Study the Story of Samuel with these Simple Bible Printables
The book of Samuel in the Bible tells the story of the Israelites’ first two kings, Saul and David. Break down the main events in this simple, visual printable.
The Beginning of a Monarchy
I’ve been looking forward to outlining this section of the Bible since I started my timelines a year ago. This is where the organization nerd in me gets all excited and starts to take these complicated concepts and break them down in a way that makes you go, OOOHHH! So that’s what they were talking about in Sunday school…
Truthfully, I never understood the historical context of the Bible growing up. To me, it was a book of short stories, like fairy tales. All set in the same land, but completely unrelated to one another. The story of Jesus was the only thing I knew connecting these Bible stories. After all, you never seemed to get the answer wrong in class if you raised your hand and said, God or Jesus.
But let’s dig in a little deeper than our 5th grade selves. It’s time for us to understand historically what the Bible is talking about in addition to it’s spiritual revelations. This may seem boring to you (and it did once to me as well!), but trust me, it will only enrich your understanding of your favorite “go-to” Bible verses. They aren’t just one-offs, cutesy little verses to go on coffee mugs (which, don’t get me wrong, I’m a sucker for those too!), but they are deep truths–usually a prophecy being foretold or one coming to fruition.
So strap in, the book of Samuel sets the basis for the rest of the Old Testament. Here we go!
The Bible Story of Samuel and the First King of Israel
Once upon a time in a faraway land (1060 BC in Israel to be exact), there was a woman named Hanna who couldn’t have any children. She prayed to God that if only he would give her a child, she would dedicate him to the Lord. She became pregnant and gave birth to Samuel, and true to her word, gave him over to be raised by the high priest, Eli.
Samuel grew to be a leader for the Israelites, but they demanded a real king—Israel’s first. He anointed a man named Saul to be their first king, and while Saul started out as a good man, most of his rule, he was an evil and jealous king. When God saw that Saul continued to be disobedient, he had Samuel anoint another in secret as Israel’s 2nd king. Instead of a strong warrior, God chose David, a shepherd, and the youngest of 8 sons of Jesse.
(Side-note: Ruth from the last book is David’s great grandmother!)
The Second King of Israel
You probably know the story of how David defeats Goliath from Sunday school, and because of his great fame after that occurred, Saul grew jealous of David and tried to kill him several times!
At one point, David sneaks up on Saul and cuts a piece of his cloak to let him know he could have killed him, but he chose not to, so that Saul would back down. It only lasted for a moment before Saul was after him again.
Eventually, Saul’s sons are killed in battle. When he’s about to be captured, he commits suicide, leaving David to finally become king. Because David is such a good man, he mourns Saul instead of celebrating (a theme that occurs throughout his life).
Overall, David is a good king, but struggles as a husband and father. Just look into the stories of Bathsheba, Absalom, and Amnon! However, he must have done something right when he raised his son Solomon. Solomon was humble enough to ask God for wisdom instead of riches (later in 1 & 2 Kings).
Printable Outline of the Books of Samuel
To simplify the books of 1 & 2 Samuel for you, I created this printable set! It helps break down the basic storyline as you study the Bible.
While the digital pages are perfect for group study, you may prefer a physical book. This one covers all 39 books in the Old Testament. Grab your copy here:
Why I Keep Coming Back to the Book of Samuel
I’m always noticing something new when I reread a book of the Bible. Maybe that’s because it builds off other parts I’ve studied! Check out the main bullet points I noted this time around:
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For more posts like this, check out:
- The Book of Judges: A Complete Biblical List
- Printable Bible Study Notes on the Book of Ruth
- How the Old Testament Fits Together as One Story
