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29. Eli and Samuel.
Eli the priest judged
in Israel for forty years after the heroes of war. He lived in Shiloh,
where the tabernacle stood at that time. Every year on the high feast
days, the Israelites would gather before the tabernacle to worship God
there and rejoice before their God. But how can a troubled heart be
joyful?
A contested woman got up from the meal and prayed in her heart to please
God with a son. If God granted her request, she would give him back to
God to serve in the tabernacle all his life. Eli watched her for a long
time as she moved her lips and wept, and because it was after the meal,
he thought she was drunk. Finally the hard man whom God had called to
bless and comfort said to her: ‘How long will you be drunk? Give up the
wine you have drunk!’ That was not a priestly word. The woman said, ‘Oh
no, my lord, I am not drunk, but I have spoken in my great sorrow until
now and poured out my heart to God.’ Eli said: ‘Go in peace! God will
fulfil your request,’ and that was spoken in a priestly manner. God also
granted her request and gave her a son, whom she named Samuel.
After years and days, when the feast was a year old, the same woman came
to Eli again with a new son in her hand, and Eli no longer knew her. The
woman said, ‘Believe me, my lord, I am the woman who stood here with you
when I asked for this boy. God has heard my request,’ she said, looking
at her child with motherly pleasure. ‘That is why I am giving him back
to the Lord for the rest of his life, because he was asked for by the
Lord.’ So she left her son in the protection of God and in the care of
the priests, so that he learnt the divine service and studied
spiritually, as it were. But every year when she returned and brought
her child a new skirt as a greeting, Samuel was again taller and
stronger, and what is more, she heard that he was also becoming more and
more God-fearing and skilful and was popular with all people; that is
the greatest joy in the world with which God can reward a pious mother's
love. Indeed, it was not long before God gave him revelations in his
heart and spoke to his heart so that he became a prophet, so that he
could speak the will of God to the people.
Samuel had to endure a great test of piety. For the priest's own sons,
Hophni and Phinehas, who should have been an example to the young Samuel
with all their priestly virtues, were two frivolous and unworthy men who
abused their priestly reputation for the grossest misdeeds and made the
people lukewarm in their worship. But Samuel did not allow himself to be
seduced into recklessness by their example. A good mind only wants to
become firmer in goodness when it has to see the abomination of vice.
Samuel became more and more steadfast in goodness. But why did the
priest allow his sons to commit such misdeeds? - Why do many careless
and weak parents still allow their children to go wild? Eli warned his
sons: ‘Why do you do this? This is not a good cry that I hear from you.’
- But that was the end of it. Such a generation cannot remain in office
and dignity for long: it must end in one way or another, by men or by
God.
When Eli was old and advanced in years, the Philistines went to war
against Israel. When Israel had lost the first battle, they attacked the
enemy a second time and took the ark of the covenant with them into the
camp so that God would grant them victory all the more surely. The two
young priests carried the ark of the covenant. But the battle was even
sadder than the first. Eli sat at home by the city gate waiting for word.
A messenger came from the meeting with torn clothes and ashes on his
head. Eli asked: ‘How are things going?’ The messenger replied: ‘How is
it going? Israel has fled from the enemy. Your two sons are dead. In
addition, the ark of God has been taken.’ Such was the evil tidings. Eli
fell backwards from the chair in terror and never got up. Thus ended his
priesthood. After his death, Samuel became judge in Israel. But the
Philistines voluntarily sent back the ark of the covenant after seven
months. They had no luck with it.
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