Samuel grieves. He fears. He makes assumptions.
Samuel is profoundly human. Yes, even Samuel the prophet the man whose words never fell to the ground- what a relief.
I want to sit with Samuel for a moment because it’s easy to forget that the great heroes of Scripture were not immune to disappointment or even doubt.
Samuel was a prophet unlike any other. Scripture tells us that not one of his words fell to the ground. He had a miraculous birth story, grew up in the temple hearing the voice of God, He was respected by the people, beloved by the Lord, and entrusted with leading Israel through one of the most significant transitions in its history – it’s first king (Saul) and it’s best king (David).
So why, I wonder, was Samuel never considered as Israel’s king?
The Bible never even presents him as a possibility.
Perhaps his calling was always greater than a throne. Samuel’s role was not to rule Israel, but to reveal God’s choice for Israel.
And so he did, but then Saul , appointed by God failed and was rejected by the very God who seemed to choose him.
Samuel had every reason to grieve, fear and assume. He was the one who anointed Saul under God’s order, Israel’s very first king. Imagine the weight of that responsibility. I cannot help but wonder if Samuel questioned himself after Saul’s rejection. Did he quietly replay that day in his mind? Did he wonder if he had somehow misunderstood God? Did it feel, for the first time in his ministry, as though one of his words had finally fallen to the ground?
And when God chooses someone else, a handsome shepherd boy from the line of Judah.
Samuel is afraid. He is afraid of Saul. Another indication that Samuel is human.
God tells Samuel to go to Bethlehem and anoint another king, and Samuel immediately responds, “How can I go? If Saul hears of it, he will kill me.”
That comforts me.
I often imagine hearing God’s voice removes uncertainty. Yet Samuel heard God’s voice more clearly than almost anyone in Scripture, and he still wrestled with grief, fear, and unanswered questions.
Faith does not eliminate our humanity, and hearing from God does not erase our emotions. This is one of the great tensions within the Christian life. Our emotions especially the negative ones can often bring feelings of guilt, wondering if God is still present through them or if he is disappointed by them. But the truth is, we can know God’s voice and still wrestle with emotions. We can obey while we are afraid, and we can trust God without understanding every detail.
Samuel grieves. He fears. He makes assumptions.
Samuel is profoundly human. Yes, even Samuel, what a relief.
I want to sit with Samuel for a moment because it’s easy to forget that the great heroes of Scripture were not immune to disappointment.
Samuel was a prophet unlike any other. Scripture tells us that not one of his words fell to the ground. He was respected by the people, beloved by God, and entrusted with leading Israel through one of the most significant transitions in its history.
So why, I wonder, was Samuel never considered as Israel’s king?
The Bible never even presents him as a possibility.
Perhaps his calling was always greater than a throne. Samuel’s role was not to rule but to reveal God’s choice.
Samuel had every reason to grieve, fear and assume. He was the one who anointed Saul. More than that, he anointed Israel’s very first king. Imagine the weight of that responsibility. I cannot help but wonder if Samuel questioned himself after Saul’s rejection. Did he quietly replay that day in his mind? Did he wonder if he had somehow misunderstood God? Did it feel, for the first time in his ministry, as though one of his words had finally fallen to the ground?
Then there is something else.
Samuel is afraid.
God tells him to go to Bethlehem and anoint another king, and Samuel immediately responds, “How can I go? If Saul hears of it, he will kill me.”
That comforts me.
We often imagine that hearing God’s voice removes uncertainty. Yet Samuel heard God’s voice more clearly than almost anyone in Scripture, and he still wrestled with grief, fear, and unanswered questions.
Faith does not eliminate our humanity, it seeks out our humanity. This is one of the great tensions within the Christian life. Our emotions especially the negative ones can often bring feelings of guilt, wondering if God is still present through them or if he is disappointed by them. But the truth is, we can know God’s voice and still wrestle with emotions. We can obey while we are afraid, and we can trust God without understanding every detail.
Written by Kim Blenkhorn – Edited with the help of ChatGPT
My Faith Place 