Title: Listening to the Call
Author: Christopher Harbin
Text: 1 Samuel 3:1-10
Names were important to the Hebrews. They were more than monikers to distinguish individuals. They also named some quality or trait of character regarding the person. Noah is the term for grace. David is the term for general, raising a question of whether this was his actual name, or an altered name presented for our benefit. Samuel is a fusion of two terms, the verb for listen and a term for God. We are introduced to Samuel named by his mother saying, "God listens." In today's passage, we find a different indication for the name, as Samuel learns to listen to God's Voice. When God speaks, are we listening?
The books of Samuel are generally understood as continuing in Kings, where the same essential tradition picks up the narrative. Those responsible for what we find in Kings were aware of what we read in Samuel. Together, they narrate important moments in Israel's history moving from the period of the judges into the monarchy, the division between Israel and Judah, and ending with Judah's deportation to Babylon. This narrative arc begins with Samuel as a marked contrast to the priests of Israel, as well as the kings who will come to power in later years. Samuel's leadership will find continued expression through the sequence in prophets like Nathan (Gift), Elijah (My God is Yahweh) and Elisha (My God Saves). We will find little continuity, however, among the future political leadership of Israel.
Today's passage is an extension of the introduction of Samuel given in the first two chapters. It is the final part of the prologue to the rest of the book, laying out something of the importance of Samuel's role and place in Israel's history fusing the period of the judges to the period of the monarchy. Notably, Eli is the first priest who is mentioned from Joshua through the period of the judges in any of the texts, other than a Levite or two showing up i ...
Author: Christopher Harbin
Text: 1 Samuel 3:1-10
Names were important to the Hebrews. They were more than monikers to distinguish individuals. They also named some quality or trait of character regarding the person. Noah is the term for grace. David is the term for general, raising a question of whether this was his actual name, or an altered name presented for our benefit. Samuel is a fusion of two terms, the verb for listen and a term for God. We are introduced to Samuel named by his mother saying, "God listens." In today's passage, we find a different indication for the name, as Samuel learns to listen to God's Voice. When God speaks, are we listening?
The books of Samuel are generally understood as continuing in Kings, where the same essential tradition picks up the narrative. Those responsible for what we find in Kings were aware of what we read in Samuel. Together, they narrate important moments in Israel's history moving from the period of the judges into the monarchy, the division between Israel and Judah, and ending with Judah's deportation to Babylon. This narrative arc begins with Samuel as a marked contrast to the priests of Israel, as well as the kings who will come to power in later years. Samuel's leadership will find continued expression through the sequence in prophets like Nathan (Gift), Elijah (My God is Yahweh) and Elisha (My God Saves). We will find little continuity, however, among the future political leadership of Israel.
Today's passage is an extension of the introduction of Samuel given in the first two chapters. It is the final part of the prologue to the rest of the book, laying out something of the importance of Samuel's role and place in Israel's history fusing the period of the judges to the period of the monarchy. Notably, Eli is the first priest who is mentioned from Joshua through the period of the judges in any of the texts, other than a Levite or two showing up i ...
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