Samuel's Work as an Itinerant Judge

by Hugo Bouter

"He went from year to year in circuit to Bethel, and Gilgal, and Mizpeh, and judged Israel in all those places" (1 Samuel 7:16)

Bethel

Every year, Samuel, the last judge and the first prophet of God's people, administered justice in a number of places in the land of Israel. In all, there were four of them, of which Bethel here is the first mentioned. Bethel (meaning "house of God") was a town of great renown in the history of God's people. It was the place where Abraham the patriarch had set up his tent, and where Jacob had received precious promises from God (cf. Gen. 12, 28 and 35). In the Book of Judges, too, Bethel played an important role. Deborah lived between Ramah (the later residence of Samuel) and Bethel, and there she dealt with the legal matters of the Israelites (Judg. 4:4-5).

Later on we see that Bethel was the place where the tribes gathered who were going up against Benjamin, to discipline the children of their brother and remove the evil from Israel (Judg. 20-21). Apparently they had taken the ark of the covenant from Shiloh to Bethel (cf. Judg. 20:18, J.N.D. Trans.), in order to consult the Lord about the war with the Benjamites. Here we see how important it is in matters of discipline to come to understand the will of the Lord and to seek His face. In this respect, the Israelites acted in agreement with God's thoughts, although they still lacked the true spirit of humiliation and failed to offer sacrifices before the Lord. But as soon as these conditions were met, God was with them and gave them the victory.

So Bethel was an important and memorable place when Samuel began his work as a judge there. Discipline had been exercised there before, and God had expressed His will concerning difficulties that had emerged. Thus, when Samuel started administering justice in Bethel from year to year, in a sense he continued a tradition. But there is a lesson here for us as well. Where can one learn the will of God better than in His own house? Learning His thoughts about any matter is possible only in His presence and before His face. It is only there that justice can be administered among the saints. Each statement that is made in the house of God, which is the church of the living God, should be consistent with His holy presence. Every judgment which is meted out there should be invested with His authority, and who would not recognize it as such? Perhaps someone asks, "Who in our time can appoint himself to judge his brethren?" But Scripture tells us clearly that we need not lack righteous judgment. For in the church, which is the temple of the living God, there will always be a wise person able to judge in disputes between brethren (1 Cor. 6:1-5).

Gilgal

The second place where Samuel administered justice during his tour of the land was Gilgal, another highly memorable place. From the camp at Gilgal the conquest of the Promised Land had started. In Gilgal (a rolling away), the people were circumcised, so that the reproach of Egypt was removed from them. It was also the place of the monument of the twelve stones, reminding the people of the miraculous way in which they had crossed the Jordan (Josh. 4 and 5). The typical teaching connected with Gilgal reminds us of the fact that we have been crucified with Christ, have passed through the river of death, and have been raised with Him. It is there that we were also circumcised, and taught to apply the death of Christ to ourselves in a practical sense, so as to put to death our members which are on the earth (Col. 2 and 3). There we put off everything which is connected with our former life in slavery under sin, our life in the world. So our "Gilgal" is the place of self-judgment, where the things of the flesh are removed. It is only from this starting point that we can take possession of the "Promised Land," the realm of heavenly and spiritual blessings, the things which are above.

Therefore, Gilgal is a special place indeed to administer justice. There we see that practical righteousness is possible only where self-interest and prejudice have been put away, so that the saints do not act according to the flesh. Authority administered "in Gilgal" should be in keeping with the meaning of this place. There the flesh should be inactive, and there should be no room for worldly standards. Without a doubt, when Samuel chose this place to judge Israel, he did remember its important past. It seems as if he wished to call the people back to the place which once had been the starting point of their happiness and of their blessings.

Mizpeh

Mizpeh was the third town where Samuel administered justice; not Mizpeh in Gilead, on the other side of the river Jordan, but the place of which we read earlier in this chapter (1 Sam. 7), the town situated within the tribal area of Benjamin, not far from Bethel (cf. Judg. 20). 1 Samuel 7 also tells us the primary reason why Samuel chose Mizpeh as a place to administer justice, and it brings to light the special character of his administration of the law. Samuel was not only concerned about legal matters, but he cared to bring the people back into the presence of God. Mizpeh (meaning "watch tower") is, so to speak, the place of divine revelation, the place where we are brought into God's light and obtain a clear view of our relationship with God.

1 Samuel 7 shows us a number of necessary conditions for spiritual restoration. Mizpeh was the place of repentance, the place where God's people turned to Him from idols. The Israelites acknowledged their miserable state before God (which was symbolized by pouring out water before the face of the Lord; cf. 2 Sam. 14:14 and Lam. 2:19). They confessed their guilt and cried for deliverance from their enemy's yoke, and in doing so they did not trust in their own strength but rather in the efficacy of the burnt offering that was offered to God. God delivers His people for Christ's sake!

After the people had confessed their sins, we read those remarkable words: "And Samuel judged the children of Israel in Mizpeh" (7:6). Apparently, the first and foremost aim of Samuel's administration of justice was to bring the people back into the right relationship with God. This was achieved by bringing their hearts and minds into God's light and reminding them of all the righteous acts of God (cf. 1 Sam. 12:7). In this way, God was glorified, and the people were brought back to Him. Samuel honoured Him for the deliverance which He had brought about after the Israelites had humbled themselves before Him. The prophet set up a pillar of stone and called its name Ebenezer (meaning "stone of help"), because thus far the Lord had helped them. So it is understandable that he wanted to keep the remembrance of this divine help alive by returning to Mizpeh and judging the people there from year to year.

Ramah

The last town where Samuel judged Israel was Ramah, "for there was his house" (7:17). There he lived, and there he devoted himself to the interests of the Israelites. Perhaps he lived in the house of his parents, the home where this God-fearing couple called upon the Lord until He answered their prayers (1 Sam. 1:19; 2:11). In the same way, in this house at Ramah Samuel brought all the problems and the needs of the Israelites before God, praying for light and wisdom, understanding and discernment. In this place, too, he expected help from above, and judged the people according to divine principles.

Ramah (meaning "height") was a mountain town. Samuel walked on the heights of faith, so to speak, like Abraham (whereas Lot walked by sight and chose the plain of Jordan for his dwelling place). And just like Abraham, Samuel had an altar. He was a worshipper who offered up his daily burnt offerings (to apply it to ourselves, spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ).

This special detail is not mentioned in connection with the three other places which are listed here, at least not in these verses. In Ramah, Samuel built an altar to the Lord, in order to seek Him and please Him. There he thanked God for His patience towards a disobedient people, for all the proofs of His goodness bestowed upon a stubborn nation. Samuel must have understood something of God's plans and purposes for His people, which were to be carried out by the anointed king, of whom Samuel was the forerunner. At his altar, the judge of Israel paid homage to the God of Israel, the God of all grace!