Speak, Your Servant is Listening

15 But Hannah answered, “No, my lord, I am a woman deeply troubled; I have drunk neither wine nor strong drink, but I have been pouring out my soul before the Lord.

And God answered her prayers - and she became pregnant with a son - Samuel. And in joy - she dedicated young Samuel to the LORD.

1 Samuel 1:28 NRSV

28 Therefore I have lent him to the Lord; as long as he lives, he is given to the Lord.” She left him there for the Lord.

And so Samuel would grow up in the temple. Learning the ways of the priests. The offerings. The prayers.

But Hannah prayed. Like Mary would pray when Jesus was to be born:

1 Samuel 2:1 NRSV

1 Hannah prayed and said, “My heart exults in the Lord; my strength is exalted in my God. My mouth derides my enemies, because I rejoice in my victory.

1 Samuel 2:5 NRSV

5 Those who were full have hired themselves out for bread, but those who were hungry are fat with spoil. The barren has borne seven, but she who has many children is forlorn.

Eli’s Children

Samuel was presented to the Lord and left in the care of Eli the priest.

But Eli already had two sons.

Phineas and Hophni.

The scripture makes no bones about it:

1 Samuel 2:12 NRSV

12 Now the sons of Eli were scoundrels; they had no regard for the Lord

The NRSV says ‘scoundrels’ the NIV says ‘wicked men’ - the Hebrew says they were:

Faithlife Study Bible (Chapter 2)

benei beliyya’al, which is literally rendered as “sons of Belial.” A similar term is used in the NT to refer to the antithesis of Christ

Belial - in Hebrew - is another name for Satan.

Phinehas and Hophni were ‘sons of Satan’.

And 1 Samuel 2 tells us a few stories about the things that these guys got up to:

1 Samuel 2:13–14 (NRSV)

13 …When anyone offered sacrifice, the priest’s servant would come, while the meat was boiling, with a three-pronged fork in his hand,

14 and he would thrust it into the pan, or kettle, or caldron, or pot; all that the fork brought up the priest would take for himself. This is what they did at Shiloh to all the Israelites who came there.

Can you imagine.

When offerings were made for God - these scoundrels would take the best parts for themselves.

1 Samuel 2:17 NRSV

17 Thus the sin of the young men was very great in the sight of the Lord; for they treated the offerings of the Lord with contempt.

Having set up the scene.

Hannah - the weeping and barren woman - who Eli assumes is drunk - turns out to be devout. So devout that this son that she bares - she dedicates to the LORD.

Phinehas and Hophni - the scoundrels who bully the people who come to worship the LORD. Taking the best cuts of meat - treating the offerings with contempt.

And in the midst of all this we get this little verse - about a little ray of hope:

Samuel

1 Samuel 2:18 NRSV

18 Samuel was ministering before the Lord, a boy wearing a linen ephod.

And every year Hannah would come to the temple - with her husband Elkanah and they would make offerings and receive blessings. But most important of all - every year Hannah would sow a new Ephod for Samuel…

Every year - a little bigger as he grew.

He had grown quite a lot by the time we meet him in chapter 3.

Where we hear the striking words:

1 Samuel 3:1 (NRSV)

1 ___ The word of the Lord was rare in those days; visions were not widespread.

The word of the LORD

1 Samuel 3:3 NRSV

3 the 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.

We don’t know a whole lot about this temple at Shiloh. It would eventually be destroyed.

Shiloh was where the Israelites set up the tent of meeting that had travelled with them through the wilderness.

That place where Moses prayed.

Where Joshua prayed.

And in this tent - there stood the Ark of the Lord.

It seems that at Shiloh they may have built some sort of structure where the tabernacle was kept.

***

The picture is quite bleak though.

Eli - is becoming old and weak.

Eli’s sons - are scoundrels and will surely amount to nothing.

The temple is a sight of corruption.

And even the Lord doesn’t seem to be speaking to the people.

***

Yet - woven in to this tapestry of bad news - of no hope…

Signs of hope.

Samuel rests in the temple. On the ground. Near the ark.

And:

‘…the lamp of God had not gone out.’ (1 Sam 3:3)

The lamp in the temple - was the Menorah.

It was meant to be kept burning day and night. A symbol of God’s presence in the temple.

A symbol of the tree of eternal life.

Of all the hope that God gives.

It seems that Samuel kept vigil in the temple at night.

Ensuring that it didn’t go out.

1 Samuel 3:4–5 NRSV

4 Then the Lord called, “Samuel! Samuel!” and he said, “Here I am!” 5 and ran to Eli, and said, “Here I am, for you called me.” But he said, “I did not call; lie down again.” So he went and lay down.

This happened a few times. Until Eli realised something.

The LORD was speaking to Samuel.

1 Samuel 3:9 NRSV

9 Therefore Eli said to Samuel, “Go, lie down; and if he calls you, you shall say, ‘Speak, Lord, for your servant is listening.’ ” So Samuel went and lay down in his place.

New Beginnings, New Hope, New Life

I’m not sure how 2024 is going for you just yet.

But life always has its burdens.

I think 1 Samuel paints a fair picture of life in all its difficulty.

Hannah’s struggle.

Eli’s prejudice - judging her - thinking she is a drunk. But meanwhile she will soon be the mother of someone who would be the hope of the nation.

Samuel would be the prophet to identify and anoint David…

Eli’s sons. Corrupt - stealing the sacrifices of the people.

The tent of meeting - sounds like it is in trouble.

And even a word or vision from the LORD is rare in those days.

Bodies wearing out.

Morality broken.

Cynicism reigns.

But in the midst of it all - a thread of hope.

God - wriggling in. Through Hannah’s desperation.

Through Samuel and Eli’s faithfulness.

‘…the lamp of God had not gone out.’ (1 Sam 3:3)

This lamp is so much more than just a lamp isn’t it…

It is the light of which Jesus says:

Matthew 5:14 NRSV

14 “You are the light of the world. A city built on a hill cannot be hid.

It is the light which John mentions:

John 1:5 NRSV

5 The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not overcome it.

Need some light?

Well - the hope of the story begins with someone so distraught in her darkness that all she can do is pray.

Pray so hard and passionately that the priest thinks she is drunk.

Pouring out her heart and soul to God - God hears Hannah’s prayer.

And Hannah is faithful.

Bringing Samuel to the LORD - and encouraging him in his service. Bringing a new robe every year. Blessing him - worshipping at the temple.

Samuel is faithful.

Keeping the lamp alive.

Sleeping in the temple so he won’t neglect it.

And in all of that - hearing God’s whisper… God’s call…

Samuel. Samuel.

The thing about Samuel.

The first time he gets up.

It is to see if Eli wants something.

Eli’s children should be caring for him. He is going blind, getting old.

But they’re not listening for the cry of their old father.

They’re sleeping off a feast of the best pieces of meat.

Samuel jumps up to see how he can help.

A Servant Heart

And something happens.

Hannah’s Child answers the call of his Father

The story began with Hannah’s child.

And unfortunately - Eli’s children -

benei beliyya’al

Will receive justice for their actions.

As God speaks to Samuel he tells him the bad news about the sons of Eli and when Eli asks what God told Samuel Samuel is reluctant to say.

Samuel learns to say the difficult thing.

1 Samuel 3:19–21 NRSV

19 As Samuel grew up, the Lord was with him and let none of his words fall to the ground. 20 And all Israel from Dan to Beer-sheba knew that Samuel was a trustworthy prophet of the Lord. 21 The Lord continued to appear at Shiloh, for the Lord revealed himself to Samuel at Shiloh by the word of the Lord.

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