In addition to providing the special leadership just described, Samuel's ministry as a judge in Israel included regular civil as well as spiritual leadership. He was active especially in the tribal territory of Benjamin and in the town of Bethel just north of Benjamin in Ephraim. Samuel covered a four-town circuit as preacher and judge. He was obviously similar to the other judges in the Book of Judges all of whom also served local regions primarily. It is not clear whether the Gilgal referred to here was the Gilgal in the Jordan Valley near Jericho, or whether it was another Gilgal located a few miles north of Bethel.91The fact that Samuel built an altar (v. 17) illustrates his response to God's grace and his commitment to Yahweh.
"Brief as the portrait of Samuel here is, it gives us a glimpse of the ideal ruler. He had been provided by God and trained by him; he now showed himself able to read his people's minds and capable of rebuking them effectively. He was decisive in word and action, and he was fully in touch with God. Nor is his concern to provide justice purely coincidental. Yet the irony was that such a ruler was precisely the man whom Israel rejected, as chapter 8 will show. Political unrest may mirror inadequate or oppressive leadership; on the other hand, it may well demonstrate the fatal flaws in human nature. exactly the same may be true of unrest within any human community, including a local congregation."92
Samuel's personal faithfulness to God qualified him for spiritual leadership and resulted in God blessing Israel. He was God's man calling the people back to faithful obedience to His will so they could experience His blessing.
