Dear Cheryl
by Cheryl Brodersen on 9 April 2013
Dear Cheryl,
In a recent message you mentioned Hannah and Samuel. You said that she asked for a son and God gave her a prophet and a priest. My question is: was Samuel a priest? Was he a Levite?
In 1 Chronicles 6:33-34, Samuel’s lineage is traced to the Levitical line, not the High Priest lineage. He was also from Ephraim (I Samuel 1:1). You might remember that when Joshua was dividing the land of Israel to the tribes of Israel, the Levites were to be scattered among the tribes of Israel. This was to ensure the spirituality of the nation. The Levites were in charge of the spiritual instruction, maintaining the tabernacle, the worship leaders, and gatekeepers.
Samuel was also a prophet. This means he was God’s spokesperson to Israel. The High Priest’s line continued through Ichabod, the son born to Eli’s daughter-in-law. His line ended with Abithar. At that point, Zadok became the High Priest. He was also a descendent of Aaron. The High Priest’s lineage then went to his children. Hope that helps!
In 1 Chronicles 6:33-34, Samuel’s lineage is traced to the Levitical line, not the High Priest lineage. He was also from Ephraim (I Samuel 1:1). You might remember that when Joshua was dividing the land of Israel to the tribes of Israel, the Levites were to be scattered among the tribes of Israel. This was to ensure the spirituality of the nation. The Levites were in charge of the spiritual instruction, maintaining the tabernacle, the worship leaders, and gatekeepers.
Samuel was also a prophet. This means he was God’s spokesperson to Israel. The High Priest’s line continued through Ichabod, the son born to Eli’s daughter-in-law. His line ended with Abithar. At that point, Zadok became the High Priest. He was also a descendent of Aaron. The High Priest’s lineage then went to his children. Hope that helps!
Dear Cheryl,
When do we back off and let the Holy Spirit take over when ministering to a person who is depressed and seems to be stuck? What Bible verses can I give to someone in a state like this? Or what Bible verses can I read to give me comfort, encouragement, and direction?
When a person seems unresponsive, resistant, or overly dependent on you, it is time to back off and let the Spirit work. I have found that prayer works better than any lecture I have ever given.
Though Scripture is always a great thing, sometimes it is better to write the Scriptures down and pray them over the person. There is a right time to minister Scripture.
Personally, I love the prayers in Ephesians 1 and 3. These are glorious truths that Paul realized had to be communicated by the work of God’s Spirit in the Ephesians. He had written many glorious truths to these believers, but recognized the need for a divine work of God through prayer to take the message of the Gospel to their heart.
The Bible is filled with great promises, like 2 Peter 1:3. I often will ask the Lord for a specific word or promise for a friend that I am praying for. Usually, during my devotion times in God’s word, I will come upon a passage or Scripture, and the Holy Spirit will quicken me to pray it over someone or send it to them. I love those times! I would recommend that you ask God to give you specific word or direction from His Scripture! All Blessings!
