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Today we meet David, the main character of the book, and we are introduced to him through three contrasts: with his brothers, with Saul, and with Goliath.

Today we’re looking at 1 Samuel 13 & 15 and Saul’s deceptive journey into sin. This contrasts with David who write Psalm 51 after he sinned, which is a journey of honest repentance. Finally, we look to Jesus who made the journey from heaven to the cross to deal with sin and offer forgiveness to all who will turn to him.

1 Samuel 14 might be the most insightful chapter in Scripture on the nature of biblical courage: what it is and how we grow in it. Jonathan and his armour-bearer show us that Christian courage is collaborative, theological, and contagious.

Samuel takes an opportunity in his farwell address to remind the people of the faithfullness of their God and exhualts them follow him with their whole heart!

In 1 Samuel 8-10 we see the transition of God’s people from a people led by judges to a monarchy. And it isn’t a smooth transition. The people make what seems a reasonable request for a king, but in effect it’s a rejection of the one who has been faithful to them. After God warns them of the consequences, they press ahead. But God, in His grace, takes their unfaithful request and works it for good.

Today’s passage sees the ark of the covenant captured by the Philistines, who quickly realise that they have made a mistake and give it back to Israel. Both nations discover that neither idols nor warriors can stand before a holy God.