After Joshua died, the people began to drift away from God and worship pagan idols. Then God called judges, through whom he looked after the chosen people in a special way. This has been happening more or less in the years since 1200 do 1050 before Christ. At that time, the tribes of Israel settled in the land assigned to them by God. However, they had to fight against neighboring countries and against the strong Canaanite tribes. The Israelites won, when they kept their covenant with God, and they were losing, when they did not listen to God. God gave grace to the judges, to defend his people from their enemies. God is especially severe in disciplining idolatry. An example of this is the story of the last two judges : Eli and Samuel.
Eli, the high priest, was ineffective in his office. He indulged his sons, who disregarded God's law. So hard times have come for Israel. Filistyni, who already had iron weapons, they invaded the Israelites, they conquered them and took their spoils. In one battle, even the Ark of the Covenant fell into the hands of enemies. Eli's sons perished, and Eli the high priest died at the news of the defeat. It seemed, that the nation is about to collapse. Then the last judge appears in the audience, a priest named Samuel. It was a real gift from God to the chosen people. His parents, Elkan and Anna, had no children for a long time. They were sad about this, but they did not lose their trust. During one of the annual pilgrimages to Shiloh, Anna prayed fervently for a child. She even made a wedding, that when her son was born, it will put him at the service of God. Her request was answered. Anna gave birth to a son. Happy mother thanked for the grace of motherhood. Po 8 in the days the child was named Samuel, it means ,,God heard ". The mother raised her son Samuel godly, and after a few years she escorted him to Shiloh, to serve God for the rest of his life. The boy performed various services here. Though he saw the evil conduct of the sons of Eli, he lived an exemplary life and served God faithfully. Once he heard a voice calling his name. Always ready for service, he rushed immediately to Eli, because he thought, that he was calling for him. After all, it turned out, that the high priest knew nothing. The same thing happened the second time. Only the third time did Eli understand, that Samuel was called by God. Then he instructed him, how to behave, when he hears the call again. Samuel followed his advice. When God spoke to him,
he fell on his face and cried out: ,,Speak Lord, because your servant listens " (1 Sam 3, 10). Then he found out, that God will punish the nation for its sins, and Eli himself will die. About that, that Samuel was talking to God, the whole country learned. From then on, he was seen as God's anointed, prophet and sage. Because he was acting nobly, they all trusted him, and after Eli died, he became a judge. He breathed new enthusiasm into the nation. He became a father to his countrymen.
Under the leadership of Samuel, the nation began to recover from within. Samuel was not a fighter, but a wise teacher of the nation. He showed the right way to God : resembled, how you have to live, and gained a nation to believe in one God. By their allegiance to the Law of the Covenant, the Israelites were victorious over their enemies. Samuel was the most concerned about it, to convince the people of Israel, that only God is his Lord, Legislator and King. The people, however, wanted a visible king, as it was with neighboring nations. When God agreed to it, Samuel anointed Saul as king, and later also David.
Samuel devoted his entire life to the service of God and people, hence we can rightly say, that he spent them in covenant service, which the chosen people once made with their God.