Following Moses' leadership in the wilderness, Joshua's leadership of the conquest of the Land, and a long succession of Judges defending the people, Israel decided they needed a king. The elders of the people pulled Samuel, the prophet-judge aside and demanded, "Give us a king to judge us like all the other nations have.” And so began a search for a king, a search for one who could serve suitably as the vice-regent of God. As we embark on a journey with the Israel of 1st  and 2nd Samuel we will soon discover our search for a king will require us to go past the pages of these historical books.