a powerful contingent (1 Cliron. xii. 28). more, just as our Lord was a "prophet like t-nmucl is tho one person in Jewish history unto Moses" (Deut. xviii. 15), and a "King who approaches the high rank of Moses, set upon the holy hill of Zion" (Ps. ii. 6 1 , Israel's founder (Jcr. xv. 1). The argument but in a far higher sense than any woul<l that he was a Levite, and not a priest, takes have supposed at the time when tliese pro- too narrow and technical a. view of the phecies w~re spoken. matter ; for the essence of 1:he priesthood As regards the specific terms of the r,ro- lies not in the offering of sacrifice, but in phecy, "the building of a sure house ' ( 1 mediation. Sacrifice is but an accident, Sam. xxv. 28 ; 2 Sam. vii. 11 ; 1 Kings ii. being the appointed method by which the 24, xi. 38; Isa. xxxii. 18) is a metaphor priest was to mediate between God and man. expressive of assured prosperity. The mass As a matter of fact, Samuel often did dis- of the Israelites dwelt in tents (2 Sam. xi charge priestly functions (1 Sam. vii. 9, 17 ; 11 ; xx. 1, &c. ; 1 Kings xii. 16), and to xiii. 8, where we find Saul reproved for invad- have a fixed and permanent dwelling was a ing Samuel's office ; xvi. 2), and it is a point mark of greatness. From such passages as to be kept in mind that the regular priests I Kings ii. 24 ; xi. 38, it is plain that the disappear from Jewish history for about idea of founding a family is not contained fifty years after the slaughter of themselves, in the expression. As a matter of fact, their wives, and families at Shiloh; for it is Samuel's family was prosperous, and his not until Saul's time that Ahia.h, the great- grandson Heman had high rank in David's grandson of Eli, appears, as once again minis- court and numerous issue (1 Chron. xxv. 5). tering at the altar (I Sam. xiv. 3). The Probably too the men of Ramah, who with. calamity that overtook the nation at the end the men of the Lente town of Gaba mado of Eli's reign was so terrible that all ordinary up a total of 621 persons (N eh. vii. 30). ministrations seem to have been in abeyance. represented the descendants of Samuel at tho We are even expressly told that after the return from Babylon. Nevertheless, the con- 1·ecovery of the ark it was placed in the trast is between the migratory life in tenta house of Abinadab at Kirjath-jearim in ani the ease and security of a solid and firm J udrea, and that for twenty years his son abode, and the terms of the promise are abund- Eleazar, though a Levite only, ministered antly fulfilled in Samuel's personal greatnes.,. there before it by no regular consecration, In the promise, "he shall walk before mine but by the appointment of the men of that anointed for ever," there is the same out- town. 'During this time, though Ahitub, look upon the office of king, as if already in Ahiah's father, was probably high priest existence, which we obser'l"e<l in Hannah's nominally, yet nothing is said of him, and hymn (eh. ii. 10). Apparently the expecta- all the higher functions of the office were tion that Jehovah was about to anoint, exercised by Samuel. Instead of the Urim i. e. consecrate, for them some one to re- and Thumruim, he as prophet was the direct present him in civil matters and war, as representative of the theocratic king. Sub- the high priest represented him in thing:s sequently this great duty was once again spiritual, had taken possession of the min~ discharged by Abiathar as priest, and then of the people. It had been clearly promised a mighty change was made, and the pro- them, and regulations for the office made phets with the living voice of inspiration (Deut. xvii. 14 -20) ; and it was to be took the place of the priest with the ephod. Samuel's office to fulfil this wish, and all his For this is a far more important matter life through he held a post of high dignity than even the fact that Samuel performed the in the kingdom. higher functions of tho priesthood. With But the promise has also a definite mean- him a new order of things began. Prophecy, ing as regards the prophets, in whom Samuel from being spasmodic and irregular, became lived on. For St. Augustine's error was in an established institution, and took its taking Samuel simply in his personal rela- place side by side with the priesthood in tions, whereas he is the representative of the preparing for Christ's advent, and in forming whole prophetic order (Acts iii. 24). They the Jewish nation to be the evangelisers of were his successors in his work, and con- the world. The prediction of this organic tinued to be the recognised mediators to change followed the rule of all prophecy in declare to king and people the will of J eho- taking its verbal form and expression from vah, who was the supreme authority in both what was then existent. Just as the gospel Church and state; an<l in political matters <lispensation is always <lescribed under figures they were the appointee! check upon the taken from the Jewish.Church and common- otherwise absolute power of the kings, with wealth, so Samuel, as the founder of the whose appointment their own form,11 organ- prophetic schools, and of the new or<ler of isation exactlv coincidecl. "From 8amuel's things which resulted from them, is described time prophet ;,Ill\ king w:tlke,l tog,·thcr till to Eli nndcr terms tnken from his priestly the waiting pe:·i0tl began which immediately office. He wosa "faithful priest," and much preceded the natil'ity of Christ. 58 THE FIIlST BOOK OF SAMUEL. [CH, II, 27-36 ..
Yer. 36.-Piece ofsilver is lit. a small silver people internally, and then gavo thom frco• coin got by begging, and the word marks dom from foreign rule. During this pcriml the extreme penury into which the race of we may be surn that he did much to rniso· Eli fell. Gathered round the sanctuary at . from their misery tho descendants of Eli and Shiloh, they were the chief sufferers by its fi!inlly ~hiah, Eli's gmndson, ministo~s ns, ruin, and we ha1'e noticed how for a time lngh pnest beforo Saul. Though his grand- they fall entirely ont of ,ic"·· During the son, Abiathar, was deposed from the office miscroble period of Philistine domination by Solomon, there is no tell.Son for imagining ,-rhich followed, Samuel became to the that the family ever again fell into distress, oppressed nation II centre of hope, and hy nor do tho terms of the prophecy wo.mmt l1is "·ise go-vemment he first reforme<i. the such a supposition. •