The book of First Samuel continues God's story into the time of Israel's Kings. The book's author relays incredible stories of God's work through ordinary people. The opening chapters remind us of God's faithfulness to Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and Israel as a growing but struggling nation. The characters reveal and reiterate the book's theme: God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble. First Samuel shows us that God works through people who will humbly follow Him in ways that might seem weak or crazy to the people and culture around them. As the book unfolds, the author contrasts the two nations (Israel and Philistine) and two leaders (Saul and David) to press the theme deep into our hearts. We live in a time that demands action, but we must wrestle with the same tension of First Samuel. Will we humbly embrace the ways of the Lord, or will we arrogantly strive for what we want through human strength and cunning?
