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1 Samuel 8

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1 Und es geschah, als Samuel alt geworden war, da setzte er seine Söhne als Richter ein über Israel.

2 Und der Name seines erstgeborenen Sohnes war Joel, und der Name seines zweiten Abija; sie richteten zu Beerseba.

3 Aber seine Söhne wandelten nicht in seinen Wegen; und sie neigten sich dem Gewinne nach und nahmen Geschenke und beugten das Recht.

4 Da versammelten sich alle Ältesten von Israel und kamen zu Samuel nach Rama;

5 und sie sprachen zu ihm: Siehe, du bist alt geworden, und deine Söhne wandeln nicht in deinen Wegen. Nun setze einen König über uns ein, daß er uns richte, gleich allen Nationen.

6 Und das Wort war übel in den Augen Samuels, als sie sprachen: Gib uns einen König, daß er uns richte! Und Samuel betete zu Jehova.

7 Und Jehova sprach zu Samuel: Höre auf die Stimme des Volkes in allem, was sie dir sagen; denn nicht dich haben sie verworfen, sondern mich haben sie verworfen, daß ich nicht König über sie sein soll.

8 Nach allen den Taten, die sie getan von dem Tage an, da ich sie aus Ägypten heraufgeführt habe, bis auf diesen Tag, indem sie mich verlassen und anderen Göttern gedient haben, also tun sie auch dir.

9 Und nun höre auf ihre Stimme; nur zeuge ernstlich wider sie und tue ihnen die Weise des Königs kund, der über sie herrschen wird.

10 Und Samuel sprach alle Worte Jehovas zu dem Volke, das einen König von ihm begehrte.

11 Und er sprach: Dies wird die Weise des Königs sein, der über euch regieren wird: Eure Söhne wird er nehmen und für sich bestellen auf seinen Wagen und unter seine Reiter, und daß sie vor seinem Wagen herlaufen;

12 und er wird sie nehmen, um sich Oberste über tausend und Oberste über fünfzig zu machen, und daß sie seine Äcker pflügen und seine Ernte einbringen, und daß sie sein Kriegsgerät und sein Wagengerät machen.

13 Und eure Töchter wird er nehmen zu Salbenmischerinnen und zu Köchinnen und zu Bäckerinnen.

14 Und eure Felder und eure Weinberge und eure Olivengärten, die besten, wird er nehmen und sie seinen Knechten geben.

15 Und von euren Saaten und euren Weinbergen wird er den Zehnten nehmen und ihn seinen Kämmerern und seinen Knechten geben.

16 Und eure Knechte und eure Mägde und eure schönsten Jünglinge und eure Esel wird er nehmen und sie zu seinen Geschäften verwenden.

17 Euer Kleinvieh wird er zehnten, und ihr, ihr werdet ihm zu Knechten sein.

18 Und ihr werdet an jenem Tage schreien wegen eures Königs, den ihr euch erwählt habt; aber Jehova wird euch an jenem Tage nicht erhören.

19 Aber das Volk weigerte sich, auf die Stimme Samuels zu hören; und sie sprachen: Nein, sondern ein König soll über uns sein,

20 damit auch wir seien wie alle Nationen, und daß unser König uns richte und vor uns her ausziehe und unsere Kriege führe.

21 Und Samuel hörte alle die Reden des Volkes und redete sie vor den Ohren Jehovas.

22 Und Jehova sprach zu Samuel: Höre auf ihre Stimme und setze einen König über sie ein. Da sprach Samuel zu den Männern von Israel: Gehet hin, ein jeder in seine Stadt.

   

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Exploring the Meaning of 1 Samuel 8

Napsal(a) Garry Walsh

This chapter marks a historic turning point for the Children of Israel. Since their escape from Egypt some four hundred years earlier, the Lord Jehovah, through Moses, and Joshua, and then a series of judges, had directly ruled the people. Now, though, the people pleaded that they might instead have a king like other nations. In a sense, they wanted to be led by human nature, not by God's law and the prophets.

Samuel had grown old, and his sons, Joel and Abiah, had become judges over Israel. However, they took bribes and this influenced their judgments. This is like the corruption of the High Priest Eli’s sons, described in 1 Samuel 2, and also similar to the misbehavior of two of Aaron's sons, Nadab and Abihu, in Leviticus 10. The corruption of Samuel’s sons, as judges over Israel, was what spurred the Israelites to ask for a king.

Samuel prayed to the Lord, asking what he should do about the people’s demand for a king. The Lord assured him that the request came not because he, Samuel, had been rejected. Instead, it was the Lord Himself whom the people of Israel had rejected. The Lord sent a warning through Samuel to the people about what a king would be like. Samuel told them of the personal and financial cost that would come with having a king. The king would use a substantial portion of the land’s resources, and take the best for himself. Having a king would also mean that they were rejecting the Lord’s direct leadership, so they would be unable to call on His help in the way that they had in the past. The people heard the warning, but still did not change their minds.

There are two ways the Lord judges us. One way is through love or goodness. The other is through truth. In other words, our lives can be judged according to the type of love that exists in our hearts and that we show to others. We will make mistakes, but it is our intent that matters most. Judgment according to truth, by comparison, is somewhat cold. We either obey the law or we don’t. The two, love and truth, should exist together. Intentions should be considered together with what we actually do. From this time in Israelite history, the role of priest, representing judgment from goodness or love, was separated from the role of king, representing judgment by truth. They denied themselves the opportunity to be ruled by love and left themselves to be ruled by the cold letter of the law. (See Arcana Coelestia 6148 [3, 5, 6].)

Swedenborg also discusses this concept as follows:

"In the Word a careful distinction is made between people and nation, 'people' meaning truths, 'nation' goods, as shown already in 1259, 1260. Kings have reference to peoples, and not so much to nations. The children of Israel, before they sought to have kings, were 'a nation' and represented good, or that which is celestial; but after they desired a king and received one, they became 'a people' and represented not good or that which is celestial, but truth or that which is spiritual...." (Arcana Coelestia 1672)

This further supports the idea that they began to separate judgement by truth and judgement by love, choosing only truth, or the law, as represented by a king.

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1 Samuel 2

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1 And Hannah prayed, and said, My heart rejoiceth in the LORD, mine horn is exalted in the LORD: my mouth is enlarged over mine enemies; because I rejoice in thy salvation.

2 There is none holy as the LORD: for there is none beside thee: neither is there any rock like our God.

3 Talk no more so exceeding proudly; let not arrogancy come out of your mouth: for the LORD is a God of knowledge, and by him actions are weighed.

4 The bows of the mighty men are broken, and they that stumbled are girded with strength.

5 They that were full have hired out themselves for bread; and they that were hungry ceased: so that the barren hath born seven; and she that hath many children is waxed feeble.

6 The LORD killeth, and maketh alive: he bringeth down to the grave, and bringeth up.

7 The LORD maketh poor, and maketh rich: he bringeth low, and lifteth up.

8 He raiseth up the poor out of the dust, and lifteth up the beggar from the dunghill, to set them among princes, and to make them inherit the throne of glory: for the pillars of the earth are the LORD's, and he hath set the world upon them.

9 He will keep the feet of his saints, and the wicked shall be silent in darkness; for by strength shall no man prevail.

10 The adversaries of the LORD shall be broken to pieces; out of heaven shall he thunder upon them: the LORD shall judge the ends of the earth; and he shall give strength unto his king, and exalt the horn of his anointed.

11 And Elkanah went to Ramah to his house. And the child did minister unto the LORD before Eli the priest.

12 Now the sons of Eli were sons of Belial; they knew not the LORD.

13 And the priests' custom with the people was, that, when any man offered sacrifice, the priest's servant came, while the flesh was in seething, with a fleshhook of three teeth in his hand;

14 And he struck it into the pan, or kettle, or caldron, or pot; all that the fleshhook brought up the priest took for himself. So they did in Shiloh unto all the Israelites that came thither.

15 Also before they burnt the fat, the priest's servant came, and said to the man that sacrificed, Give flesh to roast for the priest; for he will not have sodden flesh of thee, but raw.

16 And if any man said unto him, Let them not fail to burn the fat presently, and then take as much as thy soul desireth; then he would answer him, Nay; but thou shalt give it me now: and if not, I will take it by force.

17 Wherefore the sin of the young men was very great before the LORD: for men abhorred the offering of the LORD.

18 But Samuel ministered before the LORD, being a child, girded with a linen ephod.

19 Moreover his mother made him a little coat, and brought it to him from year to year, when she came up with her husband to offer the yearly sacrifice.

20 And Eli blessed Elkanah and his wife, and said, The LORD give thee seed of this woman for the loan which is lent to The LORD. And they went unto their own home.

21 And the LORD visited Hannah, so that she conceived, and bare three sons and two daughters. And the child Samuel grew before the LORD.

22 Now Eli was very old, and heard all that his sons did unto all Israel; and how they lay with the women that assembled at the door of the tabernacle of the congregation.

23 And he said unto them, Why do ye such things? for I hear of your evil dealings by all this people.

24 Nay, my sons; for it is no good report that I hear: ye make the LORD's people to transgress.

25 If one man sin against another, the judge shall judge him: but if a man sin against the LORD, who shall intreat for him? Notwithstanding they hearkened not unto the voice of their father, because the LORD would slay them.

26 And the child Samuel grew on, and was in favour both with the LORD, and also with men.

27 And there came a man of God unto Eli, and said unto him, Thus saith the LORD, Did I plainly appear unto the house of thy father, when they were in Egypt in Pharaoh's house?

28 And did I choose him out of all the tribes of Israel to be my priest, to offer upon mine altar, to burn incense, to wear an ephod before me? and did I give unto the house of thy father all the offerings made by fire of the children of Israel?

29 Wherefore kick ye at my sacrifice and at mine offering, which I have commanded in my habitation; and honourest thy sons above me, to make yourselves fat with the chiefest of all the offerings of Israel my people?

30 Wherefore the LORD God of Israel saith, I said indeed that thy house, and the house of thy father, should walk before me for ever: but now the LORD saith, Be it far from me; for them that honour me I will honour, and they that despise me shall be lightly esteemed.

31 Behold, the days come, that I will cut off thine arm, and the arm of thy father's house, that there shall not be an old man in thine house.

32 And thou shalt see an enemy in my habitation, in all the wealth which God shall give Israel: and there shall not be an old man in thine house for ever.

33 And the man of thine, whom I shall not cut off from mine altar, shall be to consume thine eyes, and to grieve thine heart: and all the increase of thine house shall die in the flower of their age.

34 And this shall be a sign unto thee, that shall come upon thy two sons, on Hophni and Phinehas; in one day they shall die both of them.

35 And I will raise me up a faithful priest, that shall do according to that which is in mine heart and in my mind: and I will build him a sure house; and he shall walk before mine anointed for ever.

36 And it shall come to pass, that every one that is left in thine house shall come and crouch to him for a piece of silver and a morsel of bread, and shall say, Put me, I pray thee, into one of the priests' offices, that I may eat a piece of bread.