Samuel, in his life both as a priest and a prophet of his God, had a tremendous influence on Israel as a nation. He is often referred to as God's 'Emergency Man', because he appeared on the scene at a time in Israel's history when the nation was not only at a low ebb spiritually, but was equally depraved morally. As a theocracy, the nation should have been ruled by God through their priests but, such were the activities of the sons of Eli, the priesthood was discredited and distrusted. Consequently, the people's desire was to be like the surrounding Gentile monarchies, and they clamoured increasingly for a king. These were difficult days in the land of Israel, and God's 'emergency man' stood in the breach between the priesthood and the nation. It is a well-established fact that, in difficult times and in days of departure, our God always has His man, ready and equipped to fulfil His purposes. So God raised up Samuel to stand for Him, and to bring to the people once again the requirements for divine blessing.
Matters were also critical morally in Israel. Because of the lack of good spiritual guidance, they had become increasingly more disobedient and rebellious. As the Book of Judges tells us, "every man did that which was right in his own eyes" (17.6; 21.25). As we look at the decline of assembly testimony, and view with concern the deplorable moral state of our nation, we need to embrace collectively the spirituality of a Samuel. There are times when we conclude that things have gone too far for revival to sweep our land, but let us examine the conditions that prevailed in Samuel's day. His was far from being an easy task.
The Priesthood
When we think about the priesthood, and the supposed spiritual leaders in Israel, our minds automatically turn to Eli. Sadly, in the days of Eli, the priesthood had almost totally broken down and, as a consequence of its own misdemeanours, it exercised little or no influence over the people. Because of their actions, the priests were held in contempt, and disregarded, and most probably they were despised.
Much of the responsibility for this state of affairs lay with Eli, the high priest. Without doubt, his lack of control over his sons did little to enhance the standing of the priesthood in the eyes of the people. His handling of Hannah's situation, as she poured out her heart to the Lord in the temple, exemplified Eli's lack of spiritual perception, for he wrongly assumed that she was drunk. Nothing could have been further from the truth, for she was a woman with a deeply moving problem, who was pouring out her heart in dependence upon God.
Israel had a high priest, responsible for the spiritual welfare of God's people, who lacked the ability to perceive and meet their needs. He appeared to be out of touch, and seemingly was devoid of compassion. It is good to know that our High Priest is "touched with the feeling of our infirmities" (Heb 4.15) and, no matter what the circumstances are in our individual lives, He knows, cares, and is able to meet our needs.
As for ourselves and our inter-relationships with fellow saints, we do need sensitive hearts and minds. It is far too easy to jump to wrong conclusions, arrive at ill-informed opinions, or pre-judge situations which could cause hardship, resentment and even strife within the realm of the assembly. As for Eli himself, it would be injurious to say that he was not a godly man. There are many examples of his devotion to the Lord, not least the incident when he learns of the capture by the Philistines of the Ark of the Lord. But, sadly, within his own domestic circle of authority and discipline, he allowed his family and his own personal preferences to cloud his spiritual discernment and judgment. The Scriptures tell us that "his sons made themselves vile, and he restrained them not" (1 Sam 3.13). Eli was a man in a place of authority for God, but he ruled not his own family well. He was a high priest who tolerated gross immorality in his own household, which then contaminated those sacrifices meant for God's glory. Regrettably, natural affections took precedence in his life rather than faithfulness to Jehovah, and that led to the spiritual ruin not only of his family, but of the nation in general. It should be a salutary lesson to us all that family, friends and business relationships should not, and must not, override Scriptural principles.
But what of his sons, Hophni and Phinehas? They also were in positions of responsibility, outwardly at least. However, their actions and characteristics were an evident contradiction of the position they held. The Scriptures tell us they were "sons of Belial" (2.12). They had no priestly discernment whatsoever, because we are clearly told "they knew not the Lord" (v 12). Consequently, they had no respect for divine precepts. That which was offered to Jehovah in sacrifice they took for themselves; clearly their god was their belly. More disturbing from a human point of view, they were openly immoral men, practising that which was offensive to God with women of low morals, and openly showing no respect for divine principles and the sanctity of marriage. How very similar to the standards in the society in which we live! Moreover, they were disobedient men, who had no regard for the rebukes of their father. It is therefore of no surprise that their conduct led to a total breakdown of Scriptural order. Their spiritual degeneration was matched by their moral degeneration. Their conduct was in total contrast to their priestly office, so that principle and practice did not go hand in hand. How sad when those in positions of spiritual leadership are not a living example to the saints! In such conditions God intervened, and declared "I will raise me up a faithful priest, that shall do according to that which is in mine heart and in my mind" (v 35).
The People
As far as the people were concerned, they were as bad as the priesthood in their approach towards God and His decrees. Whilst 1 Samuel tells us about the condition of the priesthood, the Book of Judges reveals to us the attitude of the people; "In those days there was no king in Israel: every man did that which was right in his own eyes" (Jdg 21.25). Since the influence of the priesthood was virtually non-existent, "the word of the Lord was precious [rare] in those days" (1 Sam 3.1). The nation existed in corrupt conditions, and seemingly had little conscience about practising immorality, fraud, oppression and godlessness. As it was then, so it is today that departure from God-given principles always leads to spiritual impoverishment. From the teaching of the New Testament we learn that assembly elders are there to guide, shepherd, guard, direct and discipline the flock of God. Of equal importance is the fact that the assembly members need to realise and recognise this God-given authority. It has been observed on numerous occasions that an assembly will seldom rise above the spiritual level of its overseers. May we all have the grace to acknowledge His divine authority and institution.
The Family
Things were not ideal in the home in which Samuel was brought up. His father, Elkanah, was a Levite, a descendent of Korah who incurred God's judgment in the wilderness because of his rebellious attitude towards God's appointed representative. As one of the children of Korah, Elkanah knew of God's mercy and grace, and that the Levites were set apart for service in the sanctuary. But although he knew what was required of him, he did not walk in God's ways. Affected by the godless conditions that had swept the country, he had two wives. This clear contravention of divine order resulted in unhappiness and domestic discord, and caused tensions to rise. We read of Hannah that "her adversary [Peninnah] also provoked her sore" (1.6), and that continuous provocation produced strife in the home. Elkanah, whose name means 'God has possessed', sadly did not live up to his name, and did not provide clear headship over his family. (To be continued …)
