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But the Lord said to Samuel, “Do not look on his appearance or on the height of his stature, because I have rejected him. For the Lord sees not as man sees: man looks on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart” (1 Samuel 16:7, ESV).
First and 2nd Samuel were originally one book (scroll) but were separated into two books in the third century B.C. during the translation of Hebrew to the Greek Septuagint.
In my morning devotions, I just finished reading 1 & 2 Samuel, and I always enjoy them — so much action, so much human drama, so much victory and defeat — Saul king, then David king, Saul stumbling, David ascending, and let’s not forget Goliath, the friendship of David and Jonathan, and David’s stumbling with Bathsheba.
I believe the books were separated according to the two central figures of Saul and David, with 1 Samuel focusing on the rise and fall of Saul, with David prominent but not yet king, and 2 Samuel detailing David’s kingship.
Let’s summarize the two books …
Saul was found unfaithful by God (1 Samuel), and David was considered faithful by God (2 Samuel). Both committed errors of judgment and lifestyle, but why did Saul lose his kingship while God established David as the beginning of the lineage of Christ?
Saul was found unfaithful because …
- He used excuses (instead of repenting) for his disobedience
And Samuel said, “Has the Lord as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the Lord? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice (1 Samuel 15:22).
King Saul had been ordered by God to destroy the Amalekites — all their people, all their possessions, and all their livestock. But a few days later, when the prophet Samuel greeted him, Saul still had possessions and animals from the Amalekites, which Saul claimed were to be used as sacrifices to God.
God blesses obedience, not obfuscation or excuses.
- Saul blamed others for his troubles
The next day a harmful spirit from God rushed upon Saul, and he raved within his house while David was playing the lyre, as he did day by day. Saul had his spear in his hand. And Saul hurled the spear, for he thought, “I will pin David to the wall” (1 Samuel 18:10-11).
With David rising in popularity, Saul became jealous and began a pattern of trying to kill David. Many chapters in 1 Samuel describe in detail Saul chasing David, proclaiming everything is okay with David, and then trying to kill him again.
Saul blamed David for his torments, which were caused by his own disobedience.
- Saul tried to control his destiny
Saul inquired of the Lord, but the Lord did not answer him, either by dreams, or by Urim, or by prophets. Then Saul said to his servants, “Seek out for me a woman who is a medium, that I may go to her and inquire of her.” And his servants said to him, “Behold, there is a medium at En-dor” (1 Samuel 28:6-7).
With the Spirit of God having departed from Saul, he tried to control his destiny by consulting a medium, and soon afterwards, he was killed in battle.
Both Saul and David sinned, but we see with King Saul a pattern of excuses, blaming others, and trying to take control — and it led to his demise. This sums up 1 Samuel. Next Monday, we will consider how David repented of his sins, received God’s grace, and became the forefather of Jesus.
We learn a lot about following God by reading 1 & 2 Samuel.