Bible Reading Plan: Samuel
Have you ever wondered what it would be like to be king? The books of 1 and 2 Samuel chronicle the rise and fall of Israel's first kings, from the surprising ways they gained power to what they did with it after they got it. Originally written as one narrative, these two books offer a glimpse into a gritty royal drama filled with intrigue, scandal, betrayal, and redemption. For all of us who have ever wondered what it would be like to rule, Samuel offers ancient wisdom on faith, leadership, and the power of forgiveness.
How to Follow Along
Get Your Journal
Purchase a copy of the Samuel ESV journal online through Amazon or find it at other bookstores.
Sign Up For Weekly Emails
Sign up for the weekly emails featuring in-depth notes on the daily readings. The weekly email is sent out each Sunday afternoon.
Download the App
iPhone and Android users can follow the plan using your device of choice. Find out how to download the HPUMC app.
WEEK ONE
Key Thought/Summary
The story of Israel’s monarchy doesn’t start with a king. It begins with the whispered prayers of a desperate woman. Hannah, long scorned for her barrenness, prays for a son and vows to dedicate him to God. When God answers, she sings a song of praise that points to a larger truth: God works through the lowly to overturn human expectations of power and status. This comes alive as an anguished woman becomes the mother of a prophet, and a young boy hears God’s voice when corrupt priests cannot. Even the Israelite army, trying to bend God to their plans, learns they must humbly submit to His ways. As you read, watch how God accomplishes His purposes through the overlooked and unlikely, while the proud stumble.
WEEK TWO
Key Thought/Summary
A king is what Israel wants, so a king is what Israel will get. Though their motives are wrong, God chooses Saul to lead them. At first glance, he seems like everything Israel could want: tall, handsome, and a mighty warrior whose early victories inspire hope. Yet even as Saul triumphs, cracks begin to appear in his character. His impatience leads him to disobey God’s commands, and his pride keeps him from admitting fault. Collapsing under the weight of power, his story is a sobering reminder that the measure of true leadership is not outward success but a heart of faithfulness, humility, and integrity—the very kind of heart God will seek in Israel’s next king.
WEEK THREE
Key Thought/Summary
For the Lord sees not as man sees: man looks on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart. With these words, God chooses a shepherd boy named David as Israel’s next king. He is an unlikely candidate—the youngest son of an undistinguished family in an otherwise unremarkable town. Yet he will one day be known as the “man after God’s own heart.” But Saul will not yield the throne. In the shadow of his failures, Saul unravels. Desperation and jealousy drive him to violence, and David becomes a hunted man, clinging to God for refuge. The Lord’s anointed hides in caves while the crown remains in the hands of a mad king, and we are left wondering: how will God’s plans for David endure?
WEEK FOUR
Key Thought/Summary
David’s rise to the throne is anything but straightforward. He spends years on the run, being hunted by Saul and hiding in caves. Facing daily peril, betrayal at the hands of his fellow Israelites, and the harsh reality of life in the wilderness, it would be natural for David to feel abandoned by God. Yet, he clings to faith. The wilderness becomes his teacher, refining him into a man who trusts and depends on God rather than seizing power for himself. Even when he is presented with opportunities to strike Saul down, he resists and chooses to wait patiently for what God promised. In the end, Saul dies tragically, and David receives the kingdom. But before he can shepherd Israel, David first learns to let God shepherd him.
WEEK FIVE
Key Thought/Summary
How do you lead with power without letting power lead you? David models exactly that. God’s promise is fulfilled as he finally takes the throne, but David rules with humility rather than ambition. He mourns the deaths of his enemies, refuses to seize the crown by force, and centers the kingdom around faithfulness to God. He makes Jerusalem the capital, bringing the ark—the symbol of God’s presence—into the city with unrestrained worship. He defeats the Philistines and ushers in an era of peace and blessing. Yet, even at the height of success, David remembers that his role is to exalt the Lord’s name, not his own. These chapters remind us that true greatness comes from leading others to honor the One who reigns above all.
WEEK SIX
Key Thought/Summary
At the height of his reign, David makes a choice that changes everything. He takes Bathsheba for himself and arranges the death of her husband to hide his sin—a shocking abuse of power. But he cannot hide from God. When the prophet Nathan confronts him, David earnestly repents, and God forgives him. All too soon, however, his sons begin to repeat his mistakes: Amnon violates Tamar, Absalom plots Amnon’s death, and the royal household fractures. These chapters are undoubtedly dark, and David’s fall is all the more jarring after the humility, faithfulness, and love we have seen him display. Yet even his greatest mistake is not the end of the story. God’s faithfulness endures, and from these shadowed circumstances, a child of Bathsheba will rise to become a wise and mighty king.
WEEK SEVEN
Key Thought/Summary
David flees into the wilderness once more—this time from his own son. When Saul hunted him, he was a humble shepherd, innocent and persecuted. Now he is no longer blameless; the consequences of his choices are catching up with him. Absalom, fueled by bitterness toward his father, wins the hearts of the people and stages a successful coup. Even one of David’s most trusted advisors betrays him, forcing him to navigate their treachery with all his cunning. The conflict culminates in a climactic battle where David and his loyal warriors prevail, and Absalom meets a tragic end. Though his son had become his enemy, David is heartbroken. He returns to Jerusalem as king, but he is forever changed by loss and sorrow
WEEK EIGHT
Key Thought/Summary
This story doesn’t end where you would expect. Instead of following David to his final days, Samuel closes with an epilogue shaped around its core themes. Scenes and poems drawn from different points in David’s life remind us that God has been carrying out His redemptive purposes all along, despite Saul and David’s failings. He opposed their arrogance, but when David humbled himself, he was exalted—echoing Hannah’s song at the beginning of Samuel. Ultimately, we are left with future hope that reaches far beyond David. At his best, he points to a future descendant who will reign over an everlasting kingdom. Israel’s first two kings may have failed, but a messianic king is coming who will bring blessing to all nations.