Samuel’s mother, Hannah, was one of the two wives of a virtuous man named Elknah. Elknah’s other wife looked down on Hannah because Hannah had not yet bore any children. In those days it was believed that if you did not have kids you were not favored by God. Hannah did not let her barrenness, turn her against God. One day when Hannah was on her annual pilgrimage to the central sanctuary, she decided to stop and pray. The high priest Eli saw her praying and thought she was drunk. He asked her why she would come to the holiest place in the land in that condition. This showed that Eli was not a very good priest, because he could not distinguish between a drunken person and a praying person.
Eli revealed to her that she would get the blessing in which she was seeking. Not long after this she became pregnant, and Samuel was born. She kept Samuel until he could be weaned and then she took him to the temple to help the high priests. Samuel was distinguished as a prophet early. Samuel became a very important connection between God and his chosen people. Samuel rescued the Israelites from the Philistines after the Ark of the Covenant had been stolen. They returned the Ark of the Covenant, but they had become Israel’s most dangerous Enemy. After this encounter Israel demanded a king. This upset Samuel and he went and spoke with God and God told him, “Give them what they want they are not rejecting you but me.”
God sent the people of Israel a king named Saul. One day when Saul was searching for some lost donkeys, he came to Samuel to ask for his help. Samuel gave a banquet in Saul’s honor and afterward he was anointed king.
Saul lost his favor from God when he broke the rules of holy war. Samuel was late to arrive to the meeting place before the war and Saul lit the sacrifice, which concluded that he falsely performed the duties of a priest. Samuel told Saul that God had rejected him and found someone else for king. Saul decreed that his men should fast before war....