Bible Chracter Spotlight: Samuel

When most people think about the rulers of societies and groups of people from the past, we usually think about kings or emperors and other royalty. However, if you’ve taken note of the characters covered by this blog so far, you might note that several of them were people of influence and authority, but none of them were referred to as kings. That’s because the Israelites, for a long time, did not have kings or queens. The Israelites were the people of God and, they were ruled by Him. Instead of kings, the Israelites followed priests and prophets. Priests led the people by following the commandments that God had issued. Prophets were held a rarer role. They heard directly from God and acted as God’s mouthpiece.

This dynamic changed during the time of Samuel. Samuel grew to become a particularly devoted and faithful servant of God. He must have gained some of those qualities from his mother, Hannah. Hannah was a childless woman that asked God for a child and had faith He would deliver. God rewarded Hannah’s faith by blessing her with Samuel. Most people would be elated when having a prayer answered in such a way. Faithful believers would most certainly acknowledge and thank God for the blessing. Hannah took it a step farther. She didn’t just thank God for the blessing. She returned that blessing back to Him.

When the bull had been sacrificed, they brought the boy to Eli, and she said to him, “Pardon me, my lord. As surely as you live, I am the woman who stood here beside you praying to the Lord. I prayed for this child, and the Lord has granted me what I asked of him. So now I give him to the Lord. For his whole life he will be given over to the Lord.” And he worshiped the Lord there. - 1 Samuel 1:25-28

Some people might have balked at accepting a duty that they did not choose. After all, it wasn’t Samuel that agreed to serve the Lord for his whole life. Many of us can understand that sentiment. Children don’t really choose to serve God. Many are simply raised in the Faith. Most find themselves drifting away at some point, likely because they need to experience what life is like on their own and to feel like they chose God. To some extent, that is self destructive. God has already chosen us, and we only do ourselves damage by removing Him from our lives. Samuel did not make that mistake. He was true to the promise that his mother had made. Even as a child, he ministered on behalf of the Lord under a priest named Eli. 

Eli came from a long line of priests that had served God faithfully, but with Eli that line came to an end. Eli’s sons strayed from the path. Unlike Samuel, they did not follow the path that their parent had laid out for them, and God found that Eli was more devoted to those sons than he was to Him. While Eli and his family members were failing to uphold their commitments to God, the young Samuel continually gained favor in God’s eyes due to his diligence in the ministry. So, when God took the role of authority from Eli and his family, Samuel was seen as the obvious replacement.

And the Lord said to Samuel: “See, I am about to do something in Israel that will make the ears of everyone who hears about it tingle. At that time I will carry out against Eli everything I spoke against his family—from beginning to end. For I told him that I would judge his family forever because of the sin he knew about; his sons blasphemed God, and he failed to restrain them. Therefore I swore to the house of Eli, ‘The guilt of Eli’s house will never be atoned for by sacrifice or offering.’” - 1 Samuel 3:11-14

Everything God told Samuel came to be. Samuel wasn’t just a priest. He was a bonafide prophet. Eli and his sons died, and their family was dishonored. Israel was humiliated by the Philistines in battle, and even lost the Ark of God. The Israelites felt humiliated and with the loss of the Ark, many even turned away from God. Unbeknownst to them, God was still at work. Everywhere the Philistines took the Ark within their territory, misfortune followed, so much so that the Philistines eventually returned the Ark to the Israelites. Its return to Israel coincided with Samuel’s rise to prominence. As a result of both of these events, the Israelites began to turn back to God. Samuel followed God’s instructions and led the Israelites to victory over the Philistines, solidifying his position among the Israelites.

Samuel continued as Israel’s leader all the days of his life. From year to year he went on a circuit from Bethel to Gilgal to Mizpah, judging Israel in all those places. But he always went back to Ramah, where his home was, and there he also held court for Israel. And he built an altar there to the Lord. - 1 Samuel 7:15-17

In some ways, Samuel’s existence illustrated everything that was wrong with the Israelites at the time. He kept his faith and obedience reserved for God. The Israelites always sought more. When Samuel grew older, he hoped his sons would rise to take his place, but as with Eli, Samuel’s sons strayed from that path. Unlike Eli,Samuel kept his focus on God, so much so that when the people requested a king to replace Samuel, he was angered.

But when they said, “Give us a king to lead us,” this displeased Samuel; so he prayed to the Lord. And the Lord told him: “Listen to all that the people are saying to you; it is not you they have rejected, but they have rejected me as their king. As they have done from the day I brought them up out of Egypt until this day, forsaking me and serving other gods, so they are doing to you. Now listen to them; but warn them solemnly and let them know what the king who will reign over them will claim as his rights.” - 1 Samuel 8:6-9

Samuel understood the disrespect that the Israelites were showing God. He also understood that what they wanted would be to their detriment. However, the Israelites did not see it that way. They continued to make the same request, and God decided to grant it. Samuel did not want a king, but he obeyed God nonetheless. Samuel was led to Saul and had him installed as king. The people accepted Saul, and Samuel took that as the cue that it was his time to leave. He did not leave quietly though. He made sure to tell the people just how he felt about everything they had done wrong. He invoked God’s power and struck fear into them.  He also told them they would suffer because of their decisions, but he did not leave them without hope.

For the sake of his great name the Lord will not reject his people, because the Lord was pleased to make you his own. As for me, far be it from me that I should sin against the Lord by failing to pray for you. And I will teach you the way that is good and right. But be sure to fear the Lord and serve him faithfully with all your heart; consider what great things he has done for you. Yet if you persist in doing evil, both you and your king will perish.” - 1 Samuel 12:22-25

Samuel gave up his role as leader, but his service to God had not ended. As expected, Saul did not live up to the hype. He ran afoul of God, and God rejected him. It was Samuel’s duty to deliver that news. Samuel also anointed Saul’s replacement. There is a lesson in all this for us. Samuel was a man of God from the very beginning of his life. God selected him, molded him, and guided him. Samuel always acted in the interest of the people but on God’s behalf. The people understood what a great leader Samuel was, and Samuel always made it clear that God was the reason. The people should have had faith that if God provided them with Samuel, he would continue to provide for them. They didn’t have that faith. They weren’t satisfied with God. They envied the groups that had kings and asked for lesser leadership than what they already had. Saul turned out to be a bad king, but that didn’t mean God had abandoned the people. He had already selected someone better for them, but better isn’t as good as best. God is the best leader we can have. He has the right plans for us and is in the best position to lead us. Let us be more like Samuel than the other Israelites. We should keep our faith and keep God at the head of our lives. Relying on humans can only end badly for us. Even in the best of cases, humans will fail.  The Bible shows us that clearly, but that’s a story for another spotlight.

Chris Lawyer