Saints & Scoundrels of the Bible by Linda Chaffee Taylor Carol Chaffee Fielding & Drenda Thomas Richards

Author:Linda Chaffee Taylor, Carol Chaffee Fielding & Drenda Thomas Richards
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Published: 2008-07-15T00:00:00+00:00

THIS IS A TALE OF TWO LEADERS, one far more bizarre than anything Charles Dickens could have imagined. It began with a voice calling out in the night—a call leading to Samuel’s multitasking job as prophet, judge, kingmaker and, ultimately, king breaker.

Born to a barren woman who battered the doors of heaven with her pleas for a son (see 1 Samuel 1), baby Samuel became the gift returned to the giver with gratitude. His mother, Hannah, gave him back to God, promising that her son would serve God. And serve God he did.

God often made himself known in unexpected ways to the people he chose as prophets. He used a bush to call Moses (Exodus 3) and a vision of a king on a throne to call Isaiah (Isaiah 6). Samuel was chosen not only as a prophet but also as a judge of the people of Israel (1 Samuel 3 and 7). Back in Samuel’s day, the judge was the ultimate leader and arbiter of the people—God’s agent of change. He joined a long line of judges such as Othniel, Ehud, Deborah, Gideon, Jephthah, and the most infamous judge of all—Samson. We may equate being a judge with being a Supreme Court justice and a military general, while a prophet acted as national security adviser and secretary of state all rolled into one. After a long history of judges, Samuel had the distinction of being the last judge of Israel. A change was in the wind.

While God was satisfied with Samuel as his spokesperson, his people weren’t satisfied with being led by the elderly Samuel and his less-than-reputable sons. The people wanted a monarchy, like all the other nations had. But God saw through their request. What they were really saying was, “We don’t want to be led by God. We want a leader in our image—a leader with some skin.”

Samuel warned the people what having a king would involve. “He will take your sons and make them serve with his chariots and horses, and they will run in front of his chariots…. He will take a tenth of your flocks, and you yourselves will become his slaves. When that day comes, you will cry out for relief from the king you have chosen, and the L ORD will not answer you in that day” (1 Samuel 8:10, 17–18 NIV ).

Of course the people didn’t listen, so enamored were they with the idea of having a king. So Samuel’s next task was to find the king. Once the king was chosen—a process involving lots rather than votes—Samuel’s position would be strictly that of national security adviser and priest.

God gave the people exactly what they wanted by choosing Saul, from the tribe of Benjamin. Saul fit the profile perfectly. He was tall and good-looking and came from a good family of wealth and influence—just the way we all like our leaders. Undoubtedly he provided a marked contrast to the elderly Samuel. Saul didn’t have to hit the campaign trail, kiss babies, debate other candidates, or write a book including his innermost thoughts.

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