The story of 1 Samuel traces Saul’s rise and fall along with David’s strange succession. As fortunes turn upside down, the reader wonders if God will keep his promises to Abraham and bless the world through such a self-imploding nation and the reign of a human king. Join us as we explore 1 Samuel to see how God's agenda for his Kingdom will always challenge our ideal of life and liberty on our own terms.
WEEK 1: Hannah's Prayer
January 5 1 Samuel 1, 2:1-11
WEEK 2: Eli's Wicked Sons & God's Rebuke
January 12 1 Samuel 2:12-36
WEEK 3: God Speaks, Samuel Hears
January 19 1 Samuel 3:1-21
WEEK 4: Glory Departed
January 26 1 Samuel 4:1-22
WEEK 5: The Lord's Heavy Hand
February 2 1 Samuel 5:1-7:2
WEEK 6: The People Demand a King
February 16 1 Samuel 8:1-20:26
WEEK 7: The Fierce King
February 23 1 Samuel 10:27-12:25
WEEK 8: Desperation and Disobedience
March 1 1 Samuel 13:1-14
WEEK 9: The Faith of Jonathan
March 8 1 Samuel 13:15-14:23
WEEK 10: Saul's Foolish Oath
March 15 1 Samuel 14:24-52
WEEK 11: Obedience Over Sacrifice
April 19 1 Samuel 15:1-35
WEEK 12: Saul Rejected, David Anointed
April 26 1 Samuel 16:1-23
WEEK 13: David and Goliath
May 3 1 Samuel 17
WEEK 14: Saul's Jealousy and David's Success
May 10 1 Samuel 18
WEEK 15: Jonathan's Loyalty
May 17 1 Samuel 20:1-42
WEEK 16: David Flees from Saul
May 24 1 Samuel 21-22:2
WEEK 17: The Slaughter of the Priests
May 31 1 Samuel 23:3-23
WEEK 18: David Spares Saul
June 14 1 Samuel 24
WEEK 19: David & Abigail
June 21 1 Samuel 25
WEEK 20: The Death of Saul and His Dynasty
June 28 1 Samuel 31
Overcome | Elevation Worship | iTunes
Romans 8 • Psalm 145:13 • John 16:33
Behold | Grace Church Worship | Album available soon
Philippians 2:6-11 • 1 Peter 3:18 • Isaiah 53:3-5 • Revelation 19:11-16
Once For All | CityAlight | iTunes
Romans 6:10 • Hebrews 10:19-22 • 1 Peter 3:18 • Revelation 4:11
Sovereign Over Us | Aaron Keyes | iTunes
Isaiah 43:2 • Isaiah 55:8-9 • Romans 8:28
Faithfulness | Hillsong Worship | iTunes
Lamentations 3:22-23 • Ecclesiastes 3:1-8 • Romans 15:13
Give It All | Grace Church Worship | iTunes
Psalm 101:1 • Romans 12:1 • Romans 5:8 • Galatians 2:20
Exalted Over All | Vertical Worship | iTunes
Philippians 2:6-11 • Colossians 1:15-20 • Hebrews 12:2
Worthy of it All | Grace Church Worship | iTunes
Psalm 51:16-17 • Psalm 139:23-24 • Amos 5:21-24
Behold | Grace Church Worship | Album available soon!
Philippians 2:6-11 • 1 Peter 3:18 • Isaiah 53:3-5 • Revelation 19:11-16
Yes I Will | Vertical Worship | iTunes
Psalm 130:5-8 • Philippians 2:9-11 • Isaiah 28:30
Greater Than All Our Words | Grace Church Worship | Listen
Psalm 19:1 • Romans 12:1 • Job 40:4
Mighty God (Another Hallelujah) | Elevation Worship | iTunes
Mark 4:39 • Revelation 19:6-8
Behold | Grace Church Worship | Album available soon!
Philippians 2:6-11 • 1 Peter 3:18 • Isaiah 53:3-5 • Revelation 19:11-16
All Things Together | 10,000 Fathers | iTunes
Revelation 22:13 • Colossians 1:17
Yahweh | Hillsong Worship | iTunes
Revelation 11:15 • Psalm 145:13 • Exodus 15:13 • Romans 15:13
This We Know | Vertical Worship | iTunes
Isaiah 55:8-9 • Hebrews 10:23 • Colossians 2:15 • 1 Corinthians 15:55-57 • 1 Peter 1:3-7
Great and Mighty King | Elevation Worship | iTunes
Psalm 47:6-8 • Revelation 5:11-14 • Isaiah 6:1-3
In Your Presence | Elevation Worship | iTunes
Psalm 16:7-8 & 11• Deuteronomy 31:6 • Romans 8:31-34
More Like Jesus | Passion | iTunes
John 3:30 • 1 Peter 2:21 • Romans 8:29 • Ephesians 4:22-24
Hope to Carry On | Grace Church Worship | Listen
1 Thessalonians 3 • 1 Thessalonians 1:3 • 1 Peter 1:7
Dwell | Aaron Keyes | iTunes
Psalm 91:1 • Isaiah 54:17
O God of Our Salvation | The Village Church | iTunes
Psalm 29:1-2 • 1 Chronicles 16:29
Our Great God | NewSpring Worship | iTunes
Psalm 19:1-4 • Psalm 107:29 • 1 Peter 2:24
Endless Surrender | Grace Church Worship | Album Coming Soon!
Hebrews 4:12 • Philippians 3:8-11 • Titus 3:3-8
I Surrender | All Sons & Daughters | iTunes
Romans 12:1 • Luke 22:41-43 • Matthew 6:19-21
Jesus Paid it All | Passion | iTunes
Romans 6:23 • 1 Peter 1:18-19 • 1 John 2:2 • Hebrews 10:19-22 • Psalm 49:7-8
God You Are My God | Vertical Worship | iTunes
Zechariah 14:9 • Isaiah 2:2 • 1 Peter 1:18-20
Nobody Like You | Red Rocks Worship | iTunes
Psalm 33:6-7 • Exodus 15:11 • Phil 2:5-11 • Jeremiah 10:6
Trust You (You are Good) | Grace Church Worship | iTunes
Mark 9:24 • Luke 12:27-32 • Psalm 107:28-30
Singing in the Victory | Austin Stone | iTunes
John 14:27 • 1 Corinthians 15:54-57 • Romans 8:35-39
Christ Our Savior | Grace Church Worship | iTunes
Lamentations 3:21-26 • Ephesians 2:8-9 • Titus 3:5-6
In Christ Alone | Passion | iTunes
Jude 1:24-25 • Philippians 3:7-11 • Romans 8:38-39
The Rock Won’t Move | Vertical Worship | iTunes
Psalm 62:5-8 • 2 Samuel 22:47 • Matthew 7:24-27
Call Upon the Lord | Elevation Worship | iTunes
Psalm 18:3-2 • 2 Corinthians 3:17 • Hebrews 13:5-6
Greater Than All Our Words | Grace Church Worship | Click here to listen
Psalm 19:1 • Romans 12:1 • Job 40:4
Song of Moses | Aaron Keyes | iTunes
Revelation 15:3 • Exodus 15:1-3, 18 • Psalm 28:7
Come Thou Fount (We Praise You) | Grace Church Worship | iTunes
Ephesians 2:7-8 • 1 John 3:1-3 • Titus 3:4-6 • 1 Corinthians 1:22
Endless Surrender | Grace Church Worship | Album coming February 28!
Hebrews 4:12 • Philippians 3:8-11 • Titus 3:3-8
Came To My Rescue | Hillsong | iTunes
Psalm 17:6 • Psalm 81:7
Exalted Over All | Vertical Worship | iTunes
Philippians 2:6-11 • Colossians 1:15-20 • Hebrews 12:2
There Is a Fountain | Grace Church Worship | iTunes
Zechariah 13:1 • John 1:29 • Hebrews 9:12-14
This We Know | Vertical Worship | iTunes
Isaiah 55:8-9 • Hebrews 10:23 • Colossians 2:15 • 1 Corinthians 15:55-57 • 1 Peter 1:3-7
I Will Wait For You | Shane & Shane | iTunes
Psalm 130
All Things Together | 10,000 Fathers| iTunes
Revelation 22:13 • Colossians 1:17
Hope of the World | Hillsong Worship | iTunes
John 3:14-17 • 1 Chronicles 16:23-25 • Psalm 33:20-22 • Ephesians 2:4-7
Yes I Will | Vertical Worship | iTunes
Psalm 130:5-8 • Philippians 2:9-11 • Isaiah 28:30
Our Great God | NewSpring Worship | iTunes
Psalm 19:1-4 • Psalm 107:29 • 1 Peter 2:24
Give It All | Grace Church Worship | iTunes
Psalm 101:1 • Romans 12:1 • Romans 5:8 • Galatians 2:20
Worthy of it All | Grace Church Worship | iTunes
Psalm 51:16-17 • Psalm 139:23-24 • Amos 5:21-24
God With Us | All Sons and Daughters | iTunes
Joshua 1:9 • John 1:14 • Psalm 68:19-20
All Creatures of Our God and King | David Crowder Band | iTunes
Psalm 66:1 • Psalm 148 • Revelation 5:13
Behold | Grace Church Worship | iTunes
Philippians 2:6-11 • 1 Peter 3:18 • Isaiah 53:3-5 • Revelation 19:11-16
Sing to the Lord (Psalm 96) | Grace Church Worship | iTunes
Psalm 96 • Isaiah 49:13 • Psalm 19:1-4
King of Kings | Hillsong Worship | iTunes
Romans 1:16-17 • Hebrews 12:1 • Acts 18
Nobody Like You | Red Rocks Worship | iTunes
Psalm 33:6-7 • Exodus 15:11 • Phil 2:5-11 • Jeremiah 10:6
Mighty God (Another Hallelujah) | Elevation Worship | iTunes
Mark 4:39 • Revelation 19:6-8
O God of Our Salvation | Grace Church Worship | iTunes
1 Chronicles 16:29
Overcome | Elevation Worship | Apple Music
Romans 8 • Psalm 145:13 • John 16:33
Worthy of it All | Grace Church Worship | Apple Music
Psalm 51:16-17 • Psalm 139:23-24 • Amos 5:21-24
Not Anymore | Grace Church Worship | Apple Music
Isaiah 12
Mighty God (Another Hallelujah) | Elevation Worship | Apple Music
Mark 4:39 • Revelation 19:6-8
Trust You (You are Good) | Grace Church Worship | Apple Music
Mark 9:24 • Luke 12:27-32 • Psalm 107:28-30
Faithfulness | Hillsong Worship | Apple Music
Lamentations 3:22-23 • Ecclesiastes 3:1-8 • Romans 15:13
Christ Our Savior | Grace Church Worship | Apple Music
Lamentations 3:21-26 • Ephesians 2:8-9 • Titus 3:5-6
Great and Mighty King | Elevation Worship | Apple Music
Psalm 47:6-8 • Revelation 5:11-14 • Isaiah 6:1-3
I See the Lord | Vertical Worship | Apple Music
1 Chronicles 29:10-12 • Psalm 99:1-3 • Isaiah 6:1-3 • Psalm 19:1-4
Not Anymore | Grace Church Worship | Apple Music
Isaiah 12
Unfailing (Psalm 5) | Grace Church Worship | Apple Music
Psalm 5
This We Know | Vertical Worship | Apple Music
Isaiah 55:8-9 • Hebrews 10:23 • Colossians 2:15 • 1 Corinthians 15:55-57 • 1 Peter 1:3-7
Greater Than All Our Words | Grace Church Worship | Click here to listen
Psalm 19:1 • Romans 12:1 • Job 40:4
Dwell | Aaron Keyes | Apple Music
Psalm 91:1 • Isaiah 54:17
God With Us | All Sons and Daughters | Apple Music
Joshua 1:9 • John 1:14 • Psalm 68:19-20
Nobody Like You | Red Rocks Worship | Apple Music
Psalm 33:6-7 • Exodus 15:11 • Phil 2:5-11 • Jeremiah 10:6
There Is a Fountain | Grace Church Worship | Apple Music
Zechariah 13:1 • John 1:29 • Hebrews 9:12-14
King of Kings | Hillsong Worship | Apple Music
Romans 1:16-17 • Hebrews 12:1 • Acts 18
Came To My Rescue | Hillsong | Apple Music
Psalm 17:6 • Psalm 81:7
Exalted Over All | Vertical Worship | Apple Music
Philippians 2:6-11 • Colossians 1:15-20 • Hebrews 12:2
In Your Presence | Elevation Worship | Apple Music
Psalm 16:7-8 & 11• Deuteronomy 31:6 • Romans 8:31-34
King of Kings | Hillsong Worship | Apple Music
Romans 1:16-17 • Hebrews 12:1 • Acts 18
Sovereign Over Us | Aaron Keyes | Apple Music
Isaiah 43:2 • Isaiah 55:8-9 • Romans 8:28
Who You Say I Am | Hillsong Worship | Apple Music
1 Peter 2:9-10 • John 8:36 • Romans 8:14-17
Yes I Will | Vertical Worship | Apple Music
Psalm 130:5-8 • Philippians 2:9-11 • Isaiah 28:30
Yahweh | Hillsong Worship | Apple Music
Revelation 11:15 • Psalm 145:13 • Exodus 15:13 • Romans 15:13
Jesus Paid it All | Passion | Apple Music
Romans 6:23 • 1 Peter 1:18-19 • 1 John 2:2 • Hebrews 10:19-22 • Psalm 49:7-8
O God of Our Salvation | Grace Church Worship | Apple Music
1 Chronicles 16:29
Great and Mighty King | Elevation Worship | Apple Music
Psalm 47:6-8 • Revelation 5:11-14 • Isaiah 6:1-3
Endless Surrender | Grace Church Worship | Apple Music
Hebrews 4:12 • Philippians 3:8-11 • Titus 3:3-8
Come Thou Fount (We Praise You) | Grace Church Worship | Apple Music
Ephesians 2:7-8 • 1 John 3:1-3 • Titus 3:4-6 • 1 Corinthians 1:22
King of Kings | Hillsong Worship | Apple Music
Romans 1:16-17 • Hebrews 12:1 • Acts 18
Overcome | Elevation Worship | Apple Music
Romans 8 • Psalm 145:13 • John 16:33
Not Anymore | Grace Church Worship | Apple Music
Isaiah 12
All Creatures of Our God and King | David Crowder Band | Apple Music
Psalm 66:1 • Psalm 148 • Revelation 5:13
This We Know | Vertical Worship | Apple Music
Isaiah 55:8-9 • Hebrews 10:23 • Colossians 2:15 • 1 Corinthians 15:55-57 • 1 Peter 1:3-7
Trust You (You are Good) | Grace Church Worship | Apple Music
Mark 9:24 • Luke 12:27-32 • Psalm 107:28-30
Christ Be Magnified | Cody Carnes | Apple Music
Psalm 34:1-3 • Romans 6:3-5 • Revelation 5:11-13
I Surrender | All Sons & Daughters | Apple Music
Romans 12:1 • Luke 22:41-43 • Matthew 6:19-21
Behold | Grace Church Worship | Apple Music
Philippians 2:6-11 • 1 Peter 3:18 • Isaiah 53:3-5 • Revelation 19:11-16
These daily readings will help prepare you for the upcoming teaching you will hear this weekend at Grace Church. These passages will create some context for the sermon by showing you Scriptures the teacher might be quoting and some passages that contain related ideas. Our hope is that as you follow this reading plan, it will help you become more defined and directed by Scripture.
WEEK 1: Hannah's Prayer
WEEK 2: Eli's Wicked Sons & God's Rebuke
WEEK 3: God Speaks, Samuel Hears
WEEK 4: Glory Departed
WEEK 5: The Lord's Heavy Hand
WEEK 6: The People Demand a King
WEEK 7: The Fierce King
WEEK 8: Desperation and Disobedience
WEEK 9: The Faith of Jonathan
WEEK 10: Saul's Foolish Oath
WEEK 11: Obedience Over Sacrifice
WEEK 12: Saul Rejected, David Anointed
WEEK 13: David and Goliath
WEEK 14: Saul's Jealousy and David's Success
WEEK 15: Jonathan's Loyalty
WEEK 16: David Flees from Saul
WEEK 17: The Slaughter of the Priests
WEEK 18: David Spares Saul
WEEK 19: David & Abigail
WEEK 20: The Death of Saul and His Dynasty
In this passage, we see that there is futility where there should have been fruit for Hannah. Her brokenness is found in infertility, but for us, it could be through unemployment, a child’s rebellion, a betrayal in a relationship, or other trials of futility. Where have you seen emptiness in your life where there should have been fruit? How did/does this affect your relationship with God?
Instead of becoming embittered by the people who fail her and trying to find comfort from other people, Hannah confidently trusts in God and is comforted by his sovereignty. In what circumstance are you tempted to be bitter towards someone who has failed you? How can you move towards freedom from bitterness?
Hannah shows courageous obedience where there could have been self-protective selfishness. Instead of white-knuckling the good gift of a son, she gives him back to God. Where do you need to be courageously obedient? What or who in your life are you keeping a tight grip on instead of trusting God with it or him/her?
What do you worry about the most? How might that reveal that you are trusting in your own strength? Instead of turning to self-pity, think through how God is at work in your life—where do you see his hand working?
Through Hannah’s fertility, we see that there can be futility where there should be fruit.
In both Elkanah and Hannah’s marriage and in Penninah and Hannah’s relationship, we see strife where there should be unity.
While Hannah is suffering, Elkanah and Eli are judgmental of her grief, showing there can be judgment where there should be support.
In the midst of Hannah’s suffering, she chooses to display confidence where there could have been bitterness and courageous obedience where there could have been self-protective selfishness.
If you have experienced the desire to be bitter instead of displaying confident trust in God’s sovereignty, you may have been looking to people to comfort you rather than the true Comforter. Choosing to believe that God is in control frees Hannah from being embittered to those who fail her.
There is a huge benefit to believing God is sovereign in the midst of overwhelming pain and suffering—it means there is hope in what feels like the most desolate place.
When people turn to self-pity and are not anchored in a hope outside of themselves, they can destroy even the good things God has given them.
We have to choose to believe that all things that come to us are not beyond the scope of what God is doing—he is in charge of all of it.
Every good gift that God gives us we should willingly give back to him. At some point, everything goes back to him.
Do not put your hope in your ability to execute on the plans you have for your life; but trust God’s Word when it says that all the earth is the Lord’s.
We can know that God will do what he says he’s going to do because every promise is fulfilled in Jesus.
What does it mean for us to live honorably?
Eli honors his sons instead of God by not taking action about his sons’ wicked deeds. Where in your life might you be choosing to honor someone else or yourself over God? (e.g. a child going to college and changing beliefs—how do you respond as a parent?) What conversations do you need to have?
What are some sacred things that you are dismissive of? (worship, authority, communion, sex, etc.) What parts of our culture seem to cheapen the sacred?
Where are you in a position of power where you could be tempted to use it abusively? Have you been tempted to leverage your leadership, power, or authority to indulge yourself, even in a “small” way? Who holds you accountable in that specific area of power?
How might you indulge yourself when no one can see you? Where do you crave comfort? (e.g. wherever you are weak, lazy, or undisciplined) What sin are you the most skillful at justifying to others?
Is there an area in your life where you may have been warned by God but you are not listening?
Eli’s sons are in a position of power and authority where no one can really see what they are doing except for Eli. However, Eli chooses to not do anything about this knowledge of evil, and by choosing secrecy he honors his sons over God.
Eli has awareness of evil under his leadership, but he does not take action; therefore he is ultimately responsible and accountable unto God for the wicked ways of his sons.
We have to recognize that we are creatures not Creator, and we are just receiving not determining.
Oftentimes, we choose to honor others or ourselves over God because we are more afraid of the rejection of people than the judgment of the Lord of Hosts.
When you are in a difficult conversation where someone might not like what you are saying, remember:
Salvation is always coupled with judgment.
Samuel endures staying in the right place during a difficult time. Where are you enduring and waiting patiently so that God can work? If you’re not, where do you need to stay in the right place doing the right thing instead of moving to something else?
You can experience truth as propositional (content and fact) but not know God personally (experience and feeling). Is your experience of God only propositional or personal, or do you have both? What is an example of how your personal relationship with God is or is not consistent with the content that he has revealed about himself?
There is a fierce, radical realignment of relationships when you have an encounter with God (e.g. spouse, child, boss, government, friends). Have you had an encounter with him like this? What relationships in your life need to change or have already changed? What changes about them?
What does it mean to just “accept God’s will” rather than have true faith and belief? How might you hide behind the sovereignty of God? Where do you need to act? Where do you need to hope?
How has your experience with the Word of the Lord united you with God’s people that you don’t have much in common with? If it hasn’t, what holds you back from experiencing that kind of unity and power?
Align yourself with God’s purposes as much as you understand them and seek God, not answers. Instead of waiting to act until you get some big thing figured out, what is the next simple thing you need to do?
Eli and his sons stand in the way of God speaking to his people, so God comes to Samuel for Samuel to take their place as the priest.
Even though Samuel waits for God for years, he endures and stays in the right place doing the right thing during a difficult time. Because of Samuel’s patient endurance in God’s perfect timing, God reveals himself to Samuel.
Sometimes God wants to work in the middle of our difficult circumstances (anywhere from boredom to adversity), but we run from the hard things before he can do something great. Sometimes, we need to endure.
In a “wooden” (word-for-word) translation of 1 Samuel 3:7, “Samuel did not know YHWH. The Word of YHWH had not yet been revealed to him”, “know” and “revealed” are key words to understanding the personal aspect of God. They connote relationship not content, intimacy not distance, and vulnerability not hiding.
In Job 42:1-6, Job lives with ideas and theology, but at the end of the day he just needs the Lord to reveal himself to him.
In the midst of wanting to hold God accountable for injustice, trust him not because you understand him but because you could never imagine in your wildest dreams a God who could love you as much as he does.
If you have a relationship with God, all other relationships will shift because there is only ONE to whom you owe loyalty.
The Word of the Lord brings unity and prepares the way for God’s people to be powerful.
Align yourself with God’s purposes as much as you understand them, seek God not answers, and realize that if you do these things it will disrupt your comfort and your relationships.
When you evaluate areas of your life where you don’t know what to do next, what would it look like to seek God rather than come up with your own solution? How have you already tried to take things into your own hands?
Where could you be trusting in created things, symbols, or people in your life more than you trust in God? (e.g. a curriculum, a spouse, “I’m an irreplaceable leader at church”, a child, re:generation, baptism, community, etc.) What keeps you from surrendering and trusting God fully with that thing, symbol, or person?
How do these two ideas below either frustrate you or give you comfort? Have you seen them to be experientially true in your life? When?
Like the religious people of Israel who trusted in symbols of God rather than God himself, Christians can develop the same mindset. We can think too confidently, “God’s glory can’t depart from me”, while actually using that as an excuse to disobey him. How does this warning resonate with you? Where could you be “faking it”?
Read 2 Corinthians 13:5. Where could you be living in rebellion or using God to bless you? How might you be using him to further your own needs and desires?
Instead of seeking God, repenting, and doing the hard soul work of turning towards him after their great loss, Israel takes things into their own hands and continues to fail.
The ark of the covenant symbolized God ruling (footstool of God), forgiving (mercy seat), and speaking (10 Commandments).
Instead of trusting God, Israel trusts in the thing that God has provided.
Trust in God himself not what he provides for you.
Symbols of God should stir our affections for God and draw our imagination back to him.
God gives us good gifts because he is GENEROUS. God keeps his promises because he is FAITHFUL.
One of God’s promises is to make us holy. He is faithful to that promise even when it is painful to us.
If you’re not a Christian, heed this caution: if God is this fearless in disciplining his children who are in a covenant relationship with him, then what do you think it will be like for you to disregard him and try to hold onto your sin?
God often uses the dark circumstances of our lives to bring about glory for himself and holiness in us. Think about some of the harder parts of your life right now—how could God be using this for his glory? How could he be using it for your holiness?
What are you worshiping that actually depends on you, like the people who worshiped Dagon and had to prop him up themselves? (e.g. job security, people’s opinions of us, a house, a car, a certain reputation or social media image)
The people continue to worship a god who has proven to be inadequate, insufficient, and inept. What do you continue to worship that actually never satisfies you? How can you set up memorials in your heart to the failures of your idol?
Opposite of the “American dream”, loyalty to God’s glory is all that matters. Does that bring you comfort or strife? How might your actions show loyalty to your own glory rather than God’s?
Is there an explicit way that God has asked you to honor him yet you are treating it casually? Has there been a time recently or in the past that God has been undeniably present but you are distracted or unwilling to lean in?
Refer to the graphic below. When God convicts you of sin and brings difficult circumstances into your life, do you create distance and remain comfortable, or do you surrender on his terms and do whatever it takes to get in alignment with God? What kinds of things will it take for you to get in alignment with him?
God is often doing things in our lives for his glory that in the moment feel like defeat and despair.
We are fools to choose to worship something that needs us rather than worship the One who needs nothing.
When our false gods are exposed, it should be a reminder to worship the true God alone and not the idols.
Set up memorials in your heart to the failures of your idols.
Whether you are out of or in alignment with God, he will still be glorified in your life—it will be either through your judgment or your salvation.
You do not want to make God choose between his glory and your life because he will choose his glory every time.
The Philistines look for relief Instead of repentance and try to manage the consequences of their sin instead of getting in alignment with God.
It’s a gracious act when God brings his heavy hand on our life because it drives us to repentance and realignment with him.
Oftentimes God makes himself undeniably present to us, but we are distracted or unwilling to come to him.
"Safe? Who said anything about safe? 'Course he isn't safe. But he's good. He's the King, I tell you." —C.S. Lewis
We see despair and defeat in these chapters, but it's the very thing through which God brings glory to himself and victory to his people.
The question is not am I a Christian or not, it is am I repenting or not.
Our reflexive reaction to problems reveals the truth about who we are. Think about the last difficulty or interruption to your life the past few days—what was it, and what was your first response?
When your identity or security is threatened, where do you run first for comfort? By choosing that person or thing, who or what are you actually trusting in?
What are you doing now to flex your spiritual muscle memory? Have you had the kind of experience in your life where you have gotten to the end of yourself and your desire for a solution or control?
The people have convinced themselves that they can simultaneously do what they want and have the benefits of what God wants. Where could you be living like this in your life?
When we encounter adversity, we have an opportunity to figure out what we ultimately trust in. In 1 Samuel 8, we see the elders seek comfort in clarity and a solution, while Samuel immediately seeks God for guidance.
Our reflexive reaction to problems reveals the truth about who we are.
Samuel’s reflexive reaction to adversity is to go straight to God because his spiritual muscle memory has formed over years of choosing God first. He knows that when he is up against something, he does not want to be in charge. He wants God to be in charge.
Your spiritual muscle memory formed through the hardships of life enables you to be able to respond like Christ in the moment.
You will reap the consequences of trying to have both the benefits of following Jesus and the comforts of those who do not follow him.
The hungriest people are not the ones who have nothing to eat but the ones who have glutted themselves on what they thought would satisfy them, but they get to the other side and realize they are still hungry.
Although Saul is externally what everyone would expect for a king, his actions reveal that he is internally fragile and pridefully self-protective.
In God’s wisdom, he can discipline and judge and at the same time show mercy.
Samuel lays out the dysfunctional relationship the Israelites have with God: You cry out, God rescues, you forget God, God disciplines you, and then you cry out again, and then the cycle repeats. How does this pattern resonate with you? What causes you to forget God after he rescues you?
What are you most fearful of? How do you act out in response to fear? Have you noticed any patterns in your life when you are fearful of the wrong things? (E.g. overly controlling, make hasty decisions, arrogant and forgetful of the call to live a quiet, faithful life)
In response to your own sin, do you tend to minimize it, act like it is not a big deal, or become paralyzed with guilt and shame? What are some ways that you do that? What does it look like for you to move forward in faithfulness and repentance?
God is at the same time severe, merciful, and kind. How does this change your understanding of the fear of God? In what ways does this affect your everyday life?
God gives the people the king they want, but the King they need is all-powerful, righteous, and benevolent—King Jesus.
Although we often find ourselves in the destructive cycle of crying out, God rescuing, us forgetting God, God disciplining us, and then repeating the cycle, we continue to forget him because we get fearful.
Fear causes us to be overly controlling, make hasty decisions, and be arrogant as we forget what it means to live a quiet, faithful life.
The Lord gave the Israelites something that he did not want to give; although he is sovereign, he is simultaneously in a real, personal relationship with his people.
If you have made a decision that you realize was for the wrong motivation, what do you do now? You can’t roll back time. But you can move forward and live a faithful life.
The problem with idols is that they give us the illusion and allure of control and comfort that we can see and touch.
We are entirely dependent on God’s kindness and faithfulness which are not in doubt.
God is at the same time severe and merciful.
Fear of God is not just a respect for God but an understanding that God is both kind and severe.
Think of a time where you have felt desperate. How did you respond to the crisis? How did you process that situation, and for what were you desperate?
When you have sinned, who or what do you most naturally blame—your circumstances, spouse, friends, etc.? What would it look like to take responsibility for your shortcomings and run to God?
Has there been a time recently when your actions failed to line up with your professed faith? Think about what (specifically) you were allowing to direct your actions in those circumstances. How can you move towards dependence on God instead?
Does your life most resemble the “self” side of the graphic or the “Christ” side? In other words, are you living a life from the outside-in (reactive, rushed, manipulating, and controlling) or from the inside-out (peaceful, quiet, humble, in communion with God)? What are ways you worship your “self” daily?
In what ways are you living rushed, anxious, restless, and impatient? How are you going to create space in your life to seek God’s guidance and wait on him? What can practicing solitude, silence, and prayer practically look like in your life?
The tragedy of Saul’s life is that he did not have a right relationship with God.
Saul undermines the structure of Israel’s leadership instituted by God.
When we take action without seeking God or obeying his word, we create a mess—controlling people, manipulating circumstances, and arrogantly fighting to get our way.
We don’t get to subject God our Creator to our desires.
Our autonomy and worship of self is revealed when we allow the crisis of the situation to direct our actions rather than going to God.
Because we have assurance of what God is doing in our lives and what he has done for us already, we can walk into desperate circumstances knowing and being secure that Christ is with us.
We can live a humble life recognizing that the world does not depend on us. We can rest from work and hurry and depend on God.
When Jonathan and his armor bearer sneak out to battle and he says, “Perhaps the Lord will help us, for nothing can hinder the Lord,” we see a major indication of Jonathan’s faith. Instead of presuming to know exactly what God is doing or limiting God, he is full of trust and free from fear. In what circumstances do you need to have the same perspective of “Perhaps”? Where do you need to act in faith and trust?
In what ways are you hung up by the fear of failure? What is your real problem with failure? (e.g. self pity, pride, fear of man, an idol of significance, a false belief of success, etc.)
If you were living out this story as Jonathan, there is no way you could have predicted the outcome of an earthquake and panic among the Philistines. When has this happened in your life? When have you taken a step in faith that seemingly made no sense, and God exceeded your expectations?
We all have moments that resemble both Jonathan and Saul. Use the lists below to help you discern who are you most like?
Your thought life will determine the decisions you make.
Practically, we can see that Saul’s disobedience begins with both hanging out with the wrong people and letting someone else do his job.
American Christianity has bred the lie that everything we do has to succeed, when instead we know that failure is important and actually humbles and redirects us.
Jonathan is an easy leader to follow because when you are around him, you know it is not about him.
God doesn’t want us to know on the front end what happens after our step of faith. He wants us to deal with our pride and fear first, make ourselves available, and then trust him with the outcome.
In verse 24, we are reminded that although Jonathan took the step in faith, the Lord saved Israel that day. Jonathan could have never predicted the circumstances or forced God’s hand to move.
When we give expressions of faith, God honors it.
We all have fear, but our response should be to have courage and just make simple decisions.
Courage and fear grow together; just because we have courage doesn’t mean we won’t have fear.
If you are not a Christian, you don’t have access to this power and courage yet which comes from a relationship with Christ.
What do I need so much that it steals my freedom to do whatever God may ask of me? What is an example of how this need has stolen your freedom to follow God in some way?
How might this thing you named in the first question impact those you are in leadership over? How have you seen strands of this already negatively influence your leadership?
What can it practically look like in your life to put full confidence and trust in God instead of grasping at control over what you think you need? What does it look like to repent?
Read Matthew 11:30 and Isaiah 42:3. What does this show about the kind of King that Jesus is? Apply his kingship to an area of your life where you are weak—what does it mean for you that he fans an ember of weakness and that his yoke is easy?
Saul is not free to do what God asks of him because he so badly needs control and the approval of men rather than God. Therefore, he becomes an obstacle to the full deliverance God could bring.
Saul’s leadership is oppressive because he is preoccupied with himself.
Saul wrongly uses religion to leverage control over the people through manipulation.
When you allow your self-regard, pride, control, and fear put you at the center of your world, you put yourself in opposition to what God is doing. God put nourishment in the path of the Israelites to provide strength, but Saul’s controlling oath cut them off from God’s provision.
When you are controlling or obsessive over something, you have to stop and ask yourself why you need that thing so much. When you do this in leadership over others, the small acts of control lead to a loss of leadership equity over time and potentially leads them towards temptation.
What we want is often not a bad thing, but the way we go about it is driven by our own self-reliance, pride, and control rather than by confidence and trust in God.
When you are guided by a need to control, you reframe reality in such a way that justifies yourself and your position.
As Saul continues down the road of control, he doubles down on his rashness and refuses to humble himself and admit wrong. His need for approval won’t allow him to look weak and be wrong and instead he is unrepentant and unrelenting.
God is delivering the people and the people are being oppressed by the king at the same time.
A bad king should push us to the good King—Jesus.
Jesus is the only King who brings full deliverance without any oppression (Matthew 11:30, Isaiah 42:3).
We are free to be wrong, to stop proving ourselves, and to stop controlling because the real King Jesus has already dealt with this for us.
When thinking about how Saul is self-deceived, could you think of a time where you were caught up in self-deception? What was your primary goal rather than truth? (self-image, approval, success, greed, etc.)
When you read through 1 Samuel 15, is there anything in the story that you struggle to grasp about God’s character? What was the context behind God’s command to destroy the Amalekites? How does taking a deeper look at this passage help your understanding of who God is?
What are you tempted to build your self-image on other than God? What are the things around you that you find tempting to use as a foundation for your self-image and worth?
In order to maintain that self-image, you have to live in denial in some capacity. When the evidence or reality of your image is exposed, how do you deal with it? What is your cycle?
Self-deception seems to be Saul’s downfall as he loses his rationality and truth ceases to be his primary goal. Instead of truth, he aims for a manipulated self-image and the approval of those around him.
We tend to raise God’s love and mercy above the other elements of God’s character like justice and righteousness, but all of God’s attributes work perfectly and equally together. We can’t dismantle who God is.
Through self-deception, Saul ends up adopting the customs and values of the very nation he was sent by God to destroy.
Saul’s self-deception is rooted in a self-image that is created and rooted in something other than God.
The solution to self-deception is that God chooses us unconditionally and we have access to biblical community that loves us freely through Christ. We don’t have to bring anything to the table (Deuteronomy 7:6-8).
God loves us because he loves us. The basis of our self-image is his love alone.
If you are not in biblical community, please fill out a digital connect card.
God tells Samuel to go to Bethlehem to find Israel’s new king, one of Jesse’s sons, and Samuel “did as the Lord instructed” (vs 4). What would you have asked God before obeying if he gave you that direction? Is it hard for you to submit to authority without all the information? How does that creep into your relationships with earthly authority and with God?
When you think of what makes a good leader, what do you picture? How would you describe that person?
How is your image or ideal of a leader different from God’s?
When you evaluate someone, do you tend to feel superior or inferior to them? Why? What does that say about you? What does it look like practically for you to reserve judgment and wait on God to reveal someone’s character?
How might you be trying to impress people and cultivate the outside of yourself rather than the inside—your own soul? What can you do more of to cultivate the inside?
Even though God’s direction to Samuel does not give him all the information, Samuel humbly obeys. He has learned to master his intellect, reason, and emotion and subject those to God even when he doesn’t know the outcome.
We have to teach our children to obey without knowing all the reasons why because one day they will have to transfer their response to authority from parents to God, and God doesn’t always explain himself.
We judge and evaluate by appearance, but God looks at the heart.
Appearance is the first thing we see, but it is wise for us to learn to suspend judgment and wait on God to show through a person’s life, behavior, and how they handle themselves who they truly are.
We should be doing the hard work to cultivate the inside of our own souls rather than spending our time, money, and energy trying to impress people with the outside.
Throughout the events in this passage, we see that God is still King. He is the one who orchestrates it all. He is in control, and he is still going to be victorious.
David has cultivated and reoriented his faith around God while spending time out in the fields—alone with God and developing intimacy with him. How have you been cultivating this kind of faith? Since we talked about cultivating the inside last week, how have you moved towards that?
When we move to a place where we are weak, we actually give God the chance to show us that he is strong. Where in your life are you closest to your weaknesses? How have you been able to see God’s strength?
Think about an area of success or victory in your life. Have you been able to give God the credit? In what way might you be fooled by your own success?
The Israelites are unable to move in faith because they are fearful. What is something you are the most fearful of? When you pull back a layer of the fear, what is the deep-rooted self-reliance you are really hoping and depending on?
How might you be insulated from feeling any kind of real pressure? In what ways do you hop from comfort to comfort, creating a world of safety? What are your comforts?
What does humble dependence look like for you? Does it look more like moving toward weakness (e.g., asking for help or giving away time or money)? Or giving God the credit for success instead of yourself?
While David responds to the pressure of the Philistines and Goliath in cultivated faith, the Israelites respond in fear.
David’s deep-rooted dependence on God and regard for God’s glory is the result of reflecting on who God is and cultivating a relationship with him over time.
This story pushes us to go do something we are weak at—that will take us beyond our felt ability to get it done—so that we have no choice but to depend on the power of God.
Every time we move toward our weaknesses, God carves out grooves in our soul where his strength is being made perfect in our weakness.
The credit that David gives to God for victory is one of the great indicators that his hope is not in himself—he is not fooled by his own success.
If we were to pull back layers of our fear, we would see a deep-rooted self-reliance.
It is crucial for us to stay close to our weaknesses and continually embrace our vulnerability.
Jesus has taken Satan’s greatest weapon, death, and used it to defeat him. Our greatest problem, our sin, has been dealt with. He has the final word. Because of this, we are free to be vulnerable and weak, knowing the victory has already been secured for us in Jesus.
Consider where you are in the story:
Once again, we see that David’s soul has been cultivated alone in the fields for so long that he is steady and unphased with changing circumstances. Have you seen this be true in your own life? Where do you have an opportunity now to cultivate your soul? What does that look like?
Read James 4:4-10. What does it mean to humble yourself before God? Where in your life do you need to humble yourself? What step can you take now?
Jonathan humbly forfeits his right to a kingly inheritance because he knows that God has given it to David.
Saul turns a blind eye to God’s power in David’s life and continues to possessively and obsessively cling to his own power and recognition.
David’s outward circumstances have changed, but there is something that has been so cultivated in his soul when he was alone in the fields that he is unphased.
The first sign of humility is realizing you are not in charge of your future, you are not God, and that he will raise you up when he wants. Just do what is in front of you.
God humbled Saul because he did not humble himself. David and Jonathan humble themselves and align with God.
Whatever God has given you is still not yours; it is his. Be open-handed.
Read Luke 14:26-27. How does this relate to 1 Samuel 20? What would it look like for you to have deep loyalty to God alone? What would change for you?
How are you currently demonstrating loyalty to the Kingdom of God? How might God be calling you to demonstrate your loyalty to his kingdom under the world’s current circumstances?
Jonathan is not preoccupied with all he’s giving up but instead identifying with someone else and serving them. In displaying loyalty to God, what do you give up? Have you found yourself preoccupied with your losses or leaning into the needs of others?
Our desire to own and control rather than to steward and to serve will lead us to a place of destruction. Where in your life are you owning and controlling where you need to be stewarding and serving? What are you going to do about it?
Who is your biblical community? How can that be leveraged as powerful for others to see the kingdom of God at work?
If we are faithful to God and what he is doing in the world, it puts us in a place of opposition to people who are not.
We are entrusted to God and on mission with him not people.
Jonathan would rather be a part of what God is doing and it cost him than hold on to what he has.
At the end of the day, the only thing that matters is God and his glory.
Humble submission is at the root of what it means to have a relationship with God.
Our desire to own and control rather than to steward and to serve will lead us to a place of destruction.
As David did, the best thing you can do for a friend who has suffered loss is to acknowledge their loss and identify with them in it.
The most powerful tool and display of who God is is through the strength and light of biblical community.
We see David at a low point in his life. He is fearful and has not done anything wrong to cause the difficult circumstances he is in, but God is with him. Is there a time when things were going poorly for you, but you can see now how God was still in the midst of it blessing you? How did you respond to being “squeezed” at the time? What have you learned from God’s demonstration of his faithfulness?
How are you being squeezed by your current circumstances? What has your response been (e.g., self-awareness, poor decisions, reflection, bitterness, etc.)? How do David’s words from Psalm 34:1-22 encourage or help you?
What excuse (personal agenda, circumstance, rule, ritual, etc.) is preventing you from being kind, merciful, and generous to those around you? What step do you need to take to put others first and honor God? How does the fact that Jesus has been merciful to you make your heart tender toward others and motivate you?
What rights or opportunities are you holding onto that you need to forego to serve others in God’s Kingdom?`
To follow God and his kingdom requires personal cost and sacrifice.
David’s circumstances are going poorly even though he has done nothing wrong, but God’s hand is still with him at this low point.
David is being humbled and learning that he is not the king and that the true King will raise him up when he is ready.
We should remember that God really is the King, not us. He is the one who actually does the work and frees us to do what he has put in front of us, to persevere, and to be able to rest and trust him.
We should not give people credit for the work that God does.
We have a responsibility to humble ourselves and be merciful, kind, and generous to those around us instead of clinging to our own agenda and control.
When we lack control, we often respond in fear, which affects those around us. Who is the subject of your violence, whether it’s the violence of presence or absence?
Saul’s fear is fueled by lies that he is telling himself about the source of his value and security. What lies are you telling yourself about your identity?
We need to carve out channels of orientation—avenues for truth to come in. This is how we prevent our minds from breeding false narratives. What are some practical steps you can take to increase your intake of God’s truth?
Consider a time when you have felt out of control. How did you respond? Why? In what areas of your life do you need to surrender control and align yourself with God?
As believers, how can we be encouraged by this story? How does it point us to Christ?
On the outside, Saul appears to be in control. However, on the inside, he is tortured by fear and paranoia. Deeply insecure, Saul has created a false narrative that he is living into.
Saul is so focused on self-preservation, he shuts God out. As a result, his mind becomes a breeding ground for lies.
Likewise, we cultivate untrue stories for ourselves. Many of these lies stem from where we place our value and identity.
Saul did not become evil overnight. He made daily choices to protect himself and reject God. He was willing to sacrifice people to maintain control over his own kingdom.
In our lives, people will be hurt if we selfishly promote and protect our own personal kingdoms. The narratives we tell ourselves are powerful, and if they are based on lies instead of God’s truth, there will be dire consequences.
Even in this dark moment, we see evidence of God’s sovereignty. His judgment on the house of Eli is being fulfilled. (1 Samuel 2: 31-33)
In contrast to Saul, David wants to become a place of refuge for others. This foreshadows Jesus, who is able to absorb our sin and provide refuge for us.
Consider how you view opportunity. Do you tend to spiritualize “open doors” that present themselves? Are there past opportunities you took advantage of that you should have refused?
We all create stories of what we want our lives to look like. Often, this narrative is based on our culture’s idea of success. In what areas of your life do you need to align yourself with God’s story instead of your own? (i.e., family, finances, work, school)
What you do in a position of strength reveals your true character. How have you seen this truth play out in your life?
Have you ever been in a situation where you were treated unfairly or falsely accused? How could it change your thinking to recognize that you don’t have to be right because Jesus was right for you? What does it look like practically for you to give God control in this area?
Is there an area of your life where you are merely admitting to God’s truth but not acting on it? What are some concrete steps you can take to actively align yourself with God’s truth?
In Luke 14:11, Jesus teaches the importance of humility. This truth that pride leads to destruction while humility leads to exaltation by God is played out in the lives of Saul and David.
Opportunity does not equal freedom. When David is faced with the opportunity to defeat his enemy, he humbles himself and aligns with God’s plan, even though it presents him with personal difficulties.
In contrast, we often live as if we’re inviting God into our story instead of living as if God has invited us into his story. We want God to show up for us to make our story better. Instead, we need to align ourselves with God’s story and his purposes.
Although David is in a position to take vengeance on Saul, he understands that vengeance is God’s personal possession (Romans 12:19-20).
While Saul admits to the truth about his failure and David’s future kingship, he still fails to come under God’s authority. His confession is merely acknowledgment, not true repentance.
Saul’s disobedience leads to despair whereas his repentance would lead to delight.
We are a people who hear the truth often, and many of us are quick to acknowledge God’s truth. However, we must examine whether we are truly coming under God’s authority in humble obedience.
Consider a time in your life when you were offended or rejected. How did you respond? Why?
Jeremiah 17:9 says, “The human heart is the most deceitful of all things, and desperately wicked. Who really knows how bad it is?” How much trust do you put in your own experiences and perceptions? Do you rely on others to help you interpret difficult situations?
How do you respond when confronted with a perspective different from your own? Who are people in your life from whom you can receive correction and redirection?
Would you be willing to risk a relationship or your own comfort to confront a friend or family member who is making a poor choice? How can Abigail’s story encourage us in this area?
Consider the pace of your life and time you spend in God’s Word. Do you manage these areas in such a way that your heart is soft towards God’s leading? If not, what needs to change?
Following Samuel’s death, we see David during a time of weakness. In contrast to the restraint he showed with Saul, David now acts rashly in the face of an offense.
Nabal is in a position of power and success, and this has paved the way for him to be selfish, arrogant, and insecure.
In contrast, Abigail is wise, shrewd, and courageous. Although Nabal should be protecting her, she risks her own life to protect him, her entire family, and even David. She aligns herself with God’s purposes at great personal risk.
Even in his anger, David is able to listen to Abigail, respond humbly, and turn back to God. Here we see how David is a man after God’s own heart. He is willing to humble himself and accept correction.
Like David, we must be willing to release the wrongs against us to God. Since God is able to accept Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross to cover our sin, then we must do the same for others.
If we do not know the Lord, then it will be difficult for us to distrust ourselves and listen to the wisdom of others. We must learn to slow the pace of our lives and let God’s word soften our hearts.
Self-reliance is considered a positive quality in our culture. As believers, what can we learn from Saul’s life about the dangers of self-reliance?
Although Jonathan’s death is sad, his ending is not tragic like his father’s. How can Jonathan’s story give us hope?
Sin has consequences and will control our lives. Can you think of a time when sin had more control over you than you realized?
When things get difficult, we tend to escape into what makes us feel like we have control—work, exercise, alcohol, social media, etc. How have you seen this play out in your life? What “deep work” (repentance, seeking God through his word, etc.) could help you move toward trusting God instead of yourself in those times?
As believers, we have hope that Christ has overcome the logical ending to our lives (which is death) because we have surrendered to his will. What areas of your life are you still trying to rule over? What steps do you need to take to repent and move towards God in those areas?
In Saul’s tragic death, we see the principle of sowing and reaping on full display. His self-reliance and pursuit of control have ended in self-destruction.
In contrast, Jonathan illustrates faithful dependence on God. He is willing to give up his kingship to David, aligning himself with God’s purposes instead of his own.
The destructive nature of sin is evident throughout the book of 1 Samuel, and we must be mindful that we are all like Saul in the sense that our sin will have consequences.
We are called to live in such a way that we reflect God’s kingdom and not our own. In that, we bring honor to God instead of dishonoring him.
Even in this tragic end, God is accomplishing his purposes. We can have hope that God works his will in spite of human failure. The Israelites have hope for a future king in David and ultimately in Christ.
Throughout 1 Samuel, we see that God honors those who submit to him and those who rebel against him are brought low. This reversal is essential to what it means to follow Jesus.
There is no success in ruling our own lives. Jesus can be our only true king.