Old Testament Case Studies in Government: Samuel

After the conquest of Canaan, Israel for several hundred years was ruled by a series of judges, persons of varying character and ability whom God raised up often in response to a moral or military crisis in the nation. The cycle observed in the Book of Judges is one of Israel's descent into sin and idolatrous rebellion against God, divine chastisement (often in the form of incursions by surrounding pagan nations), a crying out to God for deliverance, God's appointing a judge to deal with the crisis and get the nation back on track, and then a period of spiritual and material prosperity leading back into a time of forgetfulness and eventually sin. An excellent illustration of this pattern is found in Judges 2:7-23; a shorter version appears in 1 Samuel 12:10-11.

Samuel was the last in the line of people who judged Israel.

1 Samuel 7:15-8:9: This passage begins with a description of how Samuel conducted his business as judge, then moves into an account of the failure of the next generation--his sons "turned aside after dishonest gain, took bribes, and perverted justice." This occasioned Israel's demand for a king. Samuel warned them thoroughly what this would mean at the command of God, who told Samuel that Israel was not rejecting him but God himself.

This style of government depends heavily on having the right person for the job. In the hands of a godly man like Samuel the nation was ruled righteously. But even then the leader can do only so much--if the people fail the nation falls.