God’s Big Story:God raised up David as their King, God’s rich mercy, he did sing (1 Samuel 17:49; 2 Samuel 22:50-51)

God created all that is. Therefore, all that is is His (Genesis 1-2).

Adam and Eve wanted to be their own; Rebellion in their hearts was sown (Genesis 3:1-3).

Judgment to the snake God spoke, And hope in Adam’s heart awoke (Genesis 3:9; 14-19).

So, “mother of the living,” he named his wife, For her seed is the source of life (Genesis 3:20-24).

People never did do good, but God saved Noah at the flood (Genesis 6-9)

Land, Seed, and Blessing God promised to Abram, and the nations, also would be blessed in him (Genesis 12: 2-3; 15:5-6)

From Egypt God His People saved, and at Sinai, the Law He gave (Exodus 7-14; 20:1-3)

Then by God’s power the land they took, but then, their good God they forsook (Joshua 11:23; 21:43-45; 1 Samuel 8:7-8)

God raised up David as their King, God’s rich mercy, he did sing (1 Samuel 17:49; 2 Samuel 22:50-51)

In these chapters, we see God rejecting Saul as king due to his disobedience and choosing David, a shepherd boy, to replace him. This sets the stage for David's rise to prominence, highlighting God’s sovereign will and His ability to use the least likely among us. This passage challenges us to trust in God's sovereignty, even when we face rejection or feel inadequate. It reminds Christians that God often works through unlikely people and circumstances to fulfill His purposes, encouraging us to remain faithful to our calling regardless of worldly judgments.

God rejects the people’s disobedient king (1 Samuel 15)

In the book of Samuel, God’s people do a terrible thing. They ask God for a human king. They want a king like all the other nations around them. This was a slap in Gods face. God was their king, and there was no king like God. Why would you ever exchange God for a human king? Becaue their hearts were hard and they did not love God. So God gave them what they wanted. He gave them Saul, the people’s king.

King looked like a king. He towered over everyone with his stature. He was handsome, and when the Spirit of God came upon him, he was courageous. His problem, however, was he was not obedient to God’s ways.

In this passage, the LORD commands Samuel to deliver a message to Saul, instructing him to destroy the Amalekites completely due to their opposition to Israel. Saul gathers an army and defeats the Amalekites but spares their king, Agag, and keeps the best livestock, contrary to God's command. When Samuel confronts Saul, he falsely claims to have fulfilled the LORD's command. Samuel hears the sounds of the spared animals and questions Saul about his disobedience. Saul deflects blame onto the people, stating they saved the livestock to sacrifice to God.

Samuel emphasizes that obedience to God is more important than sacrifices, declaring that Saul's rebellion is akin to idolatry. Because Saul rejected God's word, the LORD has rejected him as king.

1 Samuel 15:10–11 ESV

10 The word of the Lord came to Samuel: 11 “I regret that I have made Saul king, for he has turned back from following me and has not performed my commandments.” And Samuel was angry, and he cried to the Lord all night.

CSB Study Bible: Notes Chapter 15

The verb regret with God as its subject occurs only here and in

1 Samuel 15:22 ESV

22 And Samuel said, “Has the Lord as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the Lord? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to listen than the fat of rams.

CSB Study Bible: Notes Chapter 15

Samuel’s words to obey is better than sacrifice drove home the point that partial obedience of God was really disobedience, and full obedience of God mattered more than any human-concocted alternatives.

No man will actually obey God but he who loves him.

John Calvin (French Reformer)

Saul admits his sin, asking for forgiveness, but Samuel refuses to accompany him, stating that the kingdom has been taken from him and given to someone better. Samuel then executes Agag, fulfilling God's command. The chapter concludes with Samuel grieving for Saul, and the LORD regretting making Saul king over Israel.

God reveals the king after his own heart (1 Samuel 16)

God had always planned to give Israel a human king. Jacobs blessing on Judah in Genesis forsaw that from Judah a king would come. The king would be one of God’s own choosing, one hwo loved God and would follow his commands. David was that king.

David did not look like a king. He was a small ruddy shepherd boy. But His heart was filled with love and loyalty to God, and God had prepared him to be a shepherd King to his people.

The LORD instructs Samuel to anoint a new king from Jesse’s sons, as Saul has been rejected. Samuel fears for his life if Saul learns of this, but the LORD guides him to perform a sacrifice in Bethlehem. Upon arrival, Samuel is introduced to Jesse’s sons, but the LORD rejects them based on their appearance, emphasizing that He looks at the heart.

Man beholds the face, but God looks upon the heart. Man considers the actions, but God weighs the intentions.

Thomas à Kempis (Ascetical Writer)

Finally, David, the youngest son, is brought in and anointed by Samuel, receiving the Spirit of the LORD.

Meanwhile, Saul is tormented by a harmful spirit, prompting his servants to suggest finding a skilled lyre player. They recommend David, who is brought to Saul and becomes his armor-bearer. Saul appreciates David’s presence, and whenever the harmful spirit afflicts him, David’s music brings him relief.

God empowers His king to be victorious (1 Samuel 17)

In the biblical account of David and Goliath, the Philistines gather for battle against Israel in the Valley of Elah. Goliath, a giant from Gath, challenges the Israelites to send a champion to fight him, promising servitude to the victor’s side. For forty days, Goliath taunts the Israelites, instilling fear in King Saul and his men. David, the youngest son of Jesse from Bethlehem, is sent by his father to deliver provisions to his brothers at the battlefield. Upon arrival, David hears Goliath’s challenge and questions why no one has stepped forward to fight him, expressing his faith in God.

David’s older brother Eliab scolds him for his presence, but David remains undeterred. He approaches Saul, offering to fight Goliath. Despite Saul’s initial doubts about David’s youth and inexperience, David recounts his past victories over lions and bears while tending sheep, asserting that God will deliver him from Goliath as well. Saul agrees and outfits David with armor, but David finds it cumbersome and chooses instead to face Goliath with only his sling and five smooth stones.

As Goliath approaches, he mocks David, but David responds confidently, declaring that he comes in the name of the Lord.

1 Samuel 17:44–46 ESV

44 The Philistine said to David, “Come to me, and I will give your flesh to the birds of the air and to the beasts of the field.” 45 Then David said to the Philistine, “You come to me with a sword and with a spear and with a javelin, but I come to you in the name of the Lord of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied. 46 This day the Lord will deliver you into my hand, and I will strike you down and cut off your head. And I will give the dead bodies of the host of the Philistines this day to the birds of the air and to the wild beasts of the earth, that all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel,

CSB Study Bible: Notes Chapter 17

David’s response to Goliath highlights the contrast in battle strategy.

That is the difference between Saul and David. Saul was about his own glory. David was most concerned about the glory of God. When you are most concerned about God’s glory, he uses you to display it to the world. David’s love and obedience to God made him a perfect conduit to display Gods power to the world.

David slings a stone that strikes Goliath in the forehead, killing him. The Philistines flee, and David’s victory leads to a pursuit of the enemy, solidifying his status as the new king in Israel, even though he will not take the thrown for many years.

Davids faith inspired others to be faithful.

1 Samuel 17:52 ESV

52 And the men of Israel and Judah rose with a shout and pursued the Philistines as far as Gath and the gates of Ekron, so that the wounded Philistines fell on the way from Shaaraim as far as Gath and Ekron.

CSB Study Bible: Notes Chapter 17

On the men of Israel and Judah, see note at 11:8. Inspired by the Lord’s victory through David, Israel’s army pursued the Philistines all the way to the gates of Ekron, a leading Philistine city (5:1, 10) more than ten miles away. The Shaaraim road runs north to south right next to Azekah (v. 1); as panic set in, the Philistines tried every avenue possible to escape the Israelites.