JESUS IN 1 SAMUEL

First Samuel feels like the turning of a page in Israel’s soul—dust still settling from the chaos of the Judges, hearts longing for stability, and the quiet ache for a King who could steady their steps.

And through these chapters, Jesus walks—unannounced, unnamed, yet unmistakably present. He is the mercy beneath Hannah’s trembling prayer, the strength in her voice when she sings of a future Anointed One who will shatter His enemies and raise the horn of His people (1 Samuel 2:10). Her cradle-song points beyond Samuel, beyond David, to the Christ who would cradle the whole world in redeeming grace.

He is the whisper in the dark when the boy Samuel hears his name for the first time (1 Samuel 3:10). Long before the Word became flesh, the Word came calling in the night—a gentle reminder that God still speaks, still pursues, still shapes His people by His voice.

Samuel becomes a shadow of the greater Prophet who would not merely bring a message from God but be the message Himself.

Then Jesus shines through David—shepherd, singer, giant-slayer. When Samuel pours oil over that young man’s head (1 Samuel 16:13), a deeper anointing is being foretold.

David’s courage in the valley of Elah points toward a greater Champion who would face a far more ancient enemy. David runs toward Goliath with a sling and a stone; Jesus approaches the cross with love and obedience. One brings down a giant; the other brings down death itself.

And even Saul’s collapse preaches Christ. Saul is everything the flesh desires—tall, strong, impressive—yet he cannot save himself, much less a nation.

His trembling walls teach us that no kingdom built on human strength will stand. Only the King after God’s own heart—only the Son who would wear a crown of thorns before He wore a crown of glory—can rule us into peace.

1 Samuel is not merely history; it is a window into the steady, unfolding promise of God. Page by page, kingdom by kingdom, heart by heart, the Lord was preparing the world for its true King.

And when we read these ancient stories with open eyes, the dust of Ramah, Shiloh, Bethlehem, and the Valley of Elah begins to shimmer with the footsteps of Jesus—always present, always working, always drawing the story closer to the fullness of His redeeming love.

BDD