BLESSING WERE BASED ON THE OBEDIENCE

Samuel was now too old for all the travel and work involved in judging Israel. He was a great man and much used by God, but here he made a big mistake.

No doubt he sincerely thought that his sons were fit to act as judges, but they were not.

Perhaps because of his constant travelling ministry he had failed to bring up as he should have done. Everyone in God’s ministry should be careful about their children, and need to for discernment, especially in assessing the character of members of their own families.

It was partly due to the unfaithfulness of Samuel’s sons that the people wanted a king. The people’s unfaithfulness to the Lord is not to excused on this account. At the same time we need realize the bad effects people such as Samuel’s sons can have upon others.

“His ways” – the Old Testament gives many examples of the failure of family succession in the leadership of God’s people.

Gideon and Abimelech (Jud8:28 – 9:1And Abimelech the son of Jerubbaal went to Shechem unto his mother's brethren, and communed with them, and with all the family of the house of his mother's father, saying, In thisway Miedian was subdud before the children of Israel, so that they no longer lifted up their heads. And the country had

rest for forty years in the days Gideon).

Eli and his sons (Sam 2:12 Now sons of Eli were wicked scoundrels. They did not know the Lord.

David and his sons ( I Kings 1:15  Then Adonijah the son of Haggith exalted himself, saying, I will be king: and he prepared him chariots and horsemen, and fifty men to run before him.)

SOlmon and Rehoboam (IKings 11:43And Solomon slept with his fathers, and was buried in the city of David his father: and Rehoboam his son reigned in his stead).