The Rise of Samuel

00:00:00 Speaker 1: Previously on the chosen people. 00:00:03 Speaker 2: If you will give your servant a son, you know I will give him to you all the days. 00:00:09 Speaker 1: Of his life. Hannah conceived as the child grew in her womb, her faith grew in her heart. 00:00:17 Speaker 3: I shall call him Samuel, for I have asked for him from the Lord. 00:00:24 Speaker 1: Samuel counted himself blessed beyond measure to be able to serve the Lord in the tabernacle. 00:00:32 Speaker 2: Samuel, long has the voice of our Lord been silent. But I have a feeling that things will soon change. I believe the voice speaking to you is from the Lord himself. 00:00:47 Speaker 1: Samuel, Samuel, speak, Lord, for your servant is listening. 00:00:54 Speaker 3: Behold, I am about to do something in Israel, something extraordinary that will cause all the ears of everyone to stir. 00:01:05 Speaker 1: As days turned into weeks and weeks turned into months, Samuel grew in wisdom and stature. The Lord was undoubtedly with him, and none of his words fell to the ground. All of Israel, from Dan to Beersheba, recognized that Samuel had been established as a prophet of the Lord. 00:01:33 Speaker 4: Between the cries of yesterday's failures and the promises of tomorrow's hope, stands one who listens. Shello, my friends from here in the holy land of Israel i'm l Extein with international fellowship of Christians and Jews, and welcome to the Chosen People. What happens when a nation loses its way again, When its soul is riddled with fear, is heart hardened by failure, and its hope drowned in silence? Can the Chosen People find their way? Today? We step into a moment where destiny hangs in the balance. A leader will rise not with the force of enemies, but with the force of conviction, and our people will turn not to their own strength, but to God. 00:02:24 Speaker 1: The sun beat down sharp rays of light, casting long shadows that bounced across the hillsides nestled between the rolling landscape. The valley overflowed with the sounds of chattering crowds, men, women, and children from every corner of Israel traveled the dusty paths that had seen the feet of many generations of Israelites. Children sang songs as they ran between their parents, like little lambs in the flock. Young and old alike were following the path to Mispah. Each one came in response to Samuel's call Amid the sea of people. A man by the name of Ahya led a donkey hitched to a rickety cart. His thin frame feebly took step after step as his bones creaked as much as the cart. He gazed up at his wife, who sat upon the animal, and smiled with his whole face. Behind her, he could hear his little ones giggling in the cart as their small feet dangled off the back. The scent of freshly harvested grain clung to the air, and the man's stomach rumbled with hunger. Should it be far from here, Liba, I can see the people are starting to gather ahead. 00:03:44 Speaker 3: Children were almost there. 00:03:46 Speaker 1: His finger shot forward like a rail. His little ones popped their heads up from the back and jumped with glee up ahead. The crowds had ceased from their walking and were now pressing in around al large stone that jutted from the earth. His wife, Liba, slid from the donkey's back. 00:04:07 Speaker 4: My husband, you have done plenty. Please let me lead the cart the rest of the. 00:04:11 Speaker 1: Way, Ayah, heaved as he handed her the reins. Two seasons ago, he had lost feeling in his left leg after an accident in the fields. He rarely sought help from others for mundane tasks, and never looked for pity. But he knew that wasn't what his wife gave. Every offer to help was an act of love. The small family rounded to the back of the gathering. Aya lifted his young daughter difficulty into his arms. As his son pressed against his hip. He knelt as best he could do You see that, men, his children nodded. 00:04:48 Speaker 2: That is the one they called Sammy, the most faithful man in all of Israel. The Lord speaks to him, and he shares his word with us. 00:04:57 Speaker 1: As though summoned by Aya's words, Samuel stepped to the edge of the outcropping of rock. He planted his staff firmly beside him, and the rumbling crowd dulled to a hush. Samuel's strapping figure was resolute, and his presence was commanding, yet humble. Around his shoulders was tied a weathered cloak, tattered from years of traveling throughout Israel to serve the people of God. It had been many years since his apprenticeship with Eli. The lines on his face told the story of a life devoted to God, a man whose strength was rooted not in force, but in faith. Samuel raised his arms, and the last whispers of the crowd disappeared. The judge's voice rang out with the strength and clarity of a man who had done this many times before. 00:05:52 Speaker 3: Here, oh is fregay. 00:05:54 Speaker 5: If you are returning to the Lord with all your heart and put away the foreign God, send astroath from among you. Dedicate yourselves to the Lord and serve him only, and he will deliver you from the hand of the Philistines. 00:06:12 Speaker 1: His voice teemed with conviction, and though he was not adorned with the trappings of kings, his every movement spoke of divine authority. He had become a shepherd of a nation, guiding them through their waywardness and back toward the God who loved them. For twenty years, Israel lamented after the Lord, burdened by the weight of their sin and their oppression under the Philistines. Yet in the midst of their sorrow, God raised Samuel, a man of unwavering faith, to lead them. 00:06:49 Speaker 5: You have heard the call to gather here at Mispah, and have listened that I might pray to the Lord for you. 00:06:57 Speaker 1: Aye, said his daughter on the carpvass him, and with a withered hand grasped leebs, he led her to the back of the cart, where they removed various idols of wood and stone. Others in the crowd proceeded to do the same in one beautifully chaotic mess. Sounds of splintering wood and shattering stone rang through the valley as idols were cast to the ground and trampled under foot. Ah Ya pulled his family tightly into a circle and wrapped his arms around them. He whispered a prayer of repentance for the more, believing that the Lord was gladly receiving each one. Water had been drawn from nearby wells and was being passed to the people. Each one filled their vessels from the wooden buckets before handing them to other nearby pilgrims. Samuel raised a vessel above his head and began to pour it on a rock. It trickled down in a stream through the cracks. The people followed his model and began to upturn their vessels as a symbol of their repentance. The parched ground drank up the water without delay. A soft murmur rose as the Israelites collectively confessed their sins before the Lord. Tears from weathered faces mixed into the muddy ground. As all the people bore sinful hearts before the God of mercy. Samuel lifted a prayer that fell on every ear, bringing a new found hope to God's chosen people. In the midst of their worship, the ground beneath them trembled faintly. Those at the outskirts of the gathering were the first to learn of the source. As scouts ran down the vast plain. The voice of the nearest could be faintly heard, growing louder as he shouted breathlessly. 00:08:54 Speaker 2: The Philistine army is approaching him, heard, we've gathered together. 00:09:02 Speaker 1: Panic struck like a stone and rippled through the well of people. Mothers clutched their children close as men scrambled to arm themselves with knives and short swords, broad for protection on the journey. Ah Yeah, hobbled to the back of the cart and began to rummage. Liba followed, you cannot fight. 00:09:22 Speaker 3: You haven't the strength within you. 00:09:25 Speaker 1: Her voice broke at the thought of what might be lost in battle. But before Aya could answer, Samuel called out from his precipice, Calm, but firm, do not fear. 00:09:37 Speaker 5: Lord has not brought us here to abandon us and leave us to ruin. 00:09:41 Speaker 3: Would he bring us here in great. 00:09:43 Speaker 5: Numbers to worship him, only to have them taken away by the very enemies he brought vengeance on twenty years ago. 00:09:50 Speaker 1: Samuel's words quelled the people's fear. For a moment. They turned away from the preceding enemy and gaze toward the rock. Their eyes were fixed Samuel. He made them want to hope, even when it seemed lost. He made them want to believe, even when their faith was dwindling. 00:10:09 Speaker 5: Not cease to criar to the Lord, our God for us, that he may save us from the hand of the Philistines once more. 00:10:17 Speaker 1: The frantic crowds steadied their movements, swaying slightly in anticipation. To Samuel's left stood a makeshift altar. He called for a servant to bring him a lamb as he made his way across the stone. A young man led a bleating lamb to Samuel and handed him the thin rope laced around its neck. The army's march grew heavier as they drew nearer. Samuel removed a small blade from its sheath and slid the lamb's throat. Blood poured across the face of the rock. Another servant had prepared a roaring fire next to the altar. Samuel began to prepare the burnt offering as he lifted his eyes to the heavens. 00:10:59 Speaker 5: All long, God of Israel, here are Christ. 00:11:04 Speaker 3: Deliver your people from their hives. They may see and know that's you. It's true and living God. 00:11:13 Speaker 1: Smoke spiraled into the air. After Samuel's prayers. Dark clouds blotted out the sun as they sailed above the people. The slow roll of thunder reverberated through the skies. It grew louder and more menacing with each passing moment. The men of Israel had ordered themselves to the edge of the group. To Leeba's dismay Ayah joined with them. They raised their weapons high tips, pointed to the heavens. Lightning burst from the black abyss above and cracked to the ground in front of the Philistine army. Bolts continued to rain from above, shattering trees and scorching the earth. The Philistine army faltered ranks, breaking as terror over to them. By now, Samuel had made his way off the stone and stood in front of the Israelite men. 00:12:06 Speaker 5: Today you shall taste and know that the Lord is good. Today, you do not fight for victory, but from. 00:12:17 Speaker 1: It, for the Lord, our God. 00:12:19 Speaker 5: Has already delivered the enemy in to our hands. 00:12:25 Speaker 1: The armed men cheered along with the clapping thunder. At Samuel's command, the Israelites charged forward, seizing the opportunity. Their hearts were emboldened by the sight of the Philistine stupor. Their legs carried them swiftly down the hillside and across the field. They struck the Philistine army in their confusion with a lying force. Before glades could meet flesh, the Philistine army had begun their retreat. Israel pursued them relentlessly as the once mighty men fled in disarray and chaos. The Israelites didn't cease from advancing until the Philistine army was driven back as far as beth Car. With the battle over before it had begun, Samuel gathered the men around him. Those who had gone into battle with ferocity now rallied with faces lit with gratitude and awe for what God had done. Samuel pressed through them and took his place on a hilltop before the Israelite men. Samuel pressed his shoulder into a large stone and began to roll it to the top. Several of the men came to his aid with grunts. They set the stone upright overlooking the surrounding valley. Samuel caught his breath and stretched out his hand towards the stone. 00:13:50 Speaker 5: Each of you has proven great faith before the Lord. To day leasure, it be known to you that it was Ah, gracious and powerful God, triumph the enemy on your behalf. Let it be when you look at this stone, you are reminded of his faithfulness. This stone shall be called Ebony's. For thus far Lord has helped us. 00:14:15 Speaker 1: The men raised shouts of praise to the Lord, lifting their voices like a schafar for their king. For the first time in years, the people began to feel the weight of oppression lifting. They now looked to Samuel, who stood tall among them, his eyes filled with a quiet joy. The men had returned from battle. Liba desperately spied through the crowd for her husband. As her worries began to set in, she spied Ayah making his way back with the others. But to Liba's surprise, his strength had not left him. In fact, the fervor in his step made it seem as though his strength had been renewed. She wrapped her arms around him and sobbed tears of thanksgiving. At his return, the innocent family packed their belongings and began the journey back home. As they passed the stone called ebenezer Ahyah taught his family of God's faithfulness to help his people even in the darkest of places. He wiped a tear from his eye and lifted a prayer up to the Lord. Many of the men shared the same testimony with their loved ones as they traveled past the Stone of help. Generations would look upon the monument and recall God's sovereignty over all the nations. Years passed, and Samuel's leadership became a cornerstone of Israel's revival. He was a man of the people, traveling from town to town to settle disputes and teach God's law. His journey took him to Bethel, Gilgal, Mizpah, and back to Ramah, where his home became a place of worship and guidance. In one of his travels, Samuel entered the bustling marketplace of Gilgal. Farmers and merchants paused their work to greet him, their faces lighting up at the sight of the faithful judge. He stopped to listen to their concerns, mediating conflicts with wisdom that brought peace to feuding neighbours. 00:16:30 Speaker 3: The Lord has given us his law, not to burden us, but to guide us into righteousness. When we all been find peace and string that kill us, let us walk in his ways together. 00:16:43 Speaker 1: His words resonated with the people, not because they were lofty or complex, but because they were spoken with conviction and lived out in his own life. Samuel's humility and faithfulness made him a leader unlike any other, modeling a life of holiness in submission to God. One evening in Rama, Samuel stood by the altar he had built near his home. The sun dipped low, casting a golden glow over the hills. A group of men of various ages approached, their faces a mixture of curiosity and reverence. One of the men looked familiar to Samuel. 00:17:26 Speaker 3: You are Arria. You are with us to the battle against the Philistines. 00:17:30 Speaker 1: Ah Yeah, blushed and tipped the crown of his head towards the kind judge. 00:17:35 Speaker 2: I am honored to be recognized. 00:17:38 Speaker 3: If we may Samuel, we have. 00:17:40 Speaker 2: Come with a question. 00:17:42 Speaker 1: Samuel nodded. 00:17:43 Speaker 2: How can we serve the Lord as you do? How can we be faithful in times of trouble? 00:17:49 Speaker 1: Samuel shifted his staff from his left hand to his right. He smiled at their boldness, the beauty of their inquiry, and the faith they showed in coming to us. 00:18:00 Speaker 5: It all begins with the heart and the mind and the soul seeking. The Lord requires that you will give him ows that you are, and. 00:18:11 Speaker 3: Not be swayed by fear or pride. Serve him with humility. You will find strength. 00:18:17 Speaker 2: Beyond your own. 00:18:19 Speaker 1: He placed a hand on eye, his shoulder, his voice softening, And never forget. 00:18:25 Speaker 5: The Lord calls him, a still small voice, answer him. 00:18:30 Speaker 3: Trust in him. He will guide your steps. 00:18:34 Speaker 1: The men nodded, their hearts stirred by his words. Samuel's presence was more than commanding. It was inspiring, a reflection of God's faithfulness and love. 00:18:55 Speaker 4: You know, Samuel reminds me a bit of the legacy Star Wars hero Obi wan Kenobi. Think about it, He's a figure raised in a sacred order, set apart from his family and shape by devotion to something bigger than himself. Like Obi, Wan. Samuel watched those around him given to corruption. He stood at the edge of the same darkness, witnessing their failures. It would have been easy for Samuel to give up, to walk away, to say why bother, But he didn't. Samuel pressed on, carrying the weight of his calling with a steady, unshakable resolve. He became the kind of leader who doesn't just speak for God, but stands firm when everyone else falters. There was Samuel Alane, steady and holding onto the light. And here we see Samuel step fully into his role. And it's in this chapter where we find one of the main reasons why Samuel played such an important role for the Chosen People. Samuel toured the entire holy life and preaching. He told Israel that God would protect them from the Philistines only if they were deserving. As he preached, Samuel's charisma and sincerity went over the people and brought them close to God once again. And in this story, he called the entire nation together at Mitzpah as verse seven tells us, gather all of Israel together, and I will pray to God for you well. Jewish tradition teaches that righteous leaders like Samuel are responsible to admonish and influence the people that they lead so that they'll be deserving of God's blessing, and they're also responsible to pray for their people. Isn't this an important message for our leaders today. Good leaders aren't selfish. Their first priority is the welfare of the people that they lead, not just the physical and economic welfare of the people, but their spiritual welfare too. Seeing how Samuel led his people, I think of my Abba, my father, Rabbi Riil Eckstein of Blessed Memory, the founder of the Fellowship that I now lead. Not only was my Abba dedicated to helping millions of people in need, as the Fellowship today continues to do. We continue to feed the hungry, clothe the naked, build bomb shelters in Israel to protect the Chosen people from the evil enemies who want to destroy God's nation. But he also cared about each and every person he helped. I saw how he went and delivered food and connected to the individual emotionally and spiritually. Those people weren't just a number. He would actually give them food and ask them about their lives and pray for them. He really cared. When I read about Samuel and the Bible, and about his leadership of the Chosen People. I can't help but think about my Abba. I'm inspired by both of these leaders to learn from them, to follow in their footsteps, and to do the best I can to help others, to see them, to pray for them, to help them in any way I can. This story isn't just about a nation's deliverance. It's about their relationship with God and our relationship with God. And really it's about prayer. When the people cried out to Samuel, do not stop crying out to the Lord, they said, it's a reminder that our lives can also be a never ending stream of communication with God. We can constantly be in prayers. While there are mentions of spontaneous prayer in the Bible, most ancient warships centered around sacrifices. When the Temple was destroyed, the Rabbis devised a new way to maintain our relationship with God. They actually substituted the three daily sacrificial offerings with three daily prayer services. And then there are many more prayers and blessings that we say throughout the day. Did you know that observant Jews utter more than one hundred prayers every day. We speak to God all day long, no matter what we're doing. There are three daily prayer services, of course, but we also say blessings before and after eating. We say a blessing after we go to the bathroom. There's a blessing for when we hear thunder, for when we see a particularly beautiful or unique looking person. There's a blessing that we say upon hearing good news, and there's a blessing say upon hearing bad news. And there's even a blessing that we say when we put on a new article of clothing. For any of us, it can be easy to forget that prayer gives us the power to transform every moment of our lives into a holy experience. But the example that Samuel gives us is a reminder, never stop crying out to the Lord, never stop praying to the God who is blessed us all the chosen people. 00:24:05 Speaker 1: You can listen to the Chosen People with Yile Eckstein Ad free by downloading and subscribing to the prey dot com app today. This preydog comproduction is only made possible by our dedicated team of creative talents, Steve Katina max Bard, Zach Schllabager and Ben Gammon are the executive producers of The Chosen People with Yile Eckstein. Edited by Alberto Avilla, narrated by Paul Coltofianu. Characters are voiced by Jonathan Cotton, Aaron Salvado, Sarah Seltz, Mike Reagan, Stephen Ringwold, Sylvia Zaradoc, Thomas Copeland Junior, Rosanna Pilcher, and the opening prayer is voiced by John Moore. Music by Andrew Morgan Smith, written by Aaron Salvato, bre Rosalie and Chris Baig. Special thanks to Bishop Paul Lanier, Robin van Ettin, kayleb Burrows, Jocelyn Fuller, and the team at inter National Fellowship of Christians and Jews. You can hear more Prey dot com productions on the Prey dot Com app, available on the Apple App Store and Google Play Store. If you enjoyed The Chosen People with Yile Eckstein, please rate and leave a review.