Game of Thrones – The Last Untainted Judge

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Post Topic: The Last Untainted Judge – the end of an era

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Scripture: I Samuel 8:1-5

When Samuel became old, he made his sons judges over Israel. ²The name of his firstborn son was Joel, and the name of his second, Abijah; they were judges in Beersheba. ³Yet his sons did not walk in his ways but turned aside after gain. They took bribes and perverted justice.
I Samuel 8:1-2

Observations

Context – the Judges

Before Israel appointed it’s first king, it was governed by judges.
The judges served in different regions of the land at different times. The tribes were not unified as they were under King David and King Solomon.
God would periodically raise up a judge to help the people repent of their sins and to free the people from their oppressors.

Context – Samuel

Samuel came to prominence when the Benjamites were oppressed by the Philistines.
Samuel led a great revival, and a time of peace ensued when the Philistines were defeated.
I Samuel 7:12-14 describes how the Philistines were pushed back and there was peace under Samuel’s leadership.
Samuel judged Israel in different places in different years, rotating between three cities before returning to his home of Ramah.

Corruption Leads to Revolution

As we all do, Samuel got old. To help him judge the region, he appointed his two sons.
They did not follow their father’s righteous example.
They took bribes and perverted justice.
The people used this corruption against Samuel, using it as an excuse to demand a king.
- Not a violent revolt, but it would have turned ugly if he hadn’t agreed.

Interpretation

Setting

At the time Samuel was confronted by tribal leaders about corruption, he was stationed in Ramah, just to the north of modern-day Jerusalem. The Philistines would have been stationed to his west, from inland locations like Gath to the sea.

Beersheba, where Samuel’s sons were sent to judge, is much to the south. It may have even been considered the southern boundary of the tribes’ territories.

Genre

Narrative description.

Author

The author is unknown, but they had access to the records of the kings and possessed a thorough knowledge of the life and times of Samuel and the events surrounding the first kings of Israel.

Questions to ponder

Why did Samuel appoint his sons to judge all the way down in Beersheba? It was quite a distance from the cities where Samuel himself cycled through.
- Perhaps he’d caught wind of pre-existing corruption there, and hoped his sons could clean it up?
- Perhaps he was attempting to extend his own influence with his sons? If so, were his motivations pure?
Were the two sons already corrupt, and Samuel didn’t see it? Or were they corrupted by their newfound power?

Takeaways

The era of the judges had come to an end. The era of the kings were about to begin. And if you think Samuel’s sons were corrupt…
Power can corrupt.
We can be blinded by our love for our children.
- Samuel was a great judge. A righteous man. But he shouldn’t have appointed his sons.
- Disappointing sons of great leaders is a recurrent theme in Samuel and Kings.
- Just wait until we get to David’s son, Absalom…
The corruption of Samuel’s sons, and his own declining influence due to his age, were used by tribal leaders to demand a new regime.

Correlation

Deuteronomy 16:18-20 – The Mosaic laws instruct to appoint judges in all the Israelite towns. Samuel was following this directive. But the next verses instruct those judges not to pervert justice, specifically mentioning bribes. Samuel appointed the wrong judges.
Exodus 18:11 – Also speaks of appointing righteous men who won’t be bribed.

Application

Generic Applications

Even the most righteous of parents can have children who turn away from God.
Be faithful in who we appoint to leadership positions. Integrity is more important than experience and family.

Personalize it

How can I remain righteous when placed in positions of leadership?
Do you need to make a hire, a promotion, or an appointment? Ask God to guide your choice – it will reflect on you, as Samuel’s choice reflected on him.

Bible study methodology adapted from Searching the Scriptures with permission from Tyndale House:

Swindoll, Charles, Searching the Scriptures. Tyndale House Publishers, 2016.

Daniel P Warner