1 Samuel 8:1

Eli the priest was one of these judges (1 Sam. 4:18), and Samuel, the first prophet (Acts 3:24; Acts 13:20), was also a judge over Israel (1 Sam. 7:6). He thought he could establish his sons as judges after himself (1 Sam. 8:1), but their unfaithfulness brought this whole period to an end.

There is no mention of any word from the LORD, and no record of any prayer by the prophet! Yet this was the man known in his day for his powerful prayers for others! But why appoint his sons? Moses did not do this. When he felt his own service was drawing to a close, he said, "Let the LORD, the God of the spirits of all flesh, appoint a man over the congregation… that the congregation of the LORD may not be as sheep that have no shepherd" (Num. 27:15-17). This is beautiful… But he did not take it on himself to appoint anyone, and he did not suggest his own sons for the work.

Samuel himself lacks spiritual discernment here. He makes his sons judges without any direction from the Lord, as though he could hand on to others the work God entrusted to him. But no one hands on gifts, or even responsibilities, by succession.

"When Samuel became old, he made his sons judges over Israel." But this was a very different thing from God appointing them. Samuel's faithfulness was no guarantee for his sons — just as we see in the boasted theory of apostolic succession.

The time comes when Samuel decides that others must judge in the land. It was quite natural (not spiritual) that he should give this place to his sons, especially since God had clearly not raised up anyone else for the responsibility. In fact, people usually expect something like this… He could have sought the Lord's face first about a matter so important; but we are only told, "he made his sons judges over Israel." However, godliness is not inherited.

Samuel meant well when he put his sons into the judgeship… But did the LORD not know the age of His servant? And did He not care for His people? Let us remember that the people belonged to God, not to Samuel… The man who spoke of getting old lived nearly fifty years longer. He lived to see his sons run their course and fade into obscurity; he saw Saul rise and fall; he anointed David king in his place.

When Samuel became old, he made his sons judges over Israel. God's own arrangement made Eli's sons priests, but what right had Samuel to make his sons judges? A father's favouritism showed in both Eli and Samuel, and it blinded them both. Even Samuel, blessed as he is, is not perfect. The elders complain that his sons do not walk in his ways, and they propose a remedy — but not God's remedy. It was not His mind that they should desire a king, although it was His will to give them one. They were making the greedy ways of Samuel's sons an excuse for doing far worse. Man has often made one sin an excuse for another.

Samuel's eldest son was Joel (1 Sam. 8:1) and he stands out in the record of the failure of Samuel's sons. But in 1 Chronicles 6:33 we find that Joel's eldest son, Heman, held a most honoured place as one of the singers.