This is the Bible Book Club. I'm Heather and I'm Susan and we're in the book of First Samuel.

Welcome to the club.

Well, in chapter 24, Saul is chasing David through the desert of Ngetti trying to kill him because he thinks David will take the kingdom away

from him and well he just might. David is suffering, always on the run from Saul, never comfortable,

and he's far away from family and from the Israelite people he loved and he wanted to serve.

While he's hiding in that cave, David had his first test and temptation out in the wilderness.

He gets the chance to kill Saul. And he could then end this miserable existence that he has

being chased into caves. David is tempted, but he stops short. And he uses his knife to just cut

off the edge of Saul's robe instead of taking his life. David passed the first test. Yay. Saul momentarily

sees the light and he realizes that David is actually a righteous man and that he will probably

be king one day. In this episode, two stories are going to take place. One is super short. Samuel

is going to die. And then David will have his second test in the wilderness.

The second test is the temptation to avenge himself. David was anointed but not appointed

king. As a threat to the current king, David was treated as a defector and outlaw, resulting in disrespect and ill treatment by many.

It was a difficult position to be in, and the contempt is going to really get to him this episode.

In this test, David will be tempted to kill those who disrespect him, which is exactly what Saul did to the priest's nob.

All right, scene won the death of Samuel.

Chapter 25. Now, Samuel died and all Israel assembled and mourned for him and they buried him at his home in Rama.

That's all we know about his death, but Samuel's death is going to leave a gaping spiritual whole in the nation of Israel. Since the death of Moses, there has not been a man of God as great

as Samuel. He served as prophet, judge, and priest for Israel. His service to the Lord began when he was a child

of about four years old old and it never ended.

He transitioned Israel from ruling judges to a monarchy, even though he wasn't happy about it.

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