Looking for Samuel

[JLG]

61) Looking for Samuel


2 Samuel 19


David is sad because of his son’s death. Joab is angry at the David because of David’s attitude saying:

“Today you have put to shame all your servants who this day saved your life and the lives of your sons, your daughters, your wives, and your concubines. You love those who hate you and hate those who love you, for you have made it clear today that your chiefs and servants mean nothing to you, because I am sure that if only Absalom were alive today and the rest of us were dead, it would be all right with you. Now get up, go out and reassure your servants, because by Jehovah I swear that if you do not go out, not a man will remain with you tonight. This will be worse for you than all the injury that has come upon you from your youth until now.”

So he does according to Joab’s words. And the people bring back David to Jerusalem with a little dispute between the men of Israel and those of Judah because those of Judah are the first to bring back David.


- Joab has to tell David how to behave properly!


- And David listens to Joab!


- And David just wants to go back to Jerusalem!


- He doesn’t want any more people to be killed!

 

[JLG]

62) Looking for Samuel


2 Samuel 20


A man called Sheba tells the people of Israel to go away from David and the people of Judah stay with David. David sends his men after Sheba. Joab kills Amasa. Then Joab and his brother Abishai chase after Sheba who refuses into Abel of Bethmaacah. So they besiege the city. The people of the city kill Sheba and give his head to Joab who then returns to Jerusalem.


- David has learned the lesson from Absalom!


- Thus he puts an end to Sheba’s rebellion all at once!


- Joab killed Amasa to protect David!


- Joab was ready to do anything to get Sheba!


- He could have destroyed the city of Abel!


- We can then understand why God didn’t want David to build his temple!


- David is a man of war!

 

[JLG]

63) Looking for Samuel


2 Samuel 21


There is a famine in Israel for three consecutive years because Saul killed the Gibeonites who ask in exchange seven of Saul’s sons. War between Israel and the Philistines starts again. And each time Israel beat them.


- God never forgets!


- There is always a price to pay when someone is guilty!


- Israel’s history is always troublesome!


- People always die!


- No peace!


- When we are in our world, there is no great difference!


- War and violence!


- And Samuel is not here anymore!

 

[JLG]

64) Looking for Samuel


2 Samuel 22


- And David makes a song to God!


- He speaks about the protection against his enemies he got from God!


- But he doesn’t say anything about the high price he had to pay because he took somebody’s wife and he killed her husband!


- And he had to pay for the rest of his life!


- How Samuel was right when he said the price would be expensive for Israel to pay because they rejected God as their king to get human kings!


- And in fact Samuel was responsible for such a situation because of his sons’ corruption!


- But we don’t know why it was so!


- We don’t know if Samuel was too busy serving God!


- We remember what happened to Eli!


- But in this case we know Eli let his sons acting badly!


- We know Israel acted badly going after other gods all the time!


- And Jesus told the same after his death!


- His teaching would be corrupted by people mixing different beliefs from different religions!


- And religious leaders would be responsible for that!


- And what about normal people?

 

[JLG]

65) Looking for Samuel


2 Samuel 23


- We are told about David’s last words:


The God of Israel spoke; To me the Rock of Israel said: ‘When the one ruling over mankind is righteous, Ruling in the fear of God, It is like the morning light when the sun shines, A morning without clouds. It is like the brightness after the rain, Making grass sprout from the earth.’ Is not my house like that before God? For he has made an eternal covenant with me, Arranged in every detail and secured. Because it means my complete salvation and all my delight, Is that not why he makes it flourish?


- Then he speaks about all his mighty warriors!


- Yes, David is a man of war!


- But he doesn’t say anything about the high price he had to pay because he took somebody’s wife and he killed her husband!


- And he had to pay for the rest of his life!


- So once again, Samuel was completely right!


- Every king brought trouble in Israel!


- War and violence!


- Badness!


- It seems he doesn’t want to think about his bad actions!


- But in the end everyone must pay for it!


- And man is paying for it every day!


- And the price will be more expensive and everybody will see the consequences!


- And some men are warning!


- But the majority doesn’t care as usual!

 

[JLG]

66) Looking for Samuel


2 Samuel 24


- Yes, Samuel is not there anymore!


- And David makes a big mistake once again!


- Apparently it is normal for kings and important people!


- Apparently that’s the only thing they can do!


- Because nobody can go against them except God or another king who is stronger at the time!


- So David wants to know the number of inhabitants in Israel which is against God’s will!


- Ok he is incited to do it!


- But it provokes God’s anger!


- So David tells Joab to register the people!


- Joab knows perfectly it is wrong but David doesn’t listen to Joab!


- So Joab and the chief of the army register the people of Israel!


- There are 800,000 warriors armed with swords among Israel and 500,000 men among Judah!


- Then David has remorse and he asks God to forgive him!


- Then God sends the prophet Gad to David!


- And Gad tells David that God gives him three options!


- David must choose between:


- Seven years of famine!


- Three months for David to flee from his adversaries!


- Three days of pestilence in the country!


- As a consequence, God sends a pestilence on Israel from the morning until the designated time, so that 70,000 of the people from Dan to Beersheba die!


- What a great king and a murderer too!


- Samuel was so right!

 

[JLG]

67) God and Samuel / Samuel and God


- Hannah makes a deal with God!


- She is barren!


- If she gets pregnant with a son, she will give him to God!


- Thus Samuel spends his childhood in God’s house!


- Thus from the beginning Samuel has the privilege to start a special relationship with God!


- Many people think it is not necessary to teach their children about God when they are young!


- Man’s word against God’s word!


- The Israelites were supposed to teach their children about God when they were young!


- But the majority didn’t do it!


- They were rejected as a consequence!


- What a bad mistake!


- And people repeat such a mistake!


- They do it the easiest way!

 

[JLG]

68) God and Samuel / Samuel and God


- Hannah did the best thing that could happen to Samuel!


- She gave him the opportunity to develop an incredible relationship with God!


- Only a few men could develop such a relationship!


- But Samuel could have chosen the wrong way!


- Because Eli’s sons were corrupted!


- And he could see badness right in God’s house!


- But he could also see what happened to them!


- He could see God’s patience!


- But in time people must bear the consequences of their badness!


- And Eli’s sons died!


- And Eli died because he didn’t do anything against them!

 

[JLG]

69) God and Samuel / Samuel and God


- And Samuel had the opportunity to communicate with God through dreams!


- And it was at a time when God hadn’t communicated with men for a long time because of the Israelites’ misconduct!


- And God tells Samuel his judgment against Eli and his sons!


- They will die!


- Thus he will learn that God is right but when you misbehave you must pay the price which can mean death!


- It often happened to the Israelites!


- They could have even been annihilated many times!


- And they never understood!

 

[JLG]

70) God and Samuel / Samuel and God


- Eli and his sons are dead!


- The ark has been captured by the Philistines!


- The Israelites have been defeated by the Philistines!


- God strikes the Philistines till they send the ark back to Israel!


- The people of Bethshemesh were reaping the wheat harvest in the valley plain. When they raised their eyes and saw the ark, they were overjoyed at seeing it… So they choped up the wood of the wagon, and they offered the cows as a burnt offering to God… The men of Bethshemesh offered burnt offerings and made sacrifices on that day to God.


- Everything seems to be alright!


- Do you think so?


- Well, in fact, it’s the contrary, everything goes wrong!


- But God struck down the men of Bethshemesh, because they had looked upon the Ark of God. He struck down 50,070 among the people, and the people began mourning because God hade struck them down with a great slaughter.


- The Israelites did something which was wrong and they paid a high price as usual!


- And you call them a chosen people!


- And they never behave properly and they are struck all the time by God!


- Think about today!


- They definitely needed a man like SAMUEL to help them to follow God’s will and not man’s will!

 

[JLG]

71) God and Samuel / Samuel and God

A long time elapsed, 20 years in all, from the day of the Ark’s coming to Kiriath-jearim, and all the house of Israel began to seek after God. Samuel then said to all the house of Israel: “If you are returning to God with all your heart, put away the foreign gods and the Ashtoreth images from among you, and direct your heart unswervingly to God and serve only him, and he will rescue you from the hand of the Philistines.”At that the Israelites got rid of the Baals and the Ashtoreth images and served only God.


- Always the same story!


- The Israelites always go after foreign gods!


- And they always get into trouble!


- And you call them a chosen people!


- Good luck!


- Maybe we don’t read the same Bible!


- And Samuel has to tell them what to do as if they didn’t know it!


- Come on!

- It’s ridiculous!


- They never learn!


- Even children could do better!

 

[JLG]

72) God and Samuel / Samuel and God

- Then Samuel prays for Israel!


- And Samuel becomes a judge over Israel!


When the Philistines heard that the Israelites had gathered together at Mizpah, the lords of the Philistines went up against Israel. When the Israelites heard of it, they were afraid because of the Philistines. So the Israelites said to Samuel: “Do not stop calling to God our God to help us and to save us from the hand of the Philistines.” Then Samuel took a suckling lamb and offered it up as a whole burnt offering to God; and Samuel called to God for help on behalf of Israel, and God answered him. As Samuel was offering up the burnt offering, the Philistines advanced for battle against Israel. God now caused it to thunder loudly on that day against the Philistines, and He threw them into confusion, and they were defeated before Israel. At that the men of Israel went out from Mizpah and pursued the Philistines, striking them down as far as south of Beth-car. Then Samuel took a stone and set it between Mizpah and Jeshanah and named it Ebenezer, for he said: “Until now God has helped us.”Thus the Philistines were subdued, and they did not come again into the territory of Israel; and the hand of God continued against the Philistines all the days of Samuel.


- SAMUEL makes a sacrifice to God!


- SAMUEL calls to God for help!


- Then God defeats the Philistines!


- Then SAMUEL takes a stone as a memorial!


- And the hand of God continued against the philistines ALL THE DAYS OF SAMUEL!


- SAMUEL IS DEFINITELY THE CHOSEN ONE!

 

[JLG]

73) God and Samuel / Samuel and God


Also, the cities that the Philistines had taken from Israel were returned to Israel, from Ekron to Gath, and Israel recovered their territory from the hand of the Philistines. There was also peace between Israel and the Amorites. Samuel kept on judging Israel throughout his life. Each year he traveled in a circuit to Bethel, Gilgal, and Mizpah, and he judged Israel in all these places. But he would return to Ramah, because his house was there, and there he also judged Israel. He built an altar there to God.


- Samuel was a real leader!


- And he would keep being a leader all the days of his life!


- Without SAMUEL Israel was nothing!


- They were completely unable to communicate with God!


- A CHOSEN MAN, NOT A CHOSEN PEOPLE!

 

[JLG]

74) God and Samuel / Samuel and God

When Samuel had grown old, he appointed his sons as judges for Israel. The name of his firstborn son was Joel, and the name of his second, Abijah; they were judges in Beer-sheba. But his sons did not walk in his ways; they were inclined to pursue dishonest profit, they accepted bribes, and they perverted justice.


- When Samuel used to judge Israel, things were going well in Israel!


- In fact, we get a summary!


- We don’t know everything in detail!


- Things started to go wrong when he stopped judging Israel!


- His two sons replaced him as judges!


- But they didn’t follow their father’s path!


- We don’t have any information about how they were educated!


- We can be sure that Samuel’s job was a full-time job!

- He used to judge Israel all the time!


- And they were difficult people and a hard one to manage!


- It is strange to think that he could see what happened to Eli and his sons!


- And apparently, Samuel’s sons were extremely corrupted!


- Of course, we are responsible for our children!


- But when they become adults, they can decide which way they want to take!


- Bad company can play a negative part in educating children!


- unfortunately, we don’t have the information!

 

[JLG]

75) God and Samuel / Samuel and God

In time all the elders of Israel gathered together and came to Samuel at Ramah. They said to him: “Look! You have grown old, but your sons are not walking in your ways. Now appoint for us a king to judge us like all the other nations.” But it displeased Samuel when they said: “Give us a king to judge us.” Then Samuel prayed to God, and God said to Samuel: “Listen to everything the people say to you; for it is not you whom they have rejected, but it is I whom they have rejected as their king. They are doing just as they have done from the day I brought them up out of Egypt until this day; they keep forsaking me and serving other gods, and that is what they are doing to you. Now listen to them. However, you should solemnly warn them; tell them what the king who rules over them will have the right to demand.”


- Samuel doesn’t say anything about his children!


- God doesn’t say anything about Samuel’s children!


- But Samuel’s sons are the cause of the Israelites asking for a human king!


- The most important thing is that the Israelites have rejected God as usual!


- God is clear about it: “They are doing just as they have done from the day I brought them up out of Egypt until this day; they keep forsaking me and serving other gods, and that is what they are doing to you.”


- And you call that a chosen people? Not at all! No way!

- In fact, they have never served God with all their hearts!


- Only when they were in big trouble!


- But after a while they would go back as usual!


- It is a joke!


- Remember what God said to Daniel about Jerusalem: it was going to be rebuilt and destroyed again!


- Samuel was an exception!


- And as usual Samuel does according to God’s will!

 

[JLG]

76) God and Samuel / Samuel and God


- The day will come when you will cry out because of the king you have chosen for yourselves, but God will not answer you in that day.”


- And you call that a chosen people !


- A people who never listens to his God and as a consequence God never answers them !


- If it wasn’t for faithful men like SAMUEL, God could have destroyed Israel so many times, so hearing people saying that Israel is still God’s chosen people, I have no words to express the shame they should have !


- But to be ashamed, you need to know what shame is !


- And when you read the Bible, you understand why they are not ashamed !


- And they are not alone !


- Many people are in their case !


- But that’s human history !


- You can’t change a world of losers !


- You can only change it and clean it !


- But there is so much work to do !

 

[JLG]

77) God and Samuel / Samuel and God


However, the people refused to listen to what Samuel told them, and they said: “No, we are determined to have a king over us. Then we will be like all the other nations, and our king will judge us and lead us and fight our battles.” After Samuel heard all the words of the people, he repeated them in the hearing of God. God said to Samuel: “Listen to them, and appoint a king to reign over them.” Samuel then said to the men of Israel: “Each of you should return to his city.”


- Stubborn they are, stubborn they stay!


- Even here they are wrong because they won’t be like all the other nations, they have always been!


- And they will stay a nation of losers defeated by their enemies except when God fights for them but not because of them!


- And SAMUEL tells the Israelites according to God’s will!


- But he was angry at them!

 

[JLG]

78) God and Samuel / Samuel and God


The day before Saul came, God had told Samuel: “Tomorrow about this time, I will send to you a man from the land of Benjamin. You must anoint him as leader over my people Israel, and he will save my people from the hand of the Philistines. For I have seen the affliction of my people, and their outcry has reached me.” When Samuel saw Saul, God told him: “Here is the man of whom I said to you, ‘This is the one who will govern my people.’”


- Yes, and Saul was handsome and the tallest man in Israel !


- But he disobeyed God after a short while !


- And Samuel would get away from him because God rejected him !


- And he would be killed by the Philistines !


- And God chose David to replace him !

 

[JLG]

79) God and Samuel / Samuel and God


“This is what God the God of Israel says: ‘It was I who brought Israel up out of Egypt and who rescued you from the hand of Egypt and from the hand of all the kingdoms that were oppressing you. But today you have rejected your God who was your Savior out of all your evils and distresses, and you said: “No, you should appoint a king over us.” Now take your stand before God by your tribes and by your thousands.’”


- And God and Samuel used to speak with the same voice and the same mind !


- Except that Samuel expresses his anger all at once !


- With God, it takes time, but when the time has arrived, then his anger is multiplied to such an extent that it may be difficult to understand!


- Then you need to analyze the context!


- Revenge is a dish best served cold !


- Anger accumulates and accumulates !


- And men don’t understand that !


- They like it cold but then it’s burning !

 

[JLG]

80) God and Samuel / Samuel and God


- Samuel beat the Ammonites!


- Then Samuel gives his last will to Israel!


Finally Samuel said to all Israel: “Here I have done all that you asked of me, and I appointed a king to reign over you. Now here is the king who is leading you!As for me, I have grown old and gray, and my sons are here with you, and I have led you from my youth until this day. Here I am. Testify against me before God and before his anointed one: Whose bull or whose donkey have I taken? Or whom have I defrauded or crushed? From whose hand have I accepted a bribe to make me look the other way? If I have, I will restore it to you.”To this they said: “You have not defrauded us or crushed us or accepted anything at all from anyone’s hand.” So he said to them: “God is a witness against you, and his anointed one is a witness this day that you have found nothing to accuse me of.” To this they said: “He is a witness.”


- Remember this expression: God is a witness against you!


- I would say God is a witness about Samuel’s faithfulness to him!


So Samuel said to the people: “God, who used Moses and Aaron and who brought your forefathers up out of the land of Egypt, is a witness. And now take your positions, and I will judge you before God in view of all the righteous acts that God has done for you and for your forefathers. “As soon as Jacob had come into Egypt and your forefathers began calling to God for help, God sent Moses and Aaron to lead your forefathers out of Egypt and to cause them to dwell in this place. But they forgot God their God, and he sold them into the hand of Sisʹe·ra the chief of the army of Haʹzor and into the hand of the Phi·lisʹtines and into the hand of the king of Moʹab, and they fought against them.


- Yes, they were in a hurry to forget God and they paid the price again and again and he would strike them again and again!


And they called to God for help and said, ‘We have sinned, for we have left God to serve the Baʹals and the Ashʹto·reth images; now rescue us out of the hand of our enemies so that we may serve you.’


- Do you see the difference with Job?


- Rescue us and we will serve you!


- What do you say? A chosen people? Not at all!