That is one way to look at it. Or it can also be viewed as honest in every detail. The Bible highlights both the strengths and weaknesses of individuals and nations.

     It is true that the Bible is full of murders, rapes, thefts, betrayals, etc., the same as our daily newspapers. If the sins of mankind seem repetitive or frustrating for us, just imagine how they must be for God. We do not even know the half of it, and we turn away from the things that really disgust us, but God sees it all.

 

     "The eyes of the LORD are everywhere,

keeping watch on the wicked and the good."

-Proverbs 15:3

 

      In First Samuel, it is interesting to note how Eli and Saul failed in God's eyes: Eli neglected to act, and Saul acted presumptuously. By contrast, Samuel and David showed a love for God, with respect and fearlessness. Later, David would succumb to temptation but it would be his relationship with God that would lead to his repentance. What might seem negative, is actually a graphic portrayal of the futility of human rulership, both over nations and over ourselves.

     Also in First Samuel, we read how the nation of Israel came to view God's rule from heaven as impractical. Are nations and individuals any different today?

     In the Bible, the lessons that can be drawn from the mistakes of others are almost inexhaustible. Take Saul, for example- At the beginning, he's shown to be a modest man who had God's spirit, but his discernment failed and he became embittered as his faith in God diminished. His lack of faith fostered insecurity, leading to envy and hate. He died a failure to God and to his people, and stands as a warning to any who might become, as he was, self-willed.

     Among all the base acts of men, there is the contrast of the good. For instance, there was Samuel, who served his whole life without fraud, was obedient to God, and was dependable.

     Then there was Jonathan- He accepted that David was anointed to receive the rulership that he, Jonathan, might have inherited, and he made a promise of friendship with him.

     So is the Bible only negative all the time? I suppose it depends on how it is read. Yes, there are murders and rapes and betrayals, but consider the real highlight of the book of First Samuel, and every other book of the Bible: God's Kingdom. It is in First Samuel that Jacob's blessing at Genesis 49:9, 10 was fulfilled when the kingdom was passed to the tribe of Judah. Rulership, then, was to remain in the tribe of Judah until the Ruler should come to whom the obedience of all people belongs. That ruler, the Lion that is of the tribe of Judah, is also called "the bright Morning Star" in the last chapter of the Bible.