I Will Fight Your Battles
Samuel was one of a very few righteous judges in Israel. That was because he was also a prophet, and he “judged Israel all the days of his life” (1 Samuel 7:15). Near the end of his life, “he made his sons judges over Israel.” But, unfortunately, they were not righteous: “And his sons walked not in his ways, but turned aside after lucre, and took bribes, and perverted judgment.” It’s not clear if they became corrupt after Samuel made them judges or if they were already that way when he put them in that position, but I have to think that it was the former given Samuel’s wisdom. It is ironic that Samuel grew up in the house of Eli who was chastised by the Lord for not correcting his two wicked sons, and then his two sons became somewhat like Eli’s sons. But surely Samuel had taught them the ways of the Lord and admonished them, unlike Eli. I have been pondering today what happened next: “Then all the elders of Israel gathered themselves together, and came to Samuel unto Ramah, And said u...