DVD Individual Messages

Salvation is the melody line that runs through Scripture, pointing us to Jesus. When Nahash the Ammonite came to intimidate and humiliate Israel, for example, they certainly needed saving. The people had forgotten what God had previously done for them and nearly capitulated—until Saul, angered by their faithless lament and empowered by God’s Spirit, led ... Continue Reading 

As word of the Ammonites reached Saul in 1 Samuel 11, the anointed king was in a field, oblivious of the brutal threat against his people. Before long, though, he had led his people to victory had been installed as king under the Lord. What changed? Alistair Begg leads us through this exciting chapter, demonstrating that Israel ... Continue Reading 

Today’s culture exhorts us to be masters of our own destinies, in control of our own lives, and absent any restrictions other than our own. True freedom, though, is actually found in obeying God’s precepts, not in release from them. Examining the cultural, biblical, and personal significance of freedom, Alistair Begg helps us discover that ... Continue Reading 

The time had come for Saul’s private anointing and public proclamation as Israel’s king. His coronation, though, was not like that of pagan monarchs: the prophet Samuel used the occasion to preach the Word of God and emphasize God’s sovereignty by identifying Saul as the Lord’s chosen prince. Examining this inauguration scene, Alistair ... Continue Reading 

Change was on the horizon for Israel as the nation anticipated its new king. This time of transition was not marked by God’s absence, though. Instead, it highlighted His providential care for His people. Walking us through the events that led the future king, Saul, to meet Samuel, the prophet of God, Alistair Begg helps us ... Continue Reading 

As Samuel aged and his succession plan failed, Israel clamored for a new leader. No longer wanting to be distinct, they chose to imitate the behavior of other nations and asked to trade God’s rule for that of an earthly king. While God granted Israel’s request, Alistair Begg explains, it led to great suffering, revealing ... Continue Reading 

Although the Israelites had rebelled against God’s rule, the Lord mercifully provided a leader for His people in Samuel. As a spiritual leader, Samuel reminded Israel that their fall into idolatry was not an external problem but an issue of the heart. Alistair Begg notes that a pastor’s priority must similarly be to faithfully proclaim ... Continue Reading 

At Mizpah, the Israelites received thunderous, dramatic deliverance from their Philistine oppressors. Samuel had once again prayed on their behalf, his access to God granted through a blood sacrifice as atonement for sin. Alistair Begg helps us realize how this moment anticipated the perfect Lamb to come and depicted God’s enduring faithfulness to His children. As ... Continue Reading 

Weary of plagues and eager to rid themselves of the ark, the Philistines devised a plan to test whether their affliction was truly the result of God’s heavy hand or merely coincidence. Walking us through the twists and turns of this story, Alistair Begg reminds us that God judges those who violate His plans and is ... Continue Reading 

God cannot be defeated, even when His children are. When the Philistines vanquished the Israelites and captured the ark, all seemed lost. The tables were turned, though, when the almighty God toppled the Philistines’ worthless idol Dagon and inflicted them with tumors until they cried out. Alistair Begg explains that afflictions like these can be acts of ... Continue Reading