There’s plenty of meat on these bones, but it’s helpful to trace the skeleton of the book first.
The fast-paced books of 1 and 2 Samuel tell the story of the only nation whose Sovereign is God, but who seek an institutional solution to a chronic personal problem that lingers to this day: they would rather walk by sight than by faith. The first book of Samuel shows the fall of the house of Eli, the rise and subsequent fall of the house of Saul, and then the rise of the house of David. In each case, Samuel is the man in the middle, providing continuity in the transition periods between these three waves of power. In fact, this provides our outline of the book. Part One (chs 1–7): the collapse of the house of Eli and the raising up of Samuel, the emergency man, with a summary at 7:15-17. Part Two (chs 8–14): the rejection of the house of Saul and God’s replacement with David’s house, concluding with another summary at 14:49-52. Part Three (chs 15–31): the main section that continues into 2 Samuel, presenting two kings and the call to a choice of loyalty, ending with the ignominious death of Saul and his sons. Others might see an additional division when David is lost for a while to the Gentiles (like our Lord) at the end of chapter 21, or on the occasion of the death of Samuel in Chapter 25. In any case, 1 and 2 Samuel tell the tale of three kings and a kingdom. Saul, David, and Solomon (each reigning 40 years, where 40 is associated with testing in Scripture) picture for us the natural man, the spiritual man, and the carnal man. Saul is the big-little man, big on the outside but little on the inside. David is the weak-strong man, weak in himself but strong in the Lord. And Solomon is the wise-foolish man, having all the resources necessary to live in victory, but defeated by his own desires. So here we go!