Page 24 - Divinity_F5

Divinity for Advanced Secondary Schools

Samuel’s first book highlights some key responsibility of the Church, Church
elements of good governance practice. It leaders and citizens to raise their voices
shows that good governance is a means in case leaders do not maintain good
through which God fulfils His agenda of governance.
peace, care for the oppressed, building
FOR ONLINE READING ONLY
trust in him and creating a harmonious Secondly, the first book of Samuel shows
society. The book of Samuel also points that good governance is God’s agenda
out the consequences of not adhering to and a means to deal with his people.
the principles of good governance. Due to the failure and abuses of Eli and
his sons, God raised Samuel to lead his
To start with, the first book of Samuel people. Samuel was a son of Elkanah
shows the failure of the sons of Eli, and Hannah (1 Sam. 1:1-2:11). Samuel
namely, Hophni and Phinehas and those started his ministry through divine
of Samuel (Abijah and Joel) as judges intervention. On his call, he received the
to maintain their offices. The sons following message, “Behold I am about
of Eli abused their office by taking a to do a thing in Israel, at which the two
significant portion of the sacrifices and ears of everyone that hears it will tingle”
sleeping with the women who served (1 Sam. 3:11).
in the tent of the meeting. On the other
hand, the sons of Samuel took bribes Samuel enters the scene as a judge and
and perverted justice. The sons of Eli liberator of Israel against the Philistines.
and Samuel misused their office and His ministry as a leader centred on divine
violated human rights, contrary to good laws, especially the covenant at Sinai.
governance. The consequences for this He started by summoning Israel in a
were that Eli and his sons duly died on ceremony of penance at Mizpah (1 Sam.
the same day as a punishment, while the 7:5-6). In his speech, Samuel reminds
failures of the sons of Samuel led to the the people that the cause of disaster in
Israelites’ demand for a king (1 Sam. Israel’s society is the sin of worshipping
2:12-25). false gods (idolatry). His roles were to
deliver the message of God to his people
From the episode of the sons of Eli and and teach them to be faithful to God’s
Samuel, modern people need to know laws to fight for the threatened Israel.
that governance promotes and guides He was to judge Israel and solve social
human rights, maintains transparency conflicts (1 Sam. 7:12-17).
and brings peace to society; conversely,
failure to adhere to the principles of Samuel became a kingmaker.
good governance may plunge society Samuel became very successful because
into problems. Therefore, it is the he based his ministry on following the

Form Five Student’s Book 15