Saul's Desperation

The late OT scholar Joyce Baldwin said this book “presents real life in all its ambiguities,” and said it has “psychological complexities with enough food for thought to last a lifetime.” As we face a world of war, betrayal, murder, dirty politics, abuse of women, rebellious children, hurts, ambitions, successes and failures, we will be studying a biblical book that presents all those things in real life situations. In this book, and its second half, there are no clearly spelled out theological truths, but there is God’s message expressed in human experience, and that is something relevant for human lives of every era. First and Second Samuel present the transition of Israel from theocracy to monarchy, with all its upheaval and ugliness, but in doing so, it prepares us for the true King to come in the person of Jesus.