In the books of 1 and 2 Samuel, we witness the transition of Israel from tribal confederacy to established monarchy. And, as Mary Evans shows in this passage-by-passage commentary, during such a transition questions of identity and power are unavoidable.
In the aftermath of the decline of the judges, priests abuse their priestly privileges; Israelites covet the centralized authority of their ungodly neighbors; and a throne is won, forsaken, redeemed, lost, and found again. Throughout this era we see, hidden behind the faults and failings of Israel's best and brightest, the faithfulness of a God who looks on the heart and directs the path of every king and kingdom.
