Day Twenty -- The Trifecta of Prophet, Priest and Judge
1 Samuel 2:30 to 1 Samuel 15:35
The LORD calling in the night to the boy Samuel is one of those stories that I never tire of hearing or reading. It is such a powerful moment when God lifts a person up to act beyond their apparent station or abilities. Who would think that young Samuel, dedicated to the LORD and given into the service of Eli the priest, had anything important to say to anyone? Yet this boy prophetically speaks what the LORD commands. This, of course, is only the beginning for as Samuel grows up he also assumes the role of priest as well as that of judge (deliverer) of his people. In combining these three separate roles - prophet, priest and judge - it is obvious that he is to be a pivotal figure in the story of God's people.
One thing that Samuel was not was a king, and when the people cry out for one (so that they would be like the other nations around them) Samuel is displeased, seeing it as a rejection of God. With the LORD's urging he relents, but warns them that they are in for much more than they bargained for. An earthly king is sure to suppress the people (don't they remember the stories of what happened to their ancestors in Egypt under the Pharaoh?). In any event, Saul is anointed by Samuel to be king and a rocky road ahead seems assured.
The LORD calling in the night to the boy Samuel is one of those stories that I never tire of hearing or reading. It is such a powerful moment when God lifts a person up to act beyond their apparent station or abilities. Who would think that young Samuel, dedicated to the LORD and given into the service of Eli the priest, had anything important to say to anyone? Yet this boy prophetically speaks what the LORD commands. This, of course, is only the beginning for as Samuel grows up he also assumes the role of priest as well as that of judge (deliverer) of his people. In combining these three separate roles - prophet, priest and judge - it is obvious that he is to be a pivotal figure in the story of God's people.
One thing that Samuel was not was a king, and when the people cry out for one (so that they would be like the other nations around them) Samuel is displeased, seeing it as a rejection of God. With the LORD's urging he relents, but warns them that they are in for much more than they bargained for. An earthly king is sure to suppress the people (don't they remember the stories of what happened to their ancestors in Egypt under the Pharaoh?). In any event, Saul is anointed by Samuel to be king and a rocky road ahead seems assured.
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