1 Samuel 3:1-14 (New Living Translation)
3 Meanwhile, the boy Samuel served the Lord by assisting Eli. Now in those days messages from the Lord were very rare, and visions were quite uncommon.
2 One night Eli, who was almost blind by now, had gone to bed. 3 The lamp of God had not yet gone out, and Samuel was sleeping in the Tabernacle near the Ark of God. 4 Suddenly the Lord called out, “Samuel!”
“Yes?” Samuel replied. “What is it?” 5 He got up and ran to Eli. “Here I am. Did you call me?”
“I didn’t call you,” Eli replied. “Go back to bed.” So he did.
6 Then the Lord called out again, “Samuel!”
Again Samuel got up and went to Eli. “Here I am. Did you call me?”
“I didn’t call you, my son,” Eli said. “Go back to bed.”
7 Samuel did not yet know the Lord because he had never had a message from the Lord before. 8 So the Lord called a third time, and once more Samuel got up and went to Eli. “Here I am. Did you call me?”
Then Eli realized it was the Lord who was calling the boy. 9 So he said to Samuel, “Go and lie down again, and if someone calls again, say, ‘Speak, Lord, your servant is listening.’” So Samuel went back to bed.
10 And the Lord came and called as before, “Samuel! Samuel!”
And Samuel replied, “Speak, your servant is listening.”
11 Then the Lord said to Samuel, “I am about to do a shocking thing in Israel. 12 I am going to carry out all my threats against Eli and his family, from beginning to end. 13 I have warned him that judgment is coming upon his family forever, because his sons are blaspheming God and he hasn’t disciplined them. 14 So I have vowed that the sins of Eli and his sons will never be forgiven by sacrifices or offerings.”
1 Samuel 8:1-9 (New Living Translation)
8 As Samuel grew old, he appointed his sons to be judges over Israel. 2 Joel and Abijah, his oldest sons, held court in Beersheba. 3 But they were not like their father, for they were greedy for money. They accepted bribes and perverted justice.
4 Finally, all the elders of Israel met at Ramah to discuss the matter with Samuel. 5 “Look,” they told him, “you are now old, and your sons are not like you. Give us a king to judge us like all the other nations have.”
6 Samuel was displeased with their request and went to the Lord for guidance. 7 “Do everything they say to you,” the Lord replied, “for they are rejecting me, not you. They don’t want me to be their king any longer. 8 Ever since I brought them from Egypt they have continually abandoned me and followed other gods. And now they are giving you the same treatment. 9 Do as they ask, but solemnly warn them about the way a king will reign over them.”
Dear God,
Samuel is such a complicated figure. Sure, at first glance he looks noble, but this story reveals a pretty critical flaw. He allowed his sons to do exactly what he saw Eli allow his sons to do. Yet, for some reason, you seem to have given Samuel a pass you did not give to Eli. In fact, when Samuel comes to you, you told him that they had rejected you and not Samuel. That is interesting because in my reading of this story it looks like they were rejecting Samuel.
Once again, we come across a flawed man in the Bible. Thank you for preserving these stories because it is a reminder that we are all flawed. I am hugely flawed. And now that my children are grown and making their way in the world, my relationships with them have materially changed. The big difference between my life and Samuel’s (and his culture probably dictated many of his actions) is that he chose to bring his two oldest sons in to the family business. I will likely end up avoiding a lot of those pitfalls with my children because I am 99.9% certain that we will never be in business together. We certainly will not be in a position of judging others and settling disputes together. I will not be in a position of having to defend their professional behavior. I can just be a dad who loves them. Even if they were to do something that I disapprove of, I can still love them and give of myself to them.
Hmm. Thinking about it in that way, is that not what you do with us?
Father, again, thank you for these stories. Thank you for giving us vignettes like this that make Samuel, Eli, Naomi, Jacob, Abraham, and countless other Bible characters relatable. Next, I am going to be looking at kings as fathers. We are going to see Saul and David and see what they were like as dads. True to form, we will see a lot of flaws. What an interesting God you are to build your plan this way. I do not understand you. I do not understand your ways. But I am grateful for your grace and mercy. I am grateful that you love and hold me, even after I have done something that disappoints you. Thank you.
I pray this in Jesus and with your Holy Spirit,
Amen
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