1 Sam 3
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Introduction
Introduction
This evening we jump into and the passage we refer to as the “call of Samuel.” This is a story that has made every Sunday school curriculum, and it goes something like this:
Young Samuel is awakened by a voice during the night that he presumes to be that of Eli the Priest.
When we reports to Eli, he is sent back to bed.
This happens three times before Eli perceives that the voice is actually God’s and gives the boy further instructions for responding on the next reprise.
Samuel does as instructed, receives a pronouncement of judgement on Eli and his family, and everyone lives happily ever after…well, except for Eli and his family!
The moral of the story is “listen to and obey God and you too will live happily ever after.”
I could probably even make this into a passage about surrendering to missions!
The problem with this synopsis is that it’s incomplete. It misses the big picture of what is happening in Israel and what this story of Samuel’s call actually teaches us. It’s important to understand that in narrative (story) passages, the story told almost always fits into a broader narrative. The key to understanding the smaller passage is to understand how it fits into the bigger story.
In this case, the bigger story is that Israel had been given judges to judge the land and restore Israel from political or physical captivity to freedom and to lead Israel to repentance of sin. If you recall anything about the era of the judges, you know that sin and captivity were repetitive. And if you consider the lives of the judges themselves, you see that even these people, called to lead Israel to political and spiritual restoration, had some real struggles. Following Gideon, who himself became self-conceited (he named his son a name meaning “my father is king”), there wasn’t a judge who ended well.
So it really isn’t surprising to see what you saw at the end of chapter two, the pronouncement of judgement on Eli’s family, and it really isn’t surprising to read what we see here in chapter 3, the call of Samuel and the further pronouncement of Eli’s judgement.
Here’s the big idea:
So let’s dig into the passage.
Setting:
Opening:
Declaration:
Instructions:
Proclamation:
Follow up:
Ascension:
1 And the child Samuel ministered unto the LORD before Eli. And the word of the LORD was precious in those days; there was no open vision.
2 And it came to pass at that time, when Eli was laid down in his place, and his eyes began to wax dim, that he could not see;
3 And ere the lamp of God went out in the temple of the LORD, where the ark of God was, and Samuel was laid down to sleep;
4 That the LORD called Samuel: and he answered, Here am I.
5 And he ran unto Eli, and said, Here am I; for thou calledst me. And he said, I called not; lie down again. And he went and lay down.
6 And the LORD called yet again, Samuel. And Samuel arose and went to Eli, and said, Here am I; for thou didst call me. And he answered, I called not, my son; lie down again.
7 Now Samuel did not yet know the LORD, neither was the word of the LORD yet revealed unto him.
8 And the LORD called Samuel again the third time. And he arose and went to Eli, and said, Here am I; for thou didst call me. And Eli perceived that the LORD had called the child.
9 Therefore Eli said unto Samuel, Go, lie down: and it shall be, if he call thee, that thou shalt say, Speak, LORD; for thy servant heareth. So Samuel went and lay down in his place.
10 And the LORD came, and stood, and called as at other times, Samuel, Samuel. Then Samuel answered, Speak; for thy servant heareth.
11 And the LORD said to Samuel, Behold, I will do a thing in Israel, at which both the ears of every one that heareth it shall tingle.
12 In that day I will perform against Eli all things which I have spoken concerning his house: when I begin, I will also make an end.
13 For I have told him that I will judge his house for ever for the iniquity which he knoweth; because his sons made themselves vile, and he restrained them not.
14 And therefore I have sworn unto the house of Eli, that the iniquity of Eli’s house shall not be purged with sacrifice nor offering for ever.
15 And Samuel lay until the morning, and opened the doors of the house of the LORD. And Samuel feared to shew Eli the vision.
16 Then Eli called Samuel, and said, Samuel, my son. And he answered, Here am I.
17 And he said, What is the thing that the LORD hath said unto thee? I pray thee hide it not from me: God do so to thee, and more also, if thou hide any thing from me of all the things that he said unto thee.
18 And Samuel told him every whit, and hid nothing from him. And he said, It is the LORD: let him do what seemeth him good.
19 And Samuel grew, and the LORD was with him, and did let none of his words fall to the ground.
20 And all Israel from Dan even to Beersheba knew that Samuel was established to be a prophet of the LORD.
21 And the LORD appeared again in Shiloh: for the LORD revealed himself to Samuel in Shiloh by the word of the LORD.
Setting:
Setting:
1 And the child Samuel ministered unto the LORD before Eli. And the word of the LORD was precious in those days; there was no open vision.
1 And the child Samuel ministered unto the LORD before Eli. And the word of the LORD was precious in those days; there was no open vision.
2 And it came to pass at that time, when Eli was laid down in his place, and his eyes began to wax dim, that he could not see;
3 And ere the lamp of God went out in the temple of the LORD, where the ark of God was, and Samuel was laid down to sleep;
The boy Samuel is serving in the temple under Eli ()
The boy Samuel is serving in the temple under Eli ()
Age: under the age of 12
Favored ()
26 And the child Samuel grew on, and was in favour both with the LORD, and also with men.
The word of the Lord was precious or rare ()
The word of the Lord was precious or rare ()
Why would Israel not have received the word of the Lord? Sin ()
12 And they shall wander from sea to sea, and from the north even to the east, they shall run to and fro to seek the word of the LORD, and shall not find it.
Prophetic vision was rare in the days of Samuel’s youth. So for Samuel to receive this word from God was a statement.
2 And it came to pass at that time, when Eli was laid down in his place, and his eyes began to wax dim, that he could not see;
Eli heads to bed ()
Eli heads to bed ()
Eli heads to bed ()
Eli heads to bed ()
The verse tells us that his eyesight was failing, and that he slept in his usual place. We’re not sure where his usual place was, but it’s fair to say that his chamber was separate than that of Samuel’s.
3 And ere the lamp of God went out in the temple of the LORD, where the ark of God was, and Samuel was laid down to sleep;
Early in the Morning ()
Early in the Morning ()
Eli