to fight with the Philistines? Why did Saul think that he could contact Samuel through a witch? Was it ...
1 Samuel 29
1 Samuel 29 - Can you imagine David fighting against his friends and family? Can you imagine him going to war with his best friend, Jonathan? Jesus speaks in Revelation to the church at Laodicea with strong, ...
1 Samuel 30
1 Samuel 30 - David returns to Zikleg, where he had fled from Saul only to find that while he and his men were gone, the Amalekites had come and raided their city. They burned the place ...
1 Samuel 31
1 Samuel 31 - Let's do a quick recap. In desperation, Saul traveled to see a witch who brought back Samuel from the dead and predicted Saul's death the next day. Today is the next day. Also ...
1 Samuel 1
In 1 Samuel 1, a man named Elkanah from the hill country of Ephraim had two wives: Hannah (who was childless) and Peninnah (who had children). Each year, Elkanah would go to Shiloh to worship and offer ...
1 Samuel 2
In 1 Samuel 2, Hannah offers a heartfelt prayer of praise while rejoicing in God's salvation, justice, and power over life and death (1 Samuel 2:1-10). Samuel serves before the Lord but Eli’s sons, Hophni and ...
1 Samuel 3
In 1 Samuel 3, the text states that Samuel served under Eli during a time when God's revelations were rarely heard or seen (1 Samuel 3:1). One night, as Samuel lay in the Temple, God called him, but he ...
1 Samuel 4
In 1 Samuel 4, Israel went to battle against the Philistines. They were defeated, losing about 4,000 men (1 Samuel 4:2). Seeking victory, they brought the ark of the covenant from Shiloh accompanied by Eli’s ...
1 Samuel 5
In 1 Samuel 5, the Philistines took the ark of the covenant from Ebenezer to Ashdod and placed it in the temple of Dagon beside his statue (1 Samuel 5:1-2). The next morning, they found Dagon fallen face down ...
1 Samuel 6
In 1 Samuel 6, the Philistines sought guidance from their priests and diviners after the ark of the Lord had been in Philistine territory wreaking havoc for seven months (see 1 Samuel 4 & 1 Samuel 5 for context). ...
1 Samuel 7
In 1 Samuel 7, the ark of the Lord was taken to Kiriath-jearim, where it remained for 20 years as Israel longed for the Lord (1 Samuel 7:1-2). Samuel urged the people to return to God wholeheartedly by ...
1 Samuel 8
In 1 Samuel 8, Samuel has grown old and has appointed his sons, Joel and Abijah, as judges over Israel. But they turned to dishonesty, taking bribes and perverting justice (1 Samuel 8:1-3). The elders of Israel ...
1 Samuel 9
In 1 Samuel 9, we are introduced to a young man from the tribe of Benjamin named Saul. His father, Kish, sent him to find their lost donkeys (1 Samuel 9:1-5). After an unsuccessful search, Saul’s servant
1 Samuel 10
In 1 Samuel 10, Samuel anointed Saul as Israel’s ruler by pouring oil on his head (1 Samuel 10:1). He told Saul about three signs that would confirm his calling: He would meet men near Rachel’s Grave ...
1 Samuel 11
In 1 Samuel 11, Nahash the Ammonite besieged Jabesh-gilead. The men of Jabesh sought a treaty, and Nahash agreed as long as he was permitted to gouge out the right eye of every man in the city ...
1 Samuel 12
In 1 Samuel 12, Samuel reminded Israel that he had faithfully led them from his youth and had not wronged or taken anything from anyone (1 Samuel 12:1-4). The people affirmed his integrity, and Samuel ...
1 Samuel 13
In 1 Samuel 13, Saul became king and reigned for 40 years (1 Samuel 13:1). He selected 3,000 men, keeping 2,000 with himself at Michmash/Bethel’s hill country and 1,000 with Jonathan at Gibeah ...
1 Samuel 14
In 1 Samuel 14, Jonathan led his armor-bearer to attack a Philistine garrison. Although he didn't tell his Father (King Saul), Jonathan had faith that “nothing can keep the Lord from saving” (1 Samuel 14:6). ...
1 Samuel 15
In 1 Samuel 15, Samuel commanded Saul to completely destroy the Amalekites, including all people and animals (1 Samuel 15:1-3). Saul gathered his army, warned the Kenites to leave, and attacked the ...
1 Samuel 16
In 1 Samuel 16, Samuel mourned for Saul but the Lord told him it was time to move forward because He had already chosen a new king (1 Samuel 16:1). Though Samuel feared Saul’s reaction, God provided a ...
1 Samuel 17
In 1 Samuel 17, the Philistines gathered for battle at Socoh in Judah, facing Israel across a valley (1 Samuel 17:1-3). Goliath, a giant warrior from Gath, challenged Israel to send a champion to fight him, ...
1 Samuel 18
1 Samuel 18 - “Saul has slain his thousands,And David his ten thousands.” The wording here says that "all cities in Israel" had women who danced and sang to this tune. It was literally a Billboard Top ...
1 Samuel 19
In 1 Samuel 19, Saul commanded Jonathan and his servants to kill David, but Jonathan warned David to hide. Jonathan spoke to Saul on David’s behalf, reminding him of David’s loyalty and his victory over ...