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Looking for Samuel

112)

3) - Third key: Eli’s sons!

- If they had listened to their father and to God, God wouldn’t have spoken to Samuel!

- And he wouldn’t have told him about the condemnation of Eli and his sons!

- And he wouldn’t have seen Eli and his sons’ death!

- It wouldn’t have been a warning!

- It wouldn’t have impressed his young mind!

- He could have become just a priest but not a judge and prophet!

- At the end of the road, Jesus had to come and God’s word had to spread all around the world!

- But we would have lost an incredible source of faithfulness and it has no price to guide us to a basic relationship to God or to a stronger one!

- That’s a big difference!
 
113) - Fourth key: Samuel as a child!

- God spoke directly to Samuel!

- He was taught by Eli!

- He saw the bad examples of his sons!

- He saw their deaths!

- He could see good and bad!

- He could have chosen good or bad!

- And he chose good!

- And it shows the importance to be told when young!

- Remember Jesus when he was 12!

- His parents found him in the temple!

- He said I must be in the house of my Father!

- And he was only 12!

- Is the message clear to you?

- The decisions you take or not will influence your children’s future!

- They may react positively or negatively!

- In the Bible, God told the Hebrews to teach his word all the time in any situation!
 
114)

- Fifth key: Samuel’s sons!

- Samuel spent his whole life at God’s service!

- He was a high priest, judge and prophet!

- We are not told about the education of his sons!

- We know that Eli was condemned!

- God doesn’t say anything about Samuel’s sons and their misconduct!

- As a consequence, Israel asks God for a human king!

- In fact, it doesn’t change anything!

- The result was negative!

- It was written at the beginning!

- Israel ended badly!

- But God kept his promise to Abraham!

- Well, he needed Moses’ help not to eradicate Israel!

- And he needed it twice!
 
7) Samuel - comparing faithfulness to Yah.weh

- 1 Samuel 2:17

Thus the sin
חַטַּ֧את (ḥaṭ·ṭaṯ)
Noun - feminine singular construct
Strong's 2403: An offence, its penalty, occasion, sacrifice, expiation, an offender

of these young men
הַנְּעָרִ֛ים (han·nə·‘ā·rîm)
Article | Noun - masculine plural
Strong's 5288: A boy, lad, youth, retainer

was
וַתְּהִ֨י (wat·tə·hî)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person feminine singular
Strong's 1961: To fall out, come to pass, become, be

severe
גְּדוֹלָ֥ה (gə·ḏō·w·lāh)
Adjective - feminine singular
Strong's 1419: Great, older, insolent

in the sight
פְּנֵ֣י (pə·nê)
Noun - common plural construct
Strong's 6440: The face

of the LORD,
יְהוָ֑ה (Yah·weh)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 3068: LORD -- the proper name of the God of Israel

for
כִּ֤י (kî)
Conjunction
Strong's 3588: A relative conjunction

they
הָֽאֲנָשִׁ֔ים (hā·’ă·nā·šîm)
Article | Noun - masculine plural
Strong's 582: Man, mankind

{were treating} the LORD’s
יְהוָֽה׃ (Yah·weh)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 3068: LORD -- the proper name of the God of Israel

offering
מִנְחַ֥ת (min·ḥaṯ)
Noun - feminine singular construct
Strong's 4503: A donation, tribute, a sacrificial offering

with contempt.
נִֽאֲצוּ֙ (ni·’ă·ṣū)
Verb - Piel - Perfect - third person common plural
Strong's 5006: To spurn, treat with contempt

- Israel is corrupt!
- Yah.weh’s temple is corrupt because of Eli and his two sons!
- It can’t be worse!
- And once again, Yah.weh is extremely patient!
- But as usual it will end really badly!
- And Samuel is raised in such a mess!
- In fact, it is a mess everywhere in Israel!
- As usual!
- And Yah.weh is completely away!
- And Samuel is but a child!
- But Yah.weh cares for him!
 
8) Samuel - comparing faithfulness to Yah.weh

- 1 Samuel 2:26

And the boy
וְהַנַּ֣עַר (wə·han·na·‘ar)
Conjunctive waw, Article | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 5288: A boy, lad, youth, retainer

Samuel
שְׁמוּאֵ֔ל (šə·mū·’êl)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 8050: Samuel -- 'name of God', a prophet of Israel

continued to grow
הֹלֵ֥ךְ (hō·lêḵ)
Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine singular
Strong's 1980: To go, come, walk

in stature
וְגָדֵ֖ל (wə·ḡā·ḏêl)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine singular
Strong's 1432: Becoming great, growing up

and in favor
וָט֑וֹב (wā·ṭō·wḇ)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 2896: Pleasant, agreeable, good

with
עִם־ (‘im-)
Preposition
Strong's 5973: With, equally with

the LORD
יְהוָ֔ה (Yah·weh)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 3068: LORD -- the proper name of the God of Israel

and with
עִם־ (‘im-)
Preposition
Strong's 5973: With, equally with

men.
אֲנָשִֽׁים׃ (’ă·nā·šîm)
Noun - masculine plural
Strong's 376: A man as an individual, a male person

- Thus Samuel is behaving properly in front of Yah.weh but also in front of men!
- Yah.weh is looking for a change!
- Thus Job, Daniel and Samuel are three similar examples of faithful servants of Yah.weh among corruption!
- And they keep faithful whatever happens!
- So it doesn’t matter if corruption is everywhere!
- Yah.weh always expects his faithful servants to get away from corruption!
- Thus they show us the way!
- And they will always show us the way if we read and study their books again and again!
 
9) Samuel - comparing faithfulness to Yah.weh

1 Samuel 2:30

Therefore,
לָכֵ֗ן (lā·ḵên)
Adverb
Strong's 3651: So -- thus

the LORD,
יְהוָה֮ (Yah·weh)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 3068: LORD -- the proper name of the God of Israel

the God
אֱלֹהֵ֣י (’ĕ·lō·hê)
Noun - masculine plural construct
Strong's 430: gods -- the supreme God, magistrates, a superlative

of Israel,
יִשְׂרָאֵל֒ (yiś·rā·’êl)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 3478: Israel -- 'God strives', another name of Jacob and his desc

declares:
נְאֻם־ (nə·’um-)
Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 5002: An oracle

‘I did indeed
אָמ֣וֹר (’ā·mō·wr)
Verb - Qal - Infinitive absolute
Strong's 559: To utter, say

say
אָמַ֔רְתִּי (’ā·mar·tî)
Verb - Qal - Perfect - first person common singular
Strong's 559: To utter, say

that your house
בֵּֽיתְךָ֙ (bê·ṯə·ḵā)
Noun - masculine singular construct | second person masculine singular
Strong's 1004: A house

and the house
וּבֵ֣ית (ū·ḇêṯ)
Conjunctive waw | Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 1004: A house

of your father
אָבִ֔יךָ (’ā·ḇî·ḵā)
Noun - masculine singular construct | second person masculine singular
Strong's 1: Father

would walk
יִתְהַלְּכ֥וּ (yiṯ·hal·lə·ḵū)
Verb - Hitpael - Imperfect - third person masculine plural
Strong's 1980: To go, come, walk

before Me
לְפָנַ֖י (lə·p̄ā·nay)
Preposition-l | Noun - masculine plural construct | first person common singular
Strong's 6440: The face

forever.
עוֹלָ֑ם (‘ō·w·lām)
Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 5769: Concealed, eternity, frequentatively, always

But now
וְעַתָּ֤ה (wə·‘at·tāh)
Conjunctive waw | Adverb
Strong's 6258: At this time

the LORD
יְהוָה֙ (Yah·weh)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 3068: LORD -- the proper name of the God of Israel

declares:
נְאֻם־ (nə·’um-)
Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 5002: An oracle

Far be it
חָלִ֣ילָה (ḥā·lî·lāh)
Interjection | third person feminine singular
Strong's 2486: For, a profaned thing, far be it!

from Me!
לִּ֔י (lî)
Preposition | first person common singular
Strong's Hebrew

For
כִּֽי־ (kî-)
Conjunction
Strong's 3588: A relative conjunction

I will honor
מְכַבְּדַ֥י (mə·ḵab·bə·ḏay)
Verb - Piel - Participle - masculine plural construct | first person common singular
Strong's 3513: To be heavy, weighty, or burdensome

those who honor Me,
אֲכַבֵּ֖ד (’ă·ḵab·bêḏ)
Verb - Piel - Imperfect - first person common singular
Strong's 3513: To be heavy, weighty, or burdensome

but those who despise Me
וּבֹזַ֥י (ū·ḇō·zay)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine plural construct | first person common singular
Strong's 959: To disesteem

will be disdained.
יֵקָֽלּוּ׃ (yê·qāl·lū)
Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine plural
Strong's 7043: To be slight, swift or trifling

- Quite simple!
- Yah.weh will honor those who honor him and despise those who despise him!
- Here we get a definition of faithfulness!
- And Job, Daniel and Samuel always keep faithful to Yah.weh!
- It is as clear as crystal for them!
- What about you?
- There won’t be any exception!
 
115) - Sixth key: Samuel as an adult!

1 Samuel 12:23:

As for

גַּ֣ם (gam)

Conjunction

Strong's 1571: Assemblage, also, even, yea, though, both, and


me,

אָנֹכִ֗י (’ā·nō·ḵî)

Pronoun - first person common singular

Strong's 595: I


far be it from me

חָלִ֤ילָה (ḥā·lî·lāh)

Interjection | third person feminine singular

Strong's 2486: For, a profaned thing, far be it!


that I

לִּי֙ (lî)

Preposition | first person common singular

Strong's Hebrew


should sin

מֵחֲטֹ֣א (mê·ḥă·ṭō)

Preposition-m | Verb - Qal - Infinitive construct

Strong's 2398: To miss, to sin, to forfeit, lack, expiate, repent, lead astray, condemn


against the LORD

לַֽיהוָ֔ה (Yah·weh)

Preposition-l | Noun - proper - masculine singular

Strong's 3068: LORD -- the proper name of the God of Israel


by ceasing

מֵחֲדֹ֖ל (mê·ḥă·ḏōl)

Preposition-m | Verb - Qal - Infinitive construct

Strong's 2308: To be flabby, desist, be lacking, idle


to pray

לְהִתְפַּלֵּ֣ל (lə·hiṯ·pal·lêl)

Preposition-l | Verb - Hitpael - Infinitive construct

Strong's 6419: To judge, to intercede, pray


for you.

בַּעַדְכֶ֑ם (ba·‘aḏ·ḵem)

Preposition | second person masculine plural

Strong's 1157: In up to, over against, at, beside, among, behind, for


And I will continue to teach

וְהוֹרֵיתִ֣י (wə·hō·w·rê·ṯî)

Conjunctive waw | Verb - Hifil - Conjunctive perfect - first person common singular

Strong's 3384: To flow as water, to lay, throw, to point out, to teach


you

אֶתְכֶ֔ם (’eṯ·ḵem)

Direct object marker | second person masculine plural

Strong's 853: Untranslatable mark of the accusative case


the good

הַטּוֹבָ֖ה (haṭ·ṭō·w·ḇāh)

Article | Noun - feminine singular

Strong's 2896: Pleasant, agreeable, good


and right

וְהַיְשָׁרָֽה׃ (wə·hay·šā·rāh)

Conjunctive waw, Article | Adjective - feminine singular

Strong's 3477: Straight, right


way.

בְּדֶ֥רֶךְ (bə·ḏe·reḵ)

Preposition-b | Noun - common singular construct

Strong's 1870: A road, a course of life, mode of action


- Samuel went straight away!

- Nothing would stop him from doing God’s will!

- He couldn’t prevent Israel from rejecting God!

- But he did his best to encourage them to follow God’s word!

- And it’s up to us to do the same or not!

- Just a question of free will!
 
116)

1) We can also see the books of Samuel as a warning for us!


- In Chapter I, Samuel’s father has two wives!


- God says one man and one woman!


- Man has always done his best to do it his own way opposing God in everything!


- And in everything we can see that man fails!


- Man has never enough with one woman so he takes as much as he wants!


- It brings instability in the family or can we speak about a family?


- As a consequence, the woman and mother always does the job alone!


- Man is often a bad father and husband!


- It is also easy to become insensitive!


- Samuel’s father doesn’t know what’s on in his own family!


- So he is a failure in this sense!


- We see the same in the Bible with the Israelites!

- We see the same in the history of humanity with a climax today!
 
117)

2) Again in Chapter 1, we see the same insensitivity from Eli the high priest!


- As a religious leader, he should be supposed to be closed to the people and to God!


- But in both cases, he is far away!


- When Hannah prays, he thinks she is drunk in the house of God!


- How is it possible to be so insensitive?


- While she expresses her deep feelings to God!


- Unbelievable!


- But that’s how it is!


- Once again this type of insensitivity is the rule among men!


- And it has always been so!


- The real disciples of Jesus should show a different behavior if they really want to look like him!
 
118) Again in Chapter I, we have two types of women!


- Hannah is the good one!


- And not only for women and mothers but also for men and fathers!


- She shows us the right way!


- She gives a good education to her son!


- She brings him to the temple to serve God!


- She visits him regularly every year!


- We don’t have any information about the quality of the relationship between Hannah and Samuel!


- It would have been quite interesting!


- We can only imagine!


- We only know that she was a good example for Samuel!


- And she kept her word to God!


- The Bible doesn’t have many good models to follow!


- Thus they are more precious!


- On the contrary, there are a majority of bad examples we must avoid if we want to develop a strong relationship to God!

- Thus it is quite easy to follow a bad example!

- There is such a big range!
 
119) Then in Chapter 2, we have the bad examples of Eli’s sons who are wicked ones!


- They are supposed to serve God in his temple!


- And they do everything wrong in front of him and Israel!


- Everyone can see their bad behavior!


- Well, it is quite normal among men who are supposed to serve God to behave like that!


- Thus many men think they can do whatever they want because of such examples!


- As if it was an excuse!


- And not only because they behave in a bad way but also what they say is wrong!


- On the contrary, the true disciples of Jesus should show they are different from the rest!


- But history of man shows that they are usually not different and thus not true disciples of Jesus!


- But saying doesn’t mean we really are!


- It is only by the way we behave, with words and deeds!


- And doing nothing is not better!
 
120) In chapter 2, we are told about Eli’s reaction or lack of reaction

regarding his two sons!


- He was the high priest!


- His two sons were also priests!


- They would commit their sins against God in front of Israel!


- He tried to speak to them but they didn’t listen to them!


- And that was all!


- Nothing else!


- We can’t expect to go against God and think everything will be alright!


- No chance!


- If we follow man’s tradition, we can’t follow God’s word!


- They are two opposed ways!


- Yet, Israel did it!


- Yet, humanity does the same!
 
121) In 1 Samuel 7, we can hear another warning!


- Samuel tells Israel that serving God is not a part-time job but a full one!


- It is not how we want but how he wants us to serve him!


- Israel listens to Samuel and they get rid of the Philistines!


- It was possible because of Samuel who was a faithful servant of God!


- Before that, they had been in big trouble and they were the slaves of the Philistines!


- Just because they were doing it their way not God’s way!


- Thus we can understand that this man was important for God!


- Thus because of him they could live in peace!
 
122) In 1 Samuel 8, we are told that Samuel is now old!


- He has kept serving God all his life!


- He appointed his two sons as judges over Israel!


- But they are corrupted!


- We don’t have any information about how it happened!


- What we know is that Eli was condemned, not Samuel!


- On the contrary, he kept maintaining the quality of his relationship to God!


- And when Israel asked for a human king instead of God, he was displeased!


- It happens because of his sons but it would have happened for any reason because Israel was obstinate and they were used to go away from God!


- So once again we may hear the same warning!


- God says to Samuel that Israel was rejecting him once again as they had always been doing it starting the moment they left Egypt thanks to God!


- And humanity has been doing the same!
 
123) In 1 Samuel 8, we are told that Samuel warned Israel how a human king would treat them!


- And when they would cry out to God, he wouldn’t answer them!


- Because they would have rejected God!


- But they refused to listen to what Samuel told them!


- Israel spent his time rejected God and God rejected them!


- Humanity keeps doing the same!


- But each individual has the opportunity to look for God for himself and encourage others to do the same!


- We have free will!


- It’s up to us to make our choice!


- Nobody else will be responsible for that choice!
 
124) Looking for Samuel

1 Samuel 1:1,2


Biblehub 1 samuel 1:1


Biblehub 1 samuel 1:2


- It is exceptional because here we have information about the family of Samuel!


- His father has two wives: it is not according to what it was supposed to be at the beginning, it is one man and one woman!


- As a consequence, it will bring troubles!


- It is always the same: God says one thing and man wants to take another way and it brings problems!


- It is so evident why humanity is a catastrophe!
 
125) Looking for Samuel


1 Samuel 1:3


Biblehub 1 Samuel 1:3


Hebrew

Year after year
מִיָּמִ֣ים ׀ (mî·yā·mîm)
Preposition-m | Noun - masculine plural
Strong's 3117: A day

[Elkanah]
הַה֤וּא (ha·hū)
Article | Pronoun - third person masculine singular
Strong's 1931: He, self, the same, this, that, as, are

would go up
וְעָלָה֩ (wə·‘ā·lāh)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 5927: To ascend, in, actively

from his city
מֵֽעִירוֹ֙ (mê·‘î·rōw)
Preposition-m | Noun - feminine singular construct | third person masculine singular
Strong's 5892: Excitement

to worship
לְהִֽשְׁתַּחֲוֺ֧ת (lə·hiš·ta·ḥă·wōṯ)
Preposition-l | Verb - Hitpael - Infinitive construct
Strong's 7812: To depress, prostrate

and sacrifice
וְלִזְבֹּ֛חַ (wə·liz·bō·aḥ)
Conjunctive waw, Preposition-l | Verb - Qal - Infinitive construct
Strong's 2076: To slaughter for sacrifice

to the LORD
לַיהוָ֥ה (Yah·weh)
Preposition-l | Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 3068: LORD -- the proper name of the God of Israel

of Hosts
צְבָא֖וֹת (ṣə·ḇā·’ō·wṯ)
Noun - common plural
Strong's 6635: A mass of persons, reg, organized for, war, a campaign

at Shiloh,
בְּשִׁלֹ֑ה (bə·ši·lōh)
Preposition-b | Noun - proper - feminine singular
Strong's 7887: Shiloh -- a city in Ephraim

where
וְשָׁ֞ם (wə·šām)
Conjunctive waw | Adverb
Strong's 8033: There, then, thither

Eli’s
עֵלִ֗י (‘ê·lî)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 5941: Eli -- a priest at Shiloh

two
שְׁנֵ֣י (šə·nê)
Number - mdc
Strong's 8147: Two (a cardinal number)

sons,
בְנֵֽי־ (ḇə·nê-)
Noun - masculine plural construct
Strong's 1121: A son

Hophni
חָפְנִי֙ (ḥā·p̄ə·nî)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 2652: Hophni -- a son of Eli

and Phinehas,
וּפִ֣נְחָ֔ס (ū·p̄in·ḥās)
Conjunctive waw | Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 6372: Phinehas -- three Israelites

were priests
כֹּהֲנִ֖ים (kō·hă·nîm)
Noun - masculine plural
Strong's 3548: Priest

to the LORD.
לַיהוָֽה׃ (Yah·weh)
Preposition-l | Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 3068: LORD -- the proper name of the God of Israel


- Right, here is a servant of God who goes to worship and to sacrifice to God as he is supposed to do!


- Nothing special, nothing wrong even if he has two wives!


- But that’s the Israelites: we know they didn’t know how to serve God in the right way even if they were told!


- In fact, they didn’t want to do it the proper way!


- They preferred to have a look at the other nations and copy them!
 
126) Looking for Samuel


1 Samuel 1: 4,5


Biblehub 1 Samuel 1:4


Biblehub 1 Samuel 1:5


- Yeah, yeah, yeah: Elkannah loves Hannah so there is a competition or a fight between the two women: that’s not a good way to educate children!


- And Peninnah has children and Hannah doesn’t: it means more troubles!


- I should say endless troubles!


- Apparently, God has favored Peninnah and not Hannah to counterbalance the situation!


- It reminds us of many situations due to man’s behavior: he always wants more and it is never enough!
 
127) Looking for Samuel


1 Samuel 1:7,8


Biblehub 1 Samuel 1:7

Biblehub 1 Samuel 1:8


- Poor man, he has no idea of what happens in his own family!


- Does it remind you of something?


- It usually happens that way among many families!


- And parents don’t understand when something happens because they don’t know anything!


- Well, their children have friends to communicate with or they spend a lot of time in front of TV, the internet or playing video games!


- And the children have nothing to say when they eat with their parents!


- And they want to go outside with their friends or back to the TV, the internet or playing video games!


- What do you call that? Modern life!


- Is that progress?
 
128) Looking for Samuel


1 Samuel 1:9-11


biblehub 1 Samuel 1:9

biblehub 1 Samuel 1:10

biblehub 1 Samuel 1:11




- Hannah prays to God with all her heart!


- And she tells him about her bitterness and affliction!


- And she begs God to give her a child!


- And she will offer him to God to serve him!


- She really wants children and for this reason she is ready to lose the first one because he will be working at God’s service!


- So she will be able to see him only once a year!
 
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