We are in a day and age where the Old Testament is being read less and less. In fact, a study by Crossway shows that people are far more likely to read the New Testament than the Old Testament (Christian Headlines). This is unfortunate news, because the Old Testament still has a lot to teach us in the days that we are living in. It gives us warnings, signs, and stories to follow that can help us when we encounter issues. The Old Testament also gives us a greater glimpse into the character of God, and through the various iconic Bible stories, we can learn how to better relate to Him, and how to live better in this world.

However, we should still place more weight into the New Covenant that God made with us. Things are not exactly like how they were in the Old Testament days, which is why we need to approach the Old Testament with a wider view of scripture.

Over the next few weeks, we will be looking at some of the most important Bible characters, and examining how we can learn from them. The first one that we will look at is the prophet, priest, and judge, Samuel.

The Life of Samuel

Samuel is an interesting figure. He lived his life, as we see it, with complete faithfulness to God, and with not many flaws. He didn’t commit a major, grave sin like David, or turn from God, like Solomon. He didn’t even make it a habit to sin, unlike others in the Old Testament.

He was not just a priest, but also the first major prophet, recognized by Peter in Acts 3:24. Not only that, but he was also the last judge of Israel, which means that he essentially “ruled” Israel. He was one of the most powerful and influential leaders of all time, and certainly up until that point in history.

Samuel served God for his entire life and was committed to doing the work that honored the Lord. He was a great example of someone that loved and feared the Lord.

There were many great things that Samuel did, but there are a few in particular that I find we can learn from.

Learning from Eli

When Samuel was growing up, he learned under the priest and judge, Eli. Eli had two wicked sons, who both ended up turning away from the Lord and died in battle. This certainly made Eli more likely to help Samuel, who, burn from a miracle birth, lived for the Lord his entire life. As the last two major judges of Israel, Samuel learned many things from Eli, but one of the most impactful happens in 1 Samuel 3.

“And the Lord called Samuel again the third time. And he arose and went to Eli and said, “Here I am, for you called me.” Then Eli perceived that the Lord was calling the boy. Therefore, Eli said to Samuel, “Go, lie down, and if he calls you, you shall say, ‘Speak, Lord, for your servant hears.’” So, Samuel went and lay down in his place.
And the Lord came and stood, calling as at other times, “Samuel! Samuel!” And Samuel said, “Speak, for your servant hears.” (1 Samuel 3:8-10).

In this passage, God is calling Samuel, and Samuel, thinking it was Eli, runs to him and tells his mentor that he has made it. Eli realizes that Samuel is hearing from the Lord and instructs him to listen again for the Lord’s voice, and to respond. He does this very thing, and the Lord speaks a great prophecy through him.

Here, Eli teaches Samuel how to talk and hear from the Lord, which is a very important lesson for him to have learned. We see this throughout the rest of Samuel’s written life.

Raising Up a Leader

The next great thing that he does within his great and accomplished life is appointing the first and second kings of Israel.

For a short span of Israels history, the nation has “judges”, which were essentially the leaders of the nation. Characters like Samson and Deborah were two of the most famous judges, but there were quite a few more. Eventually, Samuel, who took over for Eli, was ruling over Israel and getting too old to continue in that position. It was time for another ruler, for another judge. Unfortunately, the Israelites had a different thought in mind.

Instead of a new judge, like they had always had, the Israelites asked for a king to be his replacement.

“Then all the elders of Israel gathered together and came to Samuel at Ramah and said to him, “Behold, you are old and your sons do not walk in your ways. Now appoint for 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.” (1 Samuel 8:4-6).

The Israelite people were never supposed to have a king as expressed by God himself in that chapter. They were supposed to look towards the Lord for guidance, direction, and support, not another man. Samuel honors their request, and makes Saul the first king of Israel, which led to an assortment of issues.

While the Lord wanted the Israelites to follow him and him alone, the Israelites made it clear that that was not the desire of their hearts, which is why God appointed Saul in the first place. Things should’ve been better than they were, but they weren’t. The Israelites should’ve followed God, but instead, they followed their own will, which led to some issues.

However, in yet another instance, our character was faithful and obedient to the Lord, continually reflecting his character and love for the Lord. This contrasts his character with the heart of Israel and Saul and the difference is shown no better than in the next story and step for Samuel.

Samuel vs Saul

When Saul becomes king, he doesn’t do a great job. Although God often gives him clear instruction and guidance, he follows his own path, and is riddled with rebellion. As the king of God’s chosen nation, he doesn’t do a good job of actually following God. Instead, he follows his will, not God’s.

Samuel reacts much differently to this problem. While Saul is content with following his own will and passions, his counterpart is not, and ends up weeping for the Lord (1 Sam. 15:11). You can see time and time again, that the prophet cares deeply for the Lord and seeks only to do right in his lord’s eyes. This is again, a major contrast between our two characters. One follows his own passions and desires, while the other follows God completely.

Eventually, Samuel confronts Saul, and God uses him to reject Saul. In this confrontation, Saul blames others and makes excuses, never taking ownership of his mistakes, which leads to Samuel rejecting him as king, and appointing someone else, King David.

Lessons from Samuel

In each of these three stories and instances, there is one major theme that follows. The theme throughout Samuel’s life is one of complete obedience and adoration of the Lord. Samuel never wavers in his trust and love for the Lord, and cares for him deeply throughout the time in his life that we know of. He has his eyes on the Lord, and not on anyone else. He cares for the Lord’s will above all else, and he is not afraid of following it.

When he is young and mentored by Eli, he learns to listen for the Lord’s voice and talk to him. When he is asked to choose a leader, he listens to the Lord and obeys his commandments. Then, as Saul starts to turn from the Lord, he does as the Lord wills and obeys his voice. In every circumstance that we see of Samuel, he is obedient to the Lord and listens. His ears are inclined to the Lord’s voice, and he obeys all that he hears from the Lord.

This is certainly something that we can learn and need to learn in today’s world. With all the noise and the voices, thoughts, and concerns all around us, it’s easy to stop listening for the Lord. It’s easy to let what we hear drown out the voice of the Lord and pursue our own will, like Saul. But Samuel teaches us that it is crucial for us to listen to him, and to hear his voice.

My prayer for us this week is that we would all incline our ears to the Lord, and listen for his voice, and his guiding, just as Samuel did in his life. Let us not pursue our will, but the Lord’s.

“My son, give attention to my words;
Incline your ear to my sayings.
Do not let them depart from your eyes;
Keep them in the midst of your heart” (Proverbs 4:20-21).