A New Word Out of Old Silence -- 01/17/2021

This morning. We will ramp up our series on fresh start calling you out of the old and this morning we start with a new word out of old silence. Will be looking at the the calling of the prophet Samuel when he was a boy, which we find in Chapter 3 of Samuel. and then into the first verse of chapter 4 it's important for us to have a bit of context where this story takes place is vitally important. It takes place. First of all in the city of Shiloh Shiloh was the capital the spiritual capital of Israel when they first moved into the promised land. It was where the Tabernacle of the Lord was placed in the Tabernacle was where God live among his people and the story of Samuel takes place in this spiritual capital of Shiloh and within the physical bands of the Tabernacle this morning. I want to start with a video that will give us an introduction to the importance of Shiloh in Israel and in doing so it will also give us a synopsis. The story of Samuel including what happens before our story with his mother was Samuel's mother praying for a son and how God answered that prayer. And then also what happens after that story where Eli sons are killed and Eli dies in The Ark of the Covenant is taken by the Philistines as well. So they'll be a little wider context there want to spend just a few minutes also talking about the physical nature of the Tabernacle because it really plays a role in our story of the calling of apps of same ol the Tabernacle as I mentioned was symbolized the the presence of God among his people living with his people. It was divided into two compartments or two rooms the most holy place and in the in the most holy place. Was the Ark of the Covenant and there was only one thing in the Ark of the Covenant which was the The Ten Commandments the word of God. And then the holy Place had three items in it. The first was the table and bread of presence. All of these things were covered in gold. There were on the table. The bread of presence was 12 loaves representing the 12 tribes of Israel who were constantly in the presence of God the people of God a holy people living in a holy place because God was among them Christian Scholars. Also look at the bread of presence and sees that the bread of presence prefigures Jesus, who is the bread of life. And then there's the altar of incense. The incense was burned every morning and every evening as the lamp of God was dealt with in the altar of incense represent the prayers of the people before the Lord. And this prefigures Christ intercession for his children. And then there was the lampstand which was also called. The lamp of God it signifies God's identifiable presents interesting things about that was that it was covered. I Was Made of 75 pounds of gold and in the little cups that you see there. There would have been oral with a wick and it was burned every night and then it was refreshed and serviced every morning and that was probably part of Samuel's responsibilities Christian Scholars. See the lamp of God prefiguring Jesus as the light of the world now that we have in our minds. Physical location of Shiloh in this importance is spiritual importance to Israel and the Tabernacle and the spiritual significance. Of all the items that were in that physical space. Let's read the story and keep those things in mind as we read the boys Samuel ministered before the Lord under Eli. In those days the word of the Lord was rare there were not many visions. One night Elie whose eyes were becoming so weak that he can barely see was lying down in his usual place the lamp of God. Had not yet gone out and Samuel was lying down in the house of the Lord where the Ark of God was. Then the Lord called Samuel Samuel answered here. Am I to Eli and said Here I am. You called me. but Eli said I did not call. Go back and lie down. So he went and laid down again the Lord call Samuel and Samuel got up and went to Eli and said here I am you called me. My son Eli said I did not call you go back and lie down. Nathaniel did not yet know the Lord the word of the Lord had not yet been revealed to him a third time the Lord called Samuel and Samuel got up and ran to Eli and went to Eli and said here I am you called me. Then he'll I realized the Lord was calling the boy. So Eli told Samuel. Go and lie down. And if he calls you say Speak Lord for your servant is listening. So say mule went and laid down in his place the Lord came and stood there calling as at other times Samuel Samuel. 10 Samuel say Speak for your servant is listening. And the Lord said the same you'll see I am about to do something in Israel. That will make the ears of everyone who hears it about hears about it. Tingle at that time. I will carry out against Eli everything. I spoke against his family from beginning to end forever because of the sin he knew about His sons blasphemed God and he failed to restrain them. Therefore I swore to the house of Eli. The guilt of Eli's house will never be a tone for by sacrifice or offering. Samuel lay down until morning and then open the doors of the house of the Lord. He was afraid to tell Eli the vision. But he'll I called him. And said Samuel my son.

Samuel answered here I am What was it? He said to you. He'll I asked do not hide it from me. May God deal with you be it ever. So severely if you hide from me anything he told you. So Samuel told him everything. hiding nothing from him danneel I said he is the Lord. Let him do what is good in his eyes? The Lord was with Samuel as he grew up and he let none of Samuel's words fall to the ground. And all Israel from Dan to Beersheba recognized that Samuel was a tested as a prophet of the Lord. The Lord continue to appear at Shiloh and there he revealed himself to Samuel through his word Our Story begins with these words.

In those days the word of the Lord was rare there were not many visions.

Eli is a metaphor for

the old silence It's interesting. to note that the author telvis that Eli was almost one could hardly see now. Why would that even matter to the story because it's taking place at night. Elie is not necessarily have to be able to see anything. So he is Isley has another kind of important. And it is speaking to us about lies diminishing spiritual capacity his diminishing ability to deal with the Lord to understand what the Lord is doing. Because word of the Lord had in fact, I'm to Eli and it was a clear word of judgment a unidentified an unidentified Prophet came to Eli with a message from God. That Eli's Sons had corrupted the offerings of the People by taking the best parts for themselves rather than offering them to the Lord. They were also sexually promiscuous with the women who served at the entrance of the Tabernacle. Anneal, I knew about all of this and he to his credit did speak to his son's about it. He told his sons their behavior was not good. But God had expected Eli to do more than that. He had expected Eli to put a stop to their blaspheme Behavior. God sent his Prophet to Eli. And said to him quote no one in your family line will ever reach old age every one of you that I do not cut off from serving at my altar. I will spare only to destroy your sight and stop your strength and all your descendants will die in the prime of life. And what happens to your two sons, hophni and phinehas will be a sign to you. They will both die on the same day. And our story pictures Eli. An old man losing his physical and spiritual energy the life being sacked from him. And then I after our story today as you heard in our video hockney infinus both did died on the same day and then when Eli heard about it, he died too. And so the priesthood was forever ripped from their family.

Also of significance is that Eli was lying down in his usual place lying in the dark. in his usual place which was

somewhere outside of the Tabernacle somewhere away from the presence of God. you see the picture we see here is not just of Eli but also of the spiritual condition of the of the people of God already. They are moving outside of the presence of God. They have lost their Zeal for the presence of God and

largely They can't hear God. Because they have removed themselves from his presence. They're not in. The presence of God just is Eli. I was resting taking his rest outside of the presence of God. When the presence of God was there. in the Tabernacle available 24/7 I would say this contrast with Samuel.

Eli the spiritual leader of Israel is taking his rest outside of the presence of God. Where is Samuel Samuel is resting in the Holy place?

The lamp of God has not gone out. Even though the country and the spiritual leadership was resting in the darkness outside of the Tabernacle. The lamp of God had not going out. He had not completely abandoned Israel. He had not completely taken his presents from Israel because the lamp of God had not gone out the light of God's presence was there and it was there. In the Holy place with the light of the lamp of God. It's Samuel was taking his rest. you say Samuel he placed himself in a position. Maybe not even purposely. We don't know. But nevertheless he was in a position. Where he could hear from God he was in God's presence and available to God and we if we want to hear from God we have to put ourselves in a position to hear from God so often we feel like well, you know, I'm not getting word from the Lord things are feeling really dry to me. But why is that maybe it's because we have taken ourselves we decide to take our rest outside of the presence of God.

If we want to learn and apply the scripture as a guest Christians that begins with the recognition that Father Son and Holy Spirit live in us they have made their Tabernacle in that's we are the temple of God. so that we are never separated from the love and presence of the Lord in our lives unless we choose to believe and live as if God is far from us if we choose to mentally emotionally physically take ourselves out of the presence of God to place ourselves in the darkness outside of the Tabernacle. then we may have a problem hearing from God.

When we feel that God is far from us. It is up to us to evaluate. Where are we are we outside in the darkness outside of the living presence of God, and then if we find ourselves if that's the case it is up to us to pick ourselves up and move ourselves back into the Tabernacle back into the place where we are in a position to hear from God and there are many simple ways to do this. the four forms of prayer that we went through during Advent help us to hear from God the the prayer of reflection the prayer of being the prayer of action the prayer of dwelling in God's word. All of those things can help us. Put ourselves in a position to hear from God the daily reading of God's word laying our request before God in prayer and then paying attention to how he answers them being present for worship. And the preaching of God's word is important to placing ourselves in a position to hear from God, but the most important part no matter what means we use to place ourselves in a position to hear from God is a heart posture that is intending to a bay what we hear. Sault Ste. Marie will heard from God and then Samuel had to obey what he heard from God.

God will sometimes ask is to do difficult things and we need to ask ourselves a mi of boarding being in God's presence because he may ask me to do something that is difficult something I don't want to do. We we can't let that stop us. If God does ask us to do difficult things. He will give us the courage and the other resources we need when we need them. Just as he gave Samuel the courage to speak God's word to Eli clearly and fully which was a word of judgment. To Eli and you think about how difficult that was? The scripture tells us he was afraid to speak that word to Eli. Eli was probably the person that Samuel felt was most like family to him because since he was a young man a young child he had lived away from his mother and father. So for him Eli was probably the closest thing to family and father. Daddy hat and when Elie calls his annual his son. That term in Hebrew is a a term of endearment.

Neil I love Samuel And Shirley Samuel loved Eli. But God had required of Samuel hard thing. He had to go and tell Eli what God had told him to say fully and completely is interesting to note that Eli and his sons had lost their Zeal from the Lord that Zeal that loss of zeal for the Lord had a detrimental effect on the entire nation and what we can glean from that and we know this but we need to constantly be reminded of it. Is that our Hardness of Heart. And our sin always touches others. It's interesting to note also that in both cases when the word of the Lord came to Eli through the man of God first and then through saying no. Eli do not repent He did not beg for forgiveness. He did not ask for mercy. Can you imagine? If God delivered that message to you, I'm ripping the priesthood from your from your hands and nobody in your family is going to live to old age. They will all die in the prime of life when you beg for forgiveness. Ask for mercy. But no their hearts were so hard. They were callous too indifferent to hypethetic.

The Judgment of God that was coming upon them, but Eli continue to serve God but his relationship with God was so so lacking. There was no Zeal there and you can see his diminishing spiritual capacities took him three times to figure out what was happening spiritually in Samuel's wife. However, we look at Samuel as a symbol of God's new word and when God speaks to us blessings flow through us. The Lord was with Samuel he was guiding his development in every area of his life. The Lord allowed none of Samuel's words to fall to the ground. That's the saying that just simply means what Samuel said came true. God was faithful and trustworthy and what he told Samuel and he was also faithful and trustworthy and Performing the word. He had told to say no as a result of that all of Israel recognized the same role as a prophet of God because what he said came true And God continue to reveal himself to Samuel. As a says in Shiloh through his word. So that means that I think in two ways the guy Dove appear to him. And a gave him his word and Visions or dreams or face-to-face. However that happened of a vision is a spiritual experience with God in which a message is communicated Samuel. We're certainly getting that kind of direct word from God but also he would have had access to the writings of Moses of the Torah and he was getting receiving messages of God through the written word of God as well.

And so it's the scripture tells us that Samuels word came to all of Israel, which means that another way of saying it came to pass Samuels words were God's words. and then eventually led to spiritual renewal would read these words in Samuel chapter 7. Then all the people of Israel turn back to the Lord. So same you said to them to the Israelites. If you're returning to the Lord with all your hearts then rid yourselves of the foreign gods of the actress and commit yourself to the Lord and serve him only and he will deliver you out of the hand of the Philistines. So the Israelites put away their bells in their asteroid and served the Lord only been saying you'll said assemble all Israel at Mitzvah and I will intercede with the Lord for you when they had the symbol that mitz-vah they drew water and poured it out before the Lord on that day. They fasted and there they confessed we have sinned against the Lord.

Now Samuel was serving as leader of Israel at misbah in quote of Samuel served Israel as Prophet priest and judge. All because a young boy placed himself in a position to hear from God. and then when God spoke, he said speak your servant is listening this year we Go into this year with a with a fresh start calling the new out of the old. We're again with a new name a fresh start with a new name where the Lord says there's never again. Will you be called The Forsaken City or the desolate land your name will be the city of God's Delight in The Bride of God for the Lord Delights in you and will claim you as his bride we go into this year with a fresh start a new gladness. Then the young women will dance and be glad young men and old as well. I will turn their mourning into gladness. I will give them comfort and joy instead of Sorrow, we start this year with a new Glory. Shine for your light has come and the glory of the Lord rise has upon you away start with a new word. Then the Lord called the same yo. And saying you're sad. Here am I?

Are you name? Our new gladness our new Glory all depends on us hearing the promises of God God speaking his word to us receiving it with. a tenderness of heart with an intent to obey insane Speak Lord I'm here. hereby Let us pray. By the way, ask your blessings upon this 2021. Lord that we will go into this New Year cherishing our new name that we do that we are Delight in your eyes that you call us beautiful that you call us your bride that you hold this tightly. We were so grateful for that that you take our morning and turn it into gladness that your glory rise is upon us Lord help us to receive all of this as a new word from you out of our old Darkness so that we can leave the former things behind and step into the new things that you are doing in our lives in our church family in our nation. These things we ask in Jesus name. Batman