- SHMUEL ALEF
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Shmuel Alef
Introduction
This two-part work begins with the pollution of the religious worship by Eliʼs apostate sons who were kohanim during the time when the great prophet Shmuel (born ca. 1105 B.C.E.) was a child. 1-2 Samuel ends with a foreshadowing of the purified Beis Hamikdash worship which was the Messianic vision of King Dovid (died ca. 970 B.C.E.). A subtle indication of this is the linen ephod worn both by little Shmuel (1Sm 2:18) and many years later by King Dovid (2Sm 6:14; Ps 110:4). The ephod of the Kohen Gadol was an apron-like garment with an ornamented vest containing the Urim and Thummim used to determine the will of G-d (sacred lots that were cast to determine whether to go to war, etc). The kehunah (priesthood) we see being purified as the story of I-II Shmuel unfolds looks forward to the perfect Moshiach-Kohen who is coming (Ps 110:4). A man of G-d comes to Eli and prophesies to him about the kehunah (priesthood) of his ancestor Aharon (see 1Sm 2:27f). Eli is told that he and his sons will be replaced by another Aaronic family, which turns out to be the family of Zadok. Eliʼs branch of the kehunah will be broken off and “I will raise up for Myself a ne'eman (faithful) kohen” (2:35), says the L-rd. Zadok and his sons will replace Eli and his sons, just as Dovid the king after G-dʼs own heart will replace Saul the unfaithful monarch and will take his crown (1Sm 28:17; Rv 3:11). Although Zadok was the immediate fulfillment, Moshiach Yehoshua finally and completely fulfills 2:35 through Ps 110:4 and Zech 3:8; 6:11-12 and Isa 53:10. One of the reasons King Saul angered G-d is because he usurped the role of kohen (1Sm 13:8-15), thus showing his lack of respect for G-dʼs holy kehunah and for the kingʼs covenant obligation to keep the Torah (see Dt 17:11-20). When he attacked and caused the death of the kohanim at Nob, that was the last straw, though he had already been condemned for rebelliously disobeying G-d in regard to the Amalekites (see 1Sm 15:1-35; Ex 17:8-16; Dt 25:17-19). The only kohen to survive the massacre at Nob was Ahimelechʼs son Abiathar, who, because he later supported Davidʼs son Adoniyah instead of Solomon as Davidʼs heir to the throne, was finally banished, leaving the Aaronic kehunah to Zadok and his sons. Since Achimelech and Abiathar are descendants of Eli, we read the story of I-II Shmuel knowing there is a curse on them and that their branch of the Aaronic family tree will eventually lose the kehunah. Eli should have feared G-d enough not to eat and drink judgment on himself, especially in view of his unholy sons who were kohanim (see Lv 10:1,2,16-20). The backdrop of Eliʼs decadent kehunah is the ominous military threat of the Philistines, who are on the brink of subjugating the whole land and are already in some sense holding sway (13:19-22), in spite of Shmuelʼs best efforts (7:2-17). The sinful people discover that the ark will not work as a good-luck charm or a magical weapon. Without teshuvah (repentance) and obedient holiness, Israel will be defeated, as Samson discovered in his own experience with the Philistines. But the Philistine g-d Dagon cannot stand in the presence of the ark; rather, it falls in broken obeisance. This means that if the people of G-d through their sin lose the power of G-d, that does not mean that G-dʼs Word has lost its power. G-d is the true king of Israel, and the people need to beware of the tyrannical exploitation they may be asking for when they act like other nations. It turns out that King Saul, lacking covenant loyalty to the Word of G-d, falls short of the theocratic ideal, and his life becomes a foil against which to view the description of the Moshiach in 2Sm 7:12-17, “But I will not take my steadfast love from him (Dovidʼs Son, the Moshiach), as I took it from Saul, whom I put away from before you (Dovid).” In 1Sm 17 we see the killing by the youth Dovid of the Philistine champion Goliath (10 feet tall, weighing in with a 150 lb. coat and a 19 lb. spear head). Davidʼs victory over Goliath begins to trigger Saulʼs jealousy and eventual unraveling (18:7-8). Later Saul tries to kill David, but G-d puts a wonderful brotherly love for Dovid in the heart of Saulʼs son Jonathan, who rescues Dovid from Saulʼs murderous wrath and seems to hold a serene and unselfish knowledge that Dovid and not he will inherit the throne (20:13-15). Like Jonathan, Davidʼs wife Michal, Saulʼs young daughter, also helps David escape (19:11-17). In the Philistine city of Gath Dovid has to use his wits to save himself, pretending to be mad. The Philistine king Akhish later makes Dovid his mercenary and gives him the village of Ziglag (though, as his mercenary, Dovid outwits him, and, in a holy war, destroys non-Israelite villages rather than his own Jewish people). In any event, Akhish is convinced enough by Dovidʼs acting skill to let him do whatever he wants (see 21:10-15) except fight side by side with the Philistine (29:3-11), something Dovid doesn't want to do anyway, especially against his own people. Up to this point Dovid with his own private army seems to act like a sort of Jewish Robin Hood, even hiring himself out as a private police force. When a wealthy sheep owner Nabal (naval means “fool”) rejects Dovid and messianic association with him and thereby proves himself a true “fool,” his death opens the door for his widow to become Dovidʼs wife. This woman, Abigail, is carried off from Ziklag by Amalekites (30:2) along with “the women and all who were in” Ziklag. In a foreshadow of the coming rejected Moshiach, Dovid is almost stoned by his own people, very much like Moses (Ex 17:4; 1Sm 30:6), both Dovid and Moshe being messianic types of the Servant of the L-rd (Dt 34:5; 1Sm 25:39; Isa 53:11). Chapter 8:8 shows that G-d is a rejected G-d; therefore, we should not be surprised that the Moshiach is a rejected Moshiach (Isaiah 53). But notice that when Dovid the King is rejected by the Jewish people, he is accepted by the Gentiles, the Philistines (see Ac 28:28)! Then, after that, the Jewish people accept him and crown him king, as we shall see in II Shmuel. At the end of I Shmuel, signalling that the people of Israel once again have no king and need Dovid their King to be their deliverer, a horrible picture comes into view: Saul and Jonathan and all Saulʼs sons are killed by the Philistines at Mt Gilboa. 1Sm 3:7; 1Sm 2:12-17 contain ominous warnings against those who are dabbling in religion and have not had the new creation experience of the new birth.
I Shmuel is an amazing character study of the tragedy of King Saul. A slow break-down in his character is carefully presented to us as a warning. We too could become like him, jealous, cracking under pressure, not obeying G-d with fearful care and attention to detail, taking our eyes off G-d, off His Word, laying down carnal and arbitrary policies, getting out of step with the Ruach Hakodesh, no longer lifting up the glory of G-d but instead building a monument to ourselves [see 1Sm 15:12]. If we are become spoiled, and focus on our own prerogatives rather than G-dʼs, He may lose patience with us and replace us, if we abuse our privileges. G-d doesn't want to be obeyed our way; He wants to be obeyed His way. See 1Sm 15 and what happens if we rebel against this teaching.
Saulʼs personal Meribah-Massah experience took place at Gilgal where his rebellion cost him his ministry [review 1Sm 13:8-14; Ex 17:1-7; Num 20:1-13; Ps 106:32; 95:8; Dt 33:8; MJ 3:8.] Here we see Saul repeating in his kingly person the experience of the children of Israel in the wilderness. Every generation has a Kadesh-Barnea opportunity to obey the L-rd and to follow Him and to gain new ground for the Kingdom of G-d, or else to hesitate; and, as the story of the wilderness illustrates, he who shrinks back, he who hesitates, is lost. Every generation is put to a test and a trial — either to march ahead in faith and take some ground for G-d, or to rebel and “grumble in your tents” and die with a faithless hardened heart in the wilderness. If even Moses, great though he was, fell short of the L-rdʼs holy expectations and was punitively replaced, how much more should we be careful not to rebel against G-dʼs Word. We see that Saul repeated the sins Israel committed when she entered the Promised Land: Saul committed the sin of Achan (compare Josh.chp 7 and 1Sm 15:13-23) and Saul almost caused the death of Jonathan (compare Jephthahʼs daughter — Judg 11:39 and 1Sm 14:28-30). A minister should stay small in his own eyes (1Sm 15:17), unless he wants to be replaced. There is always a young David waiting in the wings to replace an old proud Saul.
We see in Saul a man demonized and depressed and very much in need of, among other things, deliverance through music ministry. We see the importance of spiritual song in 1Sm 16:14-23. Davidʼs musical skill has left us a rich treasure to worship G-d, but it is also important to remember the demonic oppression of Saul and how it was abated by Davidʼs harp. Notice the importance of the ministry of music in 1Sm 18:10-12. 1Sm 16:17 indicates that the L-rdʼs musician must be an artist who can play well. The man of G-d is necessarily a refugee in a wicked and G-d-hating world, but in 1Sm G-d gives Dovid favor and guides his steps to safety. See chapter 19. In chapter 22 we see the wickedness of Saul, who has no respect for G-dʼs ministers. This is called anti-clericalism. Increasingly the world is filling up with Sauls and preparing for the Great Tribulation when the Brit Chadasha kehillah will be under a final massive anti-Moshiach assault of anticlericalism. See 1Sm 23:14. Notice that when Dovid seemingly lost everything at Ziklag, he “strengthened himself in the L-rd his G-d” (1Sm 30:6). However, by contrast, on the verge of losing everything, Saul turned to the occult. In this we also see the destructive results of involvement with psychics and fortune-tellers or any occult practice.
A concordance search of the word “Moshiach” in 1Sm reveals it as a concept lying just under the surface in the Bibleʼs discussion of the first king of Israel. There are also Messianic allusions in 1Sm that are cross-referenced by other parts of the Tanakh. Notice 1Sm 9:17 where you see the words HINEI HAISH (BEHOLD THE MAN). This phrase becomes a Messianic Prophecy in Zech 6:12, which says HINEI ISH and then adds the post-Exilic code word for Moshiach, TZEMACH (“BRANCH” [of Dovid]) SHMO ([is] his Name). The named person is the post-Exilic Kohen Gadol whose Messianic Personal Name is Yehoshua in Hebrew, Yeshua in Aramaic, and in Greek Yoh-tah, ee-tah, seegh-mah, oh-mee-krone, eeps-ee-long, final seegh-mah. The successor to Moses, also named Yehoshua, is a Symbol of King Moshiach. Yehoshua (Joshua, Yeshua, Neh 8:17) is called “the servant of the L-rd” in the book of Joshua (Josh 24:29). Like Caleb, Joshua is also a sign-man, an ominous mofet of the King Messiah, for Joshua is an agent of chesed (undeserved, unmerited mercy e.g. in the case of the prostitute Rahab) and of wrath and judgment or condemnation, in the holy war of G-d against the seven wicked nations in the Promised Land. The prophet Daniel, who also speaks of both the chesed of chayei olam (eternal life) as well as judgment and condemnation (Dan 12:2), gives us a glorious apocalyptic picture of this coming King, this Moshiach of the Clouds of Himel (Dan 7:13-14). Furthermore, Dt 18:15-19 foretells the prophet like Moses that G-d will raise up in the Promised Land, the Prophet-Moshiach. Yeshayah infers that the Moshiach will be a new Moses (Isa 42:15-16; 49:9-10) and a new Joshua (Isa 49:8). The immediate (not final) fulfillment of the Dt 18:15-19 prophecy is Yehoshua (Joshua/Yeshua). The Sages (Avot 1:1) tell us that Moses accepted the Torah from Sinai and transmitted it to Joshua/Yeshua. Not only that, Joshua/Yeshua is indeed a Moses-like prophet, because it was to Joshua and not to Moses that G-d gave the revelation of the boundaries of the tribal portions of Eretz Yisrael. Moses died in the wilderness because he angered G-d, but Joshua led the people victoriously to the promised new life in the Holy Land. Thus, Joshua (the Aramaic form of whose name is Yeshua — see Neh 8:17) is a prophetic sign of the King Moshiach, the ruler from among his brethren who, like Moses and Prince Joseph, the Savior in Egypt, would lead Israelʼs true faithful remnant all the way from the rebellious unbelief resulting in death in the wilderness to the eternal salvation and Messianic deliverance foreshadowed in the book of Joshua. Another Messianic allusion in 1Sm that is cross-referenced elsewhere in the Tanakh is 1Sm 10:1, where Shmuel anoints King Saul and submissively, showing honor, kisses him. Ps 2:11-12 warns that Moshiach must be approached in this way, “lest ye perish” or be “destroyed in your way.” Still another Messianic allusion in 1Sm is 9:20 where Shmuel says, And on whom is kol chemdat Yisroel (all the Desire of Yisroel)? Is it not on thee, i.e. on the Anointed King, the Moshiach? Now we go to Hag 2:7 where the post-Exilic prophet Chaggai, with great Messianic portent, prophesies that G-d is going to shake the heavens and the Chemdat kol Goyim (the Desired of all Nations, i.e. the Moshiach) will come. Moshiachʼs coming is referred to many times in the Tanakh. “Until Shiloh Come” is a phrase found in Gn 49:10. Moshe tells us there that the Deliverer will come through the Tribe of Yehudah or Judah. Judah is the tribe of Moshiach and is therefore the first to break camp (Num 2:3,9) and makes the first offering (Num 7:12) and sets out first in the march from Sinai (Num 10:14). See also Prov 8:23 where Hashemʼs Wisdom, His Word, is also “first” as well as Judg 20:18, where Moshiachʼs tribe is likewise called “first.” Gn 49:10 says, “The shevet (sceptre) shall not depart from Yehudah, nor a Mekhokek (Lawgiver) from between his raglayim (feet), until Shiloh [Shin, lamed, holam vav can mean ‘until he whose it is’] come; and unto him shall be the obedience of the amim (peoples, nations).” The inference of Gn 49:10 is that Judahʼs sovereignty (shepherdʼs staff) will remain with that tribe until the coming of Dovid and the Ben Dovid Moshiach. See Ezek 21:27 and its reference to Gn 49:10, “until he comes to whom it rightfully belongs.” Gn 49:10 says “the obedience of the peoples” is his, that is, the Moshiachʼs. Sanhedrin 98b says that is indeed a Messianic prophecy.
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1 Now there was a certain man of Ramatayim Tzophim, of the hill country of Ephrayim, and his name was Elkanah ben Yerocham ben Elihu ben Tochu ben Tzuph, from Ephrat; 2 And he had two wives; the name of the one was Channah, and the name of the other Peninnah; and Peninnah had children, but Channah had no children. 3 And this man went up out of his city yearly to worship and to sacrifice unto Hashem Tzva'os in Shiloh. And the two banim of Eli, Chophni and Pinchas, the kohanim of Hashem, were there. 4 And when the time was that Elkanah offered sacrifice, he gave to Peninnah his wife, and to all her banim and her banot, portions; 5 But unto Channah he gave a double portion; for he loved Channah; but Hashem had shut up her womb. 6 And her tzarah (adversary) also provoked her greatly, for to make her fret, because Hashem had shut up her womb. 7 And as he did so year by year, when she went up to the Bais Hashem, so she provoked her; therefore she wept, and did not eat. 8 Then said Elkanah her husband to her, Channah, why weepest thou? And why eatest thou not? And why is thy lev bitter? Am not I better to thee than asarah banim?
9 So Channah rose up after they had eaten in Shiloh, and after they had drunk. Now Eli HaKohen sat upon a chair by mezuzat Heikhal Hashem. 10 And she was in bitterness of nefesh, and davened unto Hashem, and wept greatly. 11 And she vowed a neder (vow), and said, O Hashem Tzva'os, if thou wilt indeed look on the misery of thine handmaid, and remember me, and not forget thine handmaid, but wilt give unto thine handmaid zera anashim, then I will give him unto Hashem kol yamei of his chayyah, and there shall no razor come upon his head.
12 And it came to pass, as she continued davening before Hashem, that Eli observed her mouth. 13 Now Channah, she davened in her lev; only her lips moved, but her voice was not heard; therefore Eli thought her to be shikkorah. 14 And Eli said unto her, How long wilt thou be drunk? Put away thy yayin from thee. 15 And Channah answered and said, No, adoni, I am an isha of a keshat ruach (oppressed spirit); I have drunk neither yayin nor strong drink, but have poured out my nefesh before Hashem. 16 Take not thine amah (handmaid, servant) for a bat Beliyaal; for out of the abundance of my anguish and ka'as (grief) have I davened hitherto. 17 Then Eli answered and said, Go in shalom; and Elohei Yisroel grant thee thy petition that thou hast asked of Him. 18 And she said, Let thine handmaid find chen (grace, favor) in thy sight. So the isha went her way, and did eat, and her countenance was no more sad.
19 And they rose up in the boker early, and worshiped before Hashem and returned, and came to their bais in Ramah; and Elkanah knew Channah his wife; and Hashem remembered her. 20 And it came to pass in due time, after Channah had conceived, that she bore a ben, and called his name Shmuel (Heard of G-d) saying, Because from Hashem I have asked for him.
21 And the man Elkanah, and all his bais, went up to offer unto Hashem the zevach hayamim (sacrifice of the days), and his neder (vow). 22 But Channah went not up; for she said unto her husband, I will not go up until the child be weaned, and then I will bring him, that he may appear before Hashem, and there abide forever. 23 And Elkanah her husband said unto her, Do what seemeth thee good; tarry until thou have weaned him; only Hashem make good (establish) His devar. So the isha stayed, and nursed her ben until she weaned him.
24 And when she had weaned him, she took him up with her, with three bulls, and one ephah of flour, and a skin of yayin, and brought him unto the Bais Hashem in Shiloh; and the child was young. 25 And they slaughtered a bull, and brought the child to Eli. 26 And she said, Oh adoni, as thy nefesh liveth, adoni, I am the isha that stood by thee here, davening unto Hashem. 27 For this child I davened; and Hashem hath given me my petition which I asked of Him; 28 Therefore also I make him one lent to Hashem; as long as he liveth he shall be lent to Hashem.
And he worshiped Hashem there.

- SHMUEL ALEF
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