Week 2: Eli and Samuel

Picture an elderly priest at work in the house of God. He’s in his 90s, his sight is failing, and he stumbles through his duties slowly. He’s been doing the work here at Shiloh for close to 40 years now, and it’s starting to weigh on him. He pauses frequently to catch his breath, reflecting with some bitterness on his family tree. None of his sons had followed him into the family trade, his own failures as a father had seen to that, but he’s not alone in his work. There in the Holy Place, across from the table containing the bread of the presence, stands a young boy―maybe ten or twelve―tending to the lampstand. 

In contrast to Eli, Samuel moves with some pep in his step. He has been a priest-in-training since the age of three and Eli, old enough to be Samuel’s great-grandfather, has become his day-to-day mentor in the House of the Lord. The vigor of youth and the wisdom of old age were working in tandem, and it must have been a sight to behold. For some reason, God saw fit to throw this odd pair together; a failed priest who couldn’t even keep his own sons in line, and an awkward pre-teen with zero previous altar-boy experience. What could possibly go wrong?

God’s ways are surprising, if not outright amusing, at times. No one would describe these two candidates as “qualified” for the ministry, much less as rostered Ministers of the Gospel in the First Church of Yahweh. Nor do we have any reason to assume that they would automatically forge a compatible, mutually-beneficial partnership. Yet for some reason God, in his grace and wisdom, brought Eli and Samuel into one another’s lives. Despite appearances to the contrary, discipleship was happening at Shiloh.

We don’t always have a lot in common with the people God calls us to disciple or be discipled by. We may not share the same hobbies or have compatible personalities. We may not always get each other’s cultural references. By worldly standards, there may be much to prevent such a relationship from forming at all. But the miracle of the Church is that God brings us, his perfect spotless Bride, together. Whatever our differences, the blood of the Lamb makes us eternally more similar.

Reflection Questions

1. How might Eli have struggled in discipling Samuel? Why do you think God put them together?

2. What are some challenges to intergenerational mentorship? How can you pray about this?

3. Read Psalm 145:4-6. What can older generations offer younger ones concerning the faith? And what can younger generations offer older ones?