The Anointing of Samuel!
A Faithful Priest with A Progressive Anointing!
“Then I will raise up for Myself a faithful priest who shall do according to what is in My heart and in My mind. I will build him a sure house, and he shall walk before My anointed forever” (I Samuel 2:35).
Samuel Was Born out of Travailing Prayer!
Hannah’s Fervent Prayer for A Male Child: “So, Hannah arose after they had finished eating and drinking in Shiloh. Now Eli the priest was sitting on the seat by the doorpost of the tabernacle (temple) of the Lord. And she was in bitterness of soul and prayed to the Lord and wept (greatly) in anguish. Then she made a vow and said, ‘O Lord of hosts, if You will indeed look on the affliction of Your maidservant and remember me, and not forget Your maidservant, but will give Your maidservant a male child, then I will give him to the Lord all the days of his life, and no razor shall come upon his head’” (I Samuel 1:9-11).
Samuel Was Dedicated to the Lord!
Hannah’s dedication of Samuel to the Lord God: “Now when she had weaned him, she took him up with her, with three bulls, one ephah of flour, and a skin of wine, and brought him to the house of the Lord in Shiloh. And the child was young. Then they slaughtered a bull and brought the child to Eli. And she said, ‘O my lord! As your soul lives, my lord, I am the woman who stood by you here, praying to the Lord. For this child I prayed, and the Lord has granted me my petition which I asked of Him. Therefore, I also have lent him to the Lord; as long as he lives, he shall be lent (granted) to the Lord.’ So, they worshiped the Lord there” (I Samuel 1:24-28).
Samuel, the Priest Chosen in Place of Eli’s House!
Samuel grew with God’s statute and favor: “And the child Samuel grew in stature, and in favor both with the Lord and men” (I Samuel 2:26).
Here is the indictment of Eli’s household and especially his sons Hophni and Phinehas because of their sinful life: “Therefore, the Lord God of Israel says: ‘I said indeed that your house and the house of your father would walk before Me forever.’ But now the Lord says: ‘Far be it from Me; for those who honor Me I will honor, and those who despise Me shall be lightly esteemed” (I Samuel 2:30). Here is the pronouncement of their judgment and the choice of Samuel in their place: “Now this shall be a sign to you that will come upon your two sons, on Hophni and Phinehas: in one day they shall die, both of them” (I Samuel 2:34).
God revoked His previous promise of “perpetual priesthood” upon Eli’s house and rejected His promise to choose Samuel. Here is the original order of God at the time of His consecration of Aaron and his sons: “And you shall gird them with sashes, Aaron and his sons, and put the hats on them. The priesthood shall be theirs for a perpetual statute. So, you shall consecrate Aaron and his sons” (Exodus 29:9).
Samuel accorded to be ‘a faithful priest’: “Then I will raise up for Myself a faithful priest who shall do according to what is in My heart and in My mind. I will build him a sure house, and he shall walk before My anointed forever” (I Samuel 2:35).
Samuel’s ministry to the Lord: “Now the boy Samuel ministered to the Lord before Eli. And the word of the Lord was rare in those days; there was no widespread revelation” (I Samuel 3:1).
God’s Revelation to Little Samuel!
God spoke to Samuel: “Then the Lord said to Samuel: ‘Behold, I will do something in Israel at which both ears of everyone who hears it will tingle. In that day I will perform against Eli all that I have spoken concerning his house, from beginning to end. For I have told him that I will judge his house forever for the iniquity which he knows, because his sons made themselves vile, and he did not restrain (rebuke) them. And therefore, I have sworn to the house of Eli that the iniquity of Eli’s house shall not be atoned for by sacrifice or offering forever’” (I Samuel 3:11-14).
Samuel, the Prophet!
Samuel the Priest has now become a Prophet: “So, Samuel grew, and the Lord was with him and let none of his words fall (fail) to the ground. And all Israel from Dan to Beersheba knew that Samuel had been established (confirmed) as a prophet of the Lord” (I Samuel 3:19-20). A priest goes from people to God with his requests for the people whereas a prophet comes from God to the people with the message of God.
Samuel, the Judge!
Samuel, a prophet-priest has now been appointed judge over Israel: “And Samuel judged Israel all the days of his life. He went from year to year on a circuit to Bethel, Gilgal, and Mizpah, and judged Israel in all those places. But he always returned to Ramah, for his home was there. There he judged Israel, and there he built an altar to the Lord” (I Samuel 7:15-17). A priest goes from people to God; a prophet comes from the Lord to the people; a judge discerns the guilt and innocence of people under his watch!
Samuel, Anointer of Kings!
The people of Israel asked for a King and Samuel reported it to the Lord: “And Samuel heard all the words of the people, and he repeated them in the hearing of the Lord. So, the Lord said to Samuel, ‘Heed their voice, and make them a king’” (I Samuel 8:21-22).
Samuel anointed Saul as the first King of Israel: “Then Samuel took a flask of oil and poured it on his head, and kissed him and said: ‘Is it not because the Lord has anointed you commander over His inheritance?’” (I Samuel 10:1).
Samuel pronounced judgment on Saul: “So, Samuel said: ‘Has the Lord as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the Lord? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to heed than the fat of rams. For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry. Because you have rejected the word of the Lord, He also has rejected you from being king’” (I Samuel 15:22-23).
Samuel anointed David as the second King of Israel: “Then Samuel took the horn of oil and anointed him in the midst of his brothers; and the Spirit of the Lord came upon David from that day forward. So, Samuel arose and went to Ramah” (I Samuel 16:13).
Progressive Anointing for Samuel, A Faithful Servant of the Lord!
Samuel’s Ministry to the Lord: “Now the boy Samuel ministered to the Lord before Eli. And the word of the Lord was rare in those days; there was no widespread revelation” (I Samuel 3:1).
Samuel Fought for Israel and had Victory Over the Enemies: “So, the children of Israel said to Samuel, ‘Do not cease to cry out to the Lord our God for us, that He may save us from the hand of the Philistines.’ And Samuel took a suckling lamb and offered it as a whole burnt offering to the Lord. Then Samuel cried out to the Lord for Israel, and the Lord answered him. Now as Samuel was offering up the burnt offering, the Philistines drew near to battle against Israel. But the Lord thundered with a loud thunder upon the Philistines that day, and so confused them that they were overcome before Israel” (I Samuel 7:8-10).
Samuel Constantly Stood Before the Lord: “Then all the elders of Israel gathered together and came to Samuel at Ramah, and said to him, Look, you are old, and your sons do not walk in your ways. Now make us a king to judge us like all the nations.’ But the thing displeased Samuel when they said, ‘Give us a king to judge us.’ So, Samuel prayed to the Lord” (I Samuel 8:4-6).
Samuel was a Servant of God with Integrity: “’Here I am. Witness against me before the Lord and before His anointed: Whose ox have I taken, or whose donkey have I taken, or whom have I cheated? Whom have I oppressed, or from whose hand have I received any bribe with which to blind my eyes? I will restore it to you.’ And they said, ‘You have not cheated us or oppressed us, nor have you taken anything from any man’s hand’” (I Samuel 12:3-4).
Samuel, a Faithful Father to the Nation!
Samuel the priest, prophet and judge has become the father to the nation!
Samuel’s faithfulness to pray for the nation: “Moreover, as for me, far be it from me that I should sin against the Lord in ceasing to pray for you; but I will teach you the good and the right way” (I Samuel 12:23).
Samuel cried when Saul was rejected by God: “Now the word of the Lord came to Samuel, saying, ‘I greatly regret that I have set up Saul as king, for he has turned back from following Me, and has not performed My commandments.’ And it grieved Samuel, and he cried out to the Lord all night” (I Samuel 15:10-11). “Saul made Samuel cry. Samuel never cried for his parents leaving him at the altars. Serving God is joy but seeing sin the camp is pain” (Hema Jeyaseelan).
Samuel was Faithful to pray for Saul even after his dismissal: “And Samuel went no more to see Saul until the day of his death. Nevertheless, Samuel mourned for Saul, and the Lord regretted that He had made Saul king over Israel” (I Samuel 15:35). God intervened and gave Samuel a new assignment to go to Bethlehem and anoint the next King from the household of Jesse. Here is our answer as to how long we should carry a burden to pray – until God releases us from it with a new assignment. Ironically, as soon as Samuel stopped praying for Saul, an evil spirit descended on Saul to torment him for the rest of his life.
Samuel took David under his wings: “So, David fled and escaped, and went to Samuel at Ramah, and told him all that Saul had done to him. And he and Samuel went and stayed in Naioth” (I Samuel 19:18).
Lessons We Learn from Samuel’s Anointing!
· God never runs out of people serving Him. God rejected Eli’s house from perpetual priesthood and chose Samuel who was born out of much prayer from his mother, Hannah.
· God bypassed His own hierarchy, High Priest Eli, and spoke to Samuel in the house of God which goes to show that God can and will speak to ordinary people bypassing elected leaders.
· Samuel was a faithful priest!
· A progressive anointing upon Samuel brought him to an additional office – the office of a prophet!
· Prophet Samuel anointed Kings, Saul as the first King and David as the second King.
· Samuel went in between the Lord God and the people of Israel all the days of his life.
· He spoke the truth to the people and the kings.
· Though powerful in his position, Samuel conducted his ministry with integrity by not stealing from people or misappropriating his privileges like the sons of Eli.
· When King Saul was rejected by God, Samuel did not take it lightly but cried to God for Saul until God released him from the burden.
· Even after death, Samuel did not hide truth from Saul, when his spirit was summoned by a medium to speak to Saul.
· The one place where Samuel did not do so good – His sons were not worthy of spiritual leadership over Israel which forced the people to ask for a King.
· Samuel did as a Child, Priest, Prophet, and Judge what was in God’s heart and mind!
· At the end, it is not the anointing nor the office we hold from God but how faithful we are to know the heart and the mind of God who has called us, and to carry out His commands, while at the same time, not misusing our powerful offices endowed upon us solely by the Lord God. Let us never forget that WE ARE MESSENGERS AND SERVANTS OF THE MOST HIGH GOD! That will make us FAITHFUL!
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John Jeyaseelan
Global Prayer Center | prayer | 701 Bill France Boulevard, Daytona Beach, FL, USA
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