For those who are willing to surrender their lives entirely to God’s purposes and love Him with all their heart, God will sometimes use them to be a part of world-changing events according to His plan. The Prophet Samuel not only wrote sections of the Old Testament, he was used mightily by God during an important period of Israel’s history. While he was submitted to God’s service at an early age, Samuel remained faithful to the call of the Lord, and stayed in it of his own volition. His life was preserved by the Holy Spirit, and his story can still be read in the Bible today as a source of encouragement, comfort, and important lessons.
1. God Has Plans for Each Person
God withheld a baby from Hannah until the time was right. Hannah kept her promise to God and put Samuel in place to follow the call God had for him. Even before Samuel was born, God had a plan for Hannah’s sadness, and her child’s life.
2. There’s a Reason Christians Practice Monogamy
It was always God’s design for people to be monogamous, but because of sin a certain level of polygamy was tolerated in the pre-Israelite Hebrew culture, and for a time after, culminating in the life of King Solomon. The life of Samuel’s parents is a good demonstration of the conflict caused by having multiple wives, as his dad played favorites, and his wife who could have children would make Hannah’s life difficult.
3. Ministry Is a Calling, Not a Profession
In the life of Samuel, he received a direct call to service beyond that to which his mother committed him. His mentor, Eli, had two sons who went into service because of their lineage, not because they were called or because they wanted to serve God, and they were rebuked by their father and rejected by God. God calls His servants, and this calling should be taken seriously.
4. It Is Important to Remember What God Does for Us
When God saved the Israelites from the Philistines early in Samuel’s ministry, he set up a stone as a monument and a reminder of what the Lord had done, and called it Ebenezer. In moments of difficulty, or times when it is tempting to be prideful and forget that God is the source of all blessings, remembering the times God intervened keeps the focus and the credit on Him.
5. We Can Rebel against God’s Plans, but He Will Still Use It for Our Good and His Glory
God’s original design for the nation of Israel was for them to be ruled directly by Him. He would raise up judges during times of trial and difficulty, but it was chaotic, and Israel continuously fell into sin. Eventually they cried for a king who could bring them stability. Samuel warned them any king they instituted at that time would rule tyrannically, but they didn’t care. God relented, but used the desire for a king to eventually set up King David, and the line that would lead to the Messiah.
6. There Is a Lot We Won’t Understand on This Side of Heaven
One of the most mysterious passages in the Bible is when King Saul has the Witch of Endor summon the ghost of Samuel for help. When the ghost of Samuel appeared, the witch ran in fear because she did not expect it. No one knows whether or not this was truly the ghost of Samuel, an illusion, or what actually happened. There are many mysteries about the world and the supernatural that will only be made clear in eternity.
Serving the Lord can come in many forms, since He has a unique plan for every person’s life. God worked a miracle for Hannah, and her sincerity and integrity helped lay the groundwork for those same features in her son. God works through the generations, and ultimately His will is going to be accomplished, just like it was in the life of Samuel.
Sources
Alter, Robert. The David Story: A Translation with Commentary of 1 and 2 Samuel. New York: W.W. Norton & Company, 2009.
Samuel the Prophet, and the Lessons of His Life and Times
Wilmington’s Guide to the Bible
Bethany Verrett is a freelance writer who uses her passion for God, reading, and writing to glorify God. She and her husband have lived all over the country serving their Lord and Savior in ministry. She has a blog on graceandgrowing.com.
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