Who led David to number the people? One place you read that it was God and yet in another place it was Satan. Is this a contradiction in the word of God?
What a difference we see between Saul and David. One impressed men by his exterior appearance; the other impressed God by the condition of his heart.
In this chapter, Saul illustrates the sin of willful rebellion and God’s reaction to this sin. Saul’s rebellion leads to God’s rejection of him as king of Israel.
Both the sin of Saul in sacrificing and the absence of smiths (blacksmiths) in Israel point to the danger of fighting God’s battles according to the ways of man and the world
Samuel’s rule as judge was not without its problems. His sons fell short of Samuel’s example and the people demanded a king.
God brings a man into the world who will begin to bring Israel back to God. That man is Samuel.
