The USSD Code into Samuel

Interestingly, what we call 1 Samuel and 2 Samuel today were originally one continuous book. However, as history moved from scrolls to easier methods of copying and carrying texts around, the scroll became too large and was later divided into two sections.

Personally, I call Samuel the USSD code because it gives us the Unadulterated Story of Samuel, Saul, and David. It's a story of prophets and politics, worship and warfare,  obedience and insecurity, heroism, hooliganism, heartbreak, and holiness. Three men stand at the center of this transition and through them, Israel moves from the era of Judges into the era of ushering the King.

Samuel — The Voice Before the Throne

Samuel steps into the story as the last major Judge of Israel and the prophetic voice of God during one of the nation’s most unstable seasons.

His birth itself is miraculous. God had to reopen the womb of his mother.

A praying woman named Hannah, mocked for her barrenness, cries before God in deep anguish. God answers her prayer, and Samuel is born. Later, she dedicates him back to God, and he grows up under Eli the priest in the tabernacle.

Samuel becomes many things at once. He is a prophet, a judge, a priestly figure and a national leader. Basically, he was carrying three job descriptions before LinkedIn existed. He does all this jobs during the chaotic period described in Judges where: “Everyone did what was right in their own eyes.”

Samuel matters because he becomes God’s steady voice in a sinful nation. His job description included tasks such as rebuking kings, challenging corruption, calling the people back to repentance and perhaps most importantly, anointing kings. That alone made him one of the most important transitional figures in Scripture.

Samuel is the bridge between tribal survival, and national identity. He reminds Israel and us that even when kings arise, God remains the true ruler.

Saul — The King Everyone Wanted

He is tall, handsome, impressive and a shoulder above everyone else. In modern language, if Israel held elections based on appearance and confidence, Saul was winning before campaigns even began. He looked like a king and that was part of the problem. Kings come expensive, and Israel is about to pay.

Saul comes from the tribe of Benjamin and initially shows real promise. He unites Israel militarily, defeats enemies, and gives the people something they had long desired: a visible national leader, but slowly the cracks begin to appear: Saul struggles with obedience, he fears people’s opinions, he becomes insecure and he starts protecting his throne more than honoring God.

One of the turning points comes when God commands judgment against Amalek, but Saul partially obeys while pretending it was full obedience, and that is where Samuel delivers one of the most painful statements in the entire Bible: “To obey is better than sacrifice.”

Saul matters because he becomes the cautionary tale of leadership without surrender. He is the people’s choice, the visible king, the impressive king, but inwardly, he is collapsing. God wants us to notice something: a person can stand taller than everybody else physically while standing far from God spiritually.

David — The Shepherd Who Stole the Story

He is the youngest son of Jesse one who was forgotten in the fields. He is a shepherd boy from Bethlehem. In fact, when Samuel arrives to anoint the future king, David is not even invited into the lineup initially. He is not thought of as king material according to human standards, and that's how God introduces us to a plot twist.

David first appears publicly as the young man who defeats Goliath and from there, he slowly becomes impossible to ignore. He is a warrior, musician, poet, fugitive and finally King. David’s story is beautiful partly because it is painfully human.

• He displays incredible courage.
• Writes songs of worship.
• Shows mercy to his enemy.
• Unites the kingdom.
• Captures Jerusalem.
• Fails spectacularly.

His failure starts with a bath-sheba, goes to battle with an innocent rival Uriah, develops into family chaos and the climax are political disasters. David’s life constantly swings between devotion and disaster. He's the man of God you admire but also admonish.

Yet despite all this, he is called: “A man after God’s own heart.” Not because he was perfect, but because when confronted, David repented genuinely. He kept returning to God instead of hiding endlessly behind pride. David matters more outstandingly because through him God establishes a covenant: that one day a forever King would come from his line and that promise points directly toward Jesus.

As you read and study the book of Samuel called Samuel, please know that Samuel, Saul, and David are not just historical figures. Together, they tell the story of humanity’s struggle with leadership, power, obedience, identity, and God’s will.

• Samuel represents: God’s voice and authority.
• Saul represents: human ambition, insecurity, and failure.
• David represents: grace, repentance, and the promise of a coming King.

The books of Samuel ask one major question: “What happens when God’s people demand a king?”

The answer is full of hope; God will be your King. All you need is to be patient. Don't set up your own kings. Don't make men kings. Human kings fail. Be patient. Endure the waiting period. A King is coming.

He will not rule through insecurity like Saul, he will not be temporal like Samuel and he will succeed where every earthly ruler failed. Be it patriarchs, leaders, elders, Judges, priests and all. He will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.

This is why Samuel matters so deeply in the biblical story. It is not merely the story of three men. It is the story of how God longs to be King over his creation.