Part 20 of the David Pawson 'Unlocking the Bible' Podcast series 
In this first talk by David Pawson on 1 and 2 Samuel, David gives us an overview so that we know the ‘shape’ of the story and how it develops. The two books really belong together as one, but were later divided because of their length. It covers 150 years of history in the form of narrative and includes only what is important and significant to God. This is prophetic history, named after the prophet who dominates the story. This book is set in the last century and a half of the rise of Israel to peace and prosperity. David shows that Israel had been led successively by patriarchs, prophets, kings then priests, each for 500 years. Samuel was the last of the prophets. King David dominates the stories though Saul was the first king. The stories of the book deal with various interesting relationships. David Pawson says whenever Israel disobeyed God an enemy would come and defeat them and whenever they repented they defeated the enemy and got the land back. A difference between Israel’s first and second kings was that David could honour those who succeeded but Saul was jealous of them. But David’s sin heralded the downward slide of Israel from its peak.