1 Samuel

The book of 1 Samuel begins with the story of Hannah, a childless woman who prayed to God for a son and vowed to dedicate him to God's service. God answered her prayer, and she gave birth to Samuel, who was presented to the Lord at Shiloh. As Samuel grew up, he became a prophet and judge of Israel, and the Israelites asked for a king to lead them like other nations. Despite Samuel's warnings, the people insisted on having a king, and God instructed Samuel to grant their request. Samuel anointed Saul as the first king of Israel, but Saul disobeyed God's commands and was eventually rejected as king. Meanwhile, David, a young shepherd, was anointed by Samuel as the future king of Israel. David's military successes and the Lord's favor continued to thwart Saul's plans, leading to a series of confrontations between the two. Saul's jealousy and fear of David led him to try to kill David multiple times, but David refused to harm Saul, considering him the Lord's anointed. Eventually, Saul was defeated by the Philistines and took his own life, and David became the king of Israel.