1 Samuel 3: Samuel’s Call to the Ministry
JUST AS IN CHAPTER ONE, WE MUST REMEMBER HOW DARK THESE PARTICULAR DAYS WERE FOR THE NATION OF ISRAEL.
THERE WAS DISARRAY WITHIN THE NATION'S LEADERSHIP AS THE TIME OF THE JUDGES WAS ENDING AND THERE WAS STRONG CORRUPTION WITHIN THE PRIESTHOOD.
THESE THINGS WERE DISAGREEABLE TO THE LORD. HE WAS LESS THAN HAPPY WITH THE STATE OF HIS CHOSEN PEOPLE.
BUT, AS IN ALL OTHER TIMES, AND JUST AS IS TRUE TODAY, GOD WAS NOT FINISHED WITH THESE HE HAD CHOSEN.
EVEN IN THE DARKEST TIMES, HE TURNS THE DARKNESS INTO LIGHT AND THE CORRUPTION INTO GOOD TO SERVE HIS PURPOSE.
ROMANS 8:28 CLEARLY TEACHES THAT “... AND WE KNOW THAT ALL THINGS WORK TOGETHER FOR GOOD... ACCORDING TO HIS PURPOSE”.
YEARS HAD PASSED SINCE HANNAH HAD TURNED HER HEARTACHE OVER TO THE LORD. HER PRAYER HAD BEEN ANSWERED, A SON HAD BEEN GIVEN, AND SHE HAD KEPT HER VOW AND DEDICATED HIM & HIS LIFE TO THE LORD.
HER SON, SAMUEL, NOW LIVED WITHIN THE TABERNACLE SERVING THE HIGH PRIEST, ELI.
NOW THE TIME HAD ARRIVED FOR THE LORD TO WORK HIS WILL IN THE HEART OF THIS YOUNG MAN AND TO FORM HIM INTO WHAT THE LORD WISHED HIM TO BE, ONE OF THE GREATEST PROPHETS IN ALL OF HISTORY FOR THE JEWISH PEOPLE.
OUR STUDY CHAPTER TODAY SEEMS BEST TO BE BROKEN DOWN INTO THREE SECTIONS:
GOD SPEAKS TO SAMUEL
GOD'S MESSAGE TO SAMUEL
SAMUEL MATURES INTO GOD'S PROPHET
WE SEE THAT THE YOUNG MAN MINISTERED TO THE LORD BEFORE THE HIGH PRIEST, ELI.
THE WORD OF THE LORD WAS PRECIOUS (MEANING RARE) IN THOSE DAYS AND THERE WAS NO OPEN VISION.
THE ONLY WORD OF THE LORD WE READ ABOUT IN THE FIRST TWO CHAPTERS IS THE WORD OF JUDGMENT BROUGHT BY THE MAN OF GOD AGAINST ELI.
GOD DID NOT SPEAK OFTEN, AND IN THESE TIMES WHEN HE DID SPEAK, HIS WAS A WORD OF JUDGMENT.
WE MUST RECALL THAT IN THESE DAYS THE HEARTS OF MOST OF THE PEOPLE WERE HARDENED WHILE THE PRIESTHOOD, WHICH SHOULD HAVE BEEN PROPERLY LEADING THE PEOPLE, WAS FILLED WITH CORRUPTION & EVIL.
THE LORD MAKES HIMSELF CLOSE WHEN HIS PEOPLE SEEK HIM AND WHEN HIS CHOSEN MINISTERS SEEK TO SERVE HIM.
AS WE DISCUSSED IN CHAPTER ONE, THERE ARE STRONG PARALLELS IN THESE DAYS AND OUR DAYS.
AS THE LORD OPENS HIS CONVERSATION WITH SAMUEL, ELI WAS LYING DOWN IN THE EVENING, AND HIS AGE HAD DIMMED HIS EYES AND IT IS LIKELY THAT HIS NEED FOR REST WAS STRONG.
WE ARE TOLD THAT HE WAS RESTING BEFORE THE LAMP OF THE LORD IN THE TABERNACLE WENT OUT.
THIS IS A FIGURE OF SPEECH MEANING “BEFORE DAWN” AS EXODUS 27:21 TEACHES THAT THE LAMP WAS TO BE TENDED UNTIL DAYBREAK.
WE ALSO NEED TO UNDERSTAND THAT THE DIMNESS OF THE EYES OF ELI WAS BOTH PHYSICAL FROM AGE, AND SPIRITUAL, FROM HIS NEGLECT OF HIS FATHERLY DUTIES TO CORRECT HIS CORRUPT SONS, WHO WERE CORRUPT TEMPLE PRIESTS.
AT THIS TIME OF CALL, JOSEPHUS, THE EARLY WRITER, TELLS US THAT SAMUEL WAS 12 YEARS OLD.
THE SILENCE AND AWE OF THE HOLY PLACE WERE EVIDENT AND IN ACCORD WITH THE BOY’S ATTENTION AND OPEN HEART.
THE SMALL PLACE WHERE THIS YOUNG SERVANT OF THE LORD LAID AT NIGHT WAS NOT TOO LOWLY FOR THE ETERNAL GOD TO VISIT.
STOOPING DOWN FROM HEAVEN ITSELF GOD CAME AND STOOD AND CALLED.
GOD WAS NOT IMPATIENT WITH SAMUEL AND GOD KNEW THAT ONCE SAMUEL UNDERSTOOD WHO WAS CALLING, HE WOULD BE EAGER TO OBEY THE CALL.
GOD SPKE TO SAMUEL AND CALLED HIM BY NAME.
THIS MOMENT OF THE LORD CALLING SAMUEL BY NAME IS VERY IMPORTANT AS BOTH THE OLD & NEW TESTAMENTS TEACH US:
ISAIAH 43:1 “I HAVE REDEEMED THEE, I HAVE CALLED YOU BY NAME AND YOU ARE MINE”
WE SEE THIS STRONG REFERENCE TO THE WORDS OF JESUS IN JOHN 10:3 WHEN HE SAID THAT THE LORD CALLS HIS SHEEP BY NAME AND LEADS THEM OUT.
SAMUEL WAS AN OBEDIENT YOUNG MAN, THINKING ELI NEEDED HIM AND HAD CALLED HIM AND HE GOES TO ELI.
ELI SAYS HE DID NOT CALL SAMUEL.
A 2ND & 3RD TIME THE LORD CALLS, AND AGAIN SAMUEL THINKS ELI IS CALLING AND HE GOES TO THE PRIEST.
NOW ELI UNDERSTANDS IT IS GOD CALLING AND HE INSTRUCTS SAMUEL TO ANSWER THE CALL WITH HIS OWN VOICE AND TO SAY “SPEAK LORD, FOR THY SERVANT HEARETH”.
HOW DOES GOD SPEAK?
IN MOST CASES TODAY AFTER THE GRANTING OF THE HOLY SPIRIT AT PENTECOST, WE GENERALLY THINK THE LORD SPEAKS WITHIN US, GUIDING US FROM INWARD CALLS TO HIS PURPOSE.
IN SAMUEL'S DAY, THE CALL WAS AUDIBLE, AND CLEAR TO THE EAR.
WE SHOULD TAKE NOTE THAT THE COMMAND GIVEN BY ELI AND THE RESPONSE GIVEN TO GOD BY SAMUEL WAS WITH REVERENCE AND HUMILITY.
NOTICE THAT AMONG FIRST WORDS SPOKEN TO GOD BY SAMUEL, HE IDENTIFIED HIMSELF AS “THY SERVANT”.
HERE WAS SAMUEL'S CONVERSION MOMENT.
EVEN THOUGH HANNAH HAD DEDICATED SAMUEL TO THE LORD AND PLACED HIM IN THE TABERNACLE AND EVEN THOUGH HE HAD BEEN SERVING THE HIGH PRIEST, SAMUEL WAS NOT YET BONDED TO THE LORD HIMSELF IN SERVICE.
NOW GOD SPEAKS DIRECTLY TO SAMUEL, CONFIDING IN HIM, BEGINNING THE LIFE LONG PROCESS OF FORMING HIM AND BRINGING HIM CLOSE BY CALLING HIM BY NAME.
FROM THIS MOMENT FORWARD, HE BELONGED DIRECTLY TO GOD WITH NO PRIEST BETWEEN THEM ANY LONGER.
HE WAS CALLED. THE CALL WAS EFFECTUAL AND HE ANSWERED THE CALL AS A SERVANT WHICH IS HOW HE LIVED ALL THE REST OF HIS DAYS.
AS WE BEGIN TO THINK ABOUT WHAT GOD SAID TO SAMUEL IT IS IMPORTANT THAT WE NOT SKIM OVER THE VALUE OF VERSE 10.
HERE WE ARE TAUGHT THAT THE LORD CAME AND THE LORD STOOD.
HERE IS THE PROOF THAT THE CALL WAS AUDIBLE AND THAT THE LORD ACTUALLY APPEARED VISIBLY TO SAMUEL AND OPENED A CONVERSATION WITH HIM.
THE LORD'S MESSAGE TO SAMUEL WAS THAT THE TIME OF JUDGMENT HAD ARRIVED FOR ELI.
HE SAYS HE WILL DO A THING IN ISRAEL AND THAT BOTH THE EARS OF EVERYONE THAT HEARS IT WILL TINGLE.
THE LORD SAYS THAT THE THINGS HE HAD STARTED WILL NOW BE BROUGHT TO AN END BY HIM.
GOD ALSO TELLS SAMUEL THAT HE HAD ALREADY TOLD ELI THIS WOULD HAPPEN BECAUSE HIS SONS WERE VILE AND CORRUPT AND ELI HAD NOT CORRECTED THEM.
SINCE THE ORIGINAL LAW WAS GIVEN TO MOSES, THE LORD COMMANDED IN EXODUS 29 & LEVITICUS 7 THAT THE PRIEST SHOULD BE ALLOWED A PART OF THE BREAST & SHOULDER MEAT OFFERED.
BUT NOW, 400 YEARS LATER, THE SONS OF ELI HAD CORRUPTED THIS COMMAND BY TAKING FAR MORE OF THE MEAT THAN WAS ALLOWED, THEREBY STEALING FROM GOD HIMSELF.
THE SONS ALSO WOULD OFTEN NOT TAKE THE MEAT AFTER IT WAS PREPARED BUT RATHER INSISTED ON TAKING RAW MEAT SO THEY COULD SELL IT AND POCKET THE MONEY.
THEY WERE RESISTED BY SOME GIVERS BUT THEY EVEN THREATENED TO TAKE THE GIVER'S MEAT FOR SACRIFICE BY PHYSICAL FORCE.
IN CHAPTER TWO WE SEE THAT THE SIN OF THE YOUNG MEN WAS GREAT BEFORE THE LORD, INCLUDING PHYSICAL IMMORALITY WITH WOMEN WHO CAME TO WORSHIP.
REMEMBER THAT THIS CONVERSATION WAS NOT TO ANNOUNCE THE EVENTS TO COME.
GOD TOLD SAMUEL HE HAD ALREADY TOLD ELI.
HERE WAS A HEAVY BURDEN THAT SAMUEL HAD TO CARRY WHEN HE WOULD SHARE THE WORDS OF THE LORD WITH ELI.
ELI WOULD HEAR GOD’S REBUKE OF HIM FROM SAMUEL FOR HIS NEGLECT AND ELI WOULD KNOW THIS JUDGMENT COULD NOT BE AVOIDED BY ANY SACRIFICE TO COVER HIS SINS.
SAMUEL SPOKE TO ELI IN A DELICATE WAY TO TRY TO SPARE THE OLDER MAN’S FEELINGS WITH THIS AWFUL DISCLOSURE.
ELI HAD BEEN FORETOLD AND HE THEN TOLD SAMUEL:
“It is the Lord, let Him do what seemeth Him good.”
THIS MEETING IS TO CONSECRATE SAMUEL AS THE LORD'S PROPHET AND IS TO CONFIRM WHAT HAS ALREADY BEEN ANNOUNCED TO THE PRIEST.
ELI HAD TWO FAILURES.
FIRST, HE WAS THE FATHER OF THE TWO MEN AND SHOULD HAVE CORRECTED THEIR BEHAVIOR AS A FATHER SHOULD DO WHAT IS NECESSARY TO ASSURE SONS LIVE PROPERLY.
SECOND, NOW THEY WERE GROWN MEN, AND ELI WAS CHIEF PRIEST, SO HE HAD A HIGHER CALLING TO CORRECT THEIR BEHAVIOR AS A MATTER OF TEMPLE EXAMPLE & PROPRIETY.
THEY WERE NOT LIVING AS THEY SHOULD HAVE EITHER AS MEN NOR AS TEMPLE OFFICIALS AND ELI HAD DONE NOTHING TO CORRECT THEM.
NOW THEIR SIN BECAME HIS SIN.
IN SAMUEL 2:27-36 A MAN OF GOD HAD BEEN SENT TO ELI WITH A WARNING.
THERE HAD BEEN NO REPENTANCE SO NOW COMES JUDGMENT.
SAMUEL LAYS DOWN UNTIL MORNING AND THEN OPENED THE DOORS TO THE LORD'S HOUSE, AS WAS HIS RESPONSIBILITY.
HE WAS AFRAID TO RELATE THE EVENT OF THE NIGHT TO ELI.
BUT ELI CALLED, LIKELY KNOWING THAT IT HAD BEEN THE LORD CALLING SAMUEL.
HE ASKS SAMUEL TO RELATE TO HIM WHAT HAPPENED, CALLING SAMUEL TO HIM BY THE LOVING TITLE OF “MY SON”.
ELI ASKS SAMUEL TO TELL HIM ALL, AND EVEN GOES FURTHER TELLING SAMUEL THAT IF HE DOES NOT TELL ALL, THAT THE SAME THING GOD PROMISED SHOULD COME UPON SAMUEL.
SO SAMUEL TELLS HIM ALL HE HEARD, HOLDING BACK NOTHING, REVEALING EVERY DETAIL.
ELI HEARD, ACCEPTS AND SAYS THAT THE LORD SHOULD DO WHAT SEEMETH HIM GOOD.
AT THIS MOMENT THE MANTLE OF THE FUTURE SPIRITUAL STATE OF THE NATION FELL FROM ELI ONTO THE YOUNG MAN SAMUEL'S SHOULDER.
VERSE 19 TEACHES US THAT SAMUEL GREW AND THE LORD WAS WITH HIM AND DID LET NONE OF HIS WORDS FALL TO THE GROUND.
THIS MEANS THAT ALL WORDS SPOKEN BY SAMUEL FROM NOW ONWARD WERE TRUE WORDS FROM GOD, AND ALL HIS PROPHECIES CAME TO PASS.
ALL OF ISRAEL FROM THE NORTH TO THE SOUTH KNEW OF SAMUEL AND HE BECAME ESTABLISHED AS THE LORD'S PROPHET IN THE JEWISH NATION.
SINCE THE DAYS OF MOSES, FEW PROPHETS HAD ARISEN AND CERTAINLY NO GREAT PROPHET HAD COME.
NOW THE LORD HAD RAISED UP HIS OWN GREAT PROPHET, BROUGHT BY THE SIMPLE PRAYER OF ONE DEVOUT WOMAN WHO PLED HER CASE BEFORE GOD AND VOWED TO GIVE THE SON BACK IF HE MIGHT BE GIVEN.
THE PRAYER WAS ANSWERED, AND THE VOW WAS KEPT.
SCRIPTURE ALLOWS US PROOF OF THE STATURE OF THE PROPHET SAMUEL IN THE EYES OF THE LORD:
PSALMS 99:6 “MOSES AND AARON AMONG HIS PRIESTS, AND SAMUEL AMONG THEM THAT CALL UPON HIS NAME; THEY CALL UPON THE LORD AND HE ANSWERED THEM”.
JEREMIAH 15:1 “THEN THE LORD SAID UNTO ME; THOUGH MOSES AND SAMUEL STAND BEFORE ME...”
SAMUEL BRIDGES THE TIME GAP BETWEEN THE JUDGES AND THE KINGS, WHEN NATHAN, ELIJAH, & ISAIAH WOULD ARISE.
IN THE LAST VERSE OF CHAPTER THREE, THE LORD APPEARED AGAIN TO SAMUEL IN SHILOH REVEALING HIMSELF BY HIS WORD, LIKELY THE WORD THAT JOHN TEACHES WOULD BECOME FLESH AND DWELL WITH MEN.
THE REAL TRUTH WE FIND IN TODAY'S CHAPTER IS THAT SAMUEL WAS WILLING TO SURRENDER HIMSELF TO THE WILL OF THE LORD AS A SERVANT.
THROUGH THIS HUMBLE GIVING OF HIMSELF, EMPTYING HIMSELF TO RECEIVE THE FILLING BY THE LORD, HE BECAME AMONG THE GREATEST OF ALL THE LORD'S PROPHETS.
EACH LIFE CONTAINS A PLAN SET BY THE LORD. WHEN HE CALLS, ARE WE READY TO LISTEN & SUBMIT?
SO HOW CAN WE HEAR THE LORD SPEAK TO EACH OF US?
1. BE QUIET -
SAMUEL HAD TO GO BACK TO HIS BED AND LIE DOWN.
PSALM 131:2 “SURELY I HAVE BEHAVED AND QUIETED MYSELF”
ELIJAH FLED FOR HIS LIFE AND ONLY HEARD GOD AS A STILL SMALL VOICE.
IS THERE TOO MUCH NOISE WITHIN OUR EVERYDAY LIVES TO HEAR THAT STILL SMALL VOICE TRYING TO REACH US?
2. WAIT
SAMUEL HAD TO WAIT UNTIL HE HEARD THE VOICE AGAIN.
PSALM 27:14 TEACHES “WAIT ON THE LORD, BE OF GOOD COURAGE...”
WE MUST NOT HURRY IN OUR WAITING. ALL THE TIME WE HAVE LEFT IS UNDER HIS CONTROL SO WE SHOULD GIVE IT HUMBLY TO HIM. HE WILL SPEAK WHEN HE IS READY, NOT WHEN WE THINK WE ARE READY.
3. LISTEN
ELI TOLD SAMUEL “THOU SHALT SAY, SPEAK LORD, FOR THY SERVANT HEARETH”.
WHEN MOSES WAS FACED WITH TOUGH QUESTIONS AND NEEDED ANSWERS FROM GOD HE SAID IN NUMBERS 9:8:
“STAND STILL AND I WILL HEAR WHAT THE LORD COMMANDS”.
4. SURRENDER
SAMUEL WAS TO TELL THE LORD THAT HE WAS THE LORD'S SERVANT.
WHEN WE ARE TRULY SURRENDERED TO THE LORD AND WILLING TO LISTEN, HE WILL SPEAK.
5. KNOW HIS VOICE
SAMUEL WOULD FROM THIS DAY ONWARD KNOW HIS VOICE.
IF WE SPEND TIME WITH HIS WORD, THAT WHICH HE HAS ALREADY SPOKEN WE WILL BE WELL FAMILIAR WITH THE WAY HE INTENDS HIS WORDS TO BE HEARD AND WE WILL KNOW HIS VOICE WHEN IT COMES TO US THROUGH HIS SPIRIT THAT IS IN US.
ARE WE LISTENING?
IS OUR WORLD TOO FILLED WITH BUSYNESS & CLUTTER TO BE QUIET, TO WAIT, TO LISTEN, TO SURRENDER?