This week we begin a 3-week trek through 1 Samuel. Coming out of the tumultuous time of the Judges, Samuel serves as the last judge as well as a prophet. In the first 10 chapters, we are introduced to Samuel through his miraculous birth and his calling by God. We also get a window into some of the religious corruption that was taking place. Eventually, Samuel is called by God to anoint Saul as king over Israel. Samuel was hesitant to do this, recognizing that Israel had rejected God and was placing its faith in a human ruler. Be sure to check out the blog for the guiding questions as you read. We enter our rhythm of LEARN-READ-INTERACT.

From How to Read the Bible through the Jesus Lens, Michael Williams makes these points about 1 & 2 Samuel:

Phrase: Exalted and humbled

Theme: God exalts the weak and humbles the proud.

Christ-Focus: God has exalted the humbled Christ (Philippians 2:5-11).

Implications: We should serve God in humility while we await our exaltation in Christ (James 4:10; 1 Peter 5:6).

Questions: What have you bragged about lately? Does the source of your pride focus on God, or on yourself?

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