The David Saga

Vol. 1

the Story of

Samuel

Like Gandalf in The Lord of the Rings, the prophet Samuel is a crucial figure in the David Saga. The last and greatest of the Judges of Israel, it was he who ushered in the age of the kings, anointing the untimely King Saul and also his successor David, the central character of this saga. The first great, national prophet to arise after Moses, Samuel exerted a spiritual influence that pervades 1 Samuel even after he leaves the stage.

Hannah's Crisis

1 Samuel 1

In the providence of God, one woman's personal crisis led to the birth of the person who would bring revival to a nation.

The Worthless Priests

1 Samuel 2

Do you think God lets it slide when those who represent him become corrupt? You think wrong.

Before the Lamp of God Had Gone Out

1 Samuel 3

In a day of deep spiritual night, God spoke into the darkness to call out a young boy to become his prophet.

The Tragedy of Eli

1 Samuel 4

The High Priest Eli could have and should have been a great leader of Israel. Instead he was a washout. But there was one thing he did right.

The Curse of the Captive Ark

1 Samuel 5

It turns out that how the Philistines treated the Ark  of the Lord is not as important as how the Ark treated the Philistines.

The Ark Returns

1 Samuel 6

The Ark miraculously returns to Israel from its Philistine captivity, but then a joyous occasion turns into a horrifying one. What went wrong and why?

The Great Israelite Revival

1 Samuel 7

After decades of defeat, Samuel leads Israel in its greatest spiritual revival since Moses in the Wilderness. And then the Philistines attack.

Israel Demands a King

1 Samuel 8

Dissatisfied with the increasing role of Samuel's less-than-worthy sons in leadership, Israel demands a king. Resentful, Samuel asks the LORD. The LORD says to give them one, but first to warn them.