1 Samuel

1 Samuel spans Israel's move from the age of the judges to the monarchy. It opens with the birth of Samuel — the last judge, priest and prophet — who anoints Israel's first two kings at the people's demand for a king 'like the other nations'.

The book charts the rise and tragic decline of Saul, whose disobedience costs him the throne, and the emergence of David — the shepherd who kills Goliath, wins the people's love, and is hunted through the wilderness by a jealous king. It is a rich study of leadership, obedience and the difference between the outward and the inward that God sees.