Samuel’s hills and valleys

Samuel was God’s representative in Israel in the transition from the rule of the judges to that of the monarchy. He lived in the 11th century BC as a Nazarite (like Samson and John the Baptist) dedicated to serving the Lord (Num. 6:1-12; 1 Sam. 1:11). There is an account of his life in 1 Samuel 1-28 of the Bible. The main hills and valleys in his life are shown in the graph.

Hill: Samuel was born to a barren woman named Hannah, who fervently prayed for a son (1 Sam. 1:27). He served God in the tabernacle under Eli the high priest (2:11). As a boy he “continued to grow in stature and in favor with the Lord and with people” (2:26NIV).

Valley: But Eli’s sons were wicked (2). So a prophet predicted that they would die on the same day (2). God also gave Samuel a similar message about the coming judgment of Eli’s family (3).

Hill: All the people in Israel recognized that Samuel was a “prophet of the Lord” (3:20). He received messages and revelations from God throughout his life.

Valley: Israel was defeated by the Philistines and they captured the ark of the covenant (4). Eli’s sons died in the battle and Eli died on the same day after he fell over and broke his neck.

Hill: Because the Philistines were struck with a plague, they returned the ark to Israel (6).

Valley: Seventy Israelites died when they looked into the ark (6).

Hill: There was a spiritual revival (the Israelites turned from idolatry and repented of their sins) and victory over the Philistines (7).

Valley: Samuel’s sons were greedy for money – they accepted bribes and perverted justice (8).

Hill: Samuel anointed Saul as king (9-10).

Valley: In asking for a king, the people were rejecting God as their king (1 Sam. 8:7; 10:19; 12:12, 17, 19-20).

Hill: Victory over the Ammonites (11). In his farewell speech Samuel said, “If you fear the Lord and serve and obey Him and do not rebel against His commands, and if both you and the king who reigns over you follow the Lord your God—good! But if you do not obey the Lord, and if you rebel against His commands, His hand will be against you, as it was against your ancestors.” (1 Sam. 12:14-15). That’s how the covenant applied to the monarchy.

Valley: Because Saul disobeyed God’s command about burnt offerings given through Samuel, his kingdom would end and there would be no ongoing dynasty (13).

Hill: Saul had many military victories (14).

Valley: Because Saul disobeyed God’s command about destroying the Amalekites given through Samuel, God rejected him as king over Israel (15).

Hill: Samuel anointed David as king (16).

Valley: An evil spirit replaced a divine spirit in Saul (16).

Hill: David killed the Philistine giant Goliath (1 Sam. 17:50).

Valley: King Saul was “very angry” with David and attempted to murder him with a spear (1 Sam. 18:8). Saul tried to kill David again (1 Sam. 19:9-16). Then Saul pursued David across Israel and Samuel died (23-25).

Valley: Finally, because Saul disobeyed God’s command about destroying the Amalekites, Samuel made an appearance after his death to predict the death of Saul and his sons in a battle with the Philistines (28).

So, Samuel had plenty of hills and valleys.

Lessons for us

Despite his privileged position, Samuel did not give in to the temptation of greed or sexual immorality like Eli’s sons or into greed and injustice like his own sons. He hadn’t cheated or oppressed anyone (12:1-5).

Samuel obeyed God’s instructions and commands. For example, after the people requested a king, he warned them and let them know what the king will claim as his rights (8). And he told king Saul of God’s judgment for his disobedience. This shows that obeying God’s instructions and commands can promote resilience.

Written, August 2023