Sermon Tone Analysis

Samuel’s Role in Israel

Without question, Samuel is one of the most important characters in Scripture, let alone the Old Testament.

As we go through this series of looking at Prophet, Priest, and King, we come upon a man who was a Prophet, Priest, and Judge.

Samuel was the last of the judges and the transitional leader that moved Israel from the time of the Judges (the Theocracy) to the time of the United Kingdom, ruled by David, Saul, and Solomon before the split Kingdom era of Israel in the North and Judah in the South.

A bit of background on Samuel.

Many of us know the story, but Samuel was a miracle baby.

His mother, Hannah, was unable to have children for most of her life, but begged God for a son.

The cultural implications of not bearing children (and specifically not bearing sons) was of great shame.

Hannah pleaded with God and promised to give Samuel into His service if He granted her a son.

God did so and Samuel was born and raised under the tutelage of Eli the High Priest.

While Eli the High Priest was an evil man and his sons were even worse than him, God blessed and kept Samuel for his role in leading the nation.

Samuel was primarily a prophet, but his role as priest was just as important and studying it does well in pointing us to the heart of Christ.

Our text this morning is , the farewell address of Samuel to the people of Israel.

He’s not saying goodbye to die or retire, but saying farewell to his role as leader/judge.

He has anointed Saul as King and is moving more into the role of prophet and priest.

Let’s read the text together and then consider together the reflection of Jesus in this message of Samuel.

There are quite a few things we are going to look at in this message

The Role of the Priest

Christ’s Priestly Heart Reflected in Samuel

Samuel reminds the people of the faithfulness of God in contrast with their own foolishness

This is a key part of the pastoral/priestly heart.

His chastisement and almost sarcastic impatience with the people points to the love that he has for them.

A parent that dearly loves his or her child will often get more upset when they see the child acting out of character or in a manner less than which they are capable.

Samuel is frustrated with the people because of their insistence in having a king.

Samuel has led the people well and is in direct communication with the Lord, something the king would not have.

Samuel knows that a king would spell trouble for Israel as they would have a man on whom to take out their frustrations instead of fully placing their trust in God for provision, protection, and prosperity.

So this characteristic of the priestly message and pastoral heart is reflective of Christ and his time turning over the tables in the Temple.

Jesus’ harsh, but true message in the Temple was done out of love.

He acted out of righteous anger that was rooted in love.

He loved His people and was angry that their house of worship was moving into a place of business.

Reverence was lost and God was becoming a commodity.

I can tell you, as one of the pastors here at ABC, we especially don’t want this to take place.

We don’t want your relationship with God to become a transactional commodity.

We want the power of God flowing through your hearts and minds as you move toward holiness and worship in all things.

We desire that you will remember the faithfulness of God in the lives of those who have come before you as well as in the days gone by in your own life.

God has been so good and so faithful, yet we are so quick to put God’s movement in a spiritual glass case with the words “break out in case of emergency” written on the front.

Samuel taking the time to remind them often and slowly is intentional.

He’s making the point even further on how good God has been, but he’s doing that out of love.

He knows the history of the people of Israel, who have so often fallen into that cycle.

You know that cycle I mentioned last week that is so true in the Christian life?

Blessing, Apathy, Rejection, Punishment, Repentance, Redemption.

This cycle is what concerned Samuel, and it is the same cycle that concerns Jesus in your relationship with Him.

Samuel assures the people that their past mistakes are not determinative of God’s grace in their future

This is perhaps the most Christlike aspect of Samuel’s farewell address.

He takes care to encourage the people to holiness and obedience in the same way that Christ does to His disciples.

When asked what the greatest commandment was, Jesus replied with “love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, and mind.”

This sounds very similar to Samuel’s charge to “serve the Lord with all your heart.”

The promise of Christ that God’s grace is free for all to receive

Communion