In the midst of the defeats and other calamities that overwhelmed the
Israelites, Samuel's authority grew, and the respect for him increased,
until he was acknowledged the helper of his people. His first efforts
were directed toward counteracting the spiritual decay in Israel. When
he assembled the people at Mizpah for prayer, he sought to distinguish
between the faithful and the idolatrous, in order to mete out
punishment to the disloyal. He had all the people drink water, whose
effect was to prevent idolaters from opening their lips. (40) The
majority of the people repented of their sins, and Samuel turned to God
in their behalf: "Lord of the world! Thou requirest naught of man but
that he should repent of his sins. Israel is penitent, do Thou pardon
him." (41) The prayer was granted, and when, after his sacrifice,
Samuel led an attack upon the Philistines, victory was not withheld
from the Israelites. God terrified the enemy first by an earthquake,
and then by thunder and lightning. Many were scattered and wandered
about aimlessly; many were precipitated into the rents torn in the
earth, the rest had their faces scorched, and in their terror and pain
their weapons dropped from their hands. (42)
In peace as in war Samuel was the type of a disinterested,
incorruptible judge, who even refused compensation for the time,
trouble, and pecuniary sacrifices entailed upon him by his office. (43)
His sons fell far short of resembling their father in these respects.
Instead of continuing Samuel's plan of journeying from place to place
to dispense judgment, they had the people come to them, and they
surrounded themselves with a crew of officials who preyed upon the
people for their maintenance. (44) In a sense, therefore, the curse
with which Eli threatened Samuel in his youth was accomplished: both he
and Samuel had sons unworthy of their fathers. (45) Samuel at least had
the satisfaction of seeing his sons mend their ways. One of them is the
prophet Joel, whose prophecy forms a book of the Bible. (46)
Though, according to this account, the sons of Samuel were by no means
so iniquitous as might be inferred from the severe expressions of the
Scripture, still the demand for a king made by the leaders of the
people was not unwarranted. All they desired was a king in the place of
a judge. What enkindled the wrath of God and caused Samuel vexation,
was the way in which the common people formulated the demand. "We want
a king," they said, "that we may be like the other nations." (47)