Difference between revisions of "Samuel"

From Bible Wiki, www.natnee.com
Jump to navigation Jump to search
(Created page with "{{stub}} <p>Samuel means <em>"his name is El"</em>. He is the co judge of Samson and prophet/priest after Eli and he judged Israel all the days of his life, from 2799 FC to 2...")
 
 
(8 intermediate revisions by the same user not shown)
Line 1: Line 1:
−
{{stub}}
+
[[Category:Not Stub]]{{InfoBox
 +
|title = Samuel
 +
|caption = The last among the judges.
 +
|father = [[Elkanah]]
 +
|mother = [[Hannah]]
 +
|nationality = Israelite
 +
|tribe = Levi
 +
|occupation = Judge of Israel
 +
}}<p>Samuel <span style="unicode-bidi: embed;">([[Hebrew_language|Hebrew]]: &#1513;&#1456;&#1473;&#1502;&#1493;&#1468;&#1488;&#1461;&#1500;</span>) was the last of the [[judges]] and a distinguished [[prophet]]. He gave the [[Hebrews]] their first kings, [[Saul]] and [[David]]. He was the son of [[Elkanah]] and [[Hannah]], who was previously barren. While they lived in mount [[Ephraim]], [[Elkanah]] is listed in the genealogy of the tribe of [[Levi]], of the sons of [[Kohath]] (<span class="verse">1 Chronicles 6:22-28</span>).
  
−
<p>Samuel means <em>"his name is El"</em>. He is the co judge of Samson and prophet/priest after Eli and he judged Israel all the days of his life, from 2799 FC to 2897 FC (1169 BC&nbsp;&ndash; 1071 BC | 98 yrs).</p>
+
In symbol, Samuel represents [[God]] the Father.
  
−
<p>Both mothers of Samson and Samuel were barren before they were born <strong>(Judges 13:2, 1&nbsp;Samuel 1:2)</strong>. Both Samson and Samuel did not have "razon come upon their heads" <strong>(Judges 13:5, 1&nbsp;Samuel 1:11)</strong>. Samson was "dedicated" or is a Nazarite to the Lord <strong>(Judges 13:5)</strong>, while Samuel was given/lent to the Lord all the days of his life <strong>(1&nbsp;Samuel 1:11,28)</strong>. It is possible the they were born on the same year, for the same purpose, to judge Israel during the time of the Philistines?</p>
+
<p>__TOC__</p>
  
−
<p>Both of them grew and when Abdon died, the Israelites did evil in the sight of the Lord again <strong>(1&nbsp;Samuel 2:12-17, 3:12-13, Judges 13:1)</strong> so they were sold to the Philistines.</p>
+
==Etymology==
  
−
<p>Samuel probably knew about God's plan on Samson so he just let 20 years pass by.<p>
+
<p>According to Strong&rsquo;s [[Hebrew]] Concordance Samuel means &ldquo;his name is of [[God]]&rdquo;. The Holman Bible Dictionary states that Samuel was a &ldquo;[p]ersonal name in the Ancient Near East meaning, &lsquo;Sumu is [[God]]&rsquo; but understood in [[Israel]] as &lsquo;The name is [[God]]&rsquo;, &lsquo;[[God]] is exalted&rsquo;, or &lsquo;son of [[God]]&rsquo;.&rdquo; <ref>"Samuel&nbsp;&ndash; Holman Bible Dictionary". StudyLight.org. Retrieved 14 February 2018.</ref></p>
  
−
<p>And on the 20th year <strong>(Judges 16)</strong>, Samson died, which was probably heard on all of Israel. But even after that, they were still under the Philistines, the ark was still in Kirjathjearim, <em>"the time was long, for it was 20 years, and all the house of Israel lamented after the Lord."</em> <strong>(1&nbsp;Samuel 7:2)</strong>.</p>
+
==Life Summary==
  
−
<p>And so Samuel, took this chance on stirring Israel up so they would return to the Lord.</p>
+
<p>Samuel&rsquo;s mother [[Hannah]] was previously barren and as a condition for being given a son, she promised to dedicate him to the Lord. Samuel began to serve in the temple after he had been weaned under [[Eli]] the priest.</p>
  
−
==Why we chose that time?==
+
<p>When [[Israel]] was defeated by the [[Philistines]], the [[ark]] of [[God]] was taken. When [[Eli]] heard the news, he fell and died, and Samuel took over [[Eli]]&rsquo;s role. His hometown was [[Ramah]], but he also traveled to [[Bethel]], [[Mizpeh]], and [[Gilgal]] to judge and admonish the people.</p>
  
−
<p>Between Judges 13 and 1 Samuel 12 the timing of events gets very murky. I’ve reconstructed a plausible version of events but it’s complicated, so bear with me. In Judges 13:1, Israel is delivered into captivity to the Philistines for 40 years. Looking at your chart, you’ve already drawn in David and Saul, so you see there is only 40 years between Judges 13:1 and Saul. So this has to be the SAME captivity&nbsp:&ndash; there would be no room for another one, anyway!</<p>p>
+
<p>When Samuel was old, he appointed his sons to judge, but they were corrupt, and the people demanded a king like the nations around them. Samuel warned them about the things the king would require of them, but the people still rejected [[God]] from being their King. [[God]] chose [[Saul]] of [[Benjamin]] to be [[Israel]]&rsquo;s king, and Samuel anointed him in [[Mizpeh]].</p>
  
−
<p>The early part of 1 Samuel overlaps with Judges 13 and possibly <strong>Judges 12</strong> as well. The loss to the Philistines is described in Judges 13:1 and in 1 Samuel 4. This makes a bridge between these two scriptures. There Eli dies, after having judged Israel for 40 years (as a priest, apparently in a different capacity than Jephthah and Elon who must have been contemporary with him), and the Ark was lost to the Philistines.</p>
+
<p>Later [[God]] sent [[Saul]] against the [[Amelekites]], telling him to wholly destroy every person and all livestock. But [[Saul]] kept back the best of the cattle and sheep for the Lord, and he let [[Agag]] the king of the Amalekites live. Samuel confronted him, but [[Saul]] believed he had performed the will of the Lord. Samuel reminded him that &ldquo;to obey is better than sacrifice&rdquo; (<span class="verse">1 Samuel 15:22</span>), and told him that because he had rejected [[God]]&rsquo;s commandments, [[God]] had rejected him from being king over [[Israel]].</p>
  
−
<p>At that time, Samuel was a young man, whom all Israel knew was going to be a prophet <strong>(1 Samuel 3:20)</strong>. Now reading <strong>Judges 13:1</strong> carefully, it doesn’t say they were slaves 40 years! It said they were “delivered into the hand of the Philistines” for 40 years&nbsp:&ndash; that is, that each time they fought, they lost, which naturally eventually resulted in a state of occupation. They didn’t stop losing until the time of Saul <strong>(1 Samuel 9:16)</strong>, when there were still garrisons posted in Israel (1 Samuel 10:5).</p>
+
<p>Samuel later anointed [[David]] son of [[Jesse]] to be king of [[Israel]]. He returned to [[Ramah]] and presumably resumed his service to the people there until he died.</p>
  
−
<p>Therefore, between these two events was 40 years. The period between the death of Eli and the first captivity under Mesopotamia is easy to establish as 280 years. This leaves 37 years from the entry to the promised land for Joshua, and the elders who outlived Joshua, to die, and for Israel to sin and enter the first captivity. (This in turn means Jephthah's “300 year” claim was about 287 years).</p>
+
===Early Life===
  
−
<p>After the Ark was lost to the Philistines, it was in Philistia for 7 months <strong>(1 Samuel 6:1)</strong>. The Philistines, tired of hemorrhoids, returned it to Israel, and the divinely-guided cattle took it to Bethshemesh <strong>(verses 7-14)</strong>. Israel, having learned no respect at all for the power of God, looked into the Ark and died by the thousands (verse 19). Rather than repent, they gave the problem to someone else, a city called Kirjath-Jearim, where it stayed in the house of Abinadab for 20 years <strong>(1 Samuel 7:12)</strong>. Now the strange thing&nbsp:&ndash; verse 3. Eli died when the Ark was taken, and Samuel was young, yes; but respected. Why did Samuel wait 20 years to bring the Ark back to the tabernacle? And why, only then, did Samuel become a judge? <strong>(verse 6)</strong></p>
+
<p>Samuel&rsquo;s father was [[Elkanah]], and he had two wives named [[Hannah]] and [[Peninnah]]. They were from a place called Ramathaim-zophim, of mount [[Ephraim]].<ref>1 Samuel 1:1</ref> [[Peninnah]] had children, but [[Hannah]] had no children because she was barren.<ref>1 Samuel 1:2</ref> [[Hannah]] asked [[God]] to bless her with a child and made a vow that if [[God]] would give her a child, she would offer him to the Lord all the days of his life.<ref>1 Samuel 1:11</ref> [[God]] later gave her a child, whom she named Samuel saying &ldquo;because I have asked him of the LORD&rdquo; (<span class="verse">1 Samuel 1:20</span>).</p>
  
−
==From Wikipedia==
+
<p>His parents kept the Lord&rsquo;s yearly feasts mentioned in Leviticus 23.<ref>1 Samuel 1:3, 21</ref> But when Samuel was born his mother [[Hannah]] did not make the trips until he was a bit older, because he was still a suckling. When the boy was weaned, she took him to the temple where he was to apprentice under [[Eli]] who was the priest in the temple of the Lord.<ref>1 Samuel 1:9, 3:1</ref></p>
  
−
<p>Samuel is a figure who, in the narratives of the Hebrew Bible, plays a key role in the transition from the period of the biblical judges to the institution of a kingdom under Saul, and again in the transition from Saul to David. He is venerated as a prophet by Jews, Christians, and Muslims. In addition to his role in the Hebrew Scriptures, Samuel is mentioned in the New Testament, in rabbinical literature, and in the second chapter of the Qur'an, although here not by name.</p>
+
<p>&ldquo;Samuel grew on and was in favor both with [[God]] and men&rdquo; (<span class="verse">1 Samuel 2:26</span>) and &ldquo;all [[Israel]]... knew that Samuel was established to be a prophet of the LORD&rdquo; (<span class="verse">1 Samuel 3:20</span>).</p>
−
<p>He is also treated in the fifth through seventh books of Josephus's Antiquities of the Jews, written in the first century CE (AD). He is first called the Seer in 1 Samuel 9:9.</p>
 
  
−
===Family===
+
<p>One night while both [[Eli]] and Samuel were asleep the Lord called Samuel and he woke up thinking it was the priest who called him; this happened three times. And [[Eli]] understood the third time that it was the Lord who was calling the child. The priest told the child that when the Lord called again, he should respond by saying &ldquo;Speak, Lord; for thy servant heareth&rdquo; (<span class="verse">1 Samuel 3:3-9</span>). When [[God]] called again as other times, the boy answered, and [[God]] told him what He was going to do to [[Israel]] and [[Eli]]&rsquo;s house. He was angry at [[Eli]]&rsquo;s sons who had &ldquo;made themselves vile&rdquo; and at [[Eli]] who had not restrained them (<span class="verse">1 Samuel 3:13</span>). After hearing this Samuel went back to sleep and told [[Eli]] in the morning everything that [[God]] told him.<ref>1 Samuel 3:10-18</ref></p>
  
−
<p>Samuel's mother was Hannah and his father was Elkanah. Elkanah lived at Ramathaim in the district of Zuph.</p>
+
===Samuel Becomes a Judge===
  
−
<p>His genealogy is also found in a pedigree of the Kohathites (1 Chronicles 6:3–15) and in that of Heman the Ezrahite, apparently his grandson (1 Chronicles 6:18–33).</p>
+
<p>Later, [[Israel]] went out to war against the [[Philistines]], and [[Israel]] was defeated.<ref>1 Samuel 4:1-2</ref> [[Eli]]&rsquo;s sons were killed and the [[ark]] of [[God]] was taken.<ref>1 Samuel 4:11</ref> One of the soldiers managed to escape and reported what happened to [[Eli]]. When he heard that the [[ark]] of [[God]] had been taken, he fell from his seat, broke his neck, and died.<ref>1 Samuel 4:12-18</ref></p>
  
−
<p>According to the genealogical tables in Chronicles, Elkanah was a Levite - a fact not mentioned in the books of Samuel. The fact that Elkanah, a Levite, was denominated an Ephraimite is analogous to the designation of a Levite belonging to Judah (Judges 17:7, for example).</p>
+
<p>However, the [[ark]] of [[God]] brought a curse upon the land of the [[Philistines]] for seven months.<ref>1 Samuel 5-6</ref> They returned it back to the people of [[Israel]] and it abode in [[Kirjath-jearim]] where [[Eleazar]] the son of [[Abinadab]] took care of it.<ref>1 Samuel 7:1</ref></p>
  
−
<p>According to 1 Samuel 1:1–28, Elkanah had two wives, Peninnah and Hannah. Peninnah had children; Hannah did not. Nonetheless, Elkanah favored Hannah. Jealous, Penninah reproached Hannah for her lack of children, causing Hannah much heartache. The relationship of Penninah and Hannah recalls that between Hagar and Sarah.</p>
+
<p>Samuel took over as judge and priest after [[Eli]]&rsquo;s death. He traveled extensively dealing with matters in [[Bethel]], [[Mizpeh]], [[Gilgal]], and [[Ramah]] his birthplace.<ref>1 Samuel 7:15-17</ref> He urged the children of [[Israel]] to turn from their idols and return to [[God]], who would save them from the [[Philistines]]; the children agreed and fasted, and [[God]] delivered them from their enemy.<ref>1 Samuel 7:3-17</ref></p>
−
<p>Elkanah was a devout man and would periodically take his family on pilgrimage to the holy site of Shiloh. The motif of Elkanah and Hannah as devout, childless parents will reoccur with Zachariah and Elizabeth and the birth of John the Baptist, and with Joachim and Saint Anne and the birth of Mary, mother of Jesus.</p>
 
  
−
<p>On one occasion Hannah went to the sanctuary and prayed for a child. In tears, she vowed that if she were granted a child, she would dedicate him to God as a Nazirite.</p>
+
===Samuel Anoints [[Saul]]===
−
<p>Eli, who was sitting at the foot of the doorpost in the sanctuary at Shiloh, saw her apparently mumbling to herself and thought she was drunk but was soon assured of her motivation and sobriety. Eli was the priest of Shiloh, and one of the last Israelite Judges before the rule of kings in ancient Israel. He had assumed the leadership after Samson's death.</p>
 
−
<p>Eli blessed her and she returned home. Subsequently, Hannah became pregnant and gave birth to Samuel. Hannah's exultant hymn of thanksgiving resembles in several points Mary's later Magnificat.</p>
 
  
−
<p>After the child was weaned, she left him in Eli's care, and from time to time she would come to visit her son.</p>
+
<p>When Samuel was old, he appointed his sons [[Joel]] and Abiah to judge [[Israel]]. They were judges in [[Beer-sheba]].<ref>1 Samuel 8:1-2</ref> His sons did not follow their father&rsquo;s teaching; they &ldquo;took bribes and perverted judgment&rdquo; (<span class="verse">1 Samuel 8:3</span>). The elders of [[Israel]] were not happy about this, so they complained to Samuel and asked him to give them a king like other nations.<ref>1 Samuel 8:5</ref></p>
−
 
−
===Name===
 
  
−
According to 1 Samuel 1:20, Hannah named Samuel to commemorate her prayer to God for a child. "...
+
<p>Samuel did not like the idea, but [[God]] instructed him to give them a king, but also to &ldquo;protest solemnly unto them, and shew them the manner of the king that shall reign over them&rdquo; (<span class="verse">1 Samuel 8:6-9</span>). [[God]] sent them [[Saul]] of the tribe of [[Benjamin]].<ref>1 Samuel 9:15-17</ref> There was a special sacrifice of the people that day, and Samuel invited [[Saul]] to join him for the banquet, giving him the chiefest seat and the best portion of food.<ref>1 Samuel 9:12, 19, 22-24</ref> The next morning Samuel called [[Saul]] so they could talk again privately before he left.<ref>1 Samuel 9:26-27</ref></p>
−
called his name Samuel, saying, Because I have asked him of the Lord" (KJV). The Hebrew root rendered as "asked" in the KJV is "sha’al", a word mentioned seven times in 1 Samuel 1. Once it is even mentioned in the form "sha’ul", Saul’s name in Hebrew (1 Samuel 1:28).
 
  
−
According to the Holman Bible Dictionary, Samuel was a "
+
<p>Then Samuel took a flask of oil and anointed him to be king of [[Israel]].<ref>1 Samuel 10:1</ref> He gave him instructions and sent him away. Samuel called a meeting with the people to [[Mizpeh]] to tell them [[God]]&rsquo;s message.<ref>1 Samuel 10:17</ref> He showed the people that [[God]] had chosen a man from the tribe of [[Benjamin]] to be their king since they had rejected Him. [[Saul]] was found to be the chosen one, and he tried to hide himself in vain.<ref>1 Samuel 10:20-24</ref> After the inauguration Samuel laid out how the kingdom would be structured.<ref>1 Samuel 10:25</ref></p>
−
ersonal name in the Ancient Near East meaning, 'Sumu is God' but understood in Israel as 'The name is God,' 'God is exalted,' or 'son of God.'"
 
−
 
  
−
===Calling===
+
<p>Samuel renewed the kingdom with [[Saul]] in [[Gilgal]] after [[Saul]] had defeated [[Nahash]] the [[Ammonite]], who had come against [[Jabesh-gilead]] and threatened to put out the right eyes of all the men of [[Israel]]. At the renewal of the kingdom, [[Saul]] was made king before the Lord, sacrifices were made, and there was great rejoicing.<ref>1 Samuel 11</ref></p>
  
−
Samuel worked under Eli in the service of the shrine at Shiloh. One night, Samuel heard a voice calling his name. According to the first-century Jewish historian Josephus, Samuel was about 11 years old.
+
===Samuel Is Displeased With [[Saul]]===
−
Samuel initially assumed it was coming from Eli and went to Eli to ask what he wanted. Eli, however, sent Samuel back to sleep. After this happened three times, Eli realised that the voice was the Lord's, and instructed Samuel on how to answer:
 
  
−
    If He calls you, then you must say, "Speak, Lord, for Your servant hears".
+
<p>After [[Saul]]&rsquo;s son [[Jonathan]] attacked a garrison of the [[Philistines]] at Geba, the [[Philistines]] challenged [[Israel]] at [[Gilgal]].<ref>1 Samuel 13:3-5</ref> Samuel had previously instructed [[Saul]] to wait seven days for him and not to engage the enemy until he arrived to present the offering to [[God]].<ref>1 Samuel 13:8</ref>. But [[Saul]] took upon himself to offer the offering instead of Samuel because Samuel delayed coming.<ref>1 Samuel 13:9</ref> Immediately after [[Saul]] had offered the offering, Samuel arrived and rebuked him for his foolish act; he told him that [[God]] would have established his kingdom forever, but now his kingdom would not continue.<ref>1 Samuel 13:11-14</ref> Because he did not obey what was commanded, [[God]] was going to look for another man after His own heart who would be king of [[Israel]].<ref>1 Samuel 13:14</ref></p>
  
 +
<p>[[God]] remembered what Amalek did to his people [[Israel]] and sent Samuel to [[Saul]] with the instructions to smite all Amalek with his possessions, sparing nothing.<ref>1 Samuel 15:1-3</ref> Once again, [[Saul]] did not do all that was commanded, for he spared [[Agag]] the king of Amalek and the best cattle; he did not utterly destroy them.<ref>1 Samuel 15:8-9</ref> And [[God]] told Samuel that He regretted making [[Saul]] king because he stopped following His commandments. Samuel was also disappointed with the way the king of [[Israel]] acted.<ref>1 Samuel 15:10-11</ref></p>
  
−
Once Samuel responded, the Lord told him that the wickedness of the sons of Eli had resulted in their dynasty being condemned to destruction.
+
<p>Samuel confronted [[Saul]] and asked him why some of the cattle and sheep of the Amalekites were spared, and the king said the people wanted to offer the best cattle and sheep to [[God]], but the rest they utterly destroyed.<ref>1 Samuel 15:13-15</ref> Samuel also told [[Saul]] that when he thought less of himself [[God]] lifted him up to be king of [[Israel]].<ref>1 Samuel 15:17</ref> Then he asked him why he did not fully obey [[God]] concerning the Amalekites. [[Saul]] answered by claiming that he did obey what [[God]] said and made excuses blaming the people.<ref>1 Samuel 15:19-21</ref> The king realized the seriousness of his sin after Samuel told him that [[God]] had rejected him, and he pleaded with Samuel to forgive his mistake, but the prophet refused.<ref>1 Samuel 15:23-26</ref> When Samuel was leaving, [[Saul]] grabbed his garment, and it tore; Samuel told him that his kingdom was torn from that moment and someone better than him would take over as the new king.<ref>1 Samuel 15:27-28</ref></p>
−
In the morning, Samuel was hesitant about reporting the message to Eli, but Eli asked him honestly to recount to him what he had been told by the Lord. Upon receiving the communication, Eli merely said that the Lord should do what seems right unto him.
 
  
−
This event established that Samuel was now "established as a prophet of the Lord" and "all Israel from Dan to Beersheba" became aware of his prophetic calling.
+
<p>Then Samuel finished the job which [[Saul]] failed to do and killed the king of Amalek.<ref>1 Samuel 15:32-33</ref> After that he went back to his hometown [[Ramah]], and that was the last time he saw [[Saul]].<ref>1 Samuel 15:34-35</ref> However, there is a unique event recorded whereby Samuel did see [[Saul]] again, on the day of [[Saul]]&rsquo;s death. The day before [[Saul]] died, he found a witch and held a séance with her to talk to the dead Samuel. And Samuel came up out of the flames and rebuked [[Saul]] for disturbing him and finally prophesied his and his son&rsquo;s death.<ref>1 Samuel 28:15-19</ref></p>
−
Anglican theologian Donald Spence Jones comments that "the minds of all the people were thus gradually prepared when the right moment came to acknowledge Samuel as a God-sent chieftain"
 
−
 
  
−
===Leader===
+
===Samuel Anoints [[David]]===
  
−
During Samuel's youth at Shiloh, the Philistines inflicted a decisive defeat against the Israelites at Eben-Ezer, placed the land under Philistine control, and took the sanctuary's Ark for themselves. Upon hearing the news of the capture of the Ark of the Covenant, and the death of his sons, Eli collapsed and died. When the Philistines had been in possession of the Ark for seven months and had been visited with calamities and misfortunes, they decided to return the Ark to the Israelites.
+
<p>While Samuel was still mourning [[Saul]] for being rejected as king, [[God]] told the prophet to forget about him and go to the house of [[Jesse]], where he would find the next king of [[Israel]].<ref>1 Samuel 16:1</ref></p>
  
−
According to Bruce C. Birch, Samuel was a key figure in keeping the Israelites' religious heritage and identity alive during Israel's defeat and occupation by the Philistines. "
+
<p>Samuel feared that [[Saul]] would kill him when he found out, but [[God]] told him that his visit would be as a priest making a sacrifice. He was to invite [[Jesse]] to the meal, and [[God]] would show him the man that he shall anoint.<ref>1 Samuel 16:2-3</ref></p>
−
t may have been possible and necessary for Samuel to exercise authority in roles that would normally not converge in a single individual (priest, prophet, judge)."
 
  
−
After 20 years of oppression, Samuel, who had gained national prominence as a prophet (1 Samuel 3:20), summoned the people to the hill of Mizpah, and led them against the Philistines. The Philistines, having marched to Mizpah to attack the newly amassed Israelite army, were soundly defeated and fled in terror. The retreating Philistines were slaughtered by the Israelites. The text then states that Samuel erected a large stone at the battle site as a memorial, and there ensued a long period of peace thereafter.  
+
<p>When he arrived in [[Bethlehem]], the elders of the town gathered with [[Jesse]] and his sons.<ref>1 Samuel 16:5</ref> Samuel thought [[Eliab]] was the chosen king because of his height, but [[God]] informed him that it was not him. [[Jesse]] called seven of his sons before the prophet, but none of them was chosen.<ref>1 Samuel 16:6-10</ref> But one of [[Jesse]]&rsquo;s son was not present, as he was taking care of his father&rsquo;s sheep, and the prophet asked to see him. And when he was brought in, [[God]] told Samuel that this was the man He had chosen.<ref>1 Samuel 16:11-12</ref> So Samuel anointed him and went back to [[Ramah]]. Samuel died and was buried in his house at [[Ramah]].<ref>1 Samuel 25:1</ref></p>
  
−
===King-maker===
+
==The Symbolism Of Samuel==
  
−
Samuel initially appointed his two sons Joel and Abijah as his successors; however, just like Eli's sons, Samuel's proved unworthy. The Israelites rejected them. Because of the external threat from other tribes, such as the Philistines, the tribal leaders decided that there was a need for a more unified, central government,
+
<p>Everyone knows that [[David]] is a type of [[Christ]]. Using this information, you can discover who Samuel is a type of.</p>
−
and demanded Samuel appoint a king so that they could be like other nations. Samuel interpreted this as a personal rejection, and at first was reluctant to oblige, until reassured by a divine revelation.
 
−
He warned the people of the potential negative consequences of such a decision. When Saul and his servant were searching for his father's lost asses, the servant suggested consulting the nearby Samuel. Samuel recognized Saul as the future king.
 
  
−
Just before his retirement, Samuel gathered the people to an assembly at Gilgal, and delivered a farewell speech
+
<p>[[David]] was &ldquo;a man after mine own heart&rdquo; (<span class="verse">Acts 13:22</span>), meaning that [[Jesus]] had found a man after His own heart in [[David]]. Or you might say that [[Jesus]] was a kindred spirit with [[David]]. As an added reason to believe that they are &ldquo;types&rdquo; of one another, we have the fact that almost every psalm of [[David]] contains at least one clear prophecy of [[Christ]], and of course, both were born in [[Bethlehem]]<ref>1 Samuel 16:1</ref><ref>Luke 2:4</ref>.</p>
−
or coronation speech
 
−
in which he emphasised how prophets and judges were more important than kings, that kings should be held to account, and that the people should not fall into idol worship, or worship of Asherah or of Baal. Samuel promised that God would subject the people to foreign invaders should they disobey. This is seen by some as a deuteronomic redaction;
 
−
since archaeological finds indicate that Asherah was still worshipped in Israelite households well into the sixth century. However, 1 Kings 11:5, 33 and 2 Kings 23:13 note that the Israelites fell into Asherah worship later on.
 
−
 
  
−
===Critic of Saul===
+
<p>[[David]] was anointed by &ldquo;the Lord [[God]] of [[Israel]]&rdquo; (<span class="verse">2 Samuel 12:7</span>). Samuel, of course, performed the anointing on the Lord&rsquo;s behalf, but it was the Lord who had chosen [[David]]. The word &ldquo;[[messiah]]&rdquo; is an untranslated [[Hebrew]] word that means &ldquo;anointed&rdquo;, so technically anyone who was anointed was a [[messiah]]&nbsp;&ndash; prophets, priests, kings, etc. The Greek word &ldquo;[[Christ]]&rdquo; also means &ldquo;anointed one&rdquo;.</p>
  
−
When Saul was preparing to fight the Philistines, Samuel denounced him for proceeding with the pre-battle sacrifice without waiting for the overdue Samuel to arrive. He prophesied that Saul's rule would see no dynastic succession.
+
<p>Another thing [[Jesus]] and [[David]] have in common is that they were both anointed by [[God]]. Compare <span class="verse">2 Samuel 12:7</span> and <span class="verse">Acts 4:24-27</span>. It stands to reason that since they are types of each other, and they were anointed by the same person, then the physical person who performed the anointing is a type of the spiritual person who performed the anointing. So we can infer that Samuel represented [[God]] the Father.</p>
  
−
Samuel directed Saul to "utterly destroy" the Amalekites in fulfilment of the commandment in Deuteronomy 25:17–19:
+
To read the full story, click [https://www.thesimpleanswers.com/articles/2020/03/20/symbolism-of-saul-satan-and-samuel here].
  
−
    When the Lord your God has given you rest from your enemies all around, in the land which the Lord your God is giving you to possess as an inheritance, ... you will blot out the remembrance of Amalek from under heaven.
+
==References==
  
−
During the campaign against the Amalekites, King Saul spared Agag, the king of the Amalekites, and the best of their livestock. Saul told Samuel that he had spared the choicest of the Amalekites' sheep and oxen, intending to sacrifice the livestock to the Lord. This was in violation of the Lord's command, as pronounced by Samuel, to "... utterly destroy all that they have, and spare them not; but slay both man and woman, infant and suckling, ox and sheep, camel and ass" (1 Samuel 15:3, KJV). Samuel confronted Saul for his disobedience and told him that God made him king, and God can unmake him king. Samuel then proceeded to execute Agag. Saul never saw Samuel alive again after this.
+
<references/>
−
 
−
 
 
−
Samuel then proceeded to Bethelehem and secretly anointed David as king. He would later provide sanctuary for David, when the jealous Saul first tried to have him killed.
 
−
 
 
−
===Death===
 
−
 
 
−
Samuel is described in the biblical narrative as being buried in Ramah.
 
−
According to tradition, this burial place has been identified with Samuel's tomb in the West Bank village of Nabi Samwil.
 
−
 
 
−
 
 
−
 
 
−
Some time after his death, Saul had the Witch of Endor conjure Samuel's ghost in order to predict the result of an up-coming battle. This passage is ascribed by textual scholars to the Republican Source. Classical rabbinical sources say that Samuel was terrified by the ordeal, having expected to be appearing to face God's judgment, and had, therefore, brought Moses with him (to the land of the living) as a witness to his adherence to the mitzvot.
 

Latest revision as of 06:21, 18 June 2020

Samuel
The last among the judges.
Nationality Israelite
Tribe Levi
Father Elkanah
Mother Hannah
Occupation Judge of Israel

Samuel (Hebrew: שְׁמוּאֵל) was the last of the judges and a distinguished prophet. He gave the Hebrews their first kings, Saul and David. He was the son of Elkanah and Hannah, who was previously barren. While they lived in mount Ephraim, Elkanah is listed in the genealogy of the tribe of Levi, of the sons of Kohath (1 Chronicles 6:22-28).

In symbol, Samuel represents God the Father.

Etymology

According to Strong’s Hebrew Concordance Samuel means “his name is of God”. The Holman Bible Dictionary states that Samuel was a “[p]ersonal name in the Ancient Near East meaning, ‘Sumu is God’ but understood in Israel as ‘The name is God’, ‘God is exalted’, or ‘son of God’.” [1]

Life Summary

Samuel’s mother Hannah was previously barren and as a condition for being given a son, she promised to dedicate him to the Lord. Samuel began to serve in the temple after he had been weaned under Eli the priest.

When Israel was defeated by the Philistines, the ark of God was taken. When Eli heard the news, he fell and died, and Samuel took over Eli’s role. His hometown was Ramah, but he also traveled to Bethel, Mizpeh, and Gilgal to judge and admonish the people.

When Samuel was old, he appointed his sons to judge, but they were corrupt, and the people demanded a king like the nations around them. Samuel warned them about the things the king would require of them, but the people still rejected God from being their King. God chose Saul of Benjamin to be Israel’s king, and Samuel anointed him in Mizpeh.

Later God sent Saul against the Amelekites, telling him to wholly destroy every person and all livestock. But Saul kept back the best of the cattle and sheep for the Lord, and he let Agag the king of the Amalekites live. Samuel confronted him, but Saul believed he had performed the will of the Lord. Samuel reminded him that “to obey is better than sacrifice” (1 Samuel 15:22), and told him that because he had rejected God’s commandments, God had rejected him from being king over Israel.

Samuel later anointed David son of Jesse to be king of Israel. He returned to Ramah and presumably resumed his service to the people there until he died.

Early Life

Samuel’s father was Elkanah, and he had two wives named Hannah and Peninnah. They were from a place called Ramathaim-zophim, of mount Ephraim.[2] Peninnah had children, but Hannah had no children because she was barren.[3] Hannah asked God to bless her with a child and made a vow that if God would give her a child, she would offer him to the Lord all the days of his life.[4] God later gave her a child, whom she named Samuel saying “because I have asked him of the LORD” (1 Samuel 1:20).

His parents kept the Lord’s yearly feasts mentioned in Leviticus 23.[5] But when Samuel was born his mother Hannah did not make the trips until he was a bit older, because he was still a suckling. When the boy was weaned, she took him to the temple where he was to apprentice under Eli who was the priest in the temple of the Lord.[6]

“Samuel grew on and was in favor both with God and men” (1 Samuel 2:26) and “all Israel... knew that Samuel was established to be a prophet of the LORD” (1 Samuel 3:20).

One night while both Eli and Samuel were asleep the Lord called Samuel and he woke up thinking it was the priest who called him; this happened three times. And Eli understood the third time that it was the Lord who was calling the child. The priest told the child that when the Lord called again, he should respond by saying “Speak, Lord; for thy servant heareth” (1 Samuel 3:3-9). When God called again as other times, the boy answered, and God told him what He was going to do to Israel and Eli’s house. He was angry at Eli’s sons who had “made themselves vile” and at Eli who had not restrained them (1 Samuel 3:13). After hearing this Samuel went back to sleep and told Eli in the morning everything that God told him.[7]

Samuel Becomes a Judge

Later, Israel went out to war against the Philistines, and Israel was defeated.[8] Eli’s sons were killed and the ark of God was taken.[9] One of the soldiers managed to escape and reported what happened to Eli. When he heard that the ark of God had been taken, he fell from his seat, broke his neck, and died.[10]

However, the ark of God brought a curse upon the land of the Philistines for seven months.[11] They returned it back to the people of Israel and it abode in Kirjath-jearim where Eleazar the son of Abinadab took care of it.[12]

Samuel took over as judge and priest after Eli’s death. He traveled extensively dealing with matters in Bethel, Mizpeh, Gilgal, and Ramah his birthplace.[13] He urged the children of Israel to turn from their idols and return to God, who would save them from the Philistines; the children agreed and fasted, and God delivered them from their enemy.[14]

Samuel Anoints Saul

When Samuel was old, he appointed his sons Joel and Abiah to judge Israel. They were judges in Beer-sheba.[15] His sons did not follow their father’s teaching; they “took bribes and perverted judgment” (1 Samuel 8:3). The elders of Israel were not happy about this, so they complained to Samuel and asked him to give them a king like other nations.[16]

Samuel did not like the idea, but God instructed him to give them a king, but also to “protest solemnly unto them, and shew them the manner of the king that shall reign over them” (1 Samuel 8:6-9). God sent them Saul of the tribe of Benjamin.[17] There was a special sacrifice of the people that day, and Samuel invited Saul to join him for the banquet, giving him the chiefest seat and the best portion of food.[18] The next morning Samuel called Saul so they could talk again privately before he left.[19]

Then Samuel took a flask of oil and anointed him to be king of Israel.[20] He gave him instructions and sent him away. Samuel called a meeting with the people to Mizpeh to tell them God’s message.[21] He showed the people that God had chosen a man from the tribe of Benjamin to be their king since they had rejected Him. Saul was found to be the chosen one, and he tried to hide himself in vain.[22] After the inauguration Samuel laid out how the kingdom would be structured.[23]

Samuel renewed the kingdom with Saul in Gilgal after Saul had defeated Nahash the Ammonite, who had come against Jabesh-gilead and threatened to put out the right eyes of all the men of Israel. At the renewal of the kingdom, Saul was made king before the Lord, sacrifices were made, and there was great rejoicing.[24]

Samuel Is Displeased With Saul

After Saul’s son Jonathan attacked a garrison of the Philistines at Geba, the Philistines challenged Israel at Gilgal.[25] Samuel had previously instructed Saul to wait seven days for him and not to engage the enemy until he arrived to present the offering to God.[26]. But Saul took upon himself to offer the offering instead of Samuel because Samuel delayed coming.[27] Immediately after Saul had offered the offering, Samuel arrived and rebuked him for his foolish act; he told him that God would have established his kingdom forever, but now his kingdom would not continue.[28] Because he did not obey what was commanded, God was going to look for another man after His own heart who would be king of Israel.[29]

God remembered what Amalek did to his people Israel and sent Samuel to Saul with the instructions to smite all Amalek with his possessions, sparing nothing.[30] Once again, Saul did not do all that was commanded, for he spared Agag the king of Amalek and the best cattle; he did not utterly destroy them.[31] And God told Samuel that He regretted making Saul king because he stopped following His commandments. Samuel was also disappointed with the way the king of Israel acted.[32]

Samuel confronted Saul and asked him why some of the cattle and sheep of the Amalekites were spared, and the king said the people wanted to offer the best cattle and sheep to God, but the rest they utterly destroyed.[33] Samuel also told Saul that when he thought less of himself God lifted him up to be king of Israel.[34] Then he asked him why he did not fully obey God concerning the Amalekites. Saul answered by claiming that he did obey what God said and made excuses blaming the people.[35] The king realized the seriousness of his sin after Samuel told him that God had rejected him, and he pleaded with Samuel to forgive his mistake, but the prophet refused.[36] When Samuel was leaving, Saul grabbed his garment, and it tore; Samuel told him that his kingdom was torn from that moment and someone better than him would take over as the new king.[37]

Then Samuel finished the job which Saul failed to do and killed the king of Amalek.[38] After that he went back to his hometown Ramah, and that was the last time he saw Saul.[39] However, there is a unique event recorded whereby Samuel did see Saul again, on the day of Saul’s death. The day before Saul died, he found a witch and held a séance with her to talk to the dead Samuel. And Samuel came up out of the flames and rebuked Saul for disturbing him and finally prophesied his and his son’s death.[40]

Samuel Anoints David

While Samuel was still mourning Saul for being rejected as king, God told the prophet to forget about him and go to the house of Jesse, where he would find the next king of Israel.[41]

Samuel feared that Saul would kill him when he found out, but God told him that his visit would be as a priest making a sacrifice. He was to invite Jesse to the meal, and God would show him the man that he shall anoint.[42]

When he arrived in Bethlehem, the elders of the town gathered with Jesse and his sons.[43] Samuel thought Eliab was the chosen king because of his height, but God informed him that it was not him. Jesse called seven of his sons before the prophet, but none of them was chosen.[44] But one of Jesse’s son was not present, as he was taking care of his father’s sheep, and the prophet asked to see him. And when he was brought in, God told Samuel that this was the man He had chosen.[45] So Samuel anointed him and went back to Ramah. Samuel died and was buried in his house at Ramah.[46]

The Symbolism Of Samuel

Everyone knows that David is a type of Christ. Using this information, you can discover who Samuel is a type of.

David was “a man after mine own heart” (Acts 13:22), meaning that Jesus had found a man after His own heart in David. Or you might say that Jesus was a kindred spirit with David. As an added reason to believe that they are “types” of one another, we have the fact that almost every psalm of David contains at least one clear prophecy of Christ, and of course, both were born in Bethlehem[47][48].

David was anointed by “the Lord God of Israel” (2 Samuel 12:7). Samuel, of course, performed the anointing on the Lord’s behalf, but it was the Lord who had chosen David. The word “messiah” is an untranslated Hebrew word that means “anointed”, so technically anyone who was anointed was a messiah – prophets, priests, kings, etc. The Greek word “Christ” also means “anointed one”.

Another thing Jesus and David have in common is that they were both anointed by God. Compare 2 Samuel 12:7 and Acts 4:24-27. It stands to reason that since they are types of each other, and they were anointed by the same person, then the physical person who performed the anointing is a type of the spiritual person who performed the anointing. So we can infer that Samuel represented God the Father.

To read the full story, click here.

References

  1. ↑ "Samuel – Holman Bible Dictionary". StudyLight.org. Retrieved 14 February 2018.
  2. ↑ 1 Samuel 1:1
  3. ↑ 1 Samuel 1:2
  4. ↑ 1 Samuel 1:11
  5. ↑ 1 Samuel 1:3, 21
  6. ↑ 1 Samuel 1:9, 3:1
  7. ↑ 1 Samuel 3:10-18
  8. ↑ 1 Samuel 4:1-2
  9. ↑ 1 Samuel 4:11
  10. ↑ 1 Samuel 4:12-18
  11. ↑ 1 Samuel 5-6
  12. ↑ 1 Samuel 7:1
  13. ↑ 1 Samuel 7:15-17
  14. ↑ 1 Samuel 7:3-17
  15. ↑ 1 Samuel 8:1-2
  16. ↑ 1 Samuel 8:5
  17. ↑ 1 Samuel 9:15-17
  18. ↑ 1 Samuel 9:12, 19, 22-24
  19. ↑ 1 Samuel 9:26-27
  20. ↑ 1 Samuel 10:1
  21. ↑ 1 Samuel 10:17
  22. ↑ 1 Samuel 10:20-24
  23. ↑ 1 Samuel 10:25
  24. ↑ 1 Samuel 11
  25. ↑ 1 Samuel 13:3-5
  26. ↑ 1 Samuel 13:8
  27. ↑ 1 Samuel 13:9
  28. ↑ 1 Samuel 13:11-14
  29. ↑ 1 Samuel 13:14
  30. ↑ 1 Samuel 15:1-3
  31. ↑ 1 Samuel 15:8-9
  32. ↑ 1 Samuel 15:10-11
  33. ↑ 1 Samuel 15:13-15
  34. ↑ 1 Samuel 15:17
  35. ↑ 1 Samuel 15:19-21
  36. ↑ 1 Samuel 15:23-26
  37. ↑ 1 Samuel 15:27-28
  38. ↑ 1 Samuel 15:32-33
  39. ↑ 1 Samuel 15:34-35
  40. ↑ 1 Samuel 28:15-19
  41. ↑ 1 Samuel 16:1
  42. ↑ 1 Samuel 16:2-3
  43. ↑ 1 Samuel 16:5
  44. ↑ 1 Samuel 16:6-10
  45. ↑ 1 Samuel 16:11-12
  46. ↑ 1 Samuel 25:1
  47. ↑ 1 Samuel 16:1
  48. ↑ Luke 2:4
Retrieved from "https://www.natnee.com/index.php?title=Samuel&oldid=334"