“Now Samuel was ministering before the LORD, as a boy wearing a linen ephod…. Now the boy Samuel was growing in stature and in favor both with the LORD and with men” (1 Sam 2:18, 26).
In the first book in the classic series “The Lord of the Rings,” the conflict of the plot is introduced when the evil ring of power falls into the hands of humans after the bad guy loses his fingers. In the third and final book in the series, the conflict is resolved when the evil ring of power is finally destroyed when the good guy loses his finger and the ring is destroyed. We don’t have to be geniuses to notice the parallels, but as informed readers we must ask good questions to figure out their meaning, namely, J. R. R. Tolkien’s intent.
In 1 Samuel 2, the author clearly presents Samuel as a prefiguration of David. Like Samuel in 1 Samuel 2:18 so David is wearing a linen ephod (2 Sam 6:14). Like Samuel in 1 Samuel 2:26, so David “became greater and greater, for the LORD God of hosts was with him” (2 Sam 5:10).
We don’t have to be geniuses to notice these parallels, but we must ask good questions to figure out the inspired author’s intent. To interpret 1 Samuel 2 well means we must figure out the meaning of this chapter as it relates to the entire book. We must ask ourselves, why does Samuel prefigure King David? Or, why is David like Samuel? To answer this question may require us to read 1-2 Samuel many times, and perhaps for many years until we find the answer. But the truth be told, a commitment to authorial intent is our greatest imperative when it comes to the interpretation of the Bible because we believe the Bible is inspired by God.
And to stop losing the forest for the trees means we must commit ourselves to reading whole books over and over again until their compositional strategies become clear. It’s a lot of work, but how much deeper and richer will be our biblical theology, as well as our teaching and preaching in and out of the pulpit when we do!
“Now He said to them, ‘These are My words which I spoke to you while I was still with you, that all things which are written about Me in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms must be fulfilled.’ Then He opened their minds to understand the Scriptures” (Luke 24:44-45).
