36: SAMUEL: PROPHET, JUDGE, KING-MAKER
Based on The 1st Book of Samuel (1SAM or 1S)...Read more there...(N1)

The books bearing Samuel's name cover the story of the Hebrews as they develop as a people through the last of the Judges to the establishment of the monarchy. But remember that history is usually told through the eyes of the victors in any conflict. Even then it can be one faction's point of view. Samuel is born in unusual circumstances, like many others who feature in the Scriptures. He is born to a devout couple named Elkanah & Hannah. Ch. 1 tells us another of Elkanah's wives has children by him, but Hannah has none. So she goes to pray for a child at the sanctuary of Shiloh, site of the Ark of the Covenant (N2) at this time, & fore-runner to the eventual Jerusalem Temple. Hannah prays to YHWH Sabaoth, 'God of Hosts' (N3). This might mean God of the hosts of angels, of the stars of the heavens, of earthly armies, all three, or a whole lot more than any or all of these. Hannah's praying pretty powerful stuff to a pretty powerful God! At Shiloh she has a confrontation with Eli, the resident priest. At first Eli takes her fervent praying as the outpourings of a drunkard (it is festival time, after all!) but eventually asks God to grant Hannah's prayer. Hannah goes back home & conceives Samuel! Once he's weaned though, with Elkanah's blessing she takes Samuel back to Shiloh to the sanctuary & offers Samuel back to God to reside there with Eli. He is to be brought up to serve at the shrine as a kind of apprentice to Eli as a thanksgiving to God for his birth. Ch. 2 begins with Hannah singing a heartfelt hymn of praise to YHWH. Blessed Mary is later much influenced by Hannah's song when she herself sings what we know as the Magnificat [LK 1:46+] in praise of God when she is pregnant with Jesus. But back to Samuel! One night YHWH calls to Samuel as he lies sleeping near the Ark [Ch. 3] but Samuel thinks it is Eli calling, & goes to him to see what he wants. When this happens three times, Eli realizes that it is God who is calling Samuel & tells him to answer YHWH next time this happens. Samuel does, & God reveals to him that Eli's bad-egg sons are to die. When he reluctantly tells Eli this, Eli realises that in Samuel we have the makings of a prophet! Chs. 4-7 centre on the Ark, its capture by the Philistines & its return to the Hebrews after the Philistines associate it with an outbreak of plague in their midst.
Ch. 8 marks a turning point in Israelite history. After Eli's death, the by now adult Samuel becomes the influential figure in Israel. The people petition him in his role as prophet & judge to appoint them a king. Neither YHWH nor Samuel want this [Ch.8:10-18] but the people insist. YHWH agrees now, seemingly to let the people discover the hard way that He is their only true king. In Chs. 9-10 we find that after being anointed by Samuel & chosen by the casting of the lot (N4) from among the people, Saul is appointed king. Chs. 11-15 are pretty much about war-mongering, & the many flaws in Saul's character appearing. Ch. 16 is about Samuel secretly anointing David, a young shepherd, to replace Saul eventually. David joins Saul's court, in this version as a harpist to soothe Saul's troubled mind. However the following tale [Ch. 17] in which David kills the Philistine champion Goliath with a well placed sling- shot & saves the honour of Saul's army & the Israelites clearly comes from a different source. It isn't long before Saul becomes increasingly jealous of David & his achievements [Chs. 18+]; a jealousy that comes in fits & starts for the rest of Saul's life & raising questions about the state of his physical & mental well-being. Saul is a very flawed character & this will be his undoing, but soon we'll be seeing David warts & all too! Chs. 19-20 tell of the growing friendship between David & one of Saul's sons, Jonathan, including Jonathan helping David escape his father's clutches. In Chs. 21-27 David, a hunted outlaw now, is mostly on the run from Saul. On one occasion David spares Saul's life when he could easily have killed him. Samuel dies & is mourned [Ch. 25], & again David spares Saul's life [Ch. 26]. The book draws to an end [Ch.31] with the Philistines inflicting an ignominious defeat on the Israelites, with both Saul & Jonathan dying in battle together with most of Saul's other sons. So the story continues...37...David: King - Warts & All.
(N1) The two books bearing Samuel's name were originally one book. (N2) See Ep. 29, All Heaven Breaks Loose. (N3) This seems to be the first use of this title for God in the Hebrew Bible. (N4) Making decisions by casting a lot (a marked stone or similar) was common practice in ancient times. Acts 1:15-26 is an example from early Christianity (later replaced by asking guidance of Holy Spirit). Question: Is God obvious in the way we're governed today?