A Boy Who Spoke Up for Jehovah

IN A way, Samuel was similar to Jephthah’s daughter and Samson. All three had this in common: Their parents’ actions had an especially profound impact on their lives. Like Jephthah’s daughter, Samuel was devoted to a lifetime of sacred service to Jehovah. (1 Sam. 2:11) Like Samson, Samuel was a lifelong Nazirite. (Judg. 13:7) And like both of them, Samuel needed courage.

When Samuel was weaned, perhaps at three years of age or a little older, his mother, Hannah, brought him to serve at Jehovah’s tabernacle located at Shiloh, as she had promised Jehovah. But she continued to visit her son regularly, each year bringing him a new garment to wear at the tabernacle. Samuel grew up there, under the care of the elderly high priest, Eli. Perhaps some women at the tabernacle helped to care for the boy.

However, worship at the tabernacle was being polluted, and Eli shared some of the blame. His two sons, Hophni and Phinehas, were wicked men. They were committing immorality with some of the women who served at Jehovah’s sacred house. And they were defiling pure worship in other ways. Evidently, under their orders, the temple attendants bullied the humble worshippers who came there, and they greedily snatched the best parts of the sacrifices before they could be offered to Jehovah. Eli knew what his sons were doing. Still, he merely scolded them feebly​—and they ignored him. Despite this wickedness around him, Samuel grew up in favor with God and men. When the time came for Jehovah to correct the problems at Shiloh, he chose young Samuel to be his spokesman.

Late one night, Samuel awoke to a voice. Jehovah was calling him! But Samuel thought it was Eli, so he ran to ask the high priest what he wanted. Eli, who was old and blind, sent Samuel back to bed, for he had not called the boy. The same thing happened two more times. Finally, Eli realized what was going on, so he told Samuel to go and lie down again. If Jehovah called him again, Samuel was to say: “Speak, Jehovah, for your servant is listening.” Samuel did just as he was told.

For the fourth time, Jehovah spoke, calling: “Samuel, Samuel!” The boy said: “Speak, for your servant is listening.” Then Jehovah talked to him. He said that he was going to correct the problems at Shiloh and that Eli would be punished for failing to rebuke his sons. His house, including those wicked sons, had been judged. All of this Samuel was to tell Eli!

Samuel lay down again, but the Bible does not say whether he got any more sleep. At dawn, he rose to open the doors to the tabernacle courtyard. Understandably, “Samuel was afraid to tell Eli of the vision.” Eli called the boy to his side and asked what God had told him. Perhaps he sensed that Samuel was fearful, so he added: “Please, do not hide it from me.”

This was surely a hard moment for Samuel. Did he respect Eli as if he were his own grandfather? In any case, as high priest, Eli was the spiritual leader of the nation! Still, the boy spoke up. In fact, “Samuel told him everything.” Eli thus learned that the disaster was coming soon. Did he finally correct his wicked sons? There is no evidence that he did so.

Jehovah rewarded Samuel richly for showing such courage. We read: “Jehovah himself was with him.” What is more, God began to speak by means of Samuel, and He “did not let any of all [Samuel’s] words go unfulfilled.” All of Samuel’s words about Eli and his sons eventually came true. In the meantime, Israel looked to Samuel for spiritual guidance. For decades, Samuel served loyally as Jehovah’s prophet and judge. He had learned to show godly courage at a young age, and he kept showing it throughout his long and rewarding life.

Read the Bible account:

• 1 Samuel 1:9-11, 24-28; 2:12-36; 3:1-21; 25:1

• Hebrews 11:32

For discussion:

In what ways did Samuel show courage?

Dig Deeper

1. 1. Describe Shiloh, the site of Jehovah’s tabernacle. (w92 11/1 8-9) A

   Your answer

   

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2. 2. What was life like for Samuel at the tabernacle? (ia 60-62 ¶9-13) B

   Your answer

   

3. 3. In what sense had young Samuel “not yet come to know Jehovah”? (1 Sam. 3:7; w02 12/15 8 ¶5-6)

   Your answer

4. 4. How was the prophecy regarding Eli’s family fulfilled? (it “Eli, I” ¶5-7)

   Your answer

Reflect on the Lessons

• What can a young person learn from Samuel about the importance of being . . .

  • eager to obey? (1 Sam. 3:5)

    Your answer

  • polite and respectful? (1 Sam. 3:6-10)

    Your answer

  • dependable? (1 Sam. 3:15) C

    Your answer

    

• When might a young person need to speak up, and how can the example of Samuel help him?

  Your answer

• In what other ways might you imitate the courage of Samuel?

  Your answer

Meditate on the Bigger Picture

• What does this account teach me about Jehovah?

  Your answer

• How does the account tie in with Jehovah’s purposes?

  Your answer

• What would I like to ask Samuel in the resurrection?

  Your answer

Learn More

When might young people and adults need courage to stand up for what is right?

Learn From Them​—Samuel (4:53)

Even when people around him disrespected God, young Samuel made the right choice.

“Samuel Chooses to Serve Jehovah” (ijwis article 15)