1 Samuel 12: Why is Samuel so grumpy?

Let’s take this issue head on here. Is it good to have a king or not? Moses, through the law gives clear instruction to Israel for what a king should do and how he should act. Yet, Moses acts as if having a king is a terrible idea. Samuel, in this chapter, does the same thing? Isn’t Jesus a king? Where’s the puzzle kids?

This chapter is a landmark in the history of Israel, marking not just the transition in leadership from Samuel to Saul, but in a bigger, more important way, the transition between the influence of a judge to the sovereignty of a king. The judges were much more like the best player on the team or the wisest person in the nation (a.k.a. “the seer” 9:9). In a crisis, they would all choose to give the ball to the judge and he or she would lead them, or offer them the wisdom that they needed. The judges would emerge in each generation based upon their genuine gifting, godliness and wisdom, just as team leaders and scholars do in our day based upon their particular niche. The advantage of a judge is that you always have the right person. The disadvantage is that their authority is limited the crisis or situation they are called into. Judges couldn’t establish and a government across Israel that would establish and build order that could last through the transitions in power from one judge to the next. When Michael Jordan retires, the Bulls go back to being a bad team.

Kings, on the other hand, were given the role based upon birth order and a clear succession of leadership was always set up. The advantage of this is that a king can set up a system that can protect the country from the ups and downs of waiting for a franchise player or scholar to save the country. The disadvantage is that the collection power into the hands of one person is quite dangerous for any group of people. Political rulers, by nature carry the influence of provisional hope (for their influence over the economy, foreign relations, domestic trouble-shooting, etc.), yet when the provisional hope of political power gets mixed with the eternal hope of spiritual leadership, you have a juggernaut of power akin to a nuclear reactor. A nuclear reactor can warm an entire nation the size of Israel from one place, but if it goes south it takes the entire nation with it.

Samuel knew that kings would become mediators for their people, using their influence and example to shape the entire culture of a nation. Essentially you had the right place (of power) and hoped that the right person would fill it. Samuel knew human nature well enough to know that mankind cannot produce enough successful first round draft picks with enough succession to offer the kind of spiritual leadership Israel needed. People would look to their king and their king would eventually lead them astray.

Jesus would take the place of the king, and from the power demonstrated in his life, the love shown in his death and the vindication of his resurrection, we can be assured that he is the right person in the right place. We need to pray to him for both our spiritual and political leaders, as they shape the spiritual climate of our lives in ways that we do not even know.

1 Samuel 9: The way up is down

Samuel had a dilemma that would test his loyalty to Yahweh. His character and leadership are tested as he is called by God to anoint Israel’s first king, thereby demoting himself from the role of leader of Israel, submitting himself to a much younger and spiritually immature man in Saul. By anointing Saul, Samuel relegates himself to a significantly more diminished role and influence in country. He didn’t have to do it. He could have easily justified holding onto power on account of his love for Israel, knowing that a king would mistreat them. He could have easily held onto his power based upon the justification that he was much more experienced and capable than Saul. He could have asserted himself as king for he had certainly displayed all of the characteristics of leadership required of a king. Yet he defies his logic and human wisdom and embraces God’s foolishness.

God in many ways does seem foolish here. When Samuel brought the request of the people for a king to the Lord, his response was, “it is not you they have rejected (as ruler and judge in Israel), but they have rejected me as their king.” (8:7). With that kind of rejection, it would be understandable and even wise for God to give them anything but their request. Yet, God stoops. In their weakness and their brokenness, they will not follow him. They want to follow a leader like the other nations have—one they can see and be inspired by and one they can boast about to other nations.

This is not the first time God will stoop. The choosing of Saul as a king is a way of giving flesh to the people to symbolize God’s leadership. As the kings of Israel flourished spiritually, so would the nation. Unfortunately, most of the kings would fall woefully short of that standard. Yet, there would be a day when God himself would stoop again and be that king himself in the person of Jesus. Unlike the way Samuel created space for Saul, the Jewish leaders would resist the one who truly deserved to be king. His death and resurrection would validate his authority and introduce a new kind of Kingdom that would extend beyond all borders.

They say that in the Kingdom, “the way up is down.” That is how it was for Samuel. That is how it is for Jesus. That is how it is for us.

1 Samuel 2: New Leadership

1 Samuel 2: New Leadership


Two of the key themes in 1 & 2 Samuel are the themes of leadership and blessing. They weave together like a rope in the history of the establishment of the monarchy in Israel. The birth of Samuel is representative of the end of the period of the judges and the beginning of the leadership of the kings and prophets. Samuel would guide Israel into a day where Israel would be led by a kings, priests and prophets as taught in Deuteronomy. He would be the final judge and yield his authority to a king and would then emerge as a prophet in the line of Moses, founding a school of prophets who would be the guardians and watchman for the covenant in Israel.

The emergence of Samuel and the demise of the house of Eli are great examples of what is important to God in the development of leaders. Samuel is born in humility, but is sanctified by dedication. Hannah’s prayer reflects the beatitudes of Jesus (Matthew 5) and the many calls in the New Testament for humility. Her prayer comes to sharp, human application when she says in v. 9, “it is not by strength that one prevails…” Samuel would be a picture of the ne dedicated to God, living in obedience to him—raised to live for him from the beginning. This foundation would serve history well as his life would serve as a hinge point for the history of Israel.

The disintegration of the house of Eli also resembles the beatitudes (this time, Luke 6) in the way a curse comes to those who are proud. They are selfish with the things of God and contemptuous of the work of the Temple and for these reasons, God removes from them his anointing and their opportunity to continue to offer leadership in Israel. God says, “although good will be done in Israel, in your family line there will never be an old man. In many ways, lives of the sons of Eli are a prologue to the rise and fall of King Saul, as Samuel is a prologue to the rise of David.

This is a great reminder to all who lead and who are stewards of talent and wealth. To whom much is given, much will be expected. Yet, there is hope with Eli. Though God removed the anointing for ministry from his family, he did not remove them from Israel. And, with Samuel, Eli had a second chance to grow and nurture new leadership for Israel. Have you reaped poorly from sowing poorly? You may have a hole to work out of, but you can trust that God is a God of second chances.

Posted by Marc Lucenius

Acts 20--A Manifesto for Ministry

This chapter offers foundational teaching on ministry. All who minister should commit verses 17-38 to memory. It gives us timeless truths around the call to minister (which is everybody).

1. Never teach so long that people fall asleep and fall out windows--unless you are confident that you have enough spiritual power to raise them from the dead.
2. Paul is clearly following the lead of the Spirit. All who minister must have an awareness of the movement and call of the Spirit in their life and be aware of His activity for their ministry.
3. There is no disconnect in Paul's mind over the fact that following the Spirit means great hardship and suffering.
4. Suffering is not an obstacle to what God has called Paul to. Suffering is a part of what God has called him to. Paul is called to testify to the gospel of God's grace. His suffering opens the door to that goal. He is not discouraged as long as he is able to fulfill his goal.
5. Paul ministers with a clear conscience. He has taught the entire word of God and he has modeled a Spirit-filled life through humility, tears and hard work.
6. As we minister, we should not be surprised but prepared that our greatest obstacles to the work of the ministry will not come from outside of the body but from within the body.
7. Our goal in ministry is not to constantly feed people but train them and release them to feed themselves and others. Paul doesn't stay but releases the elders in Ephesus and commits them to Word of God's grace. He commits them to scripture and a vision of scripture that teaches the grace of God.
8. There was clear evidence of the affection that Paul shared with the elders of Ephesus. All ministry is motivated out of love with love as its greatest fruit.