Samuel was born the son of Elkanah and Hannah, in answer to his mother’s prayers. His name means heard of God. Hannah promised to dedicate her son to the service of the Lord. Therefore, after he was weaned Hanna left him at the temple to be reared by Eli a priest of Shiloh. When he was just a young boy Samuel was called of God and went on to became a great prophet and the last of the Hebrew Judges. He restored law and order as well as regular religious worship throughout all the land. He also anointed the first two kings of the Kingdom of Israel: Saul and David.
Though not a priest, he performed priestly functions and constantly offered sacrifice at various places. Throughout his long and difficult life the prophet Samuel’s example of faith, patience, self-sacrifice and integrity proves exemplary to all.
We read about the life and ministry of this great Old Testament prophet beginning in chapter one of 1 Samuel. By chapter twelve he is old and gives up the judge’s seat. In chapter fifteen the prophet chastises King Saul for disobedience tells him the Lord has chosen another to take his place. In chapter sixteen Samuel anoints David to be king, and in chapter nineteen we read how David fled to Samuel in Ramah when Saul sought his life. Then in the first sentence of chapter twenty-five we read that Samuel died and all the Israelites gathered together to grieve for him, and buried him in his house at Ramah.
But it is in chapter twelve that we read the last recorded discourse of Samuel to his people. He is angry at them for insisting on a king contrary to God’s will and chastises them for their ingratitude and promising the Lord’s condemnation if they do not keep the commandments. If we “liken” these last words of prophet Samuel to Israel, we see just how applicable they are to us today. We find them in 1 Samuel 12:1-17 concluding with 20-25.
“Now therefore stand still, that I may reason with you before the Lord of all the righteous acts of the Lord, which he did to you and to your fathers. When Jacob was come into Egypt, and your fathers cried unto the Lord, then the Lord sent Moses and Aaron, which brought forth your fathers out of Egypt, and made them dwell in this place.
“And when they forgat the Lord their God, he sold them into the hand of Sisera, captain of the host of Hazor, and into the hand of the Philistines, and into the hand of the king of Moab, and they fought against them. And they cried unto the Lord, and said, We have sinned, because we have forsaken the Lord, and have served Baalim and Ashtaroth: but now deliver us out of the hand of our enemies, and we will serve thee.
“And the Lord sent Jerubbaal, and Bedan, and Jephthah, and Samuel, and delivered you out of the hand of your enemies on every side, and ye dwelled safe. And when ye saw that Nahash the king of the children of Ammon came against you, ye said unto me, Nay; but a king shall reign over us: when the Lord your God was your king. Now therefore behold the king whom ye have chosen, and whom ye have desired! and, behold, the Lord hath set a king over you.
“If ye will fear the Lord, and serve him, and obey his voice, and not rebel against the commandment of the Lord, then shall both ye and also the king that reigneth over you continue following the Lord your God: But if ye will not obey the voice of the Lord, but rebel against the commandment of the Lord, then shall the hand of the Lord be against you, as it was against your fathers.
“Now therefore stand and see this great thing, which the Lord will do before your eyes. Is it not wheat harvest to day? I will call unto the Lord, and he shall send thunder and rain; that ye may perceive and see that your wickedness is great, which ye have done in the sight of the Lord, in asking you a king.”
So Samuel called unto the Lord; and the Lord sent thunder and rain that day: and all the people greatly feared the Lord and Samuel. And all the people said unto Samuel, Pray for thy servants unto the Lord thy God, that we die not: for we have added unto all our sins this evil, to ask us a king.
“And Samuel said unto the people, Fear not: ye have done all this wickedness: yet turn not aside from following the Lord, but serve the Lord with all your heart; And turn ye not aside: for then should ye go after vain things, which cannot profit nor deliver; for they are vain. For the Lord will not forsake his people for his great name’s sake: because it hath pleased the Lord to make you his people.
“Moreover as for me, God forbid that I should sin against the Lord in ceasing to pray for you: but I will teach you the good and the right way: Only fear the Lord, and serve him in truth with all your heart: for consider how great things he hath done for you. But if ye shall still do wickedly, ye shall be consumed, both ye and your king.”