Samuel
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The Lord intended to rule the nation of Israel through
righteous men, who made known God's will to His people.
Moses was a faithful servant and was Israel's leader.
Joshua was also a faithful servant of the Lord .
Those people who succeeded them were leaders known
as judges,but there were times when apparently no
man could be found to act as a judge.
And every man did that was right in his own
eyes (Judge 21:25)
The period of unfaithfulness was one of violence
and unrest.The children of Israel forsake the Lord .
They did evil in the sight of the Lord . They
served idols And the anger of the Lord was hot
against Israel, and He delivered them unto the hands
of spoilers , that spoiled them. And he sold them
into the hands of their enemies round about , so
that they could not any longer stand before their
enemies (Judges 2:14)
Tribal jealousies , oppression by Canaanites and
the people's sins weakened the nation of Israel.
And Idolatry sapped the spiritual strength of the
people. When the people forsake the Lord , disaster
would strike them.Disease , corruption, famine and
other curses fell upon them because they forsake
the Lord and whore after the idols and the
abominations of the Canaanites.
The Lord executes righteousness and judgment for
all that are oppressed (Psalms 103:6),
Those people who sinned are punished. Those folks
who obey the Lord will be blessed.Those people who
turn away from the Lord will surely perish. But the
Lord is always ready to save His people when they
repent and return faithfully to Him.
When the people would repent and call upon the Lord
for mercy, the Lord would raise up a deliverer or
judge.
As long as the judge lived, there would be a period
in which the people were faithful to the Lord. And
there would be peace among the people because they
rested in the Lord. The Lord would defeat their enemy
for them.
Then when the judge died , another generation would
arise , and go into idolatry . And the whole cycle
would start over again. The people would cry unto the
Lord for mercy . Then the Lord would again sent a
deliverer.
Unfaithfulness always led to disaster. But the Lord
is always ready to save His people when they repent
and return faithfully to Him.
The Lord executes righteousness and judgment for all
that are oppressed (Psalm 103:6).
The Lord is God of righteousness.
While Eli the priest was a judge in Israel, there was a man
named Elkanah.He was man of Ramathaimzophim , of mount
Ephraim, the son of Jeroham , the son of Elihu , the son
of Tohu , the son of Zuph , an Ephrathite.Elkanah who
had two wives.
The name of one was Hannah, and the name of the other was
Peninah. And Peninah had children, but Hannah had no
children.
And every year this man went up out of his city to worship
unto the Lord of hosts in Shiloh. And he also brought
sacrifices for the Lord. And the two sons of Eli , Hophni
and Phinehas , the priests were there.
And when the time was that Elkanah offered, he gave to
Peninah his wife , and to all her sons and her daughters ,
portions.
But unto Hannah he gave a worthy portion; for he loved
Hannah. But the Lord had shut her womb.
And her adversary also provoked her sore because the Lord
had shut up her womb.
And he did so year by year, when she went up to the house
of the Lord. And Peninah was cruel to Hannah. She provoked
her. Therefore Hannah wept and did not eat. Then her
Husband tried to comfort her. Hannah, why you weep ? And
why you eat not? And why is your heart grieved? Am not
I better to you than ten sons?
So Hannah rose up after they had eaten in Shiloh. Now Eli
the priest sat upon a seat by a post of the temple of the
Lord.
And Hannah was in bitterness of soul , and prayed unto the
Lord, and wept sore.
And she vowed a vow.
Hannah cried and prayed unto the Lord.
She vowed that if the Lord gives her a boy , she would give
him back to serve the Lord.
O Lord of hosts, if you will indeed look on the
affliction of your handmaid, and remember me , and not
forget your handmaid , but will give unto your handmaid a
man child, then I will give him unto the Lord all the days
of his life, and there shall no razor come upon his head.
And it came to pass , as she continued praying before
the Lord , that Eli marked her mouth.
Now Hannah spoke in her heart. Only her lips moved, but her
voice was not heard. Therefore Eli thought she had been
drunken. He thought she was intoxicated with wine. And he
rebuked her.
And Hanna answered and said,
No, my lord . I am a woman of a sorrowful spirit. I have
drunk neither wine nor strong drink , but I have poured out
my soul before the Lord. Count not your handmaid for the
daughter of Belial; for out of abundance of my complaint
and grief have I spoken hitherto.
She had not been drinking. She was pouring out her
troubles to the Lord. She was not a worthless woman. She
had been praying like this because she was so sad.
When Eli learned of the sorrow of her spirit, he added his
prayer to hers. Go in peace. And the God of Israel grants
you your petition that you have asked of Him.
So the woman went her way , and did eat. And she was no
more sad.
And they rose up in the morning early, and worshipped
in Ramath.
The Lord heard the prayer of Hannah.
And Elkanah knew Hannah his wife.
And the Lord remembered her. Hannah conceived and bare a
son. And the boy was named Samuel.
Samuel means asked of God. Hannah had asked the Lord
for him.
And the man Elkanah, and all his house , went up to offer
unto the Lord the yearly sacrifice. And he made his vow to
the Lord.
But Hannah went not up; for she said unto her husband,
I will not go up until the child be weaned, and then I will
bring him that he may appear before the Lord, and there
abide forever.
And her husband told her to do so what she believed was
good. Hannah , do whatever you think best. Stay at home
until you have weaned him. May the Lord make your promise
come true.
So the woman abode, and gave her son suck until she weaned
him. So Hannah stayed at home and nursed the child.
And when she had weaned him, she took him up with her,
with three bullocks, and one ephah of flour, and a bottle
of wine and brought him unto the house of the Lord in
Shiloh, And the child was young.
And they slew the bullock, and brought the child to Eli.
And she said,
O my Lord, as your soul lives, my lord, I am the woman
that stood by you here, praying unto the Lord. For this
child I prayed; and the Lord has given me my petition
which I asked of Him.Therefore also I have lent him to the
Lord. As long as he lives he shall be lent to the Lord.
And they worshipped the Lord there.
All our gifts were first His gifts to us.What we have
asked of the Lord should be given to the Lord, devoted to
His service. Whatever we give to the Lord,it is what we
have asked and received from the Lord.
Hannah's thanksgiving was a formal acknowledgement of God's
goodness.
Little children should be taught to worship the Lord when
they are very young. Parents should bring up their children
in the ways of the Lord. And the Lord will gracefully
accept them, and will teach them to do better.
And Hannah prayed,
My heart rejoices in the Lord , mine strength is exalted
in the Lord. My mouth is no longer silent, for it is opened
over my enemies, because I rejoice in Your salvation.
There is none holy as the Lord ; for there is none beside
you. Neither is there any rock like our God.
Talk no more so exceeding proudly. Let not arrogance come
out of your mouth; for the Lord is a God of knowledge , and
by Him actions are weighed.
The bows of the mighty man are broken, and they that
stumbled are girded with strength. The people who once were
well fed now hire themselves out to get food, but the
hungry are hungry no more ; so that the barren has born
seven ; and she that has many children is waxed feeble.
The Lord kills , and makes alive . He brings people down to
the grave, and brings them back again.
The Lord makes poor, and makes rich. He brings low, and
lift up.
He raises up the poor out of the dust, and lifts 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 the Lord has set the world
upon them.
He will keep the feet of His saints, and the wicked shall
be silent in darkness; for by strength shall no man prevail.
The adversaries of the Lord shall be broken to pieces. Out
of heaven shall the lord thunder upon them. The Lord shall
judge the ends of the earth. And He shall give strength
unto His king, and exalt the horn of His anointed.
And Elkanah went back to Ramah, but the boy Samuel stayed
in Shiloh and served the Lord under the priest Eli.
While Eli the priest was a judge in Israel, there was a man
named Elkanah who had two wives.
One wife had children. The other wife., named Hannah ,had
no child.
Hannah cried and prayed unto the Lord.
She vowed that if the Lord gives her a boy , she would give
him back to serve the Lord.
The Lord heard the prayer of Hannah.
And Elkanah knew Hannah his wife. And the Lord remembere
her. Hannah conceived and bare a son. And the boy was
named Samuel.
The name Samuel means asked of God. Hannah had asked the
Lord for him .
The boy Samuel was brought to Shiloh. Samuel stayed in
Shiloh and serve the Lord under the priest Eli.
THE WICKEDNESS OF ELI'S SONS
(1 SAMUEL 2:11-26)
And the child Samuel did minister unto the Lord before
Eli the priest.
Now the sons of Eli were sons of Belial. They knew not
the Lord.
This was the priests' custom with the people . When any
man offered sacrifice, the severant came, while the flesh
wasin seething , with a fleshhook of three teeth in his
hand. And he struck it into the pan, or kttle, or caldron,
or pot . All that the fleshhook brought up the priest took
for himself. So they did in Shiloh unto all the Israelites
that came there.
The sons of Eli were scoundrels .They paid no attention to
the Lord or to the regulations concerning what the priests
could demand from the people.They and the priest's servants
came with forks, while the people's meat was still cooking.
They took the meat even before it was offered to the Lord.
All the people who came to Shiloh to offer sacrifices were
trated like this.
And before they burn the fat , the priest's servant came,
and said,
Give flesh to roast for the priest; for he will not
accept boiled meat from you , but raw meat.
And if any man wanted to do what was right before the Lord,
the wicked servants would try to stop them. They would say,
No ; but you shall give it to me now. And if not ,
I will take it by force.
Wherefore the sin of the young men was very great before
the Lord; for the men abhorred the offering the Lord.
The sin of the sons of Eli was extremely great in the
Lord's sight, because they treated the offerings to the
Lord with such disrepect.
The sons of Eli were greedy .Not satisfied with their
legally allotted portion, they sent their servants with
flesh-hooks of three teeth to take the meat that was
boiling for the sacred meal. They were stealing from God.
What a contrast between Samuel the sweet God-appointed
child priest, and the worthless priests of title and
descent. On Samuel God's favor rested, giving Samuel
favor with man.
But the sons of Eli were scoundreds. They were by their
greed robbing the people and God.
In the meantime the child Samuel continues to serve the
Lord, wearing a sacred linen apron.Moreover his mother made
him a little coat, and brought it to him from year to year,
when she came up with her husband to offer the yearly
sacrifce.
And Eli blessed Elkanah and his wife, and said,
The Lord give you seed of this woman for the loan which
is lent to the Lord.
May the Lord give you other children by this woman to take
to take the place of the child you dedicated to the Lord.
After that they went unto their own home.
and the Lord visited Hannah, so that she conceived, and
bare three sons and two daughters.
And the child Samuel grew before the Lord. Now Eli was
very old, and heard all that his sons did unto all
Israel ; and how they lay with the women that assembled
at the door of the tabernacle of the congregation. And he
said unto them,
Why you do such things ? for I hear of your evil
dealings by all the people. Nay, my sons ; for it is no
good report that I hear. You make the Lord's people to
transgress.
If one man sin against another , the judge shall judge him.
But if a man sins against the Lord, who shall intreat Him ?
But they would not listen to their father. They hearkened
not unto the voice of their father. And the Lord decided
to slay them.
And the child Samuel grew on, and was in favour both with
the Lord, and also with men.
THE PROPHECY AGAINST ELI'S FAMILY
(1 SAMUEL2:27-36)
And there came a man of God unto Eli, and said unto him,
Thus said the Lord , did I plainly appear unto the house
of your father, when they were in Egypt in Pharaoh's house ?
And did I choose him out of all the tribes of Israel to be
my priest, to offer upon my altar, to burn incense,to wear
an ephod before me ? And did I give unto the house of your
father all the offerings made by fire of the children of
Israel ?
Why kick you at my sacrifice and at mine offering, which I
have commanded in my habitation ; and honour your sons
above me, to make yourselves fat with the chiefest of all
the offerings of Israel my people ?
Wherefor the Lord God of Israel says,
I said indeed that your house and the house of your father,
should walk before me for ever; but now the Lord says,
Be it far from me ; for them that honor me I will honour,
and they that despise me should be lightly esteemed.
Behold , the days came , that I will cut off your arm,
and the arm of your father's house, that there shall not
be an old man in your house.
And you shall see an enemy in my habitation, in all the
wealth which God shall give Israel. And there shall not be
an old man in your house for ever.
And the man of yours , whom I shall not cut off from my
altar, shall be to consume your eyes, and to grieve your
heart. And all the increase of your house shall die in
in the flower of their age.
And this shall be a sign unto you that shall come upon your
two sons , on Hopni and Phinehas; in one day shall they die
both of them. And I will raise up a faithful piest,that
shall do according to that which is in my heart and in my
mind.And I will build him a sure house; and he shall walk
before my anointed for ever.
And it shall come to pass, that every one that is left in
your house shall come and crouch to him for a piece of
silver and a morsel of bread, and shall say,
Put me please, into one of the priests' offices, that I may
eat a piece of bread.
Those people who allow their children to do evil are
honoring them more than God.In the midst of the sentence
against Eli's family , God promised to be merciful to
Israel. The Lord would raise up a faithful priest to do
according to that which was in the heart and mind of the
Lord.
THE VISION OF THE LORD
(1 SAMUEL 3:1-19)
And the child Samuel ministered unto the Lord before Eli.
And the word of the Lord was precious those days. There
was no open vision.
And it came to pass at that time, when Eli was laid down
in his place, and his eyes began to wax dim, that he could
not see. The lamp of God had not yet gone out in the temple
of the Lord, where the ark of God was. And Samuel was
lying down, when the Lord called,
Samuel
And he answered,
Here am I.
And Samuel ran to Eli , and said,
Here am I ; for you called me.
And he said,
I called you not ; lie down again.
And he went and lay down.
And the Lord called yet again,
Samuel.
And Samuel arose and went to Eli, and said,
Here am I ; for you did call me.
And he answered,
I called you not , my son; lie down again.
Now Samuel did not yet know the Lord, neither as the
word of the Lord yet revealed to him.
And the Lord called Samuel again the third time.And
he arose and went to Eli, and said,
Here am I ; for you did call me ?
And Eli perceived that the Lord had called the child.
Therefore Eli said unto Samuel,
Go , lie down. And it shall be , if He calls you, that
you shall say, Speak, Lord ; for your servant hears.
Eli was very wise in his treatment of samuel. Eli had no
jealousy . without the slightest trace of hurt pride, Eli
led and guided Samuel to listen to the Lord.
So Samuel went and lay down in his place.
And the Lord came , and stood, and called as at other
times,
Samuel, Samuel.
Speak ; for your servant hears.
Samuel had learned to listen to the Lord.
Behold. I will be doing a thing to Israel, at which
both the ears of every one that hear it shall tingle.
In the day I will perform against Eli all things which
I have spoken concerning his house for ever for the
iniquitty which he knows ; because his sons made themselves
vile, and he restrained them not.
Therefore I have sworn unto the house of Eli, that the
iniquity of Eli's house shall not be purged with sacrifice
nor offering for ever.
And Samuel lay until morning and opened the doors of the
house of the Lord.
And Samuel feared to show Eli the visom.
Then Eli called Samuel and said,
Samuel, my son.
And he answered ,
Here am I.
And he said,
What is the thing that the Lord has said unto you?
Please hide it not from me. God do so to you , and more
also, if hide any thing from me of all the things that
He said unto you.
And Samuel told him every whit, and hid nothing from him.
And Eli said,
It is the Lord. Let the Lord do what seems good.
The meekness , and the humility in his words show that
Eli was truly repentant.Eli accepted the punishment of
his sin.
And 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.
Men from all parts of Israel came to consult Samuel at
Shiloh.
The Lord used the child to be His voice to the nation.
The Lord hides His wisdom from the worldly clever .And the
Lord reveals His wisdom to babes. God has choosen the weak
things in order to shame the powerful and mighty.
THE ARK TAKEN
(1Samuel 4:1-22)
Now Israel went against the Philistines to battle,and
pitched in Aphek. And the Philistines put themselves
in array against Israel. And when they joined battle ,
Israel was smitten before the Philistines. And Israel
lsot four thousand men.
And when the people wre come into camp the elders of
Israel said,
Why has the Lord smitten us today before the
Philistines ? Let us fetch the ark of the covenant out
of Shiloh unto us, that when it comes among us, it may
save usout of the hand of our enemies.
Instead of submitting to the Lord , they spoke angrily
of Him. They thought that they could oblige the Lord
to appear for them, by bringing the ark to the battle.
They did nottrust the Lord . They trusted in the ark.
The children of Israel cold not distinquish the real
presence of the Lord and the ark . The ark is only
a symbol of God's presence.
The children of Israel trusted in the ark rather than in
the Lord whom the ark spoke of.
They failed to realize that they were disobedient
because they had forsken the Lord. Outward observances of
rituals were useless when their hearts had left the Lord.
Behold , to obey is better than sacrifice. And to hearken
than the fats of rams.(1 Samuel 15:2)
They though the presence of the ark could bring deliverance.
The ark could not undo the effect of Israel's departure from
the Lord. The ark could not cancel the judgment of sins in
the family of Eli.
The foolishness of man perverts his way; and his heart
frets against the Lord(Proverb 19:3)
If the world of flesh and wickedness ae on the throne of
the heart, the outward observances of rituals are in vain
and are useless.
The Lord looks at the heart and not at the outer
appearances.
So the people sent their desires to Shiloh , that they
might bring from there the ark of the covenant of the
Lord of hosts ,which dwells bwtween the cherubims.
And the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas were there
with he ark of the covenant of God.
And when the ark of the covenant of the Lord came into the
camp, all Israel shouted with a great shout , so that the
earth rang again.
And when the Philistines heard the noise of the shout ,
they wnated to know what was the meaning of this great
noise in the camp of the Hebrews.And they understood that
the ark of the Lord was come into the camp.
The Philiistines knew the mighty power of the Lord.
The Philistines were afraid , for they said,
God is come unto the camp.
And they said ,
Woe to us , for there has not been such a thing up
to this time.
They knew that the Lord had smote the Egyptians with all
the plagues in the wilderness. They were afraid of the
Lord. They said,
Be strong, Philistines. Fight like men, or we will
become slaves to the Hebrews, just as they were our slaves.
So fight like men.
And the Philistines fought , and Israel was smitten. And
they fled every men into his tent. And there was a very
great slaughter; for there fell of Israel thirty thousand
footmen.
And the ark of God was taken ; and the two sons of Eli ,
Hopni and Phinehas , were slain.
And there ran a man of Benjamin out of the army, and came
to Shiloh the same day with his clothes rent, and with
earth upon his head.
And when he came , lo, Eli sat upon a seat by the wayside
watching ; for his heart trembled for the ark of God. And
when the man came into the city , and told it, all the
city cried out.
And when Eli heard the noise of the crying , he wanted to
know the reason for the noise of this tumult. And the man
came hastily , and told Eli. Now Eli was ninety-eight
years old. And his eyes were so dim that he could not see.
And the man said unto Eli,
I am he that came out of the army , and I fled today
out of the army.
And he said,
What is there done, my son.
And the messenger answered and said,
Israel is fled before the Philistines, and there has been
a great slaughter among the people, and your tow sons also
Hopni and Phinehas, are dead, and the ark of God is taken.
And it came to pass, when he made mention of the ark of God
that Eli fell off the seat backward by the side of the
gate, and his neck broke, and he died; for he was an
old man, and heavy. And he had judged Israel forty years.
And his daughter in law, Phinehas' wife was with child,
near delivered. And when she heard that the ark of God was
taken, and that her father-in-law and her husband were
dead, she bowed herself and travailed; for her pains came
upon her.And about the time of her death the women that
stood by her said unto her,
Fear not ; for you have born a son.
But she answered not , neither did she regard it. And she
named the child Ichabod, saying, The glory is departed from
Israel; because the ark of God was taken , and because of
her husband and her father-in-law.
And she said,
The glory is departed from Israel; for the ark of God is
taken.
THE ARK AMONG THE PHILISTINES
(1 SAMUEL 5:1-12)
And the Philistines took the ark of God, and brought it
from Ebanezar unto Ashbod. When the Philistines took the
ark of God, they brought it into the house of Dagan, and
set it by Dagan.
And when they of Ashbod arose early next morning, behold,
Dagan was fallen upon his face to the earth before the ark
of the Lord. And they took Dagan, set it in its place.
And when they arose early the next morning,behold, the idol
Dagan was fallen upon its face to the ground before the ark
of the Lord. And the head of Dagan and both the palms of
its hands were cut off upon the threshold ; only the stump
of Dagan was left .
Therefore neither the priests of Dagan , nor any that come
into Dagan's house , tread on the treshold of Dagan in
Ashdod unto this day.
But the hand of the Lord was heavy upon them of Ashdod, and
He destroyed them, and smote them with emorods, even Ashdod
and the coasts thereof.
And when the men of Ashdod sae that it was so they said,
The ark of the God of Israel shall not abide with us;
for His hand is sore upon us, and upon Dagan our god.
They did not want the ark of the Lord dwelling among them.
They therefore sent and gathered all the leaders of the
Philistines unto them, and said,
What shall we do with the ark of the God of Israel ?
And they answered,
Let the ark of the God of Israel be carried unto
Gath.
And they carried the ark of the God of Israel to that
place.And it was so , after they had carried it about,
the hand of the Lord was agsinst the city with a great
destruction. And He smote the man of the city, both small
and grat and they had diseases in their secret parts.
Therefore hey sent the ark of God to Ekron.
And it came to pass, as the ark of the Lord came to Ekron ,
that the Ekronites cried out saying,
They have brought about the ark of the God of Israel to
us, to slay us and our people.
So they sent and gathered all the leaders of the
Philistines and said,
Sent away the ark of the God of the Israel; and let it
go again to his own place, that it slay not us and our
people; for there was a deadly destruction throughout all
the city.
The hand of God was very heavy there.
And the men that died not were smitten with emorods. And the
cry of the city went up to heaven.
THE RETURN OF THE ARK
(1 SAMUEL 6:1-21)
The ark of the Lord was in the country of the Philistines
seven months. And the Philistines called for the priests and
diviners, saying,
What shall we do to the ark of the Lord? Tell us
wherewith we shall send it to his place.
And they said,
If you send the ark of God of Israel, send it not empty;
but in any wise return him a trespass offering. Then you
shall be healed, and it shall be known to you why his hand
is not removed from you .
Then they said,
What shall be the trespass offering which we shall
return to him ?
Thy foolishly thought that they could satisfy God with gifts
of gold, rather than by the sacrifices of obedience.
They , like many back-sliding Christians, were not dealing
with the heart-evil that had casued their suffering.
Behold ,to obey the Lord is better than sacrifice. And
to hearken to the Lord than the sacrifices of the fat of
the rams.
Why should you be stubborn , as the Pharaoh and the
Egyptians were ? Don't forget how the Lord made fools of
them until they let the children of Israel leave Egypt.
They said,
Take the ark of the Lord, and lay it upon the cart ;
and put the jewels of gold , which you return him for a
trspass offering, in a coffer by the side thereof; and
send it away, that it may go.
And the men took two cows , and tied them to the cart.
And they laid the ark of the Lord upon the cart, and the
coffer with the mice of gold and the images of their
emorods.
And the cows took straight way to the way of Bethshemesh,
and along the highway, lowing as they went, and turned
not aside to the right hand or to the left; and the
leaders of the Philistines went after them unto the
border of Bethshemesh.
The two cows knew the Lord, whom Hophni and Phinehas
knew not. The Lord made use of even brute creatures for
His glory. Now even the Philistunes knew the God of
Israel is Lord, because of what He did to them.
And they of Bethshemesh were reaping their wheat harvest
in the valley . And they lifted up their eyes , and saw the
ark , and they rejoiced to see it.
And the cart came into the field of Joshua, a Bethshemite,
and stood there, where there was a great stone.
And they clave the wood of the cart , and offered the cows
a burnt offering unto the Lord.
And the Levites took down the ark of the Lord, and the
coffer that was with it, wherein the jewels of gold
were, and put them on the great stone. And the men of
Bethshemesh offered burnt offerings and sacrifices the same
day unto the Lord.
And when the five lords of the Philistines had seen it ,
they returned to Ekron the same day.
And the Lord smote the men of Bethshemesh, because they had
looked into the ark of the Lord. And the people lamented
because the Lord had smitten many of the people with a
great slaughter.
And the men of Bethsehemesh said,
Who is able to stand before thi holy Lord God ? And
to whom shall he go up from us ?
And they sent messengers to the inhabitants of Kirjathjearim,
saying,
The Philistines have brought again the ark of the Lord;
Come down, and fetch it up to you.
And the men came and fetched up the ark of the Lord, and
brought it into the house of Abinadan in the hill, and ,
sanctified Eleazar his son to keep the ark of the Lord.
The Lord will find a resting place for His ark. Some people
thrust it away from them. But some folks receive it with all
their heart because they love the Lord.
When Christ and His disciples could not have public places,
they preached from house to house. The ark found a resting
place in a private house.
Twenty years had passed before the children of Israel were
ready to receive the ark of the Lord. During this time
Samuel the prophet laboured to bring the people back to
the Lord.
SAMUEL RULES ISRAEL
(1 SAMUEL 7:2-17)
And Samuel spoke unto all the house of Israel, saying,
If you do return unto the Lord with all your hearts,
then put away the strange gods and Ashtaroh from among you,
and prepare your hearts unto the Lord, and serve Him only;
And He will deliver you out of the hand of the Philistines.
Then the children of Israel did put away Baalim and
Ashtaroth, and served only the Lord.
And Samuel said,
Gather all Israel to Mizpeh , and I will pray for you
unto the Lord.
And they gathered together to Mizpeh, and drew water , and
poured it out before the Lord, and fasted pn that day, and
said ,
We have sinned against the Lord.
And Samuel judged the children of Israel in Mizpeh.
And when the Philistines heard that the children of
Israel were gathered together in Mizpeh , the leaders of
the Philistines went up againt Israel. And the children of
Israel were afraid of the Philistines.
And the children of Israel said to Samuel,
Cease not to cry unto the Lord our God for us, that
He will save us out of the hand of the Philistines.
And Samuel took a sucking lamb, and offered it for a burnt
offering wholly unto the Lord.
And Samuel cried unto the Lord for Israel ; and the Lord
heard him.
And as Samuel was offering up the burnt offering, the
Philistines drew near to battle against Israel; But
the Lord thundered with a great thunder on that day upon
the Philistines, and discormforted them. And they were
smitten before Israel.
And the men of Israel went out of Mizpeh , and pursued
the Philistines, and smote them, until they came under
Bethcar.
Then Samuel took a stone , and set it between Mizpeh and
shen, and called the name of it" Stone of Help."
So the Philistines were subdued , and they came no more into
to the coast of Israel. And the hand of the Lord was
against the Philistines all the days of Samuel.
And the cities which the Philistines had taken from Israel
were restored to Israel , from Ekron even unto Gath ;
and the coasts thereof did Israel deliver out of the
hands of the Philistines. And there was peace between
Israel and the Amorites.
And Samuel judged Israel all the days of his life. And he
went from year to year in circuit to Bethel, and Gilgal,
and Mizpeh. And he judged Israel in those places.
And his return was to Ramah ; for here was his house.
And there he judged Israel. And there he built an altar
unto the Lord.
The Levitical institutions had became a lifeless service.
There was sacrifices, fasts, feasts, rites of circumcision
and baptism. But the word of God tells us that these
ceremonies could be meaningless and unacceptable to God,
if the spirit of the worshipper was not right. It is with
this in mind that Jesus declared,
But the time is coming , and is already here, when the
real worshippers will worship the Father in spirit and in
truth. These are the worshipers the Father wants to worship
Him.
Then Jesus added,
God is spirit, and those who worship Him must worship
in spirit and in truth.(John 4:24)
Those who whorship the Lord in spirit and in truth, and not
by rote , ceremony are those whom God is more likely to
bless. God is not interested in lifeless service. God is
not interested in lifeless ceremony.
Behold to obey is better than sacrifice and to hearken
than the fats of rams
(1 Samuel 15:22)
God is interested in man's repentance, man's faith in Him,
and the love of God and man.
God wants us to love Him with all our heart, with all our
with all our mind and with all our strength.
Samuel did not continue the old order of ceremony because
he wanted to teach the people to worship the Lord in spirit
and in truth. And the Lord blessed the altar built by
Samuel.
THE PEOPLE ASKED FOR A KING
(1 SAMUEL 8:1-22)
When Samuel was old , he made his sons judge over Israel.
And his sons walked not in his ways, but turned aside
after money,and took bribes, and perverted judgment.
All the elders of Israel gathered themselves together,
and came to Samuel. They told Samuel that he was old and
that his sons walk not in his ways. And they wanted to
have a king to judge them like all the other nations.
But this thing displeased Samuel, when they said,
Give us a king to judge us.
And Samuel prayed unto the Lord.
When anything disturb us , we must show our trouble to
the Lord.
Be careful for nothing, but in everything by prayer and
supplication , with thanksgiving let your requests be
made known unto God, and the peace of God that passes
all understanding shall guard your hearts and your
thoughts in Christ Jesus. And the Lord told Samuel
to listen to the people,
Hearken unto the voice of the people in all that they
say unto you ; for they have not rejected you, but they
have rejected me that I should not reign over them.
According to all the works which
they have done since the day that I brought them up out
of Egypt even unto this day, wherewith they have forsaken
me, and served gods, so do they also unto you. Now
therefore hearken unto their voice ; but warn them solemnly
and let them know what the king who will reign over them
will do.
Israel was unlike the other pagan nations because the Lord
was their King. They rejected the Lord when they requested,
Make us a king to judge us like all the nations.
They have sinned against the Lord, when they attempt to
substitute the false for the true. This is idolatry .
These people turned from God as King and desired a human
king like the pagan nations.
It is one thing to reject the Lord, it is another thing to
dethrone Him.
It is possible to reject Him ; but it is impossible to
dethrone the Lord. The Lord always is the King of kings,
the Lord of lords.
And Samuel told all the words of the Lord unto the people
that asked of him a king. And Samuel said,
This will be the manner of the king that shall reign
over you. He will take your sons, and appoint them for
himself, for his chariots,and to be his horsemen; and some
shall run befor his chariots. And he will appoint captains
over thousand, and captains over fifties; and will set them
to ear his ground, and to reap his harvest, and to make his
instruments of war, and instruments of his chariot.
And he will take your daughters to be confectionaries, and
to be cooks, and to be bakers.
And he will take your fields , and your vineyards, and your
oliveyards, even the best of them, and give them to his
servants.
And he will take the tenth of your seed, and of your
vinyards , and give to his offers, and to his servants. And
he will take your menservants, and your maidservants, and
your goodiest young men, and your asses, and put them to
work for him. He will take the ten of your sheep ; and you
shall be his servants.
And you shall cry in that day because of your king which you
shall have chosen for yourself; and the Lord will not hear
you in that day.
Nevertheless the people refused to obey the voice of Samuel.
And they said,
Nay ; but we will have a king over us ; that we also may
be like all the nations ; and that our king may judge us,
and go out before us, and fight our battles.
And Samuel heard all the words of the people,
and he rehearsed them in the ears of the Lord.
And the Lord sad to Samuel,
Hearken unto their voice, and make them a king.
God moves ahead toward His goal and ultimate victory
because His ultimate victory is independent of the
attitudes of the people. The people rejected Him as
their King ; but the Lord is still the King.
SAUL AND HIS ANOINTING
(1 SAMUEL9,10,11)
Saul, the son of Kish, was sent to find his father's lost
asses. After three days of unsuccessful search, Saul's
servant urged him to seek counsel of the prophet, Samuel,
whose home was near-by Ramah.
And the Lord had revealed to Samuel that He was senting to
him the future king of Israel.
When Saul came, Samuel anointed Saul secretly as the king
of Israel.
In letting Saul become king , God answered the prayers of
the people's rebellion. Make us a king to judge us like all
the nations.
The tragedy of Saul stands as a witness to the tragic results
of disobedience and self-will with the respect to the plan
of the Lord.
Saul was the people's choice . Saul was handsome. Abd he
was a head taller than anyone else in Israel.And he was a
man of enormous physical strength. But he lacks spiritual
strength and spiritual power. Saul was a revelation to
Israel of what the possession of a king like the pagan.
really mean.
When the people saw their new king , standing a head
taller above everyone, they were delighted . Saul was
the people's choice. But God did not choose Saul to be king.
The failure of Saul is a revelation of the sin that had been
committed.
SAMUEL ADDRESSES THE PEOPLE
(1 SAMUEL 12:1-25)
And Samuel said unto all Israel,
Behold, I have hearkened unto your voice in all that you
said unto me, and have made aa king over you. And now ,
behold, I the king walks before you ; and I am old and
greyheaded. And behold, my sons are with you. And I have
walked before you from my childhood unto this day.
Behold, here I am.
Witness against me before the Lord, and beforehis
anointed; whose ox have I taken ? or whom have defrauded ?
whom have I oppressed ? or of whose hand have I received
amy bribe to blind mine eyes therewith ? and I will
restore you .
And they said,
You have not defrauded us, nor oppressed us, neither
have you taken anything from anyone.
And Samuel said unto them,
The Lord is witness against you, and also his anointed
is witness this day, that you have not found anything in
my hand.
And they answered ,
He is witness
Samuel declared his integrity as prophet-judge. The Lord and
His anointed Saul were witnesses that Samuel had given the
people no reason to be weary of the judges. Samuel pointed
out to them that the blame for desiring a king rested with
them.
And Samuel said unto the people,
It is the Lord that advanced Moses and Aaron, and
that brought your fathers up out of the land of Egypt.
Now therefore stand still, that I may reason with you
before the Lord of all the righteous acts of the Lord,
which He did to you and to your fathers.
When Jacob was come to Egypt, and your fathers cried
unto the Lord, then the Lord sent Moses and Aaron , which
forth your fathers out of Egypt, and made them dwell in
this place.
And when they forgot the Lord , He sold them into the hand
of Sisera, captain of the host of Hazor, and into the hand
of the Philistines, and into the hand of Moab, and they
fought against them.
And they cried unto the Lord , and said,
We have sinned,
because we have forsaken the Lord, and have served Baalim
and Ashtaroth, but now deliver us out of the hand of our
enemies, and we will serve you.
And the Lord sent Jerubbaal , and Bedan , and Jephthah,
and Samuel, and delivered you out of the hand of your
enemies on every side, and you dwelled safe.
And when you saw that Nahash the king of the children of
Ammon came against you, you said unto me, Nay; but a
king shall reign over us; when the Lord your God was
your King.
Now therefore behold the king whom you have chosen,
and whom you have desired . And behold the Lord has
set a king over you. If you will fear the Lord , and serve
Him, and obey His voice, and not rebel against the
commandment of the Lord,then shall both you and also the
king that reigns over you continue following the Lord your
God.
But if you will not obey the voice of the Lord , but rebel
against the commandment of the Lord , then shall the hand
of the Lord be against you, as it was against your fathers.
Now therefore stand and see the great thing, which the
Lord will do before your eyes.
Is it not wheat harvest today ? I will call unto the Lord ,
and He shall send thunder and rain ; that you may perceive
and see that your wickedness is great, which you have done
in the sight of the Lord, in asking for a king.
So Samuel called unto the Lord . And the Lord sent thunder
and rain that day. And all the people greatly feared the
Lord and Samuel.
And all the people said unto Samuel,
Pray for your servants unto the Lord your God, that
we die not ; for we have added unto all our sins this evil,
to ask us a king.
And Samuel said,
Fear not . You have done all this wickedness; yet turn
not aside from following the Lord, but serve the Lord with
all your heart. And turn you not aside; for then should you
go after vain things, which cannot profit not deliver ; for
they are win. For the Lord will not forsake His people for
His great name's sake; because it has pleased the Lord to
make you His people . Moreover as for me, God forbids that
I should sin against the Lord in ceasing to pray for you.
But I will teach you the good and right way.
Only fear the Lord , and serve Him in truth with all your
heart ; for consider how great things He has done for you.
But if you shall still do wickedly , you shall be consumed,
both you and your king.
The Lord was reigning , by adaptation, in order to advance
toward His ultimate victory.
And we know that all things work together for good to them
that love God, to them who are the called according to His
purpose.(Romans 8:28)
THE DISOBEDIENCE OF SAUL
(1SAMUEL 13,14,15)
Saul's success went rapidly to his head. He forgot that it
was the Lord who gave him these successes. He became too
proud. Saul had an insatiable appetite for popularity.
His ceaseless ambition and desire for popular favor of the
people led him to disobedience to God's will.
Saul showed his unbelief and disobedience in intruding into
the office of the priest.
Saul offered sacrifice , which was the appointed function
of priests. Instead of waiting for Samuel to come and offer
sacrifice, Saul took it upon himself to offer sacrifice.
And Samuel said to Saul,
You have done foolishly . You have not kept the
commandment of the Lord your God, which He commanded you ;
for the Lord would have established your kingdom over for
ever ;
But now your kingdom shall not continue . The Lord has
sought him a man after His own heart, and the Lord has
commanded him to be captain over His people, because you
have not kept that which the Lord commanded you.
The Lord can only use those who trust Him completely. And
sometimes He tests them by long delays. We must trust the
Lord with all our heart, with all our soul, with all our
mind, and with all our might.
It repented the Lord that He had set up Saul to be king,
for he had turned away from following the Lord, and had
not performed His commandments.
And it grieved Samuel ; and he cried unto the Lord all
night. Samuel pleaded with the Lord all night.
Samuel found Saul and told him what the Lord had said.
When you were little in your own sight , were you not
made head of the tribes of Israel , and the Lord sent you
on a journey to utterly destroy the sinners of the
Amalekites and to fight against them until they be
consumed. Why then did you not obey the voice of the Lord ,
but did fly upon the spoil, and did evil in the sight of
the Lord ?
Saul's silly order for his soldiers to abstain from food,
and his senseless death sentence for his son Jonathan
showed the people what a fool they had chosen for a king.
Saul would have put Jonathan to death rather than lose
face with the people.Saul did not value the preciousness
of a human life.But life is precious to the Lord. The
people moved with compassion and saved Jonathan's life.
When he was sent to destroy the Amalekites, Saul disobeyed
the Lord. Saul's disobedience was the result of his
self-will and pride. Saul clearly showed that he was not
a good king.
The Lord told Samuel that He was sorry that He made Saul
king. Saul had turned away from the Lord and disobeyed His
commandments.
The saving of sheep and oxen and the sparing of king Agag's
life was a disobedience to the command to "utterly destroy"
the Amalekites.
Saul tried to justified himself by saying,
But the people took the spoil, sheep, and oxen , the
chief of the things which should have been utrtely destroyed
to sacrifice unto the Lord your God in Gilgal.
And Samuel said,
Has the Lord as great delight in burnt offerings and
sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the Lord ? Behold ,
to obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken than fat of
rams. For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness
is iniquity and idolatry. Because you have rejected the word of the
Lord, He have rejected you from being king.
Saul confessed that he had sinned; but Saul did not repent
from his sin. He had rejected the commandment of the Lord,
and the Lord rejected him as king of Israel.
Saul was not concern about his wrong doing as he was in
saving his face before the people. Saul did not want to
repent from his sin. Saul wanted Samuel to honor him before
the people.
DAVID IS ANOITED KING
(1 SAMUEL 16:1-13)
And the Lord said to Samuel,
How long will you mourn for Saul , seeing I have
rejected him from reigning over Israel ? Fill your horn
with oil, and go . I will send you to Jesse the
Bethlehemite , for I have provided me a king among his sons.
And Samuel said,
How can I go ? If Saul hears it , he will kill me.
And the Lord said,
Take an heifer with you , and say, I am come to
sacrifice to the Lord. And call Jesse to the sacrifice,
and I will show you what you shall do . And you shall
anoint unto me him whom I name unto you.
And Samuel did that which the Lord spoke , and came
to Bethlehem.
And Samuel sanctified Jesse and his sons, and called them
to the sacrifice. and it came to pass, when they were come,
that he looked on Eliab, and said,
Surely the Lord's anointed is before Him.
But the Lord said unto Samuel,
Look not on his countenance, or on the height of his
stature; because I have refused him , for the Lord sees
not as man sees; for man looks on the outward appearance ,
but the Lord looks on heart.
Then Jesse called Abinadab, and made him pass before
Samuel. And he said,
Neither has the Lord chosen this.
Then Jesse made Shammah to pass by. And Samuel said,
Neither has the Lord chosen this.
And Jesse made seven of his sons to pass before samuel. And
Samuel said to Jesse,
The Lord has not chosen these.
And Samuel said to Jesse,
Are here all your children ?
And he said,
There remains yet the youngest , and behold, he keeps
the sheep.
And he sent, and brought him into Samuel. Now he was ruddy,
and handsome, and goodly to look to.
And the Lord said,
Arise, anoint him ; for this is he.
Then samuel took the horn of oil and anointed him in the
midst of his brethren ; and the Spirit of the Lord came
upon David from that day forward.
So Samuel rose up , and went to Ramah.
But the Spirit of the Lord departed from Saul, and evil
spirit troubled him.
David's fame as a musician brought him notice of Saul.
David would take a harp , and played with his hand ; so
Saul was refreshed , and was well, and the evil spirit
departed from him.
And after a brief time, David returned to the sheep herd.
SAUL'S JEALOUSY
The secret of David's success is his faith in the Lord.
These are David's words,
Put not your trust in princes, nor in the son of man,
in whom there is no help.(psalm 146:3)
It is better to trust in the Lord than to put confidence in
man.(Psalm 118:8)
It is better to trust in the Lord than to put confidence
in princes.(Psalm 118:10)
David was not afraid to fight the giant Goliath because
he had faith in the Lord to help defeat his enemy.
Suddenly David became the darling of the people because
the Lord was with him.
All Israel and Judah loved david.(1 Samuel 18:16)
And Saul was afraid of David , because the Lord was with
David, and departed from Saul.(1 Samuel 18:12)
And David behaved himself wisely , in all his ways;
and the Lord was with him.(1 Samuel 18:14)
Wherefore when Saul sae that David behaved himself wisely,
he was afraid of him.(1 Samuel 18:15)
And Saul saw and knew that the Lord was with David, and
that the Lord was with David, and that Michal Saul's
daughter loved him. And saul was yet more afraid of david ;
and Saul became David's enemy continually.(1 Samuel 18-28-29)
David's testimony in Psalm 131:2,
Surely I have behaved ad quieted myself was
confirmed by Samuel who wrote in 1Samuel 18:30 that
david behaved himself more wisely than all the
servants of Saul.
David behaved himself wisely in all his ways.(1 Samuel 18:14)
The ord of the Lord is a lamp unto David's feet and a light
unto his path. Contrast this with Saul's confession.
I have played the fool, and have erred exceedingly.
(1 Samuel 26:21)
Saul played the fool when he again and again tried to kill
David. Saul played the fool, but David acted with prudence.
Saul acknowledged being a fool , but kept being a fool.
THE DEATH OF SAUL
(1 Samuel 28, 29,30,31)
Saul so often had refused to listen to God's voice; and
now the Lord answered him not.When Samuel was alive ,
Saul did not value the prophet's godly advice . Now Samuel
had died, so there were no word of the Lord through him.
The Lord answered not to the disobedient, rejected Saul.
Many times Saul sought help from the Lord; but saul had done
so without putting away his sins that had come between him
and the Lord. If Saul had confessed and forsaken his sins,
the Lord would have surely forgiven him.
The Philistines had invaded the land. And Saul was
frightened. And he sought to talk to the spiirit of Samuel,
through the help of a witch.
When Samuel was alive , Saul never went to Samuel for
advice . If he had listened to Samuel, Saul would not have
played the fool.
Now Samuel had died , Saul wanted the witch to bring Samuel
up yo him so that he could inquire what to do about the
attacks of the Philistines.
In his better days, Saul had outlawed occultism, and had
cutted off those that have familiar spirits, and the wizards
out of the land. But now he went back to idolatry, as the
dog to its vomit or as a sow to its filth. It is forbidden
to speak to the dead(Deut. 18:11)
The witch did not call up the spirit of Samuel. She called
up the devil who disguised himself as Samuel.
The Lord did answer Saul by dreams nor did He answer him
by prophets.
If the Lord did not answer Saul , then the Lord surely
would not have answered him in any other methods.
Saul talked not with Samuel. Saul talked to the devil who
brought him news. The devil always brings bad news.
SAMUEL THE PROPHET
The old order changes , yielding place to the new , and
the Lord fulfils His purpose in many ways, lest one good
custom should corrupt the world.
Samuel's task was to lead the children of Israel out of
the era of Judges and into the era of the kings.
Samuel was a prophet. Peter said,
The prophets from Samuel and them that followed
after.
Samuel was the first of the prophetetic order. The
prophets were the instrumnts through whom the will of
the Lord was made known to the rulers and the people.
The children of Israel rejected the Lord as their king in
asking ,
Make us a king to judge us like all the nations.
It is possible to reject the Lord as King. But it is
impossible to dethrone the Lord. the Lord always reigns.
The Lord reigns by adaptation of His method to the
requirements of the hour.
The Lord reigns by adapation in order to advance His purpose
toward the ultimate victory . Men co-operate with the Lord
toward His purpose , either by failure or by loyalty.
God is almighty. The Lord rules everything that he has
created. There is no territory outside of His jurisdiction.
There is no person beyond His control. he Lord Jesus knows
every secret thing that is done in His creation.
God's ultimate victory is independent of the attitudes of
the people towads Him.The purpose of the Lord advances and
moves toward by adaptations through disobedience, through
success of failure , through men loyal or rebellious.
And we know that all things work together for good to
them who are the called according to His purpose.
(Romans 6:28).
The Lord will press into His service for His ultimate
victory all the folks who are loyal to Him, and they will
share the blessings of His victory. Samuel was obedient to
the Lord and was used and saved. David was obedient to
the Lord . He was used and saved.
The Lord will press into His service for His final victory
all the rebellious people and they will share the wrath of
His victory. Saul was disobedient . Saul was used and
casted away and destroyed.
Man's destiny depends on his attitude towards the Lord. The
faithful folks are saved. The rebellious people are
destroyed.
Samuel finished the works of the judges. Samuel bridged the
gulf betweeen the Judges and the kings. Samuel the prophet
laid the foundation of the prophetic office. The Lord uses
the prophets to make known His will to the rulers and to
the people.
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