Samuel — Prophet and LeaderSample

A Difficult Job

Samuel was no longer Israel’s leader, since they now had a king. But he remained a prophet of the Lord for the rest of his life. As such, he should confront the king with his sinful behavior. Samuel should even tell him that God rejected Saul from being king. That was not an easy job; it could even be dangerous to confront such a powerful figure. But Samuel did what the Lord told him to do.

Besides being dangerous, it was also painful for Samuel to announce God’s judgment on Saul. Some verses later, we read that “Samuel grieved over Saul.” Samuel had anointed Saul as king, and in Saul’s early years he seemed so promising. Then Saul rejects the Lord and is therefore rejected from being king. That is a tough message, both for Samuel and for Saul.

Samuel spoke the truth, although he didn’t like it. Are you prepared to speak the truth, even when this truth is painful and unpopular?