The reader will already be acquainted with the incidents of Samuel's early boyhood,

and with the things that happened to the Philistines while they retained the Ark of the

Lord, so that he will be able to supplement these notes as the occasion demands. We

have but cleared a path through these opening chapters, leading up to the section which

deals with the choice of Saul and the history of his reign. This section we must consider

in our next study.