Even though 1 Samuel is just behind Ruth in our Bible, we should study this book with the understanding that it’s occurring as the time of Judges is ending. In Judges, it tells us several times, that “...in the absence of a king in Israel, everyone did what was right in his own eyes.” The cycle of sin, deliverance, peace, and then sin again prepares us to see why the events of 1 Samuel mark a turning point, as God begins to move His people toward kingship. Through the lives of Saul and David, we see the difference between leaders who are self-centered and leaders who have a heart shaped by faith in God. Saul provides to us a warning of what happens when a leader’s heart drifts from the Lord. In David, we see a man formed by his faith in God and see that he truly is “...a man after God’s own heart.”
Group Leader Resources
Week 0 | Introduction to Inductive Bible Study and the Book of 1 Samuel
Week 1 | An Arrogant Petition | Genesis 17:5–6, 17; 35:11; Numbers 24:7–9, 17–19; Matthew 2:2; Deuteronomy 17:14–20; & 1 Samuel 8-9
Week 2 | The Crown Is Given - BUT Questions Remain | 1 Samuel 10-12
Group Guide | Teacher’s Guide
Week 3 | The Failure of Israel’s “King” | 1 Samuel 13-15
Group Guide | Teacher’s Guide
Week 4 | A King After God’s Own Heart | 1 Samuel 16-17; Psalm 8; Psalm 19; Psalm 23
Group Guide | Teacher’s Guide
Week 5 | The Depravity of Israel’s “King” | 1 Samuel 18-20; Psalm 59
Group Guide | Teacher’s Guide
Week 6 | The Pursuit of Jealousy [Part 1] | 1 Samuel 21-23; Psalm 34; Psalm 52; Psalm 54; Psalm 56; Psalm 142; Psalm 63
Group Guide | Teacher’s Guide
Week 7 | The Pursuit of Jealousy [Part 2] | 1 Samuel 24-26; Psalm 57
Group Guide | Teacher’s Guide
Week 8 | The Death of Israel’s “King” | 1 Samuel 27-31
Group Guide | Teacher’s Guide