BLIND SPOT, BIG GAP

 *BLIND SPOT, BIG GAP* 

Leadership is very challenging and therefore must be approached deliberately and with utmost care. A study of the life of one of the greatest leaders of Israel, Samuel, has been a piece of study for me lately. Many instructive lessons to learn from this bible character especially in the school of leadership.

I asked the question, "How come Samuel opened the door of iniquity to his children, Joel & Abiah?"

Though the Bible does not explicitly state, "Samuel sinned in this specific way, causing his sons to be corrupt." However, a careful reading of 1 Samuel 8 provides a clear and sobering picture of how Samuel, a man of immense personal integrity, inadvertently opened a door of iniquity that his sons walked through.

The scripture is 1 Samuel 8:1-3:

_"And it came to pass, when Samuel was old, that he made his sons judges over Israel. Now the name of his firstborn was Joel; and the name of his second, Abiah: they were judges in Beer-sheba. And his sons walked not in his ways, but turned aside after lucre, and took bribes, and perverted judgment."_

Samuel opened the door through two primary failures, one of Parenting and one of Priestly/Governmental Judgment:

*1. The Failure of Parental Diligence: The Absence of a Sustained Godly Example*

While Samuel was a righteous judge for the nation, the text implies a failure in the intimate discipleship of his own household. The phrase _"when Samuel was old"_ is key. This suggests that for much of their formative years, Samuel was consumed with his duties as a circuit judge for all Israel (1 Samuel 7:15-17).

· Spiritual Absence: A father can be morally upright and publicly anointed, but if he is not personally, consistently, and diligently instilling those values into his children, a vacuum is created. Samuel's national ministry likely came at the cost of his domestic ministry. His sons knew about his ways from a distance but did not personally internalize them because they lacked his daily, guiding influence.

· The Pattern of Eli: Samuel had grown up in the house of Eli, where he saw firsthand the consequences of a priest who failed to restrain his corrupt sons (1 Samuel 3:13). Despite this, he fell into a similar trap. This shows the relentless nature of a bloodline pattern—even those who are aware of it can be ensnared by its subtle demands.

*2. The Failure of Discerned Delegation: Placing Them in a Position They Were Not Fit For*

This was Samuel's most direct act in opening the door. The scripture says, _"he made his sons judges over Israel."_

· Nepotism Over Qualification: Samuel appointed his sons based on lineage, not character. He bypassed the principle of proven character and spiritual maturity for the convenience of familial succession. He saw his sons as his heirs, but God had not anointed them for the role.

· Power Without the Corresponding Heart: He gave them the immense power and influence of a judgeship without ensuring they had the heart of a judge. He placed them in a position (Beer-sheba, a remote but significant border town) where they were free to exercise authority without his direct oversight. This was a recipe for disaster. Power corrupts, and absolute power corrupts absolutely—especially when given to those who have not had their character refined.

· He Built the Platform for Their Sin: Their specific sins—_"turned aside after lucre, and took bribes, and perverted judgment"_—were directly enabled by the position he gave them. Had they been simple farmers, their corruption would have had a limited scope. By making them judges, Samuel gave them a national platform upon which to enact their greed and injustice, thus bringing shame upon the office, the nation, and the name of God.

In summary, Samuel opened the door through:

· Spiritual Neglect: Failing to diligently disciple his sons in the fear of the Lord, likely due to the demands of his public ministry.

· Poor Judgment: Appointing them to a position of power for which their character was not prepared, ignoring the clear signs of their unworthiness.

This tragic account perfectly illustrates the sermon's point: "What a father does not conquer, the children often repeat with greater intensity."

Samuel did not conquer the potential for pride, greed, and the abuse of power in his own household. While he himself was not greedy, he was blind to the need to actively root it out of his sons. As a result, his sons did not merely become mildly wayward; they became publicly, institutionally corrupt, and their actions directly led to Israel's demand for a human king, rejecting God as their direct ruler (1 Samuel 8:5-7). The consequences of Samuel's unaddressed familial failure altered the course of a nation.

© November 21, 2025

Pastor Emmanuel Obu 

The Apostle of Joy