Lord is Good
Notes
Transcript
A. Rapport for the time
B. Reading of the text
C. Review of the text
If you remember back with me some 8 weeks ago when we started the book of 1 Samuel we talked about how Israel is not following the Lord’s ways and were leading themselves by “doing what was right in their own eyes.” 1 Samuel is about a Sovereign God who will fulfill his purposes sometimes in-spite of us as he has a plan to bring salvation to the world.
“The Dreary cycle of rebellion—retribution—repentance—restoration—rebellion is repeated over and over again throughout the book of Judges, which in many respects rehearses the darkest days of Israel’s long history.
We left the passage last with with God coming to Samuel and standing before him telling him that he was about to do a thing. The passage allowed us to see that the 12 year boy would be a prophet of the most high God and be given the word of the Lord for the people as God leads not Samuel.
D. Relevance of the text
My deepest hope this morning is that is that we will be able to behold the goodness of God in our life and understand the importance of God’s word to everything we are as children of God.
I. Prophet Torn
I. Prophet Torn
15 Samuel lay until morning; then he opened the doors of the house of the Lord. And Samuel was afraid to tell the vision to Eli.
16 But Eli called Samuel and said, “Samuel, my son.” And he said, “Here I am.”
17 And Eli said, “What was it that he told you? Do not hide it from me. May God do so to you and more also if you hide anything from me of all that he told you.”
Samuel was told by God the following
10 And the Lord came and stood, calling as at other times, “Samuel! Samuel!” And Samuel said, “Speak, for your servant hears.”
11 Then the Lord said to Samuel, “Behold, I am about to do a thing in Israel at which the two ears of everyone who hears it will tingle.
12 On that day I will fulfill against Eli all that I have spoken concerning his house, from beginning to end.
13 And I declare to him that I am about to punish his house forever, for the iniquity that he knew, because his sons were blaspheming God, and he did not restrain them.
14 Therefore I swear to the house of Eli that the iniquity of Eli’s house shall not be atoned for by sacrifice or offering forever.”
vs. 15—Samuel got up that morning and went about his business. I don’t thing he slept much that past evening especially after the Lord visited him and told him of what happen to Eli and his family. Samuel—the Prophet of God was going to have to tell the truth of God’s word that would bring judgement upon Eli and his house. No the easiest of positions for a grown up adult let alone a 12 year old boy. But this was part of Samuel’s training by the Lord and his first task was a hard one. He was afraid to tell the vision to Eli is what verse 15 says.
I want to stop just for a moment and be thankful that God gives us real people in his word by which we can see them work and grow in the Lord. Samuel is being put in a place of reliance upon God and his word alone in this moment and he is afraid. Why be afraid? God has put him in position to have zero doubt about the situation. He is afraid because he loves Eli. Samuel doesn’t want to hurt Eli in any way. Eli called him a son in verse 16 and now Samuel has to pronounce the judgement of God upon Eli. What a difficult position to be in at 12 but what a training for him and us as well. Beloved, hear me, God’s word is the only thing worth relying upon and standing. And if that is so then we must spend time seeking after him. Our dedication to the word has to go beyond the doors of this church if we are going to be affective ambassadors of our King.
As Eli finds Samuel this morning we need to stop and remember Eli is a human being also, flesh and blood. I don’t think he would have slept much that night either knowing that the Lord was meeting with Samuel.
vs. 17 shows us how much Eli wanted the word from Go no matter what he was told.
T.S.
II. Peace in God
II. Peace in God
18 So Samuel told him everything and hid nothing from him. And he said, “It is the Lord. Let him do what seems good to him.”
God was doing a thing and Samuel informed Eli of that thing. This is the second time that God has reached out to Eli using someone else.
31 Behold, the days are coming when I will cut off your strength and the strength of your father’s house, so that there will not be an old man in your house.
32 Then in distress you will look with envious eye on all the prosperity that shall be bestowed on Israel, and there shall not be an old man in your house forever.
33 The only one of you whom I shall not cut off from my altar shall be spared to weep his eyes out to grieve his heart, and all the descendants of your house shall die by the sword of men.
34 And this that shall come upon your two sons, Hophni and Phinehas, shall be the sign to you: both of them shall die on the same day.
35 And I will raise up for myself a faithful priest, who shall do according to what is in my heart and in my mind. And I will build him a sure house, and he shall go in and out before my anointed forever.
If we think back to last week and all that happened in the first part of 1 Samuel 3 we understand that the way in which God called Samuel was to strengthen his belief but also to leave no doubt in Eli’s mind. Understand, that Eli needed to know what was happening with Samuel so that he might be able to hear the word of the Lord from this 12 year old boy that He knows God has had a hand upon since before he was even born.
Eli response is not filled with anger toward God or hatred toward Samuel. The response tells you that he fully understands the God that he serves and the decision that Eli and his house have made that have brought him to this point.
Others have similar responses when presented with the Sovereign hand of God.
Job
21 And he said, “Naked I came from my mother’s womb, and naked shall I return. The Lord gave, and the Lord has taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord.”
10 But he said to her, “You speak as one of the foolish women would speak. Shall we receive good from God, and shall we not receive evil?” In all this Job did not sin with his lips.
King David
26 But if he says, ‘I have no pleasure in you,’ behold, here I am, let him do to me what seems good to him.”
11 And David said to Abishai and to all his servants, “Behold, my own son seeks my life; how much more now may this Benjaminite! Leave him alone, and let him curse, for the Lord has told him to.
12 It may be that the Lord will look on the wrong done to me, and that the Lord will repay me with good for his cursing today.”
The statement acknowledges both the sovereignty of God and the goodness of God.
Goodness of God—Easton’s bible dictionary
A perfection of his character which he exercises towards his creatures according to their various circumstances and relations.
8 The Lord is merciful and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love.
8 The Lord is gracious and merciful, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love.
9 The Lord is good to all, and his mercy is over all that he has made.
17 The Lord your God is in your midst, a mighty one who will save; he will rejoice over you with gladness; he will quiet you by his love; he will exult over you with loud singing.
8 Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love.
4 Or do you presume on the riches of his kindness and forbearance and patience, not knowing that God’s kindness is meant to lead you to repentance?
Understand this discipline upon the house of Eli is still God’s goodness toward them. Eli in not stopping Hophni and Phineas has put contempt upon God and his way and are defaming the Name of God.
26 For if we go on sinning deliberately after receiving the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins,
27 but a fearful expectation of judgment, and a fury of fire that will consume the adversaries.
28 Anyone who has set aside the law of Moses dies without mercy on the evidence of two or three witnesses.
29 How much worse punishment, do you think, will be deserved by the one who has trampled underfoot the Son of God, and has profaned the blood of the covenant by which he was sanctified, and has outraged the Spirit of grace?
30 For we know him who said, “Vengeance is mine; I will repay.” And again, “The Lord will judge his people.”
31 It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.
III. Prophet established
III. Prophet established
19 And Samuel grew, and the Lord was with him and let none of his words fall to the ground.
20 And all Israel from Dan to Beersheba knew that Samuel was established as a prophet of the Lord.
21 And the Lord appeared again at Shiloh, for the Lord revealed himself to Samuel at Shiloh by the word of the Lord.
1 And the word of Samuel came to all Israel. Now Israel went out to battle against the Philistines. They encamped at Ebenezer, and the Philistines encamped at Aphek.
This is the last we will see and hear from Samuel until we get to chapter 7. But Samuel is the word of God before the people of God in a time when they are leading themselves astray.
1 Long ago, at many times and in many ways, God spoke to our fathers by the prophets,
2 but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed the heir of all things, through whom also he created the world.
God works in our life now by his word that you hold in your hands.
7 The law of the Lord is perfect, reviving the soul; the testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple;
8 the precepts of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart; the commandment of the Lord is pure, enlightening the eyes;
3 For the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions,
4 and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander off into myths.
Application:
Goodness of God in our life
God’s word in our life.—How are we handling the Word of God in our life?
Primary themes of this chapter is the display of divine initiative in detemining the destiny of his people individually and collectively.
Raising a Prophet, Judge, Priest up in Samuel while at the same time bringing judgement upon Eli and his house and also the entire house of Israel. Restoration is always in the hands of God not in the what we do and we see that in these verses. God is doing a thing that will ultimately lead God’s people back to him and ultimately to the Savior of the world our Lord Jesus Christ.
