HelpFinder Bible - Flipbook - Page 614
1 Samuel
W E A R E F L A W E D P E O P L E . Let’s admit it. We are flawed, sin-
ful people. We wish we were more pure, more holy, more what God
wants us to be. But try as we might, we fail in some things we consider
important. So often, we do not measure up to our own expectations.
So what does God think of us? Can we ever hope for God’s blessing to
flow through us?
What you will be
The answers to these questions are found in
reading about
1 Samuel. In this book, four men of greatness
stand out like giants on the biblical horizon. No
1:1– 2:36
Samuel is born
one can dispute the greatness of Samuel, Saul,
and David. We don’t know as much about Eli,
3:1-21
but as the high priest of Israel, he too was an
God talks to Samuel in the
middle of the night
important leader of God’s people.
Each of these giants, however, was a flawed
4:1–7:2
The Philistines capture the
person, a person with disappointing defects.
Ark of the Covenant
Eli was the spiritual head of all Israel, the high
7:3–12:25
priest, the man in charge of God’s work, the
Saul becomes Israel’s first
keeper of the Tabernacle. Although Eli did an
king
excellent job of managing the Tabernacle, he
13:1–15:35
could not manage his own family.
God rejects Saul for
Samuel—man of prayer, man of God, judge and
disobeying
leader of the nation of Israel—couldn’t manage
16:1-23
his family either. He was a flawed father.
Samuel anoints David to be
the next king
Saul began as a humble king, then submitted
to pride and murderous intent toward his son17:1-58
in-law David and even his own son Jonathan. He
David battles the giant
Goliath
committed suicide during a military defeat. Saul,
a strong king, was also a weak person, flawed in
18:1–27:12
Saul tries to kill David
many ways.
David was a man of many talents. He could
28:1– 31:13
Saul dies on the battlefield
play a harp or beat a Philistine giant in battle.
He could write poetry or defeat an enemy army. The Bible calls him “a man
after God’s own heart.” But David was also flawed. He committed adultery
and then murder.
Flawed giants. How could God use them? Why would God want to use them?
Flawed people—you and I. How can God use us?
The clear message from 1 Samuel is that God uses flawed people to accompage 244