Samuel and Israel
And the word of Samuel came to all Israel (1 Samuel 4:1).
Samuel’s relationship with the nation of Israel begins at today’s verse. Just when we think things cannot get worse, something more dreadful happens. 1 Samuel 4 begins with Samuel’s introduction to the nation he was to serve for such a long time. It ends with the birth of Ichabod, which means “The glory has departed from Israel.” The conflict between Israel and the Philistines, which is recorded in this chapter, culminates in Eli’s sons, Hophni and Phinehas, bringing the Ark of the Covenant into battle at the demand of the elders of Israel. God will not bless a disobedient nation. They expected a victory like the defeat of Jericho, when the ark was a focus of blessing, but they were tragically mistaken. Israel was defeated, Hophni and Phinehas were killed, the ark was taken, and the shock of the news caused the death of Eli and the birth of Ichabod. These awful events solemnly remind us of the folly of pretending to serve God outwardly when in our hearts and by our practice we are so far from Him – what has been described as “high talk and low walk”. Samuel’s life teaches us the vital truth that God looks on the heart.
In our hypocrisy, we can fool strangers, friends, even family and, above all, ourselves. But we can never fool God. The hypocrisy of the Israelites is a warning to us. Israel had not stopped worshipping God and in their distress they prayed to Him. But they also continued to worship idols. It is possible, and often at the root of our own spiritual weakness, for us to worship as Christians but have things in our lives which are effectively idols. It is surprising how we can devote immense amounts of time, energy and resources to transient things like sport, entertainment, money and material possessions, to the extent that the Lord takes second or even a lower place in our lives. This is why the apostle John’s warning, “Little children, keep yourselves from idols” is so important.
The Ark’s return to Israel in chapter 6 is a wonderful story, which led Israel back to God. Samuel led their return. He tells them, “If you return to the Lord with all your hearts, then put away the foreign gods and the Ashtoreths from among you, and prepare your hearts for the Lord, and serve Him only; and He will deliver you” (1 Samuel 7:3). Israel listened to Samuel and forsook the idols which they had worshipped.
Samuel was a man of prayer. He brought Israel together with the promise, “Gather all Israel to Mizpah, and I will pray to the Lord for you” (7: 5). In verse 8 the people asked Samuel not to cease to pray for them and in verse 9 Samuel cries to the Lord and the Lord answers. Victory over the Philistines follows and afterwards Samuel erects a stone and calls it “Ebenezer” – “Thus far the Lord has helped us.” Reflecting on what God has done for us and what He wants to do in us and through us brings us to the Throne of Grace in a ministry of prayer and intercession: “I exhort first of all that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks be made for all men” (1 Timothy 2:1).
