SAMUEL- THE KINGMAKER What would make me think the Israelites would be happy once they arrived in the Promised Land, and obey God? Naive, I guess. They didn’t listen to the judges, and went back to doing whatever they wanted to do. But again, God had a plan. He helped the childless Hannah become pregnant, and she gave birth to Samuel. She promised to give him to the Lord for all the days of his life, and she did just that. Samuel was a very special boy, and he grew up to be a priest and prophet who led the people through many difficult times. Again, the Israelites were not happy, and complained they wanted a king, just like the other nations. So Saul became king of the land. At first, everything went well, then power went to Saul’s head and he turned his back on God. That led to God turning against Saul, and the end of his kingship. He did realize too late what was happening, and confessed his sins to Samuel and God. David is then chosen as king by the Lord. The irony is that Saul was chosen by the people’s standards, and David by God’s. Which was more successful? David!
David had worked in Saul’s service for a while. He had played the harp when Saul was tormented by an evil spirit because he had turned from the Lord. David went on to defeat Goliath, and then run from Saul because he was trying to kill him. He had many accomplishments that showed his faithfulness to God. Saul ended up taking his own life, and David is annointed King in 2 Samuel. David was a good king, who made his kingdom stronger and stronger for a long time. Until Bathsheba came along. David saw her and wanted her, even though she was married. She became pregnant, and then David had her husband sent out to the front lines and killed. David sinned, and confessed, and God forgave him, but turmoil came upon him and his home because of the sin. Bathsheba lost the baby she was carrying, and David’s daughter Tamar wasraped by her half brother Amnon. Tamar’s brother Absalom killed Amnon and then fled for his life. Absalom then planned to kill David, and was killed himself by David’s soldiers.
