1 Now the boy Samuel was attending to the service of the Lord [a]under the supervision of Eli. The word of the Lord was rare and precious in those days; visions [that is, new revelations of divine truth] were not widespread.
This is about to change. You realize that God didn’t speak to Eli’s sons, and the word he spoke to Eli was a rebuke that Eli didn’t act on. Sin cuts us off from fellowship with God. Also if God speaks a word to you that you don’t receive and don’t act on, well it is as though you will be stuck at that spot. You can keep praying for a word, but that is the word you will keep getting.
2 Yet it happened at that time, as Eli was lying down in his own place (now his eyesight had begun to grow dim and he could not see well). 3 and the [oil] lamp of God had not yet gone out, and Samuel was lying down in the temple of the Lord, where the ark of God was, 4 that the Lord called Samuel, and he answered, “Here I am.” 5 He ran to Eli and said, “Here I am, for you called me.” But Eli said, “I did not call you; lie down again.” So he went and lay down. 6 Then the Lord called yet again, “Samuel!” So Samuel got up and went to Eli and said, “Here I am, for you called me.” But Eli answered, “I did not call, my son; lie down again.” 7 Now Samuel did not yet know [or personally experience] the Lord, and the word of the Lord was not yet revealed [directly] to him. 8 So the Lord called Samuel a third time. And he stood and went to Eli and said, “Here I am, for you did call me.” Then Eli understood that it was the Lord [who was] calling the boy. 9 So Eli said to Samuel, “Go, lie down, and it shall be that if He calls you, you shall say, ‘Speak, Lord, for Your servant is listening.’” So Samuel went and lay down in his place.
Samuel didn’t yet know the Lord. According to the New Testament we didn’t seek God prior to our salvation. Samuel was not the one praying for a word from God. The lamp with Eli was not yet gone out. God spoke to him with a prophet, he ignored it, now God is going to confirm that word through Samuel who knows nothing of it.
10 Then the Lord came and stood and called as at the previous times, “Samuel! Samuel!” Then Samuel answered, “Speak, for Your servant is listening.” 11 The Lord said to Samuel, “Behold, I am about to do a thing in Israel at which both ears of everyone who hears it will ring. 12 On that day I will carry out against Eli everything that I have spoken concerning his house (family), from beginning to end. 13 Now I have told him that I am about to judge his house forever for the sinful behavior which he knew [was happening], because his sons were bringing a curse on themselves [dishonoring and blaspheming God] and he did not rebuke them. 14 Therefore I have sworn to the house of Eli that the sinful behavior of Eli’s house (family) shall not be atoned for by sacrifice or offering forever.”
Look at that, simple, relatively easy for a small child to understand, but tells him all sorts of things that no doubt had been hidden from Samuel. You can have experiences like this where the Lord speaks to you the hidden things. Samuel is not bogged down in the details, the Lord says “He told Eli” doesn’t need to know about the prophet. When Samuel reports this to Eli it will be a confirmation that the other prophet had come from the Lord. Samuel doesn’t need to know what Eli’s sons were doing, only that they were bringing a curse on themselves and Eli didn’t rebuke them. This word fits perfectly with the previous prophecy, Eli will know it is true. But more importantly what happens to Eli will be a governing lesson to Samuel.
15 So Samuel lay down until morning. Then he opened the doors of the Lord’s house. But Samuel was afraid to tell the vision to Eli. 16 But Eli called Samuel and said, “Samuel, my son.” And he answered, “Here I am.” 17 Then Eli said, “What is it that He said to you? Please do not hide it from me. May God do the same to you, and more also, if you hide from me anything of all that He said to you.” 18 So Samuel told him everything, hiding nothing from him. And Eli said, “It is the Lord; may He do what seems good [b]to Him.”
Before you judge Eli too harshly maybe we should judge ourselves. What is your response when you see the sins of the people who have been elected to represent you? Do you rebuke them? Or, do you say “the Lord is in charge, He will do what seems good to Him”? We are supposed to be salt and light. Eli is an example of a person who has lost their saltiness.
19 Now Samuel grew; and the Lord was with him and He let none of his words [c]fail [to be fulfilled]. 20 And all Israel from Dan [in the north] to Beersheba [in the south] knew that Samuel was appointed as a prophet of the Lord. 21 And the Lord continued to appear in Shiloh, for the Lord revealed Himself to Samuel in Shiloh by the word of the Lord.
Wait, what? That’s it? Where is the fulfillment? It is coming, but not yet, so what is the hold up? The hold up is Samuel. God spoke this word to Samuel so that he would learn this lesson: you have to rebuke sin. You have to treasure the words of God and act on them. If you do then you will get more words. This is what we see, He is growing into a priest. He is treasuring God’s word, he is rebuking sin, and God is with Him.
This is about to change. You realize that God didn’t speak to Eli’s sons, and the word he spoke to Eli was a rebuke that Eli didn’t act on. Sin cuts us off from fellowship with God. Also if God speaks a word to you that you don’t receive and don’t act on, well it is as though you will be stuck at that spot. You can keep praying for a word, but that is the word you will keep getting.
2 Yet it happened at that time, as Eli was lying down in his own place (now his eyesight had begun to grow dim and he could not see well). 3 and the [oil] lamp of God had not yet gone out, and Samuel was lying down in the temple of the Lord, where the ark of God was, 4 that the Lord called Samuel, and he answered, “Here I am.” 5 He ran to Eli and said, “Here I am, for you called me.” But Eli said, “I did not call you; lie down again.” So he went and lay down. 6 Then the Lord called yet again, “Samuel!” So Samuel got up and went to Eli and said, “Here I am, for you called me.” But Eli answered, “I did not call, my son; lie down again.” 7 Now Samuel did not yet know [or personally experience] the Lord, and the word of the Lord was not yet revealed [directly] to him. 8 So the Lord called Samuel a third time. And he stood and went to Eli and said, “Here I am, for you did call me.” Then Eli understood that it was the Lord [who was] calling the boy. 9 So Eli said to Samuel, “Go, lie down, and it shall be that if He calls you, you shall say, ‘Speak, Lord, for Your servant is listening.’” So Samuel went and lay down in his place.
Samuel didn’t yet know the Lord. According to the New Testament we didn’t seek God prior to our salvation. Samuel was not the one praying for a word from God. The lamp with Eli was not yet gone out. God spoke to him with a prophet, he ignored it, now God is going to confirm that word through Samuel who knows nothing of it.
10 Then the Lord came and stood and called as at the previous times, “Samuel! Samuel!” Then Samuel answered, “Speak, for Your servant is listening.” 11 The Lord said to Samuel, “Behold, I am about to do a thing in Israel at which both ears of everyone who hears it will ring. 12 On that day I will carry out against Eli everything that I have spoken concerning his house (family), from beginning to end. 13 Now I have told him that I am about to judge his house forever for the sinful behavior which he knew [was happening], because his sons were bringing a curse on themselves [dishonoring and blaspheming God] and he did not rebuke them. 14 Therefore I have sworn to the house of Eli that the sinful behavior of Eli’s house (family) shall not be atoned for by sacrifice or offering forever.”
Look at that, simple, relatively easy for a small child to understand, but tells him all sorts of things that no doubt had been hidden from Samuel. You can have experiences like this where the Lord speaks to you the hidden things. Samuel is not bogged down in the details, the Lord says “He told Eli” doesn’t need to know about the prophet. When Samuel reports this to Eli it will be a confirmation that the other prophet had come from the Lord. Samuel doesn’t need to know what Eli’s sons were doing, only that they were bringing a curse on themselves and Eli didn’t rebuke them. This word fits perfectly with the previous prophecy, Eli will know it is true. But more importantly what happens to Eli will be a governing lesson to Samuel.
15 So Samuel lay down until morning. Then he opened the doors of the Lord’s house. But Samuel was afraid to tell the vision to Eli. 16 But Eli called Samuel and said, “Samuel, my son.” And he answered, “Here I am.” 17 Then Eli said, “What is it that He said to you? Please do not hide it from me. May God do the same to you, and more also, if you hide from me anything of all that He said to you.” 18 So Samuel told him everything, hiding nothing from him. And Eli said, “It is the Lord; may He do what seems good [b]to Him.”
Before you judge Eli too harshly maybe we should judge ourselves. What is your response when you see the sins of the people who have been elected to represent you? Do you rebuke them? Or, do you say “the Lord is in charge, He will do what seems good to Him”? We are supposed to be salt and light. Eli is an example of a person who has lost their saltiness.
19 Now Samuel grew; and the Lord was with him and He let none of his words [c]fail [to be fulfilled]. 20 And all Israel from Dan [in the north] to Beersheba [in the south] knew that Samuel was appointed as a prophet of the Lord. 21 And the Lord continued to appear in Shiloh, for the Lord revealed Himself to Samuel in Shiloh by the word of the Lord.
Wait, what? That’s it? Where is the fulfillment? It is coming, but not yet, so what is the hold up? The hold up is Samuel. God spoke this word to Samuel so that he would learn this lesson: you have to rebuke sin. You have to treasure the words of God and act on them. If you do then you will get more words. This is what we see, He is growing into a priest. He is treasuring God’s word, he is rebuking sin, and God is with Him.