1 Sam. 2:27-36, Religion of Israel in Days of Samuel (1)

(This week we will have a special post on Thanksgiving Day.  The rest come from the opening chapters of 1 Samuel.) 

On the day that Samuel first met (King) Saul, 1 Sam. 9:12-14 says he came to a city and went up to the high place to offer a sacrifice.  You might wonder why he was going to a high place.  You might wonder if Samuel was operating as a priest, though he was not from Aaron’s line.  You might wonder what city he had come to, since it does not seem to be Jerusalem or Shiloh or some other important city.  In this part of Scripture, you might have lots of questions about the religion of Israel.  We want to pursue these questions so as to properly understand the Bible.

First, let’s get the broader historical context.  The Ark of the Covenant, brought into battle with the Philistines from Shiloh by the evil sons of Eli (1 Sam. 4:3-4), has been captured by the Philistines (4:10-11), at which time Eli the priest died (4:18).  Then the Ark was sent back to Israel (6:1-19), and is now residing in the home of Abinadab, who lived on the hill of Kirjath Jearim, a city on the border of Benjamin just north of Jerusalem (7:1).  Technically, it is still the “times of the Judges” when everyone did what was right in their own eyes (Jud. 21:25; Eli was a judge, 4:18; as was Samuel, 7:15; who also attempted to install his sons as judges, 8:2-3).  The word of the LORD was rare in those days; there was no widespread revelation (3:1).  But with the arrival of Samuel this was beginning to change, so that the LORD revealed Himself to Samuel in Shiloh by the word of the LORD.  And the word of Samuel came to all Israel (3:21-4:1). 

Another factor to consider at this time was the curse on Eli and his descendants.  In today’s passage a man of God told Eli that, because of his honoring his sons more than the LORD, that several things would happen.  An enemy would enter the Sanctuary (the Philistines when they captured the Ark).  Eli’s male descendants would die in the flower of their age.  His two sons would die in one day (1 Sam. 4:11).  Eli’s descendants would lose the priesthood to other, more faithful priests.  This is pretty profound when you think about it: some things immediately fulfilled and other things at a later time.

Lastly, let us also note that under Samuel the people had put away the Baals and the Ashtoreths, and served the LORD only (1 Sam. 7:4).  This had resulted in the LORD providing deliverance from the Philistines, but that was followed by the demand of the people that Samuel give them a king (1 Sam. 8).  The people made this demand.  God heard, and we should not think that God was not at some point going to give them a king, because He had prepared the way for this (Deut. 17:14-20).  What God did was give them the king they asked for (King Saul) so they could see that the ways of the world were not for His people.  Then God gave them the king that He wanted (King David).