The book of First Samuel is the bridge between the
judges of Israel and a centralized
government under a kingship other than God. Due in some part to the
bad rule of the sons
of both Eli and Samuel, the Israelites demanded a king to rule over
them. In their eyes this
would make them like the nations around about them and they would always
have a central
ruler. Like most people of today, the Israelites did not realize what
they had under the judges.
God was their king and ruler and would raise up a judge or deliverer
only when needed.
It was hard for Samuel to accept the will of the
people, but God told him that they were
not rejecting him but God. Samuel warned the people what life would
be like with a king
ruling over them, but they would not listen. God selected Saul to be
Israel's first king and
physically he was no doubt what many of them thought a king should
be, he was head and
shoulders taller than they. Saul started out good but ended up bad
and so the kingdom was
taken away from him by God and given to David. David, like Saul, was
a warrior king. While
still a youth he defeated the Philistine giant, Goliath, and made a
name for himself in the army
of Saul. Several chapters of this book reveal the tension that ran
between Saul and David,
especially after Saul was rejected by God because of his sins.