Samuel, prophet and judge

Samuel is a transitional figure in Israel’s history. He was the last of the judges, a prophet recognised throughout the nation, a spiritual leader who called the people to repentance and the man who anointed the first two kings: Saul and David. His life began with the prayer of a distressed woman and was marked from childhood by a readiness to listen to God’s voice. At a time when “the word of the Lord was precious”, that is, rare, Samuel became God’s voice to his people.

Hannah: the prayer of a distressed woman

In Ramah, in the hill country of Ephraim, lived a man named Elkanah who had two wives: Peninnah, who had children, and Hannah, who was barren. Every year the family went up to the sanctuary at Shiloh to worship God. And every year Peninnah provoked Hannah, mocking her barrenness, until she wept and would not eat. Elkanah loved her and asked: “am not I better to thee than ten sons?”

One day Hannah rose and went to the temple. In bitterness of soul she prayed to God and wept sore. She made a vow: if God gave her a son, she would give him to the Lord all the days of his life. She prayed silently; only her lips moved. The priest Eli, seeing her, thought she was drunk and rebuked her. Hannah replied: “No, my lord, I am a woman of a sorrowful spirit… I have poured out my soul before the Lord.” Eli blessed her: “Go in peace: and the God of Israel grant thee thy petition that thou hast asked of him.” Hannah went away, ate, “and her countenance was no more sad”.

“Asked of God”

God remembered Hannah. She conceived and bore a son, whom she named Samuel, saying: “Because I have asked him of the Lord.” The name is related to the expression “heard by God” or “asked of God”. When the child was weaned, Hannah kept her vow: she took him to Shiloh, presented him to Eli and said: “For this child I prayed; and the Lord hath given me my petition which I asked of him: therefore also I have lent him to the Lord” (1 Samuel 1:27-28). Every year she brought him a little coat she made herself.

Hannah’s song

Hannah prayed a song of praise celebrating the God who humbles the proud and lifts up the humble:

“The Lord maketh poor, and maketh rich: he bringeth low, and lifteth up. He raiseth up the poor out of the dust, and lifteth up the beggar from the dunghill, to set them among princes, and to make them inherit the throne of glory: for the pillars of the earth are the Lord’s, and he hath set the world upon them.”

1 Samuel 2:7-8

This song is the first time in the Bible that the word “anointed” refers to God’s king: “the Lord… shall give strength unto his king, and exalt the horn of his anointed” (1 Samuel 2:10). Centuries later Mary, Jesus’ mother, would sing a very similar song, the Magnificat (Luke 1:46-55).

“Speak; for thy servant heareth”

Young Samuel served God in the sanctuary under Eli’s direction. But Eli’s sons, Hophni and Phinehas, were corrupt priests: they took the best part of the offerings for themselves and committed immorality. Eli rebuked them weakly, without stopping them.

One night, while Samuel slept in the temple near the ark of God, he heard someone calling him. He ran to Eli: “Here am I; for thou calledst me.” Eli answered that he had not called. This happened three times. Then Eli understood that it was God calling the boy, and taught him what to answer:

“And the Lord came, and stood, and called as at other times, Samuel, Samuel. Then Samuel answered, Speak; for thy servant heareth.”

1 Samuel 3:10

The first message Samuel received was hard: God’s judgment on Eli’s house. The next morning he was afraid to tell it, but Eli asked him to hide nothing, and Samuel was faithful. From then on, “Samuel grew, and the Lord was with him, and did let none of his words fall to the ground. And all Israel from Dan even to Beersheba knew that Samuel was established to be a prophet of the Lord” (1 Samuel 3:19-20).

The ark captured

Soon after, the Philistines defeated Israel. The Israelites carried the ark of the covenant into battle as if it were a lucky charm, but were defeated again: the ark was captured and Hophni and Phinehas died. On hearing the news, the aged Eli fell backwards and died. His daughter-in-law gave birth to a son and named him Ichabod, meaning “no glory”, for the glory of God had departed from Israel.

But in Philistine territory the ark brought plagues. When they placed it beside the idol Dagon, the next day the statue had fallen before it. In the end the Philistines sent the ark back to Israel.

Ebenezer: “Hitherto hath the Lord helped us”

Twenty years later, Samuel called the people to return to God with all their heart and put away foreign gods. He gathered all Israel at Mizpeh, where they fasted and confessed: “We have sinned against the Lord.” While Samuel was offering a sacrifice, the Philistines attacked, but God thundered with a great thunder upon them and routed them. Samuel took a stone, set it up as a memorial and called it Ebenezer, meaning “stone of help”, saying: “Hitherto hath the Lord helped us” (1 Samuel 7:12).

Samuel judged Israel all the days of his life. Each year he went on circuit to Bethel, Gilgal and Mizpeh, and returned to Ramah, his home, where he built an altar.

“Give us a king”

When Samuel grew old, he made his sons judges, but they did not walk in his ways: they took bribes and perverted justice. Israel’s elders asked Samuel: “make us a king to judge us like all the nations.” Samuel was displeased and prayed. God answered him: “they have not rejected thee, but they have rejected me, that I should not reign over them.” Samuel warned the people of the abuses a king would commit, but they insisted. God granted their request.

Samuel anoints Saul and David

God led Samuel to Saul, a young man of the tribe of Benjamin, and Samuel anointed him as Israel’s first king. But Saul disobeyed God, and Samuel had to tell him that God had rejected him, with words that still resound today: “Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice” (1 Samuel 15:22).

Later God sent Samuel to Bethlehem, to the house of Jesse, to anoint the new king. Samuel saw the eldest son, Eliab, and thought he was the one. But God told him: “Look not on his countenance, or on the height of his stature… for the Lord seeth not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the Lord looketh on the heart” (1 Samuel 16:7). Seven sons passed by, and none was chosen. The youngest remained, keeping the sheep. When David arrived, God said: “Arise, anoint him: for this is he.” Samuel anointed him, and from that day the Spirit of the Lord came upon David.

Samuel died in old age, and all Israel mourned him and buried him in his house at Ramah (1 Samuel 25:1).

Places in the story

Interesting facts

Lessons for our lives

Sincere prayer is heard: Hannah poured out her soul and God answered. What we receive from God we give back to him. God speaks to those willing to listen, even children. Faithfulness includes telling hard truths. God is not a lucky charm: the ark was of no use without obedience. Remember God’s help: raise your own “Ebenezers”. God looks at the heart.

On the road to Jesus

Hannah’s song announced the Lord’s “Anointed”, and Samuel anointed David, from whose line would come the Messiah, which means precisely “Anointed One”. Samuel was prophet, priest and judge; Jesus Christ is the true Prophet, Priest and King. Like Samuel, Jesus “increased in wisdom and stature, and in favour with God and man” (Luke 2:52), a phrase that echoes what was said of young Samuel (1 Samuel 2:26). And the people who rejected God as king by asking for a human king would one day be visited by God himself made man, the King who came to serve.

In the next episode we will meet Saul, Israel’s first king, whose story is a warning about pride and disobedience.

Prayer

Lord, like Hannah, I pour out my soul before you. Thank you that you listen. Like Samuel, I say to you: speak, for your servant is listening. Give me ears attentive to your voice and courage to be faithful. Hitherto you have helped me, and I trust you will continue to do so. Look at my heart and make it like yours. Amen.