Key Places in Samuel
1 Ramah
Samuel was born in Ramah. Before his birth, Samuel's mother Hannah made a promise to God that she would dedicate her son to serve God alongside the priests in the tabernacle at Shiloh (1 Samuel 1:1-2:11).
2 Shiloh
The focal point of Israel's worship was at Shiloh, where the tabernacle and the ark of the covenant resided. Eli was the high priest, but his sons, Hophni and Phinehas, were evil men who took advantage of the people. Samuel, however, served God faithfully, and God blessed him as he grew (1 Samuel 2:12-3:21).
3 Kiriath Jearim
Israel was constantly at odds with the Philistines, and another battle was brewing. Hophni and Phinehas brought the ark of the covenant from Shiloh to the battlefield, believing that its mere presence would bring the Israelites victory. The Israelites were defeated by the Philistines at Ebenezer, and the ark was captured. However, the Philistines soon found out that the ark was not quite the great battle trophy they expected. For God sent plagues upon every Philistine city into which the ark was brought. Finally, the Philistines sent it back to Kiriath Jearim in Israel (1 Samuel 4:1-7:1).
4 Mizpah
The Israelites' defeat made them realize that God was no longer blessing them. Samuel called the people together at Mizpah and asked them to fast and pray in sorrow for their sins. The assembly at Mizpah was a tempting target for the confident Philistines who advanced for an attack. But God intervened and routed their mighty army. Meanwhile, Samuel was judging cases throughout Israel. But as Samuel grew old, the people came to him at Ramah (his home base) demanding a king in order to be like the other nations. At Mizpah, Saul was chosen by sacred appointment to be Israel's first king with the blessing, but not the approval, of God and Samuel (1 Samuel 7:2-10:27).
5 Gilgal
A battle with the Ammonites proved Saul's leadership abilities to the people of Israel. He protected the people of Jabesh Gilead and scattered the Ammonite army. Samuel and the people crowned Saul as king of Israel at Gilgal (1 Samuel 11:1-15).
6 Valley of Elah
Saul won many other battles, but over time he proved to be arrogant, sinful, and rebellious until God finally rejected him as king. Unknown to Saul, a young shepherd and musician named David was anointed to be Israel's next king. But it would be many years before David sat upon the throne. Ironically, Saul hired David to play the harp in his palace. Saul grew to like David so much that he made him his personal armor-bearer. In one particular battle with the Philistines in the Valley of Elah, David killed Goliath, the Philistines' mightiest soldier. But this victory was the beginning of the end of Saul's love for David. The Israelites praised David more than Saul, causing Saul to become so jealous that he plotted to kill David (1 Samuel 12:1-22:23).
7 The Desert
Even anointed kings are not exempt from troubles. David literally ran for his life from King Saul, hiding with his band of followers in the Desert of Ziph (where the men of Ziph constantly betrayed him), the Desert of Maon, and the Desert of En Gedi. Though he had opportunities to kill Saul, David refused to do so because Saul was God's anointed king (1 Samuel 23:1-26:25).
8 Gath
David moved his men and family to Gath, the Philistine city where King Achish lived. Saul then stopped chasing him. The Philistines seemed to welcome this famous fugitive from Israel (1 Samuel 27:1-4).
9 Ziklag
Desiring privacy in return for his pretended loyalty to King Achish, David asked for a city in which to house his men and family. Achish gave him Ziklag. From there David conducted raids against the cities of the Geshurites, Girizites, and the Amalekites making sure no one escaped to tell the tale (1 Samuel 27:5-12). David later conquered the Amalekites after they raided Ziklag (1 Samuel 30:1-31).
10 Mount Gilboa
War with the Philistines broke out again in the north, near Mount Gilboa. Saul, who no longer relied on God, consulted a witch in a desperate attempt to contact Samuel for help. In the meantime, David was sent back to Ziklag because the Philistine commanders did not trust his loyalty in battle against Israel. The Philistines slaughtered the Israelites on Mount Gilboa, killing King Saul and his three sons, including David's loyal friend Jonathan. Without God, Saul led a bitter and misguided life. The consequences of his sinful actions affected not only him, but hurt his family and the entire nation as well (1 Samuel 28:1-31:13).
|
|
Samuel
Heard of God. The peculiar circumstances connected with his birth
are recorded in #1Sa 1:20 Hannah, one of
the two wives of Elkanah, who came up to Shiloh to worship before the
Lord, earnestly prayed to God that she might become the mother of a son.
Her prayer was graciously granted; and after the child was weaned she
brought him to Shiloh nd consecrated him to the Lord as a perpetual
Nazarite #1Sa 1:23-28 #1Sa
2:1-11 Here his bodily wants and training were attended to by the
women who served in the tabernacle, while Eli cared for his religious
culture.
Thus, probably, twelve years of his life passed away. "The
child Samuel grew on, and was in favour both with the Lord, and also
with men" #1Sa 2:26 comp. #Lu
2:52 It was a time of great and growing degeneracy in Israel #Jud
21:19-21 1Sa 2:12-17,22 The Philistines, who of late had greatly
increased in number and in power, were practically masters of the
country, and kept the people in subjection #1Sa
10:5 13:3 At this time new communications from God began to be
made to the pious child.
A mysterious voice came to him in the night
season, calling him by name, and, instructed by Eli, he answered,
"Speak, Lord; for thy servant heareth." The message that came
from the Lord was one of woe and ruin to Eli and his profligate sons.
Samuel told it all to Eli, whose only answer to the terrible
denunciations #1Sa 3:11-18 was, "It is
the Lord; let him do what seemeth him good," the passive submission
of a weak character, not, in his case, the expression of the highest
trust and faith.
The Lord revealed himself now in divers manners to
Samuel, and his fame and his influence increased throughout the land as
of one divinely called to the prophetical office.
A new period in the
history of the kingdom of God now commenced. The Philistine yoke was
heavy, and the people, groaning under the wide-spread oppression,
suddenly rose in revolt, and "went out against the Philistines to
battle." A fierce and disastrous battle was fought at Aphek, near
to Ebenezer #1Sa 4:1,2 The Israelites were
defeated, leaving 4,000 dead "in the field." The chiefs of the
people thought to repair this great disaster by carrying with them the
ark of the covenant as the symbol of Jehovah’s presence. They
accordingly, without consulting Samuel, fetched it out of Shiloh to the
camp near Aphek. At the sight of the ark among them the people
"shouted with a great shout, so that the earth rang again." A
second battle was fought, and again the Philistines defeated the
Israelites, stormed their camp, slew 30,000 men, and took the sacred
ark.
The tidings of this fatal battle was speedily conveyed to Shiloh;
and so soon as the aged Eli heard that the ark of God was taken, he fell
backward from his seat at the entrance of the sanctuary, and his neck
brake, and he died. The tabernacle with its furniture was probably, by
the advice of Samuel, now about twenty years of age, removed from Shiloh
to some place of safety, and finally to Nob, where it remained many
years #1Sa 21:1 The Philistines followed up
their advantage, and marched upon Shiloh, which they plundered and
destroyed (comp.) #Jer 7:12 Ps 78:59 This
was a great epoch in the history of Israel.
For twenty years after this
fatal battle at Aphek the whole land lay under the oppression of the
Philistines. During all these dreary years Samuel was a spiritual power
in the land. From Ramah, his native place, where he resided, his
influence went forth on every side among the people. With unwearied zeal
he went up and down from place to place, reproving, rebuking, and
exhorting the people, endeavouring to awaken in them a sense of their
sinfulness, and to lead them to repentance. His labours were so far
successful that "all the house of Israel lamented after the
Lord." Samuel summoned the people to Mizpeh, one of the loftiest
hills in Central Palestine, where they fasted and prayed, and prepared
themselves there, under his direction, for a great war against the
Philistines, who now marched their whole force toward Mizpeh, in order
to crush the Israelites once for all.
At the intercession of Samuel God
interposed in behalf of Israel. Samuel himself was their leader, the
only occasion in which he acted as a leader in war. The Philistines were
utterly routed. They fled in terror before the army of Israel, and a
great slaughter ensued. This battle, fought probably about B.C. 1095 put
an end to the forty years of Philistine oppression. In memory of this
great deliverance, and in token of gratitude for the help vouchsafed,
Samuel set up a great stone in the battlefield, and called it
"Ebenezer," saying, "Hitherto hath the Lord helped
us" #1Sa 7:1-12 This was the spot
where, twenty years before, the Israelites had suffered a great defeat,
when the ark of God was taken.
This victory over the Philistines was
followed by a long period of peace for Israel #1Sa
7:13,14 during which Samuel exercised the functions of judge,
going "from year to year in circuit" from his home in Ramah to
Bethel, thence to Gilgal (not that in the Jordan valley, but that which
lay to the west of Ebal and Gerizim), and returning by Mizpeh to Ramah.
He established regular services at Shiloh, where he built an altar; and
at Ramah he gathered a company of young men around him and established a
school of the prophets.
The schools of the prophets, thus originated,
and afterwards established also at Gibeah, Bethel, Gilgal, and Jericho,
exercised an important influence on the national character and history
of the people in maintaining pure religion in the midst of growing
corruption. They continued to the end of the Jewish commonwealth.
Many
years now passed, during which Samuel exercised the functions of his
judicial office, being the friend and counsellor of the people in all
matters of private and public interest. He was a great statesman as well
as a reformer, and all regarded him with veneration as the
"seer," the prophet of the Lord. At the close of this period,
when he was now an old man, the elders of Israel came to him at Ramah #1Sa
8:4,5,19-22 and feeling how great was the danger to which the
nation was exposed from the misconduct of Samuel’s sons, whom he had
invested with judicial functions as his assistants, and had placed at
Beersheba on the Philistine border, and also from a threatened invasion
of the Ammonites, they demanded that a king should be set over them.
This request was very displeasing to Samuel. He remonstrated with them,
and warned them of the consequences of such a step.
At length, however,
referring the matter to God, he acceded to their desires, and anointed
Saul (q.v.) to be their king #1Sa 11:15
Before retiring from public life he convened an assembly of the people
at Gilgal #1Sa 12:1ff. and there solemnly
addressed them with reference to his own relation to them as judge and
prophet. The remainder of his life he spent in retirement at Ramah, only
occasionally and in special circumstances appearing again in public #1Sa
13:1ff. #1Sa 15:1ff. with
communications from God to king Saul.
While mourning over the many evils
which now fell upon the nation, he is suddenly summoned #1Sa
16:1ff. to go to Bethlehem and anoint David, the son of Jesse, as
king over Israel instead of Saul. After this little is known of him till
the time of his death, which took place at Ramah when he was probably
about eighty years of age. "And all Israel gathered themselves
together, and lamented him, and buried him in his house at Ramah" #1Sa
25:1 not in the house itself, but in the court or garden of his
house. (Comp.) #2Ki 21:18 #2Ch
33:20 1Ki 2:34 Joh 19:41 Samuel’s devotion to God, and the
special favour with which God regarded him, are referred to in #Jer
15:1 Ps 99:6
|
