1 Samuel - Odessa, Missouri Community of Christ
1 Samuel - Odessa, Missouri Community of Christ
1 Samuel - Odessa, Missouri Community of Christ
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2007 Edition Dr. Constable's Notes on 1 <strong>Samuel</strong> 19In verses 11-14 God restated for <strong>Samuel</strong> what the prophet had told Eli concerning the fate<strong>of</strong> Eli's house in the near and far future (2:27-36). 47 Under the Mosaic Law the penaltyfor showing contempt for the priesthood, for disobeying parents, and for blasphemy wasdeath (Deut. 17:12; 21:18-21; Lev. 24:11-16, 23). This would be what Hophni andPhinehas would experience (cf. 4:11). The cutting <strong>of</strong>f <strong>of</strong> Eli's line happened about 130years later (cf. 1 Kings 2:27, 35).The writer may have intended to mark the beginning <strong>of</strong> <strong>Samuel</strong>'s ministry with hisstatement that the lad opened the doors <strong>of</strong> the Lord's house (v. 15; cf. 1:28b). 48Eli realized that God's words to <strong>Samuel</strong> would have been very significant. He thereforeinsisted that the lad tell him what God had said. <strong>Samuel</strong> faithfully reported to Eli all thatGod had revealed to him (v. 18). He was a faithful prophet from the start. This was thesecond time Eli had received a prophecy <strong>of</strong> his family's future (cf. 2:27-36). Thus heknew that the prediction would surely come to pass. He accepted God's will submissively(v. 18).2. <strong>Samuel</strong>'s ministry 3:19—4:1aThese verses summarize <strong>Samuel</strong>'s continuing ministry as a prophet in Israel. <strong>Samuel</strong>qualified for this privilege by his faithful obedience to God's will as he knew it. Godsovereignly chose <strong>Samuel</strong> for this ministry, but his disobedience could have disqualifiedhim, as the disobedience <strong>of</strong> Eli and his sons disqualified them and as Saul’s disobediencedisqualified him.The phrase "let none <strong>of</strong> his words fail [lit. fall to the ground]" is a metaphor taken fromarchery (cf. Josh. 21:45; 23:14; 1 Kings 8:56). The arrow that falls to the ground fails toreach its target. In contrast, all <strong>of</strong> <strong>Samuel</strong>'s words hit their mark. They were effectivebecause God found him to be a reliable bow. 49The phrase "from Dan to Beersheba" became proverbial during the united monarchy forall the land <strong>of</strong> Israel (cf. Judg. 20:1; 2 Sam 3:10; 17:11; 24:2, 15; 1 Kings 4:25). Danstood on the northern border about 150 miles from Israel's southernmost major town,Beersheba.The Lord's word (v. 21) is what <strong>Samuel</strong> communicated to the people as His prophet. Hedid this so consistently that <strong>Samuel</strong>'s word amounted to the Lord's word (4:1a; cf. Jer.1:2, 4, 11, 13; Hos. 1:1; Mic. 1:1).Moses called Abraham (Gen. 20:7), Aaron (Exod. 7:1), and himself (Deut. 34:10)prophets. <strong>Samuel</strong> became a prophet in a new sense. He was the first <strong>of</strong> those "servants <strong>of</strong>the Lord" who became primarily, not secondarily, as the former prophets had become,47 The reference to people's ears tingling occurs only here at the beginning <strong>of</strong> the monarchy and at its end inthe Old Testament (2 Kings 21:12; Jer. 19:3).48 See J. Gerald Janzen, "'<strong>Samuel</strong> Opened the Doors <strong>of</strong> the House <strong>of</strong> Yahweh' (I <strong>Samuel</strong> 3.15)," Journal forthe Study <strong>of</strong> the Old Testament 26 (June 1983):89-96.49 For further study <strong>of</strong> this verse, see W. T. Claassen, "1 Sam. 3:19 - A Case <strong>of</strong> Context and Semantics,"Journal <strong>of</strong> Northwest Semitic Languages 8 (1980):1-9.