| Philadelphia Church of God

Fully knowing that God called him for a special mission, the young prophet Samuel worked hard to grow quickly in his office. He drove himself to get close to God. In turn, God revealed to him an abundance of new truth and warnings for Israel. Samuel drove himself equally hard to learn and completely understand God’s message. With bold confidence in God, Samuel then delivered God’s dire warnings to the people. Bright light shone from Shiloh again because God appeared to Samuel (1 Samuel 3:19-21). What great hope for Israel! Samuel heard God’s word and faithfully delivered it to the Israelites. According to the Soncino Commentary, the expression “did let none of his words fall to the ground” means that God fulfilled all the prophecies He had given to Samuel. He backed up His word delivered by Samuel. God was demonstrating to the people that He was with Samuel and not with Eli. All Israel was given God’s word through Samuel (1 Samuel 4:1). The entire nation “from Dan to Beersheba” came to know that Samuel was God’s prophet. <h2>I Will Do a Thing</h2>What was the specific message Samuel spoke to the nation? 1 Samuel provides only scant details of the events described within this important book. Yet, we can safely conjecture about what took place behind the scenes. God commissioned Samuel to begin warning the nation of what was soon to take place at Shiloh. Remember, God never changes the way He works (Malachi 3:6; Hebrews 13:8; James 1:17). God always reveals His secrets to His servants the prophets before He acts (Amos 3:7). God would allow Shiloh to be struck with tragedy. God’s love demanded that the nation be warned. “Behold, I will do a thing in Israel, at which both the ears of every one that heareth it shall tingle. 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. 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. 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 forever,” God instructed Samuel (1 Samuel 3:11-14). These were tough words for a stiff-necked, stubborn people. This message was about more than Eli and his spiritually degenerate sons. Verse 11 shows that the message given to Samuel was for the whole nation—not just Eli’s family. God planned to “do a thing in Israel.” We should realize that even though Eli’s sons were evil and led the nation astray, much of the nation followed willingly. Eli and his sons were the sick head of a sick nation. Idolatry is Israel’s historic weakness. (The book of Ezekiel shows that this horrific sin has plagued even God’s Church—the spiritual nation of Israel—in this end-time.) When Samuel first came to power, pagan idolatrous practices were extant in the nation. God allowed the Philistines to oppress His nation because they loved a counterfeit god. God wanted the people to repent of their evil ways. This, in essence, would have been Samuel’s message to the nation. Study carefully chapter 4 on your own. Its description of the Philistine attack on Shiloh is as vivid as a bloody war movie. The Philistines demolished Shiloh because the people did not heed God’s warning message. Israel’s enemies took captive the ark of the covenant (1 Samuel 4:11). Thirty thousand Israelite solders were mercilessly slaughtered. Hophni, Phinehas, his wife and Eli came to a tragic end. The glory had departed from Israel. <h2>Samuel Subdues the Philistines</h2>Shiloh’s destruction devastated the nation. The loss of the ark of the covenant—that great symbol of God’s presence in the nation—caused many to weep openly. It is truly sad that it required death and demolition for God to finally get the people’s attention. In the midst of all the rubble, Samuel exhorted the people to repent of their idolatry. “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,” promised Samuel (1 Samuel 7:3). Humbled by the loss of Shiloh, the people responded immediately (verse 4). Samuel was greatly encouraged by their heartfelt repentance. “Gather all Israel to Mizpeh, and I will pray for you unto the Lord,” Samuel shouted out with joy (verse 5). “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” (verse 6). Notice the attitude of the people. They listened to Samuel. He told them that if they put away their false gods, the Philistine oppression would end. The Israelites fasted, repented and demolished their pagan gods. There were miraculous results. Speaking for God, Samuel moved the people to great repentance at Mizpeh. However, this very positive result drew some life-threatening attention. The Philistines took careful notice of Israel’s return to God. “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” (verse 7). The last thing the Philistines wanted was a united and spiritually solid Israel. They planned an immediate attack. There is a spiritual lesson for all of us here. Often when we repent of some sin, Satan will go after us even harder. Satan does not want us united with God because it makes us stronger. In fearful desperation, the nation begged Samuel to pray to God for them (verse 8). He knew exactly what to do to gain God’s attention and favor. “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” (verse 9). God hears the prayers of His prophets, and He hears the prayers of His people when they sincerely turn to Him for help. We must learn to seek counsel from God’s ministers when we get into spiritual trouble. When they pray for us, God hears them on our behalf. “And as Samuel was offering up the burnt offering, the Philistines drew near to battle against Israel” (verse 10, first part). The Philistines stopped at nothing to keep Israel under their bitter and harsh control. Religious rites did not put off the Gentile army. Can you sense the drama here? As Israel turned its collective heart to God, they were being hunted down like animals. However, the Philistines were about to learn a lesson. They were not about to attack Israel—they were about to take on the living Almighty God. “[T]he Lord thundered with a great thunder on that day upon the Philistines, and discomfited them; and they were smitten before Israel. And the men of Israel went out of Mizpeh, and pursued the Philistines, and smote them, until they came under Bethcar” (verses 10-11). In a truly humble frame of mind, the Israelites immediately turned to Samuel for help. God responded to their plea through Samuel very powerfully. Israel learned how mightily God defended them against their enemies. This is a powerful lesson so necessary for us to always remember. While Samuel was sacrificing and offering up prayers for the people, the Philistines began to attack them. Yet, God caused great peals of thunder to explode over the Philistine army. The earsplitting noise threw the mighty Philistine soldiers into great confusion. The physically weakened (from fasting) and unarmed Israelites (they had come to Mizpeh for religious reasons, not to make war) were able to conquer the Philistines. The Israelites likely used the Philistines’ own weapons against them. God gave the people a great victory. Never forget that God helps us fight our spiritual battles with Satan this same way. <h2>Samuel the Great Educator</h2>“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. 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” (1 Samuel 7:12-13). Samuel wanted the people to remember this important day. He set up a memorial stone. Some historians believe this stone to be Jacob’s pillar stone—the stone of scone—now resting in the castle fortress at Edinburgh, Scotland. Samuel intended the stone be a witness of God’s helpfulness toward Israel. God stood against the Philistines during all the days of Samuel. Samuel’s importance to the history of Israel at this time cannot be overstated. “And Samuel judged Israel all the days of his life. And he went from year to year in circuit to Bethel, and Gilgal, and Mizpeh, and judged Israel in all those places. 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” (verses 15-17). He was a faithful leader, loyal to God and the nation. The Soncino Commentary says this about Samuel: “It was due to him that Israel did not become completely demoralized in the dark period of Philistine vassalage which followed the capture of the ark and the destruction of Shiloh; it was probably as a result of his influence that there are fewer instances of serious lapse into gross idolatry in the period covered by this book than in any other age in pre-exilic Hebrew history; and it was his statesmanship which, overcoming his reluctance, guided the people from anarchy to monarchy, and, by the election of David in Saul’s lifetime, ensured the succession. … But perhaps Samuel’s greatest claim to honor and the most permanent of his life’s achievements were the schools of the prophets which he founded, and from which, in the work of the Hebrew prophets, there issued the supreme creations of Israel’s religious genius.” Samuel was not only a great statesman he was a great educator too. Although the Bible does not specifically state precisely where the schools of the prophets were located, tradition tells us that Samuel’s schools were probably located in the cities to which he regularly traveled—Bethel, Gilgal and Mizpeh. What were these schools like? Because God inspired Samuel, Mr. Armstrong and Mr. Gerald Flurry to build schools of higher learning, it should not be hard for us to imagine that Samuel’s colleges were very similar to Ambassador College and Herbert W. Armstrong College. Samuel’s colleges were certainly established in beautiful locations that fostered true education and character development. Samuel recognized that trained men were needed to educate the people in the true worship of the true God. A band or company of prophets is mentioned nine times in the book of 1 Samuel (see 10:5 through 28:15). These prophets would have been men Samuel trained to educate the people of Israel. Samuel’s officially trained prophets brought stability to the nation. <h2>Israel Rejects God as King</h2>Samuel held the position of civil ruler besides that of spiritual leader. In other words, Samuel was both administrator and prophet. While he was in charge, the nation had relative peace, although there was always some trouble with the Philistines. “And it came to pass, when Samuel was old, that he made his sons judges over Israel. Now the name of his firstborn was Joel and the name of his second, Abiah: they were judges in Beersheba. And his sons walked not in his ways, but turned aside after lucre, and took bribes, and perverted judgment” (1 Samuel 8:1-3). Many years had passed since the events of chapter 7. Samuel had aged like all men must. However, you should not confuse the word old here with senile. Gesenius’ Hebrew-Chaldee Lexicon tells us that zaqen means old man or aged man, but not decrepit. Samuel may have grown older, yet we will see that when working with Saul and David, he still had plenty of vigor. Samuel shouldered well the huge burden of judging Israel until his death! Samuel appointed his sons, Joel and Abiah, to help him with the administration of the national government when they grew mature enough to handle that task. To make it easier for the people to get help, he established them south of Ramah in Beersheba. Joel and Abiah are better described as sons of Eli—not sons of Samuel. They proved themselves unworthy of their positions. They perverted judgment and took bribes. Because of these perverted men, the people became dissatisfied with Samuel. “Then all the elders of Israel gathered themselves together, and came to Samuel unto Ramah. And said unto him, Behold, thou art old, and thy sons walk not in thy ways: now make us a king to judge us like all the nations. But the thing displeased Samuel, when they said; Give us a king to judge us. And Samuel prayed unto the Lord” (verses 4-6). The people gathered themselves to complain to Samuel. They told Samuel very bluntly that he had become too old to rule them. Remember, this is the man who re-established the nation after the destruction at Shiloh. Look how quickly the people forgot what God accomplished through Samuel. Of course, we do have a modern-day example of this same sad occurrence. Toward the end of Mr. Armstrong’s life, many in the Church felt he had grown too old to rule. Yet, Mr. Armstrong had a great supply of mental and spiritual vigor. Many today have also forgotten what God established through Mr. Armstrong. Can you imagine how Samuel must have felt when the Israelites complained about his age? He spent his entire life serving God and the people, and now they wanted to simply get rid of him. The people also complained about Samuel’s wicked sons. I am sure that Joel and Abiah’s wickedness ripped at Samuel’s heart. The people used his age and his sons’ bad example as an excuse to ask for a king. They wanted a king so they could be just like all the nations around them. This fact, more than any other, was the reason why Israelites made their request to Samuel. Their vanity was wounded because an old man was leading them. Samuel was personally upset with the people’s request. In fact, the word displeased implies that Samuel was very angry over the entire matter. Samuel took the matter to God in prayer. God clarified the whole issue for him. “And the Lord said unto Samuel, Hearken unto the voice of the people in all that they say unto thee: for they have not rejected thee, but they have rejected me, that I should not reign over them. According to all the works which they have done since the day that I brought them up out of Egypt even unto this day, wherewith they have forsaken me, and served other gods, so do they also unto thee. Now therefore hearken unto their voice: howbeit yet protest solemnly unto them, and show them the manner of the king that shall reign over them” (verses 7-9). God gave Samuel great encouragement. He was not being rejected; the nation was rejecting God as king. God reminded Samuel that this was the all too familiar history of the nation. Samuel was afforded the opportunity to experience what God had undergone with the Israelites for centuries. Israel’s great sin in asking for a king was simply rejection of God. <h2>Manner of the King</h2>God was willing to grant the people’s request. However, He wanted the people to realize what would happen to them when a king took over. You can study 1 Samuel 8:10-18 for yourself. In these verses, Samuel explains to the people the personal and financial costs they would have to pay for a monarchy. The costs would be high. Samuel explained the king would take their sons for his army. Some would man his chariots. Some would be his horseman. Some would be his foot soldiers. Some would be needed to make his instruments of war. The king would take their land from them and make it his own. And they could be sure that he would take the choicest fields, vineyards, olive groves and orchards. The king would need laborers to grow and harvest his food. The king would need their daughters to cook his food and keep the palace. And the ultimate cost would be that the king would tax the people—heavily. The taxes would be in addition to the tithes God required. Samuel warned the people that all of these things would be the king’s right. This would be the manner of the king. “Nevertheless the people refused to obey the voice of Samuel; and they said, nay; but we will have a king over us; 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. And Samuel heard all the words of the people, and he rehearsed them in the ears of the Lord. 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” (verses 19-22). Samuel’s warnings fell upon deaf ears. The people still insisted upon having a king. Israel had grown weary of being different from all the nations around it. The nation lacked appreciation for the fact that it had the incredible opportunity to be the world’s only theocracy. God was Israel’s Husband-king. No human being would be an adequate substitute for that. But the Israelites did not want God; they wanted a man they could see and be proud of. They wanted a king they could show off to other nations. The Israelites wanted to see the king fight for them, even though God delivered them faithfully and miraculously many times. God used this situation to teach them a vital lesson. <h2>Israel’s First King</h2>“Now there was a man of Benjamin, whose name was Kish, the son of Abiel, the son of Zeror, the son of Bechorath, the son of Aphiah, a Benjamite, a mighty man of power. And he had a son, whose name was Saul, a choice young man, and a goodly: and there was not among the children of Israel a goodlier person than he: from his shoulders and upward he was higher than any of the people” (1 Samuel 9:1-2). God chose Saul, a Benjamite, to be Israel’s first king. The opening verses in chapter 9 give us a description of Saul and his genealogy. The tribe of Benjamin was one of the smallest tribes in the nation. Saul’s family was wealthy. Verse 1 describes Kish as “a mighty man of power.” This expression in the Hebrew shows that Kish was a man of means. Therefore, in today’s language, we would describe Saul as a privileged individual. He would have been afforded benefits that a man from a poorer family would not have received. Saul is described as a “choice young man.” This verse is referring more to physical prowess than age. At the time of his selection as king, Saul already had a wife and children. He was not a teenager. Saul was in his prime. This verse also states that Saul was “goodly.” This word is referring to Saul’s physical appearance. He was an extremely handsome individual. His physical appearance was naturally disarming. His good looks made way for him to be a leader. Even his physical stature was taller than all the people. In many ways, Saul was the king the people wanted. Dressed in regal robes, or armed for battle, Saul would definitely impress the nations surrounding Israel. As the story unfolds in chapter 9, we can see that God worked out some miraculous events to show Samuel and the nation that He had chosen Saul to be king. Most people know the story of Saul’s selection very well. Rather than going into details, let’s look at some of the highlights. The history goes like this. Some of Kish’s farm animals were able to break their fences and escape. Saul was sent on a mission to find them. After having no success, one of the servants suggested to Saul that they seek Samuel’s assistance. “And he said unto him, Behold now, there is in this city a man of God, and he is an honourable man; all that he saith cometh surely to pass: now let us go thither; peradventure he can show us our way that we should go” (1 Samuel 9:6). Saul agreed to the servant’s request and they went to the city where Samuel was. With this incident of the missing animals, God was working out a plan for Saul and Samuel to meet. This incident shows the far-reaching power of God and how He can control events for His own purpose. <h2>Saul and Samuel Meet</h2>“And they went up into the city: and when they were come into the city, behold, Samuel came out against them, for to go up to the high place. Now the Lord had told Samuel in his ear a day before Saul came, saying, 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. 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 9:14-17). God had already revealed to Samuel that He would be sending His selection for king to meet him. Samuel obeyed God’s voice and went out to meet the unknown man God had chosen. God spoke directly into Samuel’s ear as he saw Saul for the first time. What a tremendous miracle. God was right there working with and observing with two important men of Israel. Even though Samuel was disappointed at the people asking for a king, we can be sure he was excited to be working so closely with God. He and Saul were a part of history in the making. A turning point in the government of the nation had come. Soon the nation would never be the same. “And as for thine asses that were lost three days ago, set not thy mind on them; for they are found. And on whom is all the desire of Israel? Is it not on thee, and on all thy father’s house? And Saul answered and said, Am not I a Benjamite, of the smallest of the tribes of Israel? and my family the least of all the families of the tribe of Benjamin? wherefore then speakest thou so to me?” (verses 20-21). Saul was confused by Samuel’s immediate attention given to him. Samuel explained to Saul that God had chosen him to be king. What a heart stopper for the man. Imagine it all. You go out looking for your father’s donkeys and come home king of Israel. Yet, that is what happens to human beings when God is involved. Saul’s humility shows through here. He asked Samuel how this could be, since he was of the tribe of Benjamin and one of the least important families of that tribe. This verse could also indicate that Saul was exhibiting self-doubt and even a lack of faith. You’d think that he would believe God’s prophet. Samuel privately anointed Saul king. “Then Samuel took a vial of oil, and poured it upon his head, and kissed him, and said, Is it not because the Lord hath anointed thee to be captain over his inheritance?” (1 Samuel 10:1). He then gave Saul three signs to prove that he was God’s selection to be king. Study verses 2-7 related to the signs for yourself. The three signs were: 1) two men would meet Saul by Rachel’s tomb and tell him that his father’s animals were found; 2) three men going to sacrifice would meet him and give him two loaves of bread; and 3) he would meet a company of prophets and God’s Spirit would fall upon him and he would prophesy with them. All of these signs took place that same day. Saul was given ample proof that he was God’s chosen. When Saul and Samuel departed, God gave Saul a different heart. “And it was so, that when he had turned his back to go from Samuel, God gave him another heart: and all those signs came to pass that day” (verse 9). <h2>A Test Command</h2>1 Samuel 10:8 generally causes confusion for some, but this verse is easily explained. Recognize that in this chapter we only have short glimpses into the conversation between Saul and Samuel. We must read between the lines if we are to understand verse 8. In 1 Samuel 9:16, it is clear that God revealed to Samuel that He intended to use Saul to save His people from the Philistines. Samuel would have discussed these facts with Saul. Once he anointed Saul king, we can safely conjecture that Samuel probably gave Saul specific instructions about how his official coronation ceremony would take place. I am also sure that Samuel also explained to Saul how to begin to set up the monarchy (1 Samuel 10:25). We must also assume that Samuel discussed plans concerning the routing of the Philistines. Remember, this was going to be one of Saul’s most important jobs. In order to conquer the Philistines, Samuel gave Saul specific instructions as to what to do. The Bible breaks into the middle of this conversation. “And thou shalt go down before me to Gilgal; and, behold, I will come down unto thee, to offer burnt offerings, and to sacrifice sacrifices of peace offerings: seven days shalt thou tarry, till I come to thee, and show thee what thou shalt do” (verse 8). After his coronation, and after a certain point in time, Saul was to gather his troops and the people and go to Gilgal. Gilgal was far away from any Philistine stronghold. Realize, this seven-day period did not start the day that Saul was anointed king. When Saul moved his troops and people to Gilgal, he was to wait seven days for Samuel. He would come to meet him there and offer sacrifice. Saul and Israel would then do battle with the Philistines. This was a test command for Saul. Saul’s official selection as king is described in verses 17-25. Samuel used lots to identify the tribe, family, then man who was to be king. Saul gathered the tribes to Mizpeh. All of the tribes were to parade before him: The tribe of Benjamin was chosen. The families of the tribe of Benjamin were to parade before Samuel: Kish’s family was chosen. Then Saul was chosen. But Saul could not be found. He had hidden himself. This shows that Saul was not really seeking the office of king. To find Saul, Samuel and the people had to ask God to reveal his whereabouts. When Saul was brought forward, the people cheered. “And they ran and fetched him thence: and when he stood among the people, he was higher than any of the people from his shoulders and upward. And Samuel said to all the people, See ye him whom the Lord hath chosen, that there is none like him among all the people? And all the people shouted, and said, God save the king. Then Samuel told the people the manner of the kingdom, and wrote it in a book, and laid it up before the Lord. And Samuel sent all the people away, every man to his house” (verses 23-25). When the people saw Saul’s virility and his good looks, they all shouted “God save the king!” It was a glorious day for the people. At this point we will skip over 1 Samuel 11. You can study this chapter on your own. In this chapter the story is told how Saul proved his worth to the nation by delivering them from the Ammonites. <h2>Saul’s Coronation</h2>Saul’s official coronation is described in 1 Samuel 12. It is interesting to note that Samuel makes the people admit that he did no wrong to them while he judged the nation (verses 1-5). This was to be a witness against them. Samuel also showed the people that it was God who had blessed the nation since its beginning. “And Samuel said unto the people, It is the Lord that advanced Moses and Aaron, and that brought your fathers up out of the land of Egypt. Now therefore stand still, that I may reason with you before the Lord of all the righteous acts of the Lord, which he did to you and to your fathers” (verses 6-7). Saul recounted for the people the history of God’s righteous acts toward them. These were the acts that the people so quickly forgot. Study verses 8-12. Samuel used the history of the nation to show them that they had rejected God as their king. Samuel then presented Saul to them as king. Notice carefully how he presents him. He states powerfully, “Now therefore behold the king whom ye have chosen, and whom ye have desired! and, behold, the Lord hath set a king over you. If ye will fear the Lord, and serve him, and obey his voice, and not rebel against the commandment of the Lord, then shall both ye and also the king that reigneth over you continue following the Lord your God: But if ye will not obey the voice of the Lord, but rebel against the commandment of the Lord, then shall the hand of the Lord be against you, as it was against your fathers” (verses 13-15). Samuel introduces Saul as the king the people had chosen—the king the people desired.Along with Saul’s introduction went a serious warning. If the people and their new king would obey God, all would go well with the nation. If they failed to obey God, God would be against them as He was against their fathers. God very simply described the key to the success of the monarchy—obedience to God and His law. This same lesson is so vital to us in this end time. The number one ingredient we must have as members and as a Church is obedience. When we obey God, we have sustained success and blessings. When we disobey God, we fall into trouble. The Philadelphia Church is continually blessed because we do have a sincere desire to obey God. Samuel then presented one last sign that proved to the people that they were wicked for rejecting God by asking for a king. It was the time for the nation’s wheat harvest. Samuel called down thunder and rain (verse 17). This would have been very dangerous for the wheat harvest. Wheat cannot be harvested when it is wet. Wet grain rots. A bumper wheat crop can be severely damaged with rain. This sign placed great fear upon the people (verse 18). They asked Samuel to pray for the nation. Samuel then delivered to the nation some of the most encouraging and serious words in this book. “Fear not: ye have done all this wickedness: yet turn not aside from following the Lord, but serve the Lord with all your heart; And turn ye not aside: for then should ye go after vain things, which cannot profit nor deliver; for they are vain. 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. 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: Only fear the Lord, and serve him in truth with all your heart; for consider how great things he hath done for you. But if ye shall still do wickedly, ye shall be consumed, both ye and your king” (verses 20-25). Even though the people sinned in asking for a king, the king and nation would be blessed, if they obeyed God. In fact, Samuel reassured the people that God planned to bless Israel’s new form of government. Serving God with all of their heart would bring them blessing and success. Disobeying God would bring them curse upon curse. Now it was all up to them—and their king.