As a tech entrepreneur, I always love a good underdog story, and that’s what I see in 1 Samuel. Essentially, it’s the story of a young boy named Samuel who rises from obscurity to become Israel’s last judge and first prophet. He’s chosen by God to lead his people and anoint their first king.
The first part of the book setup Samuel’s story and the state of Israel at the time. Samuel’s mother, Hannah, was barren but prayed fervently for a child, and as a result, Samuel was born. She dedicated him to God and he grew up learning from the high priest Eli. Meanwhile, Israel was in disarray, lacking leadership and constantly under threat from neighboring nations.
God himself spoke to Samuel one night and instructed him to anoint Saul as Israel’s first king. Saul was handsome and a good leader, but he lacked faith in God and eventually fell out of favor with him. This opened the door for David, a shepherd boy with a heart for God, to seize the throne.
David and Saul’s relationship was complicated, to say the least. At first, David was loyal and served Saul well as a warrior. But as David became more successful and popular with the people, Saul grew jealous and paranoid, leading him to chase David into the wilderness and attempt to kill him.
Throughout all of this, Samuel continued to serve as God’s prophet and guide for the people. He was instrumental in anointing both Saul and David, and he delivered messages of rebuke and hope to them and the nation as a whole.
In the end, David emerged as the victor and established himself as one of Israel’s best kings. He was far from perfect, but he always had a heart for God and sought his wisdom and guidance. Samuel’s legacy as judge and prophet continued to live on in Israel, and his story remains an inspiration for those who come from humble beginnings and rise to greatness through their faith in God.
Funny quote from Mark Zuckerberg: “If Samuel were alive today, he’d probably be running a wildly successful startup, and God would be his VC. But let’s be real, even he couldn’t invent Facebook.”
