The Promised Anointed, the Rejected King, and
the Champion Who Saves
1 Samuel records Israel’s transition from the period of the judges to the establishment of the monarchy. God raises Samuel up as prophet, priest, and judge to lead His people during a time of spiritual decline. When Israel demands a king “like all the nations”, they reject the LORD as their true King. God grants their request by giving them Saul, but Saul’s repeated disobedience reveals that Israel’s greatest need is not merely a human king but one who will faithfully submit to God’s Word. Throughout the book, God sovereignly directs ordinary events and extraordinary moments alike to accomplish His purposes and prepare the way for His chosen king.
1 Samuel repeatedly points us to Jesus Christ. Hannah’s song anticipates the LORD’s anointed before David takes the throne (1 Samuel 2:10). Samuel anoints David, the man after God’s own heart, while Saul — the rejected king — demonstrates the tragic consequences of refusing God’s commands. David’s victory over Goliath is more than a story of courage; as Israel’s representative champion, he wins a victory the people could not achieve for themselves, foreshadowing Jesus defeating sin and death on behalf of His people. David’s patient refusal to seize Saul’s throne also reminds us that God’s Kingdom advances according to God’s timing and ways.
While not every chapter of 1 Samuel is included, these readings have been carefully chosen to highlight the Promised Anointed, the Rejected King, and the Champion Who Saves. You’ll follow Samuel’s miraculous birth and faithful ministry (chs. 1-7), Israels’ demand for a king (ch. 8), Saul’s rise and rejection (chs. 13, 15), David’s anointing and victory over Goliath (chs. 16-17), his covenant friendship with Jonathan (ch. 20), his years as a faithful fugitive (chs. 22, 24, 30), and the death of Saul (ch. 31). As 1 Samuel closes, David has been anointed but has not yet taken the throne. God has made His choice, and the stage is set for the reign of His chosen king. Even so, David is only a shadow of the greater Anointed One to come — Jesus Christ, the perfect King and Champion who saves His people and whose Kingdom will never end.
Let’s dive in together and see Jesus in 1 Samuel!
- July 14 — ch. 1
God hears Hannah’s prayer and gives her Samuel, preparing to raise up a prophet who will lead Israel during a time of spiritual need. - July 15 — ch. 2
Hannah praises the LORD who brings down the proud and raises up the humble, looking ahead to His anointed King. - July 16 — ch. 3
God calls Samuel as His prophet, raising up a faithful voice in a time when His Word was rare. - July 17 — ch. 4
Israel treats the ark like a weapon instead of trusting the LORD, and God allows their defeat to show His presence cannot be manipulated. - July 18 — ch. 5
God humbles Dagon and afflicts the Philistines, showing that He alone is the living God and no idol can stand before Him. - July 19 — ch. 6
The Philistines return the ark with guilt offerings, confessing the LORD’s power even as Israel must learn to honor Him as holy. - July 20 — ch. 7
God delivers Israel from the Philistines as Samuel leads them in repentance and prayer, showing that victory comes by returning to the LORD. - July 21 — ch. 8
Israel rejects the LORD as King by demanding a king like the nations, revealing their need for a better King than the one they ask for. - July 22 — ch. 13
Saul disobeys the LORD and loses his dynasty before it began, showing that Israel needs a king whose heart fully belongs to God. - July 23 — ch. 15
Saul’s rebellion exposes his rejected kingship, showing that outward obedience cannot replace a heart submitted to the LORD. - July 24 — ch. 16
God chooses David and anoints him as king, showing that the LORD looks on the heart and provides the ruler His people truly need. - July 25 — ch. 17
David defeats Goliath as Israel’s champion, pointing to Jesus, the greater Champion who saves His people from the enemy they could not defeat. - July 26 — ch. 18
David rises in favor with the people while Saul grows jealous and fearful, showing the conflict between the LORD’s anointed and the rejected king. - July 27 — ch. 20
Jonathan shows covenant loyalty to David, protecting the LORD’s anointed even at great cost to himself. - July 28 — ch. 22
Saul’s violence against the priests exposes the corruption of his kingship, while David begins to gather the distressed and needy around him. - July 29 — ch. 24
David spares Saul’s life, trusting the LORD to judge between them rather than taking the kingdom into his own hand. - July 30 — ch. 30
God strengthens David in distress and uses him to recover what was lost, showing the LORD’s faithfulness to preserve His anointed. - July 31 — ch. 31
Saul dies in defeat, bring his rejected kingship to a tragic end and preparing the way for the king God had chosen.
Continue in the See JESUS in the Old Testament readings as we read the book of 2 Samuel!
Just Keith Harris 
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