Elements of a Priestly Father

Though not of the priestly line, Samuel grew up serving in the Tabernacle of the Congregation where offerings were made unto YHWH by the Hebrew priests. Samuel foreshadowed the priestly line (Revelation 1:5-6) that would supercede the line of Aaron, to which every true disciple belongs regardless of gender (Galatians 3:28).

A summation of his fatherly priestly qualities and sorrows is found in 1 Samuel 7:2-10:1.

Able to Teach (7:3-4)

A priestly father will point (Deuteronomy 6:7, Ephesians 6:4) his children, whether they be physical or spiritual (3 John 4) offspring, to God through Christ (John 14:6). In this passage Samuel teaches that worship of Ashtoreth and other idols was to be rejected. Applying this to our time, we must not even yield in the slightest to the temptations, manners and philosophies of this world, but be devoted to God with all of our heart and “serve Him only.” A godly father will not only teach this, but strive to personally live such a life, privately and publicly.

Willing to Cleanse (5 to 6)

Here we see Samuel gathered all Israel at  Mizpeh. There he prayed for them and water was poured before the Lord. Mizpeh means “watchtower” and the water can represent the written Word of God made alive by His Holy Spirit. We are to watch out for the spiritual well being of our children (physical or spiritual), pray for them, and wash them, and ourselves (Titus 3:5), with the water of the Word of God (Ephesians 5:25-30). Such washing is needed daily as we “rub shoulders” with the world.

Interceding (9-10)

Satan, represented here by aggressive Philistines, is always on the attack in various ways. We need to call and act upon the finished work of Christ to withstand him (Revelation 12:11). Spirit led, Bible based earnest prayer is needed, especially as we approach the next age.

Leadership (15-16)

Samuel never deviated from God’s call upon his life. We see here he stayed busy for the Lord, putting Him first, and meeting the spiritual needs of others.

Faithfulness (17)

Neither did Samuel deviate from his love for God. Ramah means “hill,” and immediately I must think of that great hymn of the Church, “The Old Rugged Cross,” which begins, “On a hill far away…” While we are busy ministering for the Lord, we must remember to take time to minister to the Lord (Acts 13:12). From thence we get our strength, authority and power (Isaiah 40:31).

Sadness (8:1-3)

Often in powerful ministries there are some negatives. Oh the pain Samuel must have felt when he saw that his sons “walked not in his ways, but turned aside after lucre, and took bribes, and perverted judgment.” A priestly father will have deep concern when his offspring do not follow Christ.

Loneliness (8:4-5)

Seems at this point in his life that despite his great service to God and for Israel, the only friend Samuel had was the Lord. Christ warned this could happened to us (Matthew 10:21-22 cp. Micah 7:5-7). However, we can use this negative as positive by drawing even closer to the Lord and remembering that we are really not alone ().

Meekness (8:6-10:1)

Public domain image of Charles Foster from the author’s collection and edited by author.

In a message I have defined the virtue of godly meekness as being resigned to the will of God despite the circumstances we face. Neither God or Samuel wanted Israel to have a human king, but God instructed Samuel to anoint Saul as King of Israel. In meekness, Samuel obeyed.

God should be our King through Christ. God is King, especially of the redeemed. He is really King of the universe, but let us remember that He is King and not a tyrant. He made man* with a limited will, giving us the ability to choose.

May we daily choose Him, as Samuel did. If you have not made Christ your King, surrendering all to Him, please yield to Him now, especially in the times we are in.

Notes

* Used in the traditional sense, like “mankind,” meaning all humans.

Earn money with me on Triond.

This article will be bluequartz004 of my Bible GemLight series.