A Spokesman for God

GOLDEN TEXT: “Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.” —Proverbs 3:5,6

I SAMUEL 3:19,20; 7:5,6,10-17

SAMUEL was Israel’s last judge during the Period of the Judges. But God also used him as a prophet, establishing him as one of his seers very early in his life. The record is that the Lord did not let any of Samuel’s words “fall to the ground,” or, in other words, to go unfulfilled.

Samuel was a faithful servant of the Lord. In keeping with the thoughts of our Golden Text, he trusted in the Lord with all his heart, and did not lean on his own understanding. He acknowledged God in all his ways and, in accordance with the promise, God directed his steps.

Samuel’s service as a judge in Israel followed much the same pattern as did the service of the judges preceding him. When Israel drifted away from the Lord and into the worship of heathen gods, the Lord permitted them to be plundered and oppressed until they cried for help. This lesson finds them harassed by the Philistines, and Samuel was the judge raised up by the Lord to bring them deliverance.

Samuel sent out a call for the Israelites to assemble at Mizpeh, promising to pray for them there. The Israelites heeded the call, and at Mizpeh they acknowledged their sins, Samuel prayed, and their enemies, the Philistines, were defeated.

This was an outstanding defeat. The Philistines learned that the Israelites had assembled at Mizpeh, and from a military point of view it seemed a good opportunity to attack. But the Lord heard Samuel’s prayer, and accepted his burnt offering. We read that when the enemy attacked, “the Lord thundered with a great thunder … upon the Philistines, discomfited them; and they were smitten before Israel.”—ch. 7:10

With the Lord thus fighting against the Philistines the victory for Israel was sure. The enemy was routed. It was not a momentary victory. The Philistines were driven out of the land, and did not bother Israel any more during the time that Samuel served as judge. After that, and during the reign of Israel’s first king, Saul, the Philistines again became troublesome to Israel.

Following the defeat of the Philistines at Mizpeh, Samuel set up a stone between Mizpeh and Shen and called it Ebenezer, meaning “hitherto hath the Lord helped us.” This would be a good thing for all of the Lord’s people to do. Our battles today are against the spirit of the world, against the Devil, and against the cravings of our own fallen flesh. They take place largely in the mind. But the Lord helps us in these battles, giving us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.

When our faith is being severely tested it is helpful to look back upon the Lord’s dealings with us and recall the many times he has delivered us from our enemies, and given us the strength to continue on in the good fight of faith. We should realize that having helped us in the past, we can rely on him to continue to help us in our every time of need. How reassuring is the promise, “I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.”—Heb. 13:5

Samuel was busy judging Israel even when he was not delivering them from their enemies. We are informed that he had a definite circuit which he covered each year. It was “to Bethel, and Gilgal, and Mizpeh,” and then back to his home city of Ramah. He “judged Israel in all those places,” we are told, meaning probably that the people would come to him with their complaints and their misunderstandings, and he would endeavor to straighten matters out for them.

As noted in a previous lesson, during the Period of the Judges there was no government in Israel, and no government officials. Samuel, during his tenure of office as a judge, would be the only one to whom the people could appeal for counsel and help; the only one, when disputes arose, to determine officially who was right and who was wrong. We have no doubt that Samuel, being the faithful servant of the Lord that he was, rendered just decisions, and gave righteous and wise counsel.

One of the great disappointments of Samuel’s life was the fact that when he was old, the people clamored for a king. Samuel took this to mean that they rejected him, and he felt badly about it. (ch. 8:4-7) Graciously the Lord explained to Samuel, “They have not rejected thee, but they have rejected me, that I should not reign over them.” Samuel anointed Saul to be the first king of Israel.

QUESTIONS

In addition to being a judge, what other office did Samuel, fulfill for the Lord?

Relate the circumstances of: the defeat of the Philistines.

What disappointing experience came to Samuel when he was old?

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