Samuel: Prophet and Kingmaker

Recognising the value and spiritual benefit of studying Bible characters, the publishers commissioned this series of character studies. This volume has been written by A. J. Higgins, who also contributed the commentary on Proverbs in the What the Bible Teaches series.

Samuel is perhaps one of the most overlooked yet significant figures in the Old Testament. Paul refers to him as a major turning point in Israel's history, speaking of the period "until Samuel the prophet" (Acts 13:20). The Psalmist places him alongside Moses and Aaron in Psalm 99:6: "They called upon the Lord, and He answered them." Likewise, the Lord Himself links Samuel with Moses in the striking words of Jeremiah 15:1: "Though Moses and Samuel stood before Me, yet My mind could not be toward this people."

As the last of the judges, the first of the prophets, and the man who introduced Israel's line of kings, Samuel occupies a pivotal place in the biblical record.