I Samuel

Hannah longed so much for a child that she promised to dedicate her son to God. Because of this Samuel left home when he was still very young and went to live with Eli, the High Priest of Shiloh.

I Samuel 1:26-28
"And she said, Oh my lord, as thy soul liveth, my lord, I am the woman that stood by thee here, praying unto the Lord. For this child I prayed; and the Lord hath given me my petition which I asked of him: therefore also I have lent him to the Lord; as long as he liveth he shall be lent to the Lord. And he worshipped the Lord there"

Saul asked a witch to raise Samuel's spirit so that Saul could talk to him. Samuel was not pleased with Saul and he prophesied that Saul and his sons would die the next day.

I Samuel 28:19
"Moreover the Lord will also deliver Israel with thee into the hand of the Philistines: and to morrow shalt thou and thy sons be with me: the Lord also shall deliver the host of Israel into the hand of the Philistines."

Samuel's words were true. Saul and his sons died the next day at the Battle of Gilboa

I Samuel 18:10-11
"And it came to pass on the morrow, that the evil spirit from God came upon Saul, and he prophesied in the midst of the house: and David played with his hand, as at other times: and there was a javelin in Saul’s hand. And Saul cast the javelin; for he said, I will smite David even to the wall with it. And David avoided out of his presence twice."

Saul tried many times to kill David and even commanded his servants to kill him, but David always escaped

I Samuel 21:9
"And the priest said, The sword of Goliath the Philistine, whom thou slewest in the valley of Elah, behold, it is here wrapped in a cloth behind the ephod: if thou wilt take that, take it: for there is no other save that here. And David said, There is none like that; give it me."

For helping David the priests of Nob were all killed. Only one managed to escape; Abiathar, who joined David in hiding

Jonathan's father, King Saul, had grown to dislike David because he was more popular than Saul. Despite this, Jonathan made a promise of loyalty to David.

I Samuel 18:3-4
"Then Jonathan and David made a covenant, because he loved him as his own soul. And Jonathan stripped himself of the robe that was upon him, and gave it to David, and his garments, even to his sword, and to his bow, and to his girdle"

I Samuel 6:7-9
"Now therefore make a new cart, and take two milch kine, on which there hath come no yoke, and tie the kine to the cart, and bring their calves home from them: and take the ark of the Lord, and lay it upon the cart; and put the jewels of gold, which ye return him for a trespass offering, in a coffer by the side thereof; and send it away, that it may go. And see, if it goeth up by the way of his own coast to Beth-shemesh, then he hath done us this great evil: but if not, then we shall know that it is not his hand that smote us; it was a chance that happened to us."

'Milch kine' is an old-fashioned way of saying 'milking cows'. The cows went straight back to the Israelites taking the Ark and a gift of jewels and gold

Eli knew that the voice was God's and he told Samuel to listen. But God told Samuel about the evil of Eli's sons.

I Samuel 3:10-13
"And the Lord came, and stood, and called as at other times, Samuel, Samuel. Then Samuel answered, Speak; for thy servant heareth. And the Lord said to Samuel, Behold, I will do a thing in Israel, at which both the ears of every one that heareth it shall tingle. In that day I will perform against Eli all things which I have spoken concerning his house: when I begin, I will also make an end. For I have told him that I will judge his house for ever for the iniquity which he knoweth; because his sons made themselves vile, and he restrained them not"

Goliath is said to have been 9 feet and 9 inches tall. His armour weighed nearly 9 stones and his spear more than 1 stone. In contrast David was small and armed only with a slingshot.

I Samuel 17:49-51
"And David put his hand in his bag, and took thence a stone, and slang it, and smote the Philistine in his forehead, that the stone sunk into his forehead; and he fell upon his face to the earth. So David prevailed over the Philistine with a sling and with a stone, and smote the Philistine, and slew him; but there was no sword in the hand of David. Therefore David ran, and stood upon the Philistine, and took his sword, and drew it out of the sheath thereof, and slew him, and cut off his head therewith. And when the Philistines saw their champion was dead, they fled"

David went to the Philistine city of Gath, home to the Israelites' greatest enemies.

I Samuel 27:1-2
"And David said in his heart, I shall now perish one day by the hand of Saul: there is nothing better for me than that I should speedily escape into the land of the Philistines; and Saul shall despair of me, to seek me any more in any coast of Israel: so shall I escape out of his hand. And David arose, and he passed over with the six hundred men that were with him unto Achish, the son of Maoch, king of Gath"

I Samuel 11:2
"And Nahash the Ammonite answered them, On this condition will I make a covenant with you, that I may thrust out all your right eyes, and lay it for a reproach upon all Israel."

When he heard about this the new King Saul gathered an army and marched to Jabesh, where he won a great victory over the Ammonites