Objective

In this study, we’ll see how God raised up a faithful servant and promised an eternal throne to his family, showing us His mercy and plan for redemption.

Key Verse

2 Samuel 7:15: But my unfailing love will not be taken from him, as I took it from Saul, whom I put away from before you.

Introduction

The books of 1 and 2 Samuel were originally written as one book, telling the story of Israel’s transition from judges to kings. Many Bible teachers believe that the prophet Samuel was the author. These books chronicle the lives of the first two kings of Israel during a time when the nation was united under single rulers. First Samuel focuses on King Saul, while 2 Samuel centers on King David. Through these powerful stories, we see God’s faithfulness to His people, even when human leaders fail dramatically.

First Samuel describes three crucial transitions in leadership that shaped Israel’s history. We see the shift from Eli the priest to Samuel the prophet, from Samuel the judge to Saul the first king, and finally from Saul the rejected king to David the man after God’s own heart. These changes reveal how God raises up leaders who will follow His heart and accomplish His purposes.

Second Samuel tells the complete story of King David’s reign. The book divides his life into three distinct periods: his victories as God blessed his obedience, his sins when he fell into moral failure, and his troubles as he faced the consequences of his choices. David’s life teaches us profound lessons about obedience, failure, forgiveness, and restoration. As we study these books together, you will see how they point forward to Jesus Christ, the perfect King from David’s line who reigns forever.

Here are the main points we will explore:

• The story of Saul
• The story of David

The Story of Saul

First Samuel focuses on the story of Saul, Israel’s first king. The book begins during the final period of the judges, showing us the first major transition in leadership from Eli to Samuel.

Eli was a priest who led Israel as a judge, but he was not faithful in his service to God. His sons were rebellious and brought dishonor to God’s name through their corrupt practices. Despite Eli’s position as a spiritual leader, he failed to restrain his sons from their wicked behavior.

1 Samuel 2:22-25: Now Eli, who was very old, heard about everything his sons were doing to all Israel and how they slept with the women who served at the entrance to the tent of meeting. So he said to them, “Why do you do such things? I hear from all the people about these wicked deeds of yours. No, my sons; the report I hear spreading among the Lord’s people is not good. If one person sins against another, God may mediate for the offender; but if anyone sins against the Lord, who will intercede for them?” His sons, however, did not listen to their father’s rebuke, for it was the Lord’s will to put them to death.

Despite Eli’s unfaithfulness, God still used him in His plan. God worked through Eli to confirm His promise of a son to Hannah, who had prayed desperately for a child. Hannah’s prayer and God’s answer would bring forth Samuel, the prophet who would guide Israel through this crucial transition.

1 Samuel 1:17: Eli answered, “Go in peace, and may the God of Israel grant you what you have asked of him.”

Samuel began ministering in the house of God when he was just a young boy. God called him during the night in a dramatic encounter that would mark the beginning of his prophetic ministry.

1 Samuel 3:1: The boy Samuel ministered before the Lord under Eli. In those days the word of the Lord was rare; there were not many visions.

In a beautiful illustration of how God works through human relationships, God spoke to Samuel through Eli’s guidance, and later God would speak to Eli through Samuel’s messages. This shows us how God often uses experienced believers to help train the next generation of leaders.

1 Samuel 3:8-9: A third time the Lord called, “Samuel!” And Samuel got up and went to Eli and said, “Here I am; you called me.” Then Eli realized that the Lord was calling the boy. So Eli told Samuel, “Go and lie down, and if he calls you, say, ‘Speak, Lord, for your servant is listening.'” So Samuel went and lay down in his place.

When God finally spoke directly to Samuel, the message was both sobering and prophetic. God revealed His judgment against Eli’s house because of the priest’s failure to restrain his corrupt sons.

1 Samuel 3:10-18: The Lord came and stood there, calling as at the other times, “Samuel! Samuel!” Then Samuel said, “Speak, for your servant is listening.” And the Lord said to Samuel: “See, I am about to do something in Israel that will make the ears of everyone who hears about it tingle. At that time I will carry out against Eli everything I spoke against his family—from beginning to end. For I told him that I would judge his family forever because of the sin he knew about; his sons blasphemed God, and he failed to restrain them. Therefore I swore to the family of Eli, ‘The guilt of Eli’s house will never be atoned for by sacrifice or offering.'” Samuel lay down until morning and then opened the doors of the house of the Lord. He was afraid to tell Eli the vision, but Eli called him and said, “Samuel, my son.” Samuel answered, “Here I am.” “What was it he said to you?” Eli asked. “Do not hide it from me. May God deal with you, be it ever so severely, if you hide from me anything he told you.” So Samuel told him everything, hiding nothing from him. Then Eli said, “He is the Lord; let him do what is good in his eyes.”

Samuel succeeded Eli as the last judge of Israel, and he led the people faithfully throughout his life. Under Samuel’s leadership, Israel experienced both spiritual renewal and military victory over their enemies.

1 Samuel 3:19-21: The Lord was with Samuel as he grew up, and he let none of Samuel’s words fall to the ground. And all Israel from Dan to Beersheba recognized that Samuel had been attested as a prophet of the Lord. Then the Lord continued to appear at Shiloh, and there he revealed himself to Samuel through his word.

1 Samuel 7:13-17: So the Philistines were subdued and they stopped invading Israel’s territory. Throughout Samuel’s lifetime, the hand of the Lord was against the Philistines. The towns from Ekron to Gath that the Philistines had captured from Israel were restored to Israel, and Israel delivered the neighboring territory from the hands of the Philistines. And there was peace between Israel and the Amorites. Samuel continued as Israel’s leader all the days of his life. From year to year he went on a circuit from Bethel to Gilgal to Mizpah, judging Israel in all those places. But he always went back to Ramah, where his home was, and there he also held court for Israel. And he built an altar there to the Lord.

Despite Samuel’s faithful leadership, Israel eventually asked for a king to rule over them. This request was not necessarily wrong—Moses had actually prophesied that this day would come. However, their motivation revealed a heart problem: they wanted to be like the other nations rather than trusting in God’s unique plan for them.

1 Samuel 8:19-22: But the people refused to listen to Samuel. “No!” they said. “We want a king over us. Then we will be like all the other nations, with a king to lead us and to go out before us and fight our battles.” When Samuel heard all that the people said, he repeated it before the Lord. The Lord answered, “Listen to them and give them a king.” Then Samuel said to the Israelites, “Everyone go back to your own town.”

Deuteronomy 17:14-15: When you enter the land the Lord your God is giving you and have taken possession of it and settled in it, and you say, “Let us set a king over us like all the nations around us,” be sure to appoint over you a king the Lord your God chooses. He must be from among your fellow Israelites. Do not place a foreigner over you, one who is not an Israelite.

God chose Saul to be Israel’s first king, and Samuel anointed him for this sacred role. At first, Saul followed God in obedience, and the Spirit of God rested powerfully upon him, transforming his heart and enabling him to lead effectively.

1 Samuel 10:6: The Spirit of the Lord will come powerfully upon you, and you will prophesy with them; and you will be changed into a different person.

1 Samuel 10:9: As Saul turned to leave Samuel, God changed Saul’s heart, and all these signs were fulfilled that day.

Sadly, Saul started well but finished terribly. He gradually allowed sin to take root in his life, becoming disobedient to God’s clear commands. He grew jealous of David’s success and repeatedly tried to kill him. By the end of his life, Saul had fallen so far from God that he consulted a witch for guidance—a practice strictly forbidden by God’s law.

1 Samuel 13:13: “You have done a foolish thing,” Samuel said. “You have not kept the command the Lord your God gave you; if you had, he would have established your kingdom over Israel for all time.”

1 Samuel 18:5-9: Whatever mission Saul sent him on, David was so successful that Saul gave him a high rank in the army. This pleased all the troops, and Saul’s officers as well. When the men were returning home after David had killed the Philistine, the women came out from all the towns of Israel to meet King Saul with singing and dancing, with joyful songs and with timbrels and lyres. As they danced, they sang: “Saul has slain his thousands, and David his tens of thousands.” Saul was very angry; this refrain displeased him greatly. “They have credited David with tens of thousands,” he thought, “but me with only thousands. What more can he get but the kingdom?” And from that time on Saul kept a close eye on David.

1 Samuel 28:6-7: He inquired of the Lord, but the Lord did not answer him by dreams or Urim or prophets. Saul then said to his attendants, “Find me a woman who is a medium, so I may go and inquire of her.” “There is one in Endor,” they said.

Because of Saul’s persistent disobedience, God rejected him as king of Israel. Samuel was commanded to anoint David as the next king, even while Saul was still on the throne.

1 Samuel 16:1: The Lord said to Samuel, “How long will you mourn for Saul, since I have rejected him as king over Israel? Fill your horn with oil and be on your way; I am sending you to Jesse of Bethlehem. I have chosen one of his sons to be king.”

1 Samuel 16:7: But the Lord said to Samuel, “Do not consider his appearance or his height, for I have rejected him. The Lord does not look at the things people look at. People look at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.”

1 Samuel 16:13: So Samuel took the horn of oil and anointed him in the presence of his brothers, and from that day on the Spirit of the Lord came powerfully upon David. Samuel then went to Ramah.

What can we learn from Saul’s tragic story? First, God demands complete surrender to His will rather than partial obedience. Second, it is dangerous to rely on our own abilities and reputation instead of depending on God. Third, sin always grows when we fail to deal with it immediately and decisively. Saul’s life shows us a downward progression: he started by serving God faithfully, then tried to serve both God and himself, and finally ended up serving nobody but his own selfish desires.

(Notebook Moment: Think about Saul’s jealousy of David and how it consumed him. How has jealousy affected your relationships? What does Saul’s story teach you about dealing with sin before it takes root in your heart?)

The Story of David

David is described in Scripture as “a man after God’s own heart.” We see David’s true character during the years when he served under King Saul. Despite Saul’s attempts to kill him, David remained faithful, brave, and honorable, showing respect for God’s anointed king even when that king was trying to destroy him.

1 Samuel 13:14: But now your kingdom will not endure; the Lord has sought out a man after his own heart and appointed him ruler over his people, because you have not kept the Lord’s command.

1 Samuel 18:14: In everything he did he had great success, because the Lord was with him.

1 Samuel 24:10: This day you have seen with your own eyes how the Lord delivered you into my hands in the cave. Some urged me to kill you, but I spared you; I said, ‘I will not lay my hand on my lord, because he is the Lord’s anointed.’

Psalm 78:70-72: He chose David his servant and took him from the sheep pens; from tending the sheep he brought him to be the shepherd of his people Jacob, of Israel his inheritance. And David shepherded them with integrity of heart; with skillful hands he led them.

David served Saul faithfully in multiple roles—as an armor-bearer who protected the king, as a musician who brought peace to Saul’s troubled spirit, and as a warrior who won great victories for Israel. Eventually, David was forced to flee into exile to protect his life from Saul’s murderous jealousy. For many years, he lived as a fugitive in the wilderness, patiently waiting for God’s promise to be fulfilled.

1 Samuel 16:21-23: David came to Saul and entered his service. Saul liked him very much, and David became one of his armor-bearers. Then Saul sent word to Jesse, saying, “Allow David to remain in my service, for I am pleased with him.” Whenever the spirit from God came on Saul, David would take up his lyre and play. Then relief would come to Saul; he would feel better, and the evil spirit would leave him.

1 Samuel 18:13: So he sent David away from him and gave him command over a thousand men, and David led the troops in their campaigns.

Second Samuel tells us the complete story of David’s reign as king. His forty-year reign can be divided into three distinct periods that teach us important lessons about leadership, faithfulness, and the consequences of our choices.

First, we learn about David’s remarkable victories. When David finally became king, God blessed him with success in every area of his life—political, spiritual, and military.

David achieved significant political victories that established his kingdom on solid foundations. He successfully united the northern and southern tribes under his rule, reigning first from Hebron and later establishing Jerusalem as his capital city.

2 Samuel 5:1-5: All the tribes of Israel came to David at Hebron and said, “We are your own flesh and blood. In the past, while Saul was king over us, you were the one who led Israel on their military campaigns. And the Lord said to you, ‘You will shepherd my people Israel, and you will become ruler over Israel.'” So all the elders of Israel came to the king at Hebron, and King David made a covenant with them at Hebron before the Lord, and they anointed David king over Israel. David was thirty years old when he became king, and he reigned forty years. In Hebron he reigned over Judah seven years and six months, and in Jerusalem he reigned over all Israel and Judah thirty-three years.

David also achieved great spiritual victories that honored God and blessed the nation. The Ark of the Covenant was brought back to Jerusalem with great celebration, symbolizing God’s presence among His people. Most importantly, God established the Davidic Covenant during this time, promising David an eternal throne through his descendants.

2 Samuel 7:12-16: When your days are over and you rest with your ancestors, I will raise up your offspring to succeed you, your own flesh and blood, and I will establish his kingdom. He is the one who will build a house for my Name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever. I will be his father, and he will be my son. When he does wrong, I will punish him with a rod wielded by men, with floggings inflicted by human hands. But my love will never be taken away from him, as I took it away from Saul, whom I removed from before you. Your house and your kingdom will endure forever before me; your throne will be established forever.

David’s military victories were equally impressive. He defeated Israel’s traditional enemies, including the Philistines who had troubled the nation for generations.

2 Samuel 8:1: In the course of time, David defeated the Philistines and subdued them, and he took Metheg Ammah from the control of the Philistines.

Second, we learn about David’s devastating sins. Tragically, David fell into serious sin when he was at the height of his power and success. He committed adultery with Bathsheba, the wife of one of his faithful soldiers, and then arranged for her husband’s death to cover up his sin.

2 Samuel 11:1-5: In the spring, at the time when kings go off to war, David sent Joab out with the king’s men and the whole Israelite army. They destroyed the Ammonites and besieged Rabbah. But David remained in Jerusalem. One evening David got up from his bed and walked around on the roof of the palace. From the roof he saw a woman bathing. The woman was very beautiful, and David sent someone to find out about her. The man said, “She is Bathsheba, the daughter of Eliam and the wife of Uriah the Hittite.” Then David sent messengers to get her. She came to him, and he slept with her. (Now she was purifying herself from her monthly uncleanness.) Then she went back home. The woman conceived and sent word to David, saying, “I am pregnant.”

Rather than confessing his sin immediately, David attempted to cover it up by arranging for Uriah’s death in battle. This compound sin—adultery followed by murder—brought severe consequences that affected David and his family for the rest of his life.

Third, we learn about David’s painful troubles. The final years of David’s life were filled with difficulties that flowed directly from his earlier sins. He faced rebellion from his own children, including a devastating civil war led by his son Absalom. These troubles, described in detail in chapters 12-24 of Second Samuel, show us that even when God forgives our sins, we may still face earthly consequences for our choices.

Despite his failures, David wrote approximately half of the Psalms, using his experiences—both good and bad—to worship God and prophesy about the coming Messiah. His poetry reveals a heart that remained tender toward God even through his darkest seasons.

2 Samuel 23:1-2: These are the last words of David: “The inspired utterance of David son of Jesse, the utterance of the man exalted by the Most High, the man anointed by the God of Jacob, the hero of Israel’s songs: ‘The Spirit of the Lord spoke through me; his word was on my tongue.'”

What important lessons can we learn from David’s life? First, God looks at the true motives of our hearts rather than our outward appearance or performance. Second, sometimes we must wait patiently for God’s promises to be fulfilled in His perfect timing. Third, God always honors the time we spend studying and meditating on His Word. Fourth, God is merciful and ready to forgive us completely when we confess our sins with genuine repentance.

(Notebook Moment: Consider David’s long years of waiting in the wilderness before becoming king. How have you experienced seasons of waiting for God’s promises? What does David’s faithfulness during those difficult years teach you about trusting God during hard times?)

What Do We See of Christ?

David serves as a beautiful picture of Jesus Christ in many ways. Most importantly, God promised David that one of his descendants would sit on an eternal throne. This descendant is Jesus Christ, who fulfills the Davidic Covenant perfectly.

2 Samuel 7:12-16: When your days are over and you rest with your ancestors, I will raise up your offspring to succeed you, your own flesh and blood, and I will establish his kingdom. He is the one who will build a house for my Name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever. I will be his father, and he will be my son. When he does wrong, I will punish him with a rod wielded by men, with floggings inflicted by human hands. But my love will never be taken away from him, as I took it away from Saul, whom I removed from before you. Your house and your kingdom will endure forever before me; your throne will be established forever.

The prophets Isaiah and other writers expanded on this promise, showing us that the Messiah would indeed come from David’s family line.

Isaiah 9:6-7: For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the greatness of his government and peace there will be no end. He will reign on David’s throne and over his kingdom, establishing and upholding it with justice and righteousness from that time on and forever. The zeal of the Lord Almighty will accomplish this.

Isaiah 11:1-2: A shoot will come up from the stump of Jesse; from his roots a Branch will bear fruit. The Spirit of the Lord will rest on him—the Spirit of wisdom and of understanding, the Spirit of counsel and of might, the Spirit of the knowledge and fear of the Lord.

The New Testament confirms that Jesus is indeed the fulfillment of God’s promise to David.

Matthew 1:6: and Jesse the father of King David. David was the father of Solomon, whose mother had been Uriah’s wife,

Romans 1:3: regarding his Son, who as to his earthly life was a descendant of David,

Jesus is the perfect fulfillment of the Davidic Covenant—the eternal King who rules with perfect justice and mercy. Unlike David, who sinned and faced consequences, Jesus lived a perfectly righteous life and now reigns forever on David’s throne.

(Notebook Moment: Reflect on David as a picture of Christ. How does God’s eternal promise to David encourage you about Jesus’ kingdom that will never end? What aspects of David’s heart for God do you want to imitate as you follow Christ?)

Conclusion

We see the true heart of David most clearly when the prophet Nathan delivered God’s amazing promise about his eternal kingdom. David’s response reveals a man who remained humble and grateful despite his position and power.

2 Samuel 7:18-21: Then King David went in and sat before the Lord, and he said: “Who am I, Sovereign Lord, and what is my family, that you have brought me this far? And as if this were not enough in your sight, Sovereign Lord, you have also spoken about the future of the house of your servant—and this decree, Sovereign Lord, is for a mere human! What more can David say to you? For you know your servant, Sovereign Lord. For the sake of your word and according to your will, you have done this great thing and made it known to your servant.”

Despite his significant faults and failures, David remained humble before the Lord and continued to trust God from the beginning to the end of his life. His story encourages us that God values a repentant heart above perfect performance.

The contrasting stories of Saul and David show us the crucial difference between a heart that gradually turns away from God and one that consistently seeks Him. Saul’s tragic failure warns us about the serious dangers of partial obedience and unchecked sin. David’s life, with its dramatic highs and devastating lows, reminds us that God values genuine repentance and remains faithful to His promises even when we fail.

All of these stories ultimately point us to Jesus Christ, the Son of David, who perfectly obeys the Father and establishes an eternal kingdom that will never end. In Him, we find the mercy that Saul lost and the complete restoration that David experienced. As we study 1 and 2 Samuel, let these powerful lessons draw you closer to God’s heart. Seek Him like David did with passion and humility, and trust completely in Christ, the King who reigns forever. God invites you today to surrender your life fully to Him and receive His unfailing love that never ends.

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