Samuel

• Personal Information
• • His birth (1 Sam. 1:1-28)
  • • Samuel's mother Hannah was one of two wives of Elkanah - Hannah was loved but barren
    • One day while worshiping at Shiloh, she made a vow to God - if God would give her a son, she would dedicate him to God for His service - Eli, the priest, was a witness to the vow
    • God opened Hannah's womb and she gave birth to a son whom she named Samuel ("name of God")
    • When Samuel was weaned, Hannah brought him to Shiloh to live with and be instructed by Eli the priest
    • Hannah's song of thanksgiving to God for her son (1 Sam. 2:1-10) became the model for Mary's song of thanksgiving concerning the coming birth of Jesus (Luke 1:46-55)
    • As a reward for Hannah's faithfulness, God allowed Hannah to give birth to three more sons and two daughters
  • His youth
  • • Samuel and Eli's sons
    • • Narrative states that Eli's two sons, Hophni and Phinehas, were unfit to follow in their father's footsteps and serve God - God is displeased with them (1 Sam. 2:25) and reveals to Eli His plan to kill both of Eli's sons on the same day (1 Sam. 2:34)
      • Samuel grows "in stature and in favor with the Lord and with men" (1 Sam. 2:26, compare Luke 2:52)
    • Samuel's talk with God (1 Sam. 3:1-18)
    • • After Samuel mistakenly believed Eli was calling him in the night, Eli told Samuel it was God calling
      • God then informed Samuel of His intention to kill Eli's two sons
      • The next morning Samuel was reluctant to tell Eli God's message - Samuel was bearing difficult burdens early in life
  • Transitional figure
  • • Last of the judges (1 Sam. 7:3-17)
    • Prophet (1 Sam. 3:20)
    • Priest (1 Sam. 7:9) like Eli
    • Called upon to bring the era of judges to an end and inaugurate the era of kings and prophets

     

• Samuel and kingship
• • His most important achievement was to help establish kingship in Israel
  • Birth of kingship
  • • Two traditions
    • • 1 Sam. 8, 12:12-25 - Samuel and God opposed to kingship - some believe this tradition was preserved in the north where kingship continued to be based on charisma as with the judges and not on family succession
      • 1 Sam. 9, 10 - Samuel and God are favorable to kingship - some believe this tradition was preserved in the south where kingship was based on succession within David's family and not on charisma
    • These two traditions seem to have been fused to emphasize that God is the real king of Israel and the king is to obey the law of God himself and enforce it among the people
  • Samuel's reaction to kingship
  • • Samuel did anoint Saul as the first king (1 Sam. 10:1) and give him some assistance (1 Sam. 10:1-8,25-27; 11:12-15) - he also anointed David as king (1 Sam. 16:13)
    • In general, Samuel was opposed to having a king and was more of a hindrance to Saul than a help (1 Sam. 12:12-25, 13:8-15, 15:26) - Samuel's opposition was probably due for the most part to his belief that no king was needed except God and perhaps partly due to his reluctance to give up the power of being a judge

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