It has been about three-hundred years since Joshua led the armies of Israel into the land of Canaan. Three-hundred years in which the people of God have been living in their allotted portions in the Land of Promise. Three-hundred years of enjoying God’s presence and meeting with him at the tabernacle in Shiloh. Three-hundred years of teaching from God’s law, with Levites scattered throughout the land. Three-hundred years of fighting against the Canaanites and destroying their idols. At least, that is what should have taken place. If Israel obeyed the Lord, under the terms of the old covenant, there would have been blessing and prosperity in the land. It would have been a paradise of sorts, a new Eden with good rains, good harvests, earthly prosperity, and battle victory after battle victory—no pagan nation would have dared to fight against them (cf. Deuteronomy 28:1–14). That was the dream, that was the hope, but that was not the reality.

As a result of their sinful natures, despite all the revelation which they received, the Israelites turned their backs on the Lord to chase after idols. The godly examples of Joshua, Caleb, and Zelophehad’s daughters were quickly forgotten. There was but one faithful generation after Joshua, and then there was a gradual return to paganism (see Joshua 24:31; Judges 2:7–10). Fighting is hard and risky. It is much easier to make peace with your Canaanite neighbour, have good relationships with him, tolerate his gods and respect them, and go along with the accepted moral standards of society. Before you know it, Israel is no different from the Canaanites who came before them. Child sacrifice, gang rape, theft, and murder—evil knows no bounds when everyone does what is right in their own eyes (see Judges 19–21).

And so instead of blessing and prosperity, there have been three-hundred years of curses. Invasions by Moab and Midian, the Ammonites, and the Philistines...time and again Israel would sin against God, turning from his ways, only to cry out to him when their suffering became too heavy (see Judges 2:11–15). In his grace, the Lord heard their cries and provided judges (cf. Judges 2:16–19). Othniel, Ehud, Deborah, and Gideon; again and again he raised up a leader to fight against their enemies and restore peace in the land.

This is the context in which the book of Samuel begins. It is the time of the Judges—time of widespread apostasy, a time of political uncertainty, a time of covenant curses. The very future of Israel as a nation is at stake.