52 Weeks at the Table – Week 15
The last of the judges was a boy named Samuel, a child in a family living among the descendants of Ephraim. Though his mother dressed him like a priest, he was not really a priest. He would grow up to crown a king or two, but not become one. He would be known as a seer, but serve God too early to be remembered as a prophet. For God’s people rejected his leadership as judge and begged for a king. God would tell him that they had really rejected Him as their King, so they could be like all the other nations – just like everyone else. They were to be a called-out people, but they wanted Samuel to call in this favor for them.
In the waning days of Israel’s true kings, a prophet named Isaiah would describe One later known as Prophet, Priest and King – One who would know rejection, yet nobly serve as a sacrificial Lamb; One who would suffer and die yet see the light of life and be satisfied; One who would bear the sins of many and intercede for them as a priest would intercede. And, having accomplished all, would finally serve as the last of the judges.
A Prayer Over the Bread
Father God, we so often want to be just like everyone else – even though we know you have called us out to be a people in the image of Your Son. We reject Your leadership and want to be in control of our own lives – though we have seen the disaster it can lead to. We think we know what the future holds, but we can’t even see the next moment. We want to judge others, but rarely ourselves. We need this bread of Your Word to give us Your leadership and vision and discernment and judgment. Feed us always with this Bread of Life. Amen.
A Prayer Over the Cup
Wondrous and Mighty Lord, we remember the sacrificed blood of the Lamb of God as we share this cup. We recognize the Sovereign King, the Prophet of Eternity, the High Priest of Heaven interceding for us through His own sacrifice. As our lives approach the day when You both will judge us all, we thirst for the perfection that it offers; the light of life that satisfies You and compels our adoration. We gladly yield it through Jesus: Amen.
Blog In My Own Eye 
Actually, Samuel was probably a Levite from the region of Ephraim.<>Here’s a note from the NIV Study Bible: Although Elkanah is here called an Ephraimite, he was probably a Levite whose family belonged to the Kohathite clans that had been allotted towns in Ephraim (see Jos 21:20-21; 1Ch 6:22-26).<>Love the post! Great thoughts for this weekend when so many minds turn to the Lord.Grace and peace,Tim Archer
Tim, you’re right to point out that I made an assumption and I’ve changed my wording from “of the tribe of Ephraim” to “of a family living among the descendants of Ephraim.” Truth is, we don’t know.In one way or another, though, he was a child of mixed and uncertain identity – like Jesus of Nazareth (originally of Bethlehem).
That’s a good point. There is a Catholic priest named Elizondo that has written a lot comparing Jesus to the <>mestizos<>, the Mexicans, a mixed race between Europeans and Indians. His main book is called <>Galilean Journey<>.