Samuel- A prophetic model for the changing times
Samuel is a rich prophetic model for the changing times from which we can gain insight.
Despite what the “obvious” presents Samuel had a rich family lineage. Even in his given name he was blessed, as Samuel means “asked of God”. The lineage from 1 Samuel 1:1 lists the five generations leading up to the his birth. 5 is the number of grace & atonement. Like Samuel, we have a rich heritage.
There was a certain man of Ramathaim-zophim of the hill country of Ephraim whose name was Elkanah (God has obtained)
the son of Jeroham, (compassionate)
son of Elihu, (strength)
son of Tohu, (humility)
son of Zuph, an Ephrathite (dripping with honey)
We are of the Family of God. We are sons of God, just as Jesus. We have the attributes of our Father, just as Jesus does.
Samuel was born from the tribe of Ephraim, meaning fruitfulness. In Deuteronomy 33:17 Ephraim received the right hand of his grandfather’s blessing over his older brother.
Matthew 1:17 tells us there were 14 generations
Abraham --> David
David --> to the deportation
Deportation --> Jesus
Reading thru Judges and 1st Samuel you will find there were 14 judges until Samuel. (15 = grace, liberty and honor) 2Kings 6:20, Hosea 3:2a, Genesis 7:20.
Samuel was born of a woman of intercession, Hannah. Her name means favored.
Judges 21:25b gives us the state of affairs Samuel was born into.
“Everyone did what was right in his own eyes,” (ESV). He was truly born “for such a time as this”.
The church is in such a time of transition. We are between the times of the Church Age and the Kingdom of Heaven.
We are at a time of an open heaven (During which times we can draw closer to God; increase in supernatural manifestations [a time of preparation]) See Genesis 7:11; Genesis 28:16-17; Deuteronomy 28:23; Revelation 4:1)
-Raised from the “old church”,
1 Samuel 2:11 (ESV), Then Elkanah went home to Ramah. And the boy ministered to the Lord in the presence of Eli the priest.
1 Samuel 2:18 (ESV), Samuel was ministering before the Lord, a boy clothed with a linen ephod.
- We, like Samuel have been placed in position at a pivotal point in time.
At that time Eli, whose eyesight had begun to grow dim so that he could not see, was lying down in his own place. The lamp of God had not yet gone out, and Samuel was lying down in the temple of the Lord, where the ark of God was. 1 Samuel 3:2-3 (ESV)
-Personally called by God at a young age, (God will keep calling if we don’t understand the first time) 1st Samuel 3:4-8.
Then the Lord called Samuel, and he said, "Here I am!" v4
And the Lord called again, "Samuel!" v6
And the Lord called Samuel again the third time. v8
- We are to be like Samuel, to be teachable and receive instruction (from the old school).
1 Samuel 3:8-9 (ESV), And the Lord called Samuel again the third time. And he arose and went to Eli and said, "Here I am, for you called me." Then Eli perceived that the Lord was calling the young man. Therefore Eli said to Samuel, "Go, lie down, and if he calls you, you shall say, 'Speak, Lord, for your servant hears.' " So Samuel went and lay down in his place.
-We, like Samuel, are to deliver the truth without personal feelings tainting the Word.
-Not all we have to say from God may seem easy to us.
1 Samuel 3:18 (ESV), So Samuel told him everything and hid nothing from him. And he said, "It is the Lord. Let him do what seems good to him."
1 Samuel 12:13 (ESV), And now behold the king whom you have chosen, for whom you have asked; behold, the Lord has set a king over you.
1 Samuel 15:19 (ESV), Why then did you not obey the voice of the Lord? Why did you pounce on the spoil and do what was evil in the sight of the Lord?"
1 Samuel 15:28 (ESV), And Samuel said to him, "The Lord has torn the kingdom of Israel from you this day and has given it to a neighbor of yours, who is better than you.
- We, like Samuel are to have a heart of intercession. We are to care for the people of God
1 Samuel 15:11 (ESV), "I regret that I have made Saul king, for he has turned back from following me and has not performed my commandments." And Samuel was angry, and he cried to the Lord all night.
- We, like Samuel are to use spiritual discernment and not succumb to flattery.
1 Samuel 15:13-14 (ESV), And Samuel came to Saul, and Saul said to him, "Blessed be you to the Lord. I have performed the commandment of the Lord." [14] And Samuel said, "What then is this bleating of the sheep in my ears and the lowing of the oxen that I hear?"
- We, like Samuel are to understand the heart of God.
1 Samuel 15:22-23 (ESV), And 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 listen than the fat of rams.
For rebellion is as the sin of divination, and presumption is as iniquity and idolatry.
- We, like Samuel are to separate ourselves from sin
1 Samuel 15:26 (ESV), And Samuel said to Saul, "I will not return with you. For you have rejected the word of the Lord, and the Lord has rejected you from being king over Israel."
- We, like Samuel are to rely upon God / talks with Him for guidance in personal rough times
1 Samuel 16:2 (ESV), And Samuel said, "How can I go? If Saul hears it, he will kill me." And the Lord said, "Take a heifer with you and say, 'I have come to sacrifice to the Lord.'
- We, like Samuel are to calls upon the name of the Lord.
Psalm 99:5-6 (ESV)
Exalt the Lord our God; worship at his footstool!
Holy is he!
Moses and Aaron were among his priests,
Samuel also was among those who called upon his name.
They called to the Lord, and he answered them.
- We, like Samuel are to stand before the Lord
Jeremiah 15:1 (ESV), Then the Lord said to me, "Though Moses and Samuel stood before me, yet my heart would not turn toward this people. Send them out of my sight, and let them go!
-We, like Samuel are to have influence with people & nations
So all the elders of Israel came to the king at Hebron, and David made a covenant with them at Hebron before the Lord. And they anointed David king over Israel, according to the word of the Lord by Samuel. 1 Chronicles 11:3 (ESV)
All these, who were chosen as gatekeepers at the thresholds, were 212. They were enrolled by genealogies in their villages. David and Samuel the seer established them in their office of trust. 1 Chronicles 9:22 (ESV)
No Passover like it had been kept in Israel since the days of Samuel the prophet. 2 Chronicles 35:18a (ESV)
Now Samuel died. And all Israel assembled and mourned for him, and they buried him in his house at Ramah. 1 Samuel 25:1 (ESV)
And Samuel grew, and the Lord was with him and let none of his words fall to the ground. 1 Samuel 3:19 (ESV)
-We, can be like Samuel in our walk with God. We have the full collection of written word, but also the living word from which we can model after God. We have a foundation prepared for us to walk upon in the fullness of God. Let not our words fall to the ground void of power.
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Despite what the “obvious” presents Samuel had a rich family lineage. Even in his given name he was blessed, as Samuel means “asked of God”. The lineage from 1 Samuel 1:1 lists the five generations leading up to the his birth. 5 is the number of grace & atonement. Like Samuel, we have a rich heritage.
There was a certain man of Ramathaim-zophim of the hill country of Ephraim whose name was Elkanah (God has obtained)
the son of Jeroham, (compassionate)
son of Elihu, (strength)
son of Tohu, (humility)
son of Zuph, an Ephrathite (dripping with honey)
We are of the Family of God. We are sons of God, just as Jesus. We have the attributes of our Father, just as Jesus does.
Samuel was born from the tribe of Ephraim, meaning fruitfulness. In Deuteronomy 33:17 Ephraim received the right hand of his grandfather’s blessing over his older brother.
Matthew 1:17 tells us there were 14 generations
Abraham --> David
David --> to the deportation
Deportation --> Jesus
Reading thru Judges and 1st Samuel you will find there were 14 judges until Samuel. (15 = grace, liberty and honor) 2Kings 6:20, Hosea 3:2a, Genesis 7:20.
Samuel was born of a woman of intercession, Hannah. Her name means favored.
Judges 21:25b gives us the state of affairs Samuel was born into.
“Everyone did what was right in his own eyes,” (ESV). He was truly born “for such a time as this”.
The church is in such a time of transition. We are between the times of the Church Age and the Kingdom of Heaven.
We are at a time of an open heaven (During which times we can draw closer to God; increase in supernatural manifestations [a time of preparation]) See Genesis 7:11; Genesis 28:16-17; Deuteronomy 28:23; Revelation 4:1)
-Raised from the “old church”,
1 Samuel 2:11 (ESV), Then Elkanah went home to Ramah. And the boy ministered to the Lord in the presence of Eli the priest.
1 Samuel 2:18 (ESV), Samuel was ministering before the Lord, a boy clothed with a linen ephod.
- We, like Samuel have been placed in position at a pivotal point in time.
At that time Eli, whose eyesight had begun to grow dim so that he could not see, was lying down in his own place. The lamp of God had not yet gone out, and Samuel was lying down in the temple of the Lord, where the ark of God was. 1 Samuel 3:2-3 (ESV)
-Personally called by God at a young age, (God will keep calling if we don’t understand the first time) 1st Samuel 3:4-8.
Then the Lord called Samuel, and he said, "Here I am!" v4
And the Lord called again, "Samuel!" v6
And the Lord called Samuel again the third time. v8
- We are to be like Samuel, to be teachable and receive instruction (from the old school).
1 Samuel 3:8-9 (ESV), And the Lord called Samuel again the third time. And he arose and went to Eli and said, "Here I am, for you called me." Then Eli perceived that the Lord was calling the young man. Therefore Eli said to Samuel, "Go, lie down, and if he calls you, you shall say, 'Speak, Lord, for your servant hears.' " So Samuel went and lay down in his place.
-We, like Samuel, are to deliver the truth without personal feelings tainting the Word.
-Not all we have to say from God may seem easy to us.
1 Samuel 3:18 (ESV), So Samuel told him everything and hid nothing from him. And he said, "It is the Lord. Let him do what seems good to him."
1 Samuel 12:13 (ESV), And now behold the king whom you have chosen, for whom you have asked; behold, the Lord has set a king over you.
1 Samuel 15:19 (ESV), Why then did you not obey the voice of the Lord? Why did you pounce on the spoil and do what was evil in the sight of the Lord?"
1 Samuel 15:28 (ESV), And Samuel said to him, "The Lord has torn the kingdom of Israel from you this day and has given it to a neighbor of yours, who is better than you.
- We, like Samuel are to have a heart of intercession. We are to care for the people of God
1 Samuel 15:11 (ESV), "I regret that I have made Saul king, for he has turned back from following me and has not performed my commandments." And Samuel was angry, and he cried to the Lord all night.
- We, like Samuel are to use spiritual discernment and not succumb to flattery.
1 Samuel 15:13-14 (ESV), And Samuel came to Saul, and Saul said to him, "Blessed be you to the Lord. I have performed the commandment of the Lord." [14] And Samuel said, "What then is this bleating of the sheep in my ears and the lowing of the oxen that I hear?"
- We, like Samuel are to understand the heart of God.
1 Samuel 15:22-23 (ESV), And 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 listen than the fat of rams.
For rebellion is as the sin of divination, and presumption is as iniquity and idolatry.
- We, like Samuel are to separate ourselves from sin
1 Samuel 15:26 (ESV), And Samuel said to Saul, "I will not return with you. For you have rejected the word of the Lord, and the Lord has rejected you from being king over Israel."
- We, like Samuel are to rely upon God / talks with Him for guidance in personal rough times
1 Samuel 16:2 (ESV), And Samuel said, "How can I go? If Saul hears it, he will kill me." And the Lord said, "Take a heifer with you and say, 'I have come to sacrifice to the Lord.'
- We, like Samuel are to calls upon the name of the Lord.
Psalm 99:5-6 (ESV)
Exalt the Lord our God; worship at his footstool!
Holy is he!
Moses and Aaron were among his priests,
Samuel also was among those who called upon his name.
They called to the Lord, and he answered them.
- We, like Samuel are to stand before the Lord
Jeremiah 15:1 (ESV), Then the Lord said to me, "Though Moses and Samuel stood before me, yet my heart would not turn toward this people. Send them out of my sight, and let them go!
-We, like Samuel are to have influence with people & nations
So all the elders of Israel came to the king at Hebron, and David made a covenant with them at Hebron before the Lord. And they anointed David king over Israel, according to the word of the Lord by Samuel. 1 Chronicles 11:3 (ESV)
All these, who were chosen as gatekeepers at the thresholds, were 212. They were enrolled by genealogies in their villages. David and Samuel the seer established them in their office of trust. 1 Chronicles 9:22 (ESV)
No Passover like it had been kept in Israel since the days of Samuel the prophet. 2 Chronicles 35:18a (ESV)
Now Samuel died. And all Israel assembled and mourned for him, and they buried him in his house at Ramah. 1 Samuel 25:1 (ESV)
And Samuel grew, and the Lord was with him and let none of his words fall to the ground. 1 Samuel 3:19 (ESV)
-We, can be like Samuel in our walk with God. We have the full collection of written word, but also the living word from which we can model after God. We have a foundation prepared for us to walk upon in the fullness of God. Let not our words fall to the ground void of power.
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