A life of service

Today’s passage is a summary of Samuel’s life. In short, he remained active in ministry throughout his life, as it is written, “Now Samuel judged Israel all the days of his life.” Even after delegating authority to his sons, he continued to act with considerable authority. Furthermore, even after appointing Saul as king, he continued his work as a judge, guiding the people. (1) Every year, Samuel toured to Bethel, Gilgal, and Mizpah, fulfilling his duties as a judge in each place. This means that when people came to him with difficult issues, he provided them with resolutions. (2) In these three cities, he established “schools for prophets” to focus on training successors (ref. 1 Sam. 19:19-24, 2 Kings 2:3, 4:38, 6:1, etc.). (3) After the tour, he returned to his home in Ramah, where he also fulfilled his duties as a judge. Ramah was his birthplace, and his parents were also from this town. (4) As a member of the tribe of Levi, he built an altar in Ramah and offered sacrifices there as a priest. The building of an altar in Ramah occurred during an “intermediate period,” after the town of Shiloh, where the Tabernacle was located, was destroyed and before Jerusalem became the capital of Israel.

Testimony of the New Testament

(1) Peter speaks of Samuel as one of the prophets who foretold the coming of the New Testament time. He said in Acts 3:24, “And likewise, all the prophets who have spoken, from Samuel and his successors onward, also announced these days.” (2) Paul regards Samuel as one of the prophets. He said, “After these things He gave them judges until Samuel the prophet” (Acts 13:20). (3) In Hebrews 11: 32, Samuel is introduced as one of the people of faith who pleased God. It is written, “And what more shall I say? For time will fail me if I tell of Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, of David and Samuel and the prophets.” Let us also strive to remain active throughout our lives while focusing on training successors. It is a blessing to be counted among the list of faithful believers.