The First Book of Samuel
Author	Unknown (probably Samuel, with excerpts from the memoirs of Gad and Nathan.)
Date Written	Probably between 1050 and 931 BC However, the book was not put into its final form until some years later, possibly between 930 and 722 BC
Time Span	About 94 years (period of time from the birth of Samuel to the death of Saul).
Title	This book is named after Samuel, not only because he is the principal figure in the first part, but also because he anoints Saul and David, the chief characters in the latter portion of the book.
Background	1 Samuel is a continuation of the story in the book of Judges. It begins late in the turbulent time of the judges, when Eli is the judge-priest and Israel is being oppressed by the Philistines. 1 and 2 Samuel consist of one book in the Hebrew Bible since they cover the continuous story of their 3 main characters: Samuel, Saul, and David.
Where Written	Unknown (probably in Israel).
To Whom	To the Israelites.
Content	The Israelites are insisting on a king like the heathen nations have, they no longer want God's placement of a judge over them. 1 Samuel is the story of Israel's last judge and first prophet (Samuel), her first king (Saul), and the early years of her anointed king-elect (David). Saul lacks a heart for God, so God rejects him as king. Young David then enters the picture by slaying Goliath and developing a strong friendship with Saul's son, Jonathan. God selects David to replace Saul as king, but David has to flee to the wilderness to escape Saul's raging jealousy. David lives in exile until Saul and his sons die in battle at Mt. Gilboa. The stage is now set for the golden age with David reigning as king of Israel.
Themes	God is bigger than any problem we will ever have. With God's help our emotions can be kept under His control. Even God's children can fail and fall into sin. Any life full of sin and defeat can have victory and accomplishment . . . if there is genuine repentance and obedience. Sin in our lives may lead God to take away our blessings and give them to others. Our ultimate leadership should be of God, not man. Obedience is much more important to God than sacrifice.
Key Words	"Jealousy"; "Heart." The book is full of "jealousy": Israel for a king like her neighbors, and Saul for his successor David. Thus, God looks at the "heart," and His selections are not always what are expected.
Outline	1:1- 4:22 The service of Eli as priest and judge 5:1- 7:17 The ministry of Samuel, the last judge of Israel 8:1-15:35 The ministry of Saul, the first king of Israel 16:1-28: 2 David and Saul 28:3-31:13 The decline and death of Saul
More	Audio of the Book of 1st Samuel

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