Samuel occupies a unique role in Israel's story. He is the representative and defender of an older tribal covenant order in Israel, yet he is God's prophetic agent for ushering in the new age of kingship. The leadership that Samuel gave to Israel in the critical period of transition from tribal existence under the period of the Judges to the establishment of Monarchy is accounted along the Books of Judges, Ruth, and First and Second Books which bear his name. He is the central character in all of the stories on Saul's elevation to the kinship.
The change in Israel's national life revolved mainly around 3 men: Samuel, the last of the great Judges; Saul, Israel's first king; and David, whose early adventures before coming to power are interwoven with the accounts of Samuel and Saul. In these stories Samuel was also the key figure in keeping Israel's identity and religious tradition alive during a period of defeat and occupation by the Philistines. In this time of confusion and dissolution it was necessary for Samuel to appear in multiple roles of authority (priest, prophet, judge, and military leader) that would normally not converge in a single individual.
The main theme of the Book, like that of other historical writings in the Old Testament, is that Faithfulness to God brings success, while Disobedience brings disaster.
Samuel's First Book also records mixed feelings about the establishment of the monarchy. The Lord Himself was regarded as the real King of Israel, but in response to the People's request the Lord chose a king for them. The elders of Israel came to Samuel and requested him to appoint for them a king to govern them, like the other nations. Samuel interpreted the petition as a personal rejection and was reluctant to comply. God told him that the People's request was a rejection of the divine kingship but that he had to comply with the request and provide for them a king after issuing a very severe warning on the dangers of kingship.
The very important fact is that both the king chosen by God together with the People of Israel had to live under the Sovereignty and Judgment of God. Only under God's Laws the Rights of all People, rich and poor alike, were to be maintained. Samuel made Saul king before the Lord in Gilgal.
Samuel prophesied judgment against Saul in two stories describing Saul's rejection by God for failure to carry out God's word as made known by Samuel. Saul was condemned by Samuel for proceeding with sacrifices that Samuel was suppose to have made. The rejection takes the form of denying future dynasty to Samuel. Then Samuel again pronounced judgment on Saul for failing to carry out the full extermination of the Amalekites in a campaign declared by Samuel as God's holy war. This time Saul himself is rejected as God's king. Samuel, as God's prophet was able to withdraw divine authority from kings as well as bestow it.
Samuel grieved over the failure of Saul, and God called him from his grief to undertake the mission to anoint a new king. In Bethlehem Samuel wanted to anoint the first of Jesse's sons brought to him, but God told Samuel to look on the heart and not on the appearances. Al last Samuel anointed David, Jesse's eight son who was off tending sheep.
Samuel encountered Saul twice more. While Samuel was leading the group of prophets in his home at Ramah, Saul came searching for David and was seized up in the frenzy of their prophesying, stripped of his clothes, and lied naked before Samuel all day and night.
After Samuel died, Saul fearful over a coming battle with the Philistines, he went to a medium to call up the ghost of Samuel. Samuel reiterated God's rejection to Saul as king and predicted a Philistine victory in which Saul and his sons would die.
Samuel is traditionally credited with the writing-ship of the Bible Books of Judges, Ruth and part of the First Book of Samuel.
No comments:
Post a Comment