21. Samuel’s Faith

Hymns: 324 Simply Trusting, 205 Thine Is the Glory, 446 Lord Speak to Me

 Hebrews 11:32f (KJV)

 ³²  And what shall I more say? for the time would fail me to tell of Samuel …

 Samuel’s Faith

OUTLINE

• Courage to Speak According to God’s Word

INTRODUCTION

Israel was ruled by her patriarchs – Abraham, Isaac, Jacob before the period of 400 years of prophetic silence during the time of the Exodus when God raised Moses, Israel’s leader, the prophet of Israel, where Israel was a theocracy, God rules!  Samuel was the last of the prophet from Moses to Samuel who bear rule in Israel before the people demanded a king, , before princes would rule Israel through her first king Saul, finally Israel will be ruled by priest after her exile from Babylon, from Joshua, the high priest during the time of Zerubabbel, to Caiphaias, during the time of Christ.

 Samuel was born during the time when Eli was the high priest in Israel. However, Eli’s sons were no godly.

 1 Samuel 2:22-26 (KJV) ²² 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. ²³ And he said unto them, Why do ye such things? for I hear of your evil dealings by all this people. ²⁴Nay, my sons; for it is no good report that I hear: ye make the LORD’S people to transgress. ²⁵  f one man sin against another, the judge shall judge him: but if a man sin against the LORD, who shall intreat for him? Notwithstanding they hearkened not unto the voice of their father, because the LORD would slay them. ²⁶ And the child Samuel grew on, and was in favour both with the LORD, and also with men.

 Samuel’s mother Hannah, whose womb was closed for she was barren, pleaded with God to open her womb. His father as Elkanah of Mount Ephraim (1 Samuel 1:1). Samuel was a son of his mother’s vow.

 1 Samuel 1:9-11 (KJV) ⁹ So Hannah rose up after they had eaten in Shiloh, and after they had drunk. Now Eli the priest sat upon a seat by a post of the temple of the LORD.
¹⁰ And she was in bitterness of soul, and prayed unto the LORD, and wept sore.
¹¹ And she vowed a vow, and said, O LORD of hosts, if thou wilt indeed look on the affliction of thine handmaid, and remember me, and not forget thine handmaid, but wilt give unto thine 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.

 When Samuel was born, she was dedicated to the Lord as a priest, brought before Eli the high priest. Samuel lived in Shiloh where the ark of the covenant was located and ministered as a priest under the oversight of Eli.

 Samuel’s faith was distinctly evident from a young age. He was one who had the courage to speak according to Gods’ Word.

(1) Courage to Speak According to God’s Word

 Samuel’s faith was demonstrated in his obedience to speak the whole counsel of God to His people. He let not one word of the Lord fell to the ground. Samuel had faith in God and he exercised it by his obedience to speak according to God’s Word.

 1 Samuel 3:1-21 (KJV) ¹ And the child Samuel ministered unto the LORD before Eli. And the word of the LORD was precious in those days; there was no open vision. ² 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; ³ And ere the lamp of God went out in the temple of the LORD, where the ark of God was, and Samuel was laid down to sleep; ⁴That the LORD called Samuel: and he answered, Here am I. ⁵ And he ran unto Eli, and said, Here am I; for thou calledst me. And he said, I called not; lie down again. And he went and lay down. ⁶ And the LORD called yet again, Samuel. And Samuel arose and went to Eli, and said, Here am I; for thou didst call me. And he answered, I called not, my son; lie down again. ⁷ Now Samuel did not yet know the LORD, neither was the word of the LORD yet revealed unto him. ⁸ And the LORD called Samuel again the third time. And he arose and went to Eli, and said, Here am I; for thou didst call me. And Eli perceived that the LORD had called the child. ⁹Therefore Eli said unto Samuel, Go, lie down: and it shall be, if he call thee, that thou shalt say, Speak, LORD; for thy servant heareth. So Samuel went and lay down in his place. ¹⁰ And the LORD came, and stood, and called as at other times, Samuel, Samuel. Then Samuel answered, Speak; for thy servant heareth. ¹¹ And the LORD said to Samuel, Behold, I will do a thing in Israel, at which both the ears of every one that heareth it shall tingle. ¹² In that day I will perform against Eli all things which I have spoken concerning his house: when I begin, I will also make an end. ¹³ For I have told him that I will judge his house for ever for the iniquity which he knoweth; because his sons made themselves vile, and he restrained them not. ¹⁴ And 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. ¹⁵ And Samuel lay until the morning, and opened the doors of the house of the LORD. And Samuel feared to shew Eli the vision. ¹⁶ Then Eli called Samuel, and said, Samuel, my son. And he answered, Here am I. ¹⁷ And he said, What is the thing that the LORD hath said unto thee? I pray thee hide it not from me: God do so to thee, and more also, if thou hide any thing from me of all the things that he said unto thee. ¹⁸ And Samuel told him every whit, and hid nothing from him. And he said, It is the LORD: let him do what seemeth him good. ¹⁹And Samuel grew, and the LORD was with him, and did let none of his words fall to the ground. ²⁰ And all Israel from Dan even to Beersheba knew that Samuel was established to be a prophet of the LORD. ²¹And the LORD appeared again in Shiloh: for the LORD revealed himself to Samuel in Shiloh by the word of the LORD.

 Samuel was God’s man. He was trusted to speak God’s Word to the people. He was the mouthpiece of God to the people. When Israel was wayward, God used Samuel to confront the sin of the people. The ark of the covenant was taken from Israel by the Philistines. They were living in their sins and had thought that God will be with them to fight their battle by the presence of the ark of the covenant. Instead, God allowed the ark to be taken by the enemy to demonstrate that the glory of God has departed from them.

 1 Samuel 7:1-17 (KJV) ¹ And the men of Kirjathjearim came, and fetched up the ark of the LORD, and brought it into the house of Abinadab in the hill, and sanctified Eleazar his son to keep the ark of the LORD. ² And it came to pass, while the ark abode in Kirjathjearim, that the time was long; for it was twenty years: and all the house of Israel lamented after the LORD. ³And Samuel spake unto all the house of Israel, saying, If ye do return unto the LORD with all your hearts, then put away the strange gods and Ashtaroth 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. ⁴ Then the children of Israel did put away Baalim and Ashtaroth, and served the LORD only. ⁵ And Samuel said, Gather all Israel to Mizpeh, and I will pray for you unto the LORD. ⁶ And they gathered together to Mizpeh, and drew water, and poured it out before the LORD, and fasted on that day, and said there, We have sinned against the LORD. And Samuel judged the children of Israel in Mizpeh. ⁷ And when the Philistines heard that the children of Israel were gathered together to Mizpeh, the lords of the Philistines went up against Israel. And when the children of Israel heard it, they were afraid of the Philistines. ⁸ 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. ⁹ 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. ¹⁰ 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 discomfited them; and they were smitten before Israel. ¹¹ And the men of Israel went out of Mizpeh, and pursued the Philistines, and smote them, until they came under Bethcar. ¹² Then Samuel took a stone, and set it between Mizpeh and Shen, and called the name of it Ebenezer, saying, Hitherto hath the LORD helped us.¹³ So the Philistines were subdued, and they came no more into the coast of Israel: and the hand of the LORD was against the Philistines all the days of Samuel. ¹⁴And 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. ¹⁵ And Samuel judged Israel all the days of his life.¹⁶ And he went from year to year in circuit to Bethel, and Gilgal, and Mizpeh, and judged Israel in all those places. ¹⁷ And his return was to Ramah; for there was his house; and there he judged Israel;and there he built an altar unto the LORD.

 Samuel was Israel’s leader because he was the voice of God, the conscience of the people before God.

 When Israel refused to obey the voice of Samuel and demanded a king, God asked Samuel to accede to their request. In all these, Samuel obeyed the voice of the Lord. He distinguished himself for being a man of God of unwavering faith and loyalty to God.

 1 Samuel 8:19-22 (KJV) ¹⁹ Nevertheless the people refused to obey the voice of Samuel; and they said, Nay; but we will have a king over us; ²⁰ 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.
²¹  And Samuel heard all the words of the people, and he rehearsed them in the ears of the LORD. ²² And the LORD said to Samuel, Hearken unto their voice, and make them a king. And Samuel said unto the men of Israel, Go ye every man unto his city.  

 Saul was the first king of Israel whom God asked Samuel to anoint.

 1 Samuel 9:15-17 (KJV) ¹⁵ Now the LORD had told Samuel in his ear a day before Saul came, saying, ¹⁶ To morrow about this time I will send thee a man out of the land of Benjamin, and thou shalt anoint him to be captain over my people Israel, that he may save my people out of the hand of the Philistines: for I have looked upon my people, because their cry is come unto me. ¹⁷ And when Samuel saw Saul, the LORD said unto him, Behold the man whom I spake to thee of! this same shall reign over my people.

 1 Samuel 12:1-2 (KJV) ¹ And Samuel said unto all Israel, Behold, I have hearkened unto your voice in all that ye said unto me, and have made a king over you. ² And now, behold, the king walketh before you: and I am old and grayheaded; and, behold, my sons are with you: and I have walked before you from my childhood unto this day.

 1 Samuel 12:20-25 (KJV) ²⁰ And Samuel said unto the people, Fear not: ye have done all this wickedness: yet turn not aside from following the LORD, but serve the LORD with all your heart; ²¹ And turn ye not aside: for then should ye go after vain things, which cannot profit nor deliver; for they are vain. ²² For the LORD will not forsake his people for his great name’s sake: because it hath pleased the LORD to make you his people. ²³ Moreover as for me, God forbid that I should sin against the LORD in ceasing to pray for you: but I will teach you the good and the right way: ²⁴ Only fear the LORD, and serve him in truth with all your heart: for consider how great things he hath done for you. ²⁵ But if ye shall still do wickedly, ye shall be consumed, both ye and your king.

 When Saul sinned against God by offering a sacrifice on behalf of Samuel, Samuel courageously confronted Saul.

 1 Samuel 13:8-14 (KJV) ⁸And he tarried seven days, according to the set time that Samuel had appointed: but Samuel came not to Gilgal; and the people were scattered from him. ⁹ And Saul said, Bring hither a burnt offering to me, and peace offerings. And he offered the burnt offering. ¹⁰And it came to pass, that as soon as he had made an end of offering the burnt offering, behold, Samuel came; and Saul went out to meet him, that he might salute him. ¹¹ And Samuel said, What hast thou done? And Saul said, Because I saw that the people were scattered from me, and that thou camest not within the days appointed, and that the Philistines gathered themselves together at Michmash; ¹² Therefore said I, The Philistines will come down now upon me to Gilgal, and I have not made supplication unto the LORD: I forced myself therefore, and offered a burnt offering. ¹³ And Samuel said to Saul, Thou hast done foolishly: thou hast not kept the commandment of the LORD thy God, which he commanded thee: for now would the LORD have established thy kingdom upon Israel for ever. ¹⁴ But now thy kingdom shall not continue: the LORD hath sought him a man after his own heart, and the LORD hath commanded him to be captain over his people, because thou hast not kept that which the LORD commanded thee.

God instructed him to go and anoint David and he couragely obeyed in faith inspite of the danger of angering Saul.

1 Samuel 16:1-5 (KJV) ¹ And the LORD said unto Samuel, How long wilt thou mourn for Saul, seeing I have rejected him from reigning over Israel? fill thine horn with oil, and go, I will send thee to Jesse the Bethlehemite: for I have provided me a king among his sons. ² And Samuel said, How can I go? if Saul hear it, he will kill me. And the LORD said, Take an heifer with thee, and say, I am come to sacrifice to the LORD. ³ And call Jesse to the sacrifice, and I will shew thee what thou shalt do: and thou shalt anoint unto me him whom I name unto thee. ⁴ And Samuel did that which the LORD spake, and came to Bethlehem. And the elders of the town trembled at his coming, and said, Comest thou peaceably?⁵ And he said, Peaceably: I am come to sacrifice unto the LORD: sanctify yourselves, and come with me to the sacrifice. And he sanctified Jesse and his sons, and called them to the sacrifice.

 1 Samuel 16:11-13 (KJV) ¹¹ And Samuel said unto Jesse, Are here all thy children? And he said, There remaineth yet the youngest, and, behold, he keepeth the sheep. And Samuel said unto Jesse, Send and fetch him: for we will not sit down till he come hither. ¹² And he sent, and brought him in. Now he was ruddy, and withal of a beautiful countenance, and goodly to look to. And the LORD said, Arise, anoint him: for this is he. ¹³ 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.

 1 Samuel 25:1And Samuel died; and all the Israelites were gathered together, and lamented him, and buried him in his house at Ramah. And David arose, and went down to the wilderness of Paran.

CONCLUSION

Thank God for His faithful servants who declare His Word without apology and respecter of persons. Amen.