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CHAPTER THREE

1. The boy Samuel ministered before the LORD under Eli. In those days the word of the LORD was
rare; there were not many visions.
The boy Samuel will be the first national prophet/judge/priest, and for the first time in Israels histor! sin"e
the time of #oshua a single man will wield the power and authorit! of $oses or #oshua% In Peters se"ond
re"orded sermon at Pente"ost, he ma&es mention of Samuel as being the first in a line of prophets sent b!
'od (A"ts )*+,-% .ne author writes, /Samuels "all%%%initiates a drasti" "hange in the form of go0ernment1
'od will ne0er spea& dire"tl! to a &ing, but will spea& onl! through a prophet%

($"'ee-
Samuel ministered before the LORD Samuel is about 2+ !ears old% 3hat was Samuel4s job5 At his age he
"ouldn4t ha0e done too mu"h* sweep the floors, ser0e Eli and his sons, open the temple door% 3hate0er he
did, he did faithfull!% .ur 6ord said when 7uestioned about tea"hing in a s!nagogue, /8id !ou not &now that
I must be about $! 9athers business%:
In those days At the time of I Samuel%
the word of the LORD was rare lit% /pre"ious: as in the ;#% Apparentl!, Eli and his sons were too bus!
doing their thing to hear the 3ord of the 6ord or to "ommuni"ate the 3ord of the 6ord% How different than
toda! when we find the <ible e0er!where% Toda! we "an hear the 3ord of 'od on radio, tele0ision, and the
internet%
The 3ord of 'od was rare but not unheard% The 6ord alwa!s retains a faithful few e0en in the worse da!s of
apostas!% 'od spea&s when his 0oi"e is most needed, and he spea&s when there is someone who wants to
hear him%
there were not many visions $eaning there were 0er! few auditor! 8i0ine re0elations, either from 'od or
angels or men% This was a period of spiritual famine% 3e "an see this is the "orruption of the high priest, Eli,
and his two sons% There were no "ommuni"ators, and people it seems didn4t desire the 3ord from 'od%
Prior to the dispersion, when Israel was under great judgment, the prophet #eremiah wrote, /1 The law is no
more and her prophets find no 0ision from #eho0ah: (6am% +*=-%
Prior to the fall of the northern &ingdom (whi"h was >++ b%"%-, the prophet Amos spo&e 'ods words, sa!ing*
?<ehold, da!s are "oming,? de"lares #eho0ah 'od, ?3hen I will send a famine on the land% @ot a famine for
bread or a thirst for water, but rather for the hearing of the words of #eho0ah%? (Amos A*22-%
At this time Israel had a fun"tioning priesthood, but one with some serious problems% /$an! 6e0ites, who
were to ha0e ser0ed the priesthood established b! 'od in the line of Aaron, had been going out on their own,
going into territories that 'od had not gi0en them, and selling their ser0i"es as priests-for-hire% It appears as
though the 6aw was not followed "arefull! with regards to the "eremoniesB and "ertain portions were ignored
altogether (e%g%, the Sabbath Cears and the Cear of #ubilee-%: (;u&is-
2. One niht Eli! whose eyes were be"omin so wea# that he "ould barely see! was lyin down in his
usual $la"e.
Eli4s ph!si"al e!esight is li&e his spiritual e!esight% He also "ouldn4t see how serious his sons4 sins were or
his own failure as a father%
2
was lyin down in his usual $la"e This was a night li&e e0er! other night, but this night, it would turn out,
would be 0er! different% Eli was asleep both ph!si"all! and spirituall!%
%. The lam$ of &od had not yet one out! and Samuel was lyin down in the tem$le of the LORD!
where the ar# of &od was.
The lam$ of &od had not yet one out This too& pla"e at night% The lamp is the se0en bran"hed lamp that
burned oli0e oil% It was the onl! light in the Taberna"le during the night%
The lamp of hope had also not gone out% Samuel, the future prophet, was on the s"ene (+ Sam% +2*2>, +*+=-%
3hile Samuel4s light was about to shine, Eli4s and his sons4 were about to go out%
in the tem$le Samuel probabl! slept in the "ourt!ard (0s% 2D- not far from Eli% The Ar& was in the
Taberna"le, but Samuel wasn4t sleeping in the hol! of holies where the Ar& was lo"ated or in an! part of the
Taberna"le% The Taberna"le was a pla"e of worship and not a pla"e of sleeping% 3hen our 0erse spea&s of the
temple, it is referring to the whole Taberna"le "ompleE%
'. Then the LORD "alled Samuel. Samuel answered! ()ere I am.( * +nd he ran to Eli and said!
()ere I am; you "alled me.( ,ut Eli said! (I did not "all; o ba"# and lie down.( So he went and lay
down.

'nuse has theoriFed that 2 Samuel ) is best anal!Fed as an auditor! message dream theophan!% (Gonder0an-
)ere I am This shows his willingness to ser0e% Eli with his bad 0ision was in "onstant need of help% .ur
0erse sa!s he ran to Eli%
-. +ain the LORD "alled! (Samuel.( +nd Samuel ot u$ and went to Eli and said! ()ere I am; you
"alled me.( (/y son!( Eli said! (I did not "all; o ba"# and lie down.(
The first time Samuel ran, now he wal&s%
0. 1ow Samuel did not yet #now the LORD2 The word of the LORD had not yet been revealed to him.
Samuel didn4t &now the 6ord was "alling him be"ause the 6ord had ne0er spo&en to him, nor re0ealed
himself to him% Samuel didn4t ha0e a spe"ial relationship with the 6ord% Eli4s sons also didn4t &now the 6ord
and would die not &nowing the 6ord% Eli4s sons ser0ed as priests for man! !ears% Eli was =A, so the! might
ha0e been ser0ing as priest for HI !earsB !et ne0er &new the 6ord%
Samuel grew up in the Taberna"le% He &new the fun"tion of the Taberna"le, &new the items in the Taberna"le,
and &new the meaning of the Taberna"le and items, but he didn4t ha0e a personal eEperien"e with the 6ord%
So it is with those who grow up in the "hur"h% The! ma! &now the <ible stories but don4t ha0e a personal
relationship with the 6ord%
had not yet been revealed to him The word re0ealed means lit% un"o0ered% Soon Samuel4s e!es will be
un"o0ered%
+
3. The LORD "alled Samuel a third time! and Samuel ot u$ and went to Eli and said! ()ere I am;
you "alled me.( Then Eli reali4ed that the LORD was "allin the boy.
After responding three times we &now that Samuel is wide awa&e%
5. So Eli told Samuel! (&o and lie down! and if he "alls you! say! 6S$ea#! LORD! for your servant is
listenin.7 (So Samuel went and lay down in his $la"e.
'od isn4t through using Eli, e0en thought he is soon to die for what we would "all the sin unto death%
18 The LORD "ame and stood there! "allin as at the other times! (Samuel. Samuel.(
Then Samuel said! (S$ea#! for your servant is listenin.(
Samuel seems to be able to see the 6ord at this time% 'od seems to ha0e en"ountered Samuel in his dreams%
Then Samuel said! S$ea#! for your servant is listenin This is the beginning of Samuel4s new life, a life
with new meaning and purpose% He is going to be"ome 'od4s spo&esman%
3e all heard the 0oi"e of 'od, "alling us to be born again% Some hear the 0oi"e when the! are !oungB some
hear it middle ageB and a few hear it when old% 3e don4t &now eEa"tl! when Samuel entered into a
relationship with the 6ord, but we &now the 6ord began to use him at this time%
3e should begin ea"h wa&ing hour with the same words* 6ord, what do !ou ha0e to tell me this da!%
3e tal&ed about the different manus"ripts, the $T, 6JJ, and 88S% Sometimes the differen"es are slight% In
0erse 2I, the $T has /Samuel, Samuel: while the 6JJ has /Samuel%: A 0er! slight differen"e% The different
translations emphasiFe either the $T or 6JJ or the 8SS% The @RSK rel!s a lot on the 8SS, for eEample,
while the ;# doesn4t use them at all, of "ourse%
11. +nd the LORD said to Samuel2 (See! I am about to do somethin in Israel that will ma#e the ears
of everyone who hears of it tinle.
Samuel at a !oung age be"ame a prophet% His "alling b! 'od establishes his "redentials%
the ears of everyone that hears it will tinle This means a pain in the ear li&e fingernails s"raping on a
bla"&board% As a sharp, dis"ordant noise pains one4s ear, so the news will pain those who hear it% The shape
pain will be a disaster that will o0er"ome Eli and his sons and all Israel% This disaster will be their deaths and
the destru"tion of Shiloh, whi"h is the lo"ation of the "entral san"tuar!% This "atastrophe would ?ma&e the
ears of e0er!one who hears of it tingle%? This eEpression is used onl! here (at the beginning of the monar"h!-
and in + ;ings +2*2+B #eremiah 2=*) (at the end of the monar"h!, when #erusalem and the "entral san"tuar!
were destro!ed-
12. +t that time I will "arry out aainst Eli everythin I s$o#e aainst his family99from beinnin to
end.
from beinnin to end The 6ord will a""omplishment his full purpose, but not ne"essaril! all at one time%
'od will "arr! out his plans in his due time%
)
1%. :or I told him that I would ;ude his family forever be"ause of the sin he #new about; his sons
made themselves "ontem$tible! and he failed to restrain them.
:or I told him that I would ;ude his family 3e heard about this punishment in "hapter +% 'od is going to
punish Eil4s famil!%
the sin he #new about Eli &new about the sins of his son, but failed to stop his sons% @ow, at age =A Eil isn4t
able to rebu&e his middle aged sons, but he "ould ha0e dis"iplined them !ears ago% Parents are a""ountable
when the! fail to stop their "hildren from sinning% I thin& this sa!s that a parent has to bear some
responsibilit! for their "hildren4s sins, e0en when the "hildren are adults, if the! hadn4t dis"iplined them
when the! were "hildren%
EFe&% ))*A /3hen I sa! to the wi"&ed, L. wi"&ed man, !ou will surel! die, and !ou do not spea& out to
dissuade him from his wa!s, that wi"&ed man will die for his sin, and I will hold !ou a""ountable for his
blood%
=
<ut if !ou do warn the wi"&ed man to turn from his wa!s and he does not do so, he will die for his
sin, but !ou will ha0e sa0ed !ourself%:
his sons made themselves "ontem$tible .r /made themsel0es vile< (@;#-B or /his sons were
MblasphemingN 'od, bringing a "urse on themsel0es%: (Amp%- @oti"e, the sons did it all themsel0es% The!
ha0e no one to blame% The! "an4t blame their upbringing or la"& of dis"ipline% @o doubt the 6ord "alled the
sons of Eli but the! didn4t listen%
he failed to restrain them <e"ause of this failure, he was e7uall! guilt! and suffered the same punishment%
1' Therefore! I swore to the house of Eli! The uilt of Eli7s house will never be atoned for by sa"rifi"e
or offerin.7 (
'od emphati"all! states to Samuel that no t!pe of sa"rifi"e will be a""epted b! Him to atone for the sins of
Elis sons%
The house of Eli was "ondemned b! 'od% His senten"e was passed% Their sins were so great that no sa"rifi"e
"ould forgi0e them% The sons sinned in the offerings of sin, so how "ould these offerings be used b! them for
repentan"e5 Is there su"h a sin toda!5 Their sin is the refusal to a"&nowledge their sin, and for su"h there is
no atonement, not then and not toda!%
1* Samuel lay down until mornin and then o$ened the doors of the house of the LORD. )e was
afraid to tell Eli the vision!
Samuel &ept himself bus!, tr!ing to a0oid telling Eli the message 'od told him%
The doors are the doors to the "ourt!ard%
A reasonable 7uestion here is, wh! tell Samuel this5 'od has alread! spo&en to Eli through a prophetB wh! is
Samuel brought into the loop5 Isnt 'ods judgment of Eli and his famil! a matter of pri0a"!5
2% Samuel was Elis su""essorB Samuel needed to &now what was going on%
,
+% 'ods treatment of Eli had to be "lear to Samuel%
)% Samuel must &now that there are serious, possibl! deadl!, "onse7uen"es for his failures%
,% 3hat Elis sons are doing is 0er! publi"% This is not a pri0ate issue% 'od is ma&ing their sins publi" b!
telling Samuel% Therefore, their sins will be dealt with publi"l!% E0er!one &new about the sins of the sons
and e0er!one would &now how 'od dealt with those sins% If their sins were in pri0ate, 'od would ha0e dealt
with them in pri0ate%
D% E0en more importantl!, Samuel must realiFe that he is responsible to 'od% Samuel is going to ha0e a 0er!,
long ministr!B therefore, he must ha0e his priorities straight% Ser0ing 'od would be his priorit!, not his
famil!%
H% Samuel must be"ome a"7uainted with the judgments of 'od%
1-. but Eli "alled him and said! (Samuel! my son. (Samuel answered! ()ere I am.( 10. (=hat was it
he said to you>( Eli as#ed. (Do not hide it from me. /ay &od deal with you! be it ever so severely! if
you hide from me anythin he told you.(

In the Hebrew Eli is 0er! eE"ited as he sa!s these words% He demands that Samuel gi0e him a "omplete and
eEa"t report% I thin& Eli suspe"ted that the message was about him% If not, wh! didn4t Samuel run to Eli with
what 'od had told him5
/ay &od deal with you /'od forgi0e !ou: (@E<- @oti"e, 'od did not tell Samuel to tell Eli what he told
him% Samuel, I belie0e, would ha0e &ept 'od4s re0elation pri0ate, if not for Eli4s prodding% <road"asting
other people4s sins is not 'od4s wa! of dealing with personal sins%
13. So Samuel told him everythin! hidin nothin from him. Then Eli said! ()e is the LORD; let him
do what is ood in his eyes.(

3e read that So Samuel told him everythin It must ha0e been hard for Samuel to do this% I suspe"t that
Samuel thought of Eli as a se"ond father%
Then Eli said! ()e is the LORD; let him do what is ood in his eyes .r /It is the 6ord, he must do what
he &nows to be right%: (C<C- Eli resigns himself to 'od4s 3ill, realiFing that it would be futile to do
otherwise% To his "redit, Eli does not hold Samuel, the messenger, responsible for the message%
15. The LORD was with Samuel as he rew u$! and he let none of his words fall to the round.
and he let none of his words fall to the round .r let none of his /promises: fall to the ground% (3<C-
This is a metaphor for arrows being shot out of a bow and all of them hitting their mar&% (PHC- 'od made
sure that e0er!thing he said to Samuel "ame true%
28. +nd all Israel from Dan to ,eersheba re"oni4ed that Samuel was attested as a $ro$het of the
LORD.
D
from Dan to ,eer9sheba This is the northern and southern boundaries of the united monar"h! under 8a0id
and Solomon% /Samuel4s a"ti0it! was in fa"t limited to a small "entral area around Ramah%: (C<C- <ut he
was a prophet for all of Israel%
3e are told that Samuel was a $ro$het of the LORD. The 6ord4s word be"ame Samuel4s word%
21. The LORD "ontinued to a$$ear at Shiloh! and there he revealed himself to Samuel throuh his
word.
The 6ord re0ealed his will to Samuel man! more times than is re"orded in S"ripture%
Kerse 2a of "hapter , goes after 0erse +2% +nd Samuel7s word "ame to all Israel.
The original .ld and @ew Testament manus"ripts were written without spa"es, without pun"tuation, without
"hapter di0isions and without 0erse di0isions% In the an"ient teEts, there were no spa"es between the words%
At some point in time, a spa"e was pla"ed between the indi0idual 0erses% It is not "lear when or where this
beganB howe0er, after the <ab!lonian "apti0it!, for the purposes of publi" reading and interpretation, spa"e
stops were used between 0erses% There was no real uniformit! in this regard, and the! 0aried from pla"e to
pla"e% These 0erse separations were not standardiFed until =II A%8% In the Reformation teEt, 0erse
separations began with the <omberg edition of S"ripture (2D,> A%8%-OOe0er! fifth 0erse was so indi"ated% In
2D>2, $ontanus noted the separation of ea"h 0erse in the margin%
+nd Samuel7s word "ame to all Israel The Amp% <ible has, /And the word of the 6ord through Samuel
"ame to all Israel%: /3hen Samuel was a"&nowledged to be #eho0ah4s prophet he also be"ame the 0irtual
judge of Israel, though probabl! he did not a"t with full authorit! until after Eli4s death%: (Pulpit-
How different from )*2 when the 3ord of 'od was rare%
H

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