Bible fluency is amazing. What I mean is, being in the Bible often and consistently increases our ability to see the relationships between things. It’s like learning a new language or visual skill – gradually patterns emerge and you notice connections you never noticed before.
In my Bible reading last week, I was in 1 Samuel 2. Hannah is childless and has prayed heartrendingly for a child, which God gives her. His name is Samuel and he would become the greatest prophet after Moses and the one who would usher in the era of kingship with Saul and then the infamous David. In 1 Samuel 2, Hannah’s prayer is a wonderful song of justice and reversal – God raises the poor and the needy, those who oppose the Lord will be broken, he exalts and he humbles. After this we see the current temple priest, Eli and his sons who have “no regard for the Lord” (v12). They, we know, will get their comeuppance. They will be humbled. But here at the same time is the child Samuel. And he “continued to grow in stature and in favor with the Lord and with the people” (v26).
Does this sound familiar? Skoot forward to Luke 2:52. Jesus had just been lost by his parents after the Passover when they thought he was in the travelling party. They found him three days later at the temple. When the dust had settled (and presumably Mary had recovered from her nervous breakdown!) “Jesus grew in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and man.”
No word is random in Scripture. So why the close likeness in wording?
I think there are several reasons. Just after this section in 1 Samuel 2, God speaks to Samuel so clearly that Samuel thinks it is Eli calling him from the next room. After this in Luke, we meet John the Baptist who baptises Jesus and to whom God speaks as his son.
In 1 Samuel, all of Israel recognised him as a prophet (1 Sam. 3:20). In Luke, God proclaims him as his son (Luke 3:22).
In 1 Samuel, Samuel is the prophet of God shown in comparison to the established priests of the temple who have been going through the motions of “ministering” (accepting sacrifices etc) but have been cheating and treating God and his people with contempt. They have been taking the portion of meat not meant for them from God’s sacrifices, threatening the people who question them and sleeping with the female attendants (1 Sam. 2:12-25). In Luke, we see the Pharisees cheating and treating God and his people with contempt too. They are cleaning their cups and giving a tenth of their produce but neglecting the needs of the people. They are taking the most important seats and accolades but loading the people with burdens (Luke 11:39-52).
To a first century Jewish reader, the comparisons would be obvious. Jesus is the next Samuel, the voice of God to God’s people. In this sense, it follows the pattern of all things coming to fruition in Jesus. He is the next (and final) prophet, king, priest.
Most importantly, Samuel is the rightful replacement of the corrupt priesthood who control access to God in the temple. Jesus is the rightful replacement of a corrupt priesthood and is the access to God.
This comparison communicates that Jesus is the culmination of another type or category of role that we have seen from the Old Testament. But critically, it conveys that the established access to God was faulty. The priesthood were working for themselves and not for God, and not for the people. And they were to be called out for their wickedness and replaced.
When Eli confronts his sons about their wickedness, Eli asks them “If one person sins against another, God may mediate for the offender; but if anyone sins against the Lord, who will intercede for them?” (1 Sam. 2:25). As Job had said, “If only there were someone to mediate between us, someone to bring us together, someone to remove God’s rod from me, so that his terror would frighten me no more. Then I would speak up without fear of him, but as it now stands with me, I cannot.” (Job 9:33-35)
We had to wait for Jesus. He is the mediator. He is the one that enables us to stand before God without fear. He is the way and the truth and the life. He is the way to God, to salvation, to eternal rest. No human can provide that path because they will always be broken, and for the same reason we can’t provide it for ourselves.
Below is the picture that I drew for my kids to explain (I hope you appreciate my winning artistic skills ;P). We are separated by sin from God and there is no way we can bridge the gap. God sent his son Jesus to bring us to him. It is the only way to God. Seeing the connection between Samuel and Jesus reminds me how intricate God’s plan actually is and what an amazing mercy it is that his grace covers us. Without the story of Samuel and the nuance of the linguistic connections, we might not fully understand what Jesus was here to do. And I praise God that, not only has he saved us, but that also he communicates it in a way that leads us, like children following breadcrumbs, to the truth of his incredible love.
Great writing I found it very interesting and informative..