8:1-3As an old man, Samuel appointed his sons to be judges over Israel in his place. But they turned out to be corrupt, much like Eli's sons (2:12). We don’t know why Samuel's sons went wrong, but we do know that Eli was held responsible for his own sons’ corruption (2:29-34), It is impossible to know if Samue! was a bad parent. His children were old enough to be on their own. We must be careful not to blame ourselves for the sins of our children. On the other hand, parenthood is an awesome responsibility, and nothing is more important than molding and shaping our children’s lives. If your grown children are not following God, realize that you can’t control them any longer. Don't blame yourself for something that is no longer your responsibility. But if your children are still in your care, know that what you do and teach can profoundly affect your children and lasts a lifetime.
Life Application Study Bible1 SamuelChapter 8
1 Samuel 8
New Living Translation · Life Application Study Bible · Original pages: 418, 419, 420, 421
A few verse numbers on this page were hard to read in the scan and are marked with a dotted underline — compare with the original page image if in doubt.
1The Philistines have returned the Ark of the LORD. Come here and get it!” 2So the men of Kiriath-jearim came to get the Ark of the LORD. They took it to the hillside home of Abinadab and ordained Eleazar, his son, to be in charge of it.? The Ark remained in Kiriath-jearim for a long time—twenty years in all. During that time all Israel mourned because it seemed the LORD had abandoned them.
Samuel Leads Israel! to Victory
33Then Samuel said to all the people of Israel, “If you are really serious about wanting to return to the LORD, get rid of your foreign gods and your images of Ashtoreth. Determine to obey only the LORD; then he will rescue you from the Philistines.” 4So the Israelites got rid of their images of Baal and Ashtoreth and worshiped only the LORD. 5Then Samuel told them, 6Gather all of Israel to Mizpah, and I will pray to the LORD for you.” So they gathered at Mizpah and, in a great ceremony, drew water from a well and poured it out before the Lor. They also went without food all day and confessed that they had sinned against the LORD. (It was at Mizpah that Samuel became Israel’s judge.) 7When the Philistine rulers heard that Israel had gathered at Mizpah, they mobilized their army and advanced. The Israelites were badly frightened when they learned that the Philistines were approaching. ®“Don’t stop pleading with the LORD our God to save us from the Philistines!” they begged Samuel. 9So Samuel took a young lamb and offered it to the LORD as a whole burnt offering. He pleaded with the LORD to help Israel, and the LORD answered him. 10Just as Samuel was sacrificing the burnt offering, the Philistines arrived to attack Israel. But the LORD spoke with a mighty voice of thunder from heaven that day, and the Philistines were thrown into such confusion that the Israelites defeated them. 1'The men of Israel chased them from Mizpah to a place below Beth-car, slaughtering them all along the way. 12Samuel then took a large stone and placed it between the towns of Mizpah and Jeshanah.* He named it Ebenezer (which means “the stone of help”), for he said, “Up to this point the LORD has helped us!” 13So the Philistines were subdued and didn’t invade Israel again for some time. And throughout Samuel's lifetime, the LORD’s powerful hand was raised against the Philistines. 14The Israelite villages near Ekron and Gath that the Philistines had captured were restored to Israel, along with the rest of the territory that the Philistines had taken. And there was peace between Israel and the Amorites in those days. 15Samuel continued as Israel’s judge for the rest of his life. ‘*Each year he traveled around, setting up his court first at Bethel, then at Gilgal, and then at Mizpah. He judged the people of Israel at each of these places. 7Then he would return to his home at Ramah, and he would hear cases there, too. And Samuel built an altar to the LORD at Ramah.
B. SAMUEL AND SAUL (8:1—15:35)
Samuel judges israel well, saves them from the Philistines, and leads them back to God. But when he retires, the nation does not want another judge. Instead, they demand to be given a king in order to be like the nations around them. Although God is unhappy with their request, he tells Samuel to anoint Saul as Israel's first king. Saul is a skillful soldier who successfully leads the nation into many battles against their enemies. But in God's eyes Saul is a failure because he constantly disobeys and does things his own way. God eventually rejects Saul as king. Sometimes we want to go our own way rather than follow the ways of God. This will always end in ruin as it did for Saul. 1. Saul becomes king of Israel
Israel Requests a King
8 As Samuel grew old, he appointed his sons to be judges over Israel. 7Joel and Abijah, his oldest sons, held court in Beersheba. 3But they were not like their father, for they were greedy for money. They accepted bribes and perverted justice. 4Finally, all the elders of Israel met at Ramah to discuss the matter with Samuel. 11Look,” they told him, “you are now old, and your sons are not like you. Give usa king to judge us like all the other nations have.” 8Samuei was displeased with their request and went to the LORD for guidance. 7“Do everything they say to you,” the LORD replied, “for it is me they are rejecting, not you. They don’t want me to be their king any longer. 8Ever since I brought them from Egypt they have continually abandoned me and followed other gods. And now they are giving you the same treatment. 9Do as they ask, but solemnly warn them about the way a king will reign over them.”
Samuel Warns against a Kingdom
10So Samuel passed on the LORD’s warning to the people who were asking him for a king. “This is how a King will reign over you,” Samuel said. “The king will draft your sons and assign them to his chariots and his charioteers, making them run before his chariots. 12Some will be generals and captains in his army,* some will be forced to plow in his fields and harvest his crops, and some will make his weapons and chariot equipment. 13The king will take your daughters from you and force them to cook and bake and make perfumes for him. 14He will take away the best of your fields and vineyards and olive groves and give them to his own officials. 5He will take a tenth of your grain and your grape harvest and distribute it among his officers and attendants. 1¢He will take your male and female slaves and demand the finest of your cattle* and donkeys for his own use. 17He will demand a tenth of your flocks, and you will be his staves. 18When that day comes, you will beg for relief from this king you are demanding, but then the LORD will not help you.” 19But the people refused to listen to Samuel's warning. “Even so, we still want a king,” they said. 20“We want to be like the nations around us. Our king will judge us and lead us into battle.” 21S$o Samuel repeated to the LORD what the people had said, 22and the LORD replied, “Do as they say, and give them a king.” Then Samuel agreed and sent the people home.
Textual footnotes
- be understood to read the Loao killed 70 men and 50 oxen.
- 8:12 Hebrew commanders of thousands and commanders of fifties. young men.
- 8:16 As in Greek version; Hebrew reads
Life Application Notes 5 notes
8:4-9Israel wanted a king for several reasons: (1) Samuel’s sons were not fit to lead Israel. (2) The 12 tribes of Israel continually had problems working together because each tribe had its own leader and territory. It was hoped that a king would unite the tribes into one nation and one army. (3) The people wanted to be like the neighboring nations. This is exactly what God didn't want. Having a king would make it easy to forget that God was their real leader. It was not wrong for Israel to want a king; God had mentioned the possibility in Deuteronomy 17:14-20. Yet, in reality, the people were rejecting God as their leader. The Israelites wanted laws, an army, and a human monarch in the place of God. They wanted to run the nation through human strength, even though only God’s strength could make them flourish in the hostile!and of Canaan.
8:5,6The people clamored for a king, thinking that a new system of government woutd bring about a change in the nation. But because their basic problem was disobedience to God, their other problems would only continue under the new administration. What they needed was a unified faith, not a uniform rule. Had the Israelites submitted to God’s leadership, they would have thrived beyond their expectations (Deuteronomy 28:1). Our obedience is weak if we ask God to lead our family or personal life but continue to tive by the world’s standards and values. Faith in God must touch all the practical areas of life. 8:14-16... 1 Kings 9:10-14—Solomon gave away 20 towns to Hiram of Tyre. 8:15, 17.. 1 Kings 12:1-16—Rehoboam was going to demand heavier taxation than Solomon.
8:19,20Samuel carefully explained all the negative consequences of having a king, but the Israelites refused to listen. When you have an important decision to make, weigh the positives and negatives carefully, considering everyone who Might be affected by your choice. When you want something badly enough, it is difficult to see the potential problems. But don’t discount the negatives. Unless you have a pian to handle each one, they will cause you great difficulty later.
8:19,20Israel was called to be a holy nation, separate from and unique among all others (Leviticus 20:26). The Israelites’ motive im asking for a king was to be like the nations around them. This was in total opposition to God’s original plan. It was not their desire for a king that was wrong, but their reasons for wanting a king. Often we let others’ values and actions dictate our attitudes and behavior. Have you ever made a wrong choice because you wanted to be like everyone else? Be careful that the values of your friends or “heroes” don’t pull you away from what God says is right. When God’s people want to be like unbelievers, they are heading for spiritual disaster. SAUL CHOSEN AS KING Saul and a servant searched for their lost donkeys in the hill country of Ephraim and the territory of Benjamin. They went to Ramah, looking for help trom Samuel the prophet. While Saul was there, he found himself unexpectedly anointed by Samuel as Israel’s first king. Samuet called Israel together at Mizpah to tell them God's choice for their king.
Charts, profiles & sidebars from the printed pages
Personality profile · page 419
We often wonder about the childhoods of great people. We have little information about the early years of most of the people mentioned in the Bible. One delightful exception is Samuel; he came as a result of God's answer to Hannah’s fervent prayer for a child. (In fact, the name Samuel comes from the Hebrew expression “heard of God.”) God shaped Samuel from the start. Like Moses, Samuel was called to fill many different roles: judge, priest, prophet, counselor, and God’s man at a turning point in the history of Israel. God worked through Samuel because Samuel was willing to be one thing: God’s servant. Samuel showed that those whom God finds faithful in small things will be trusted with greater things. He grew up assisting the high priest (Eli) in the Tabernacle until God directed him to other responsibilities. God was able to use Samuel because he was genuinely dedicated to God. Samuel moved ahead because he was listening to God's directions. Too often we ask God to control our lives without making us give up the goals for which we strive. We ask God to help us get where we want to go. The first step in correcting this tendency is to turn over both the control and destination of our lives to him. The second step is to do what we already know God requires of us. The third step is to listen for further direction from his Word-~God’s map for life.
Strengths and accomplishments
• Used by God to assist Israel’s transition from a loosely governed tribal people to a monarchy
• Anointed the first two kings of Israel
• Was the last and most effective of Israel's judges
• Is listed in the Hall of Faith in Hebrews 11
Weakness and mistake
• Was unable to lead his sons into a close relationship with God
Lessons from his life
The significance of what people accomplish is directly related to their relationship with God
• The kind of person we are is more important than anything we might do
Vital statistics
• Where: Ephraim
• Occupations: Judge, prophet, priest
• Relatives: Mother: Hannah. Father: Elkanah. Sons: Joel and Abijah
• Contemporaries: Eli, Saul, David
Key verses
“As Samuel grew up, the LORD was with him, and everything Samuel said proved to be reliable. And all Israel, from Dan in the north to Beersheba in the south, knew that Samuel was confirmed as a prophet of the LornD” (1 Samuel 3:19, 20).
His story is told in 1 Samuel 1—28. He is also mentioned in Psalm 99:6; Jeremiah 15:1; Acts 3:24; 13:20; Hebrews 11:32.
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Study feature · page 420
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Study feature · page 421
THE PROBLEMS WITH HAVING AKING
Reference Fulfillment
Problems (warned by Samuel) Drafting young men into the army Having the young men “run before his chariots” Making slave laborers Taking the best of your fields and vineyards Using your property for his personal gain Demanding a tenth of your harvest and flocks
. 14:52—“So whenever Saul observed a young man who was brave and strong, he drafted him into his army.” 2 Samuel 15:1—"Absalom bought a chariot and horses, and he hired fifty bodyguards to run ahead of him.” . 2 Chronicles 2:17, 18—Solomon assigned taborers to build the temple.
1 Kings 21:5-16—Jezebel stole Naboth’s vineyard