Week 13 1 Samuel
It’s been a few days since I read the stories of the judges. Othniel Ehud Shamgar Deborah Gideon Tola Jair Jephthah Izban Elon Abdon & Samson take up 16 of the book’s 21 chapters. Then there’s the last five demoralizing vulgar & brutal chapters – a kind of appendix to Judges. Then there’s the book of Ruth.
If the Judges ‘appendix’ and the book of Ruth were taken out of the bible you’d jump from the story of Samson straight into the story of Samuel.
Samson’s story begins: in those days, a man named Manoah from the tribe of Dan lived in the town of Zorah. His wife was unable to become pregnant, and they had no children.
Samuel’s story begins: there was a man named Elkanah who lived in Ramah in the hill country of Ephraim…Elkanah had two wives, Hannah and Peninnah. Peninnah had children, while Hannah did not.
Similar beginnings…
…two men
…two wives who couldn’t have children
…two angelic visits
…two promises of unexpected pregnancies
…two instructions for Nazarite upbringings
…two babies who’ll be important players
…both named Sam.
And there’s differences too…
…the two moms are completely different women
…and the two boys develop into completely different men.
The Lord made use of an incandescent but eccentric buffoon and he made use of a classy quiet rock-solid character-guy.
Both of them are in my Top Fifty list of bible biographies. But only one makes my Top Ten.
Note: quotes from Judges 13:2 & 1 Samuel 1:1-2 (NLT).