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The Schools of the Prophets
God had commanded the Hebrews to tell their children about
how He had cared for their ancestors. They were to often tell about
the mighty works of God and the promise of the Redeemer to come.
Illustrations and symbols fixed the lessons firmly in the memory. The
young mind was trained to see God both in the scenes of nature and
the words of revelation. The stars, trees, and flowers, the mountains,
the brooks, all spoke of the Creator. Worship at the sanctuary and
the messages of the prophets were a revelation of God.
Such was the training of Moses in Goshen, of Samuel by Hannah,
of David in Bethlehem, of Daniel before captivity separated him
from his family, of Christ at Nazareth. Such was the training by
which the child Timothy learned from his grandmother Lois and his
mother Eunice. (
2 Timothy 1:5
;
3:15
).
The schools of the prophets offered further opportunities for the
instruction of the young. If a young person wanted to search deeper
into truth so that he could become a teacher in Israel, these schools
were available to him. Samuel founded the schools of the prophets
to serve as a barrier against widespread corruption, to provide for the
moral and spiritual welfare of youth, and to promote the prosperity
of the nation by furnishing qualified leaders and counselors. He
drew young men who were devout, intelligent, and studious. These
were called the sons of the prophets. The instructors, who knew
God’s truth well, had themselves enjoyed communion with God and
received from His Spirit. They had the respect and confidence of the
people.
In Samuel’s day there were two of these schools—at Ramah and
at Kirjath Jearim. Others were established later.
The pupils supported themselves by farming or in some mechan-
ical employment. In Israel it was thought to be a crime to allow
children to grow up ignorant of useful work. Every child learned
some trade, even if he was to be educated for holy work. Many
religious teachers supported themselves by manual labor. Even as
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