Eli and Samuel - The Story of Assertiveness Versus Assertiveness in Faith and Leadership

 As a priest (kohen) in the tabernacle of Shiloh, and the last judge before the monarchy of Israel, Eli was a high-ranking member of the religious leadership structure. His leadership style, however, was poor. He displayed several of the characteristics of weak leadership, and he serves as a foil to the prophet Samuel who exemplifies strong, godly leadership.

When we think of strong leaders, we typically picture a dynamic leader who is able to get things done. One of the traits we associate with great leaders is assertiveness. But when it comes to the topic of faith and leadership, is assertiveness always a good thing? Often, we find that assertiveness is not. In fact, many times we do better when we are able to step back and let God do His work through us. The story of Eli and Samuel is an important illustration of this concept.

The first chapter of the book of 1 Samuel is filled with contrasts. The sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, bullied their fellow worshipers and disrespected the Lord. They also violated their own ordination as priests by sleeping with the women who served at the tabernacle door. While the Bible rebukes their sin, it is clear that Eli fails to take decisive action against them and lets their disobedience continue.

Ultimately, a man of God confronts Eli with a stern message about his sons’ blasphemy. The man of God tells Eli that he was responsible for his sons’ misconduct because he failed to rebuke them and remove them from office. He further tells him that his two sons would die on the same day and that his family line of priesthood will end.

Upon hearing this message, we can imagine how shattered and defeated Eli must have felt. He must have felt a sense of complete loss because the Philistines had not only won the battle but had captured the Ark of the Covenant.

It was at this point that God called to Samuel. When the young prophet responded to the call, it seems that at first he mistakenly assumed that it was Eli’s voice calling him. After all, he had heard the voice of his mentor and master multiple times before.

However, once it was confirmed that the voice he was hearing belonged to the Lord, Eli simply gave him instructions and stepped out of the way. This was a smart move on the part of Eli because visions from the Lord were rare in his day. It is a good example of how a mentor should not interfere too much with a person’s encounter with the divine. Instead, the mentor should provide simple guidance and then allow the individual to encounter God on their own. In this case, the encounter proved to be life-changing for Samuel. As a result, the entire nation of Israel recognized that God had spoken through the prophet Samuel. This was the beginning of a new era for the nation of Israel.Eli Samuel