Big Idea: The Lord, the incomparable King, vindicates his loyal followers.

Understanding the Text

The judges’ period was a low point in Israel’s history. God’s people, without effective leadership, hit rock bottom morally, ethically, and spiritually. The final chapters of Judges contain alarming accounts of gang rape, civil war, mass slaughter of entire tribes and cities, and kidnapping. The book ends by declaring, “In those days Israel had no king; everyone did as they saw fit” (Judg. 21:25).

First Samuel is a fitting sequel to Judges. Samuel reverses the downward leadership trend depicted in Judges and eventually anoints David as king, giving the nation hope that the situation lamented at the end of Judges will be rectified. The book begins with an account of Samuel’s birth. The key f…