WHEN GOD BECOMES REAL
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1 And the child Samuel ministered unto the Lord before Eli. And the word of the Lord was precious in those days; there was no open vision.
7 Now Samuel did not yet know the Lord, neither was the word of the Lord yet revealed unto him.
INTRODUCTION:
Society had become a cesspool, a pit of depravity and corruption, when Samuel was born. His day was a time when people had slipped into an immoral, lawless, abusive, violent, compromising, and permissive lifestyle. The depth of their moral decay was seen in cases such as gang rape, homosexuality, wife abuse, child abuse, murder, kidnapping, widespread polygamy, greed, injustice, idolatry, and civil war
But in the midst of such an immoral and lawless society, there were a few persons who lived for God. Their lives demonstrated the light of God’s Holy Word. They loved the Lord and obeyed Him, keeping His commandments. Such a person was Hannah, Samuel’s mother. This chapter begins the story of Hannah and her son Samuel.
“In those days there was no king in Israel: every man did that which was right in his own eyes” (Jud. 21:25).
I want to look at several people in this time period in whom God became real
Phinehas and Hophni
Eli
Hannah
Samuel
I. Phinehas and Hophni
12 Now the sons of Eli were sons of Belial; they knew not the Lord. 13 And the priests’ custom with the people was, that, when any man offered sacrifice, the priest’s servant came, while the flesh was in seething, with a fleshhook of three teeth in his hand; 14 And he struck it into the pan, or kettle, or caldron, or pot; all that the fleshhook brought up the priest took for himself. So they did in Shiloh unto all the Israelites that came thither. 15 Also before they burnt the fat, the priest’s servant came, and said to the man that sacrificed, Give flesh to roast for the priest; for he will not have sodden flesh of thee, but raw. 16 And if any man said unto him, Let them not fail to burn the fat presently, and then take as much as thy soul desireth; then he would answer him, Nay; but thou shalt give it me now: and if not, I will take it by force. 17 Wherefore the sin of the young men was very great before the Lord: for men abhorred the offering of the Lord.
The priests, Eli’s sons, had become sons of Belial. The Hebrew word means corrupt and wicked or scoundrels and troublemakers. The word is also used as a name for Satan himself, who is the very embodiment of wickedness, who stands for the very depths of lawlessness. Eli’s sons, the priests of that day, had become utterly corrupt. They were living as though they were sons of Belial, Satan himself.
They did not respect nor show any regard for the Lord. To “know” in the Bible means to accept and believe the Lord; to commit one’s life in following the Lord; to fellowship, commune, and worship the Lord. It does not mean merely having a mental knowledge of the Lord, just acknowledging that He exists in some abstract, spiritual, or theoretical sense. The sons of Eli plainly did not know the Lord—not personally, not intimately. They had no fellowship with the Lord, nor did they live for Him. As this Scripture describes, following and obeying the Lord was the furthest thing from their minds.
II. ELI
22 Now Eli was very old, and heard all that his sons did unto all Israel; and how they lay with the women that assembled at the door of the tabernacle of the congregation. 23 And he said unto them, Why do ye such things? for I hear of your evil dealings by all this people. 24 Nay, my sons; for it is no good report that I hear: ye make the Lord’s people to transgress.
27 And there came a man of God unto Eli, and said unto him, Thus saith the Lord, Did I plainly appear unto the house of thy father, when they were in Egypt in Pharaoh’s house? 28 And did I choose him out of all the tribes of Israel to be my priest, to offer upon mine altar, to burn incense, to wear an ephod before me? and did I give unto the house of thy father all the offerings made by fire of the children of Israel? 29 Wherefore kick ye at my sacrifice and at mine offering, which I have commanded in my habitation; and honourest thy sons above me, to make yourselves fat with the chiefest of all the offerings of Israel my people? 30 Wherefore the Lord God of Israel saith, I said indeed that thy house, and the house of thy father, should walk before me for ever: but now the Lord saith, Be it far from me; for them that honour me I will honour, and they that despise me shall be lightly esteemed. 31 Behold, the days come, that I will cut off thine arm, and the arm of thy father’s house, that there shall not be an old man in thine house. 32 And thou shalt see an enemy in my habitation, in all the wealth which God shall give Israel: and there shall not be an old man in thine house for ever. 33 And the man of thine, whom I shall not cut off from mine altar, shall be to consume thine eyes, and to grieve thine heart: and all the increase of thine house shall die in the flower of their age. 34 And this shall be a sign unto thee, that shall come upon thy two sons, on Hophni and Phinehas; in one day they shall die both of them. 35 And I will raise me up a faithful priest, that shall do according to that which is in mine heart and in my mind: and I will build him a sure house; and he shall walk before mine anointed for ever. 36 And it shall come to pass, that every one that is left in thine house shall come and crouch to him for a piece of silver and a morsel of bread, and shall say, Put me, I pray thee, into one of the priests’ offices, that I may eat a piece of bread.
A replacement was desperately needed for Eli. Eli was weak and almost blind (v. 2). Physically, he could barely see and move about to carry on his ministry. And tragically, for years he had been spiritually blind. He had condoned the wicked behavior of his sons who were the two major priests serving with him in the Tabernacle of the Lord; and he apparently had participated to some degree in their wickedness (see outline and notes—1 S. 2:12–36 for more discussion). Because of Eli’s spiritual carnality and weak physical condition (he was aged and soon to die), it was time for God to issue the call for a replacement. That call was to be issued to Samuel.
Thought 1. Prophets are needed today, men and women who will take the Word of God to the world. Wickedness, immorality, and lawlessness are running rampant throughout society, contaminating and influencing almost every human being. If the truth of God’s Holy Word, His commandments, have ever needed to be proclaimed, it is today. His Word must be proclaimed to a lost and dying world.
Who will step forth and become a prophet for God? What man? What woman? What boy? What girl? Who will step forth, believing and totally committing his or her life to Christ? Who will hear the call of God and become a prophet, a dynamic witness to a needy, lost, and dying world?
God was going to give a very special priest who would be faithful (v. 35). The priest was to be raised up by God Himself, a priest who belonged to God and to Him alone. This priest would be obedient, do exactly what the heart and mind of God dictated. He would keep the commandments of God and follow God wholeheartedly.
b. This priest would always minister to the anointed one, the person chosen to be the king of God’s people (v. 35). God said that He would firmly establish the house or family of this priest. He would be given a permanent priesthood, a priesthood that would last forever. Note that God explained His purpose: it was His will for the priest to always minister before God’s anointed king and people.
c. This priest would be sought by Eli’s house (v. 36). Everyone left in Eli’s family line would seek help from the appointed priest. Everyone would come and bow down before him, asking for employment and food, pleading for work so that he could eat.
Thought 1. This prophetic promise of a very special priest was fulfilled first in Samuel, then in Zadok, and ultimately in Christ. Scripture clearly states this:
(1) Samuel served the Lord as both priest and prophet, and the people acknowledged him as God’s priest and prophet.
III. Hannah
11 And she vowed a vow, and said, O Lord of hosts, if thou wilt indeed look on the affliction of thine handmaid, and remember me, and not forget thine handmaid, but wilt give unto thine handmaid a man child, then I will give him unto the Lord all the days of his life, and there shall no rasor come upon his head.
20 Wherefore it came to pass, when the time was come about after Hannah had conceived, that she bare a son, and called his name Samuel, saying, Because I have asked him of the Lord.
21 And the man Elkanah, and all his house, went up to offer unto the Lord the yearly sacrifice, and his vow. 22 But Hannah went not up; for she said unto her husband, I will not go up until the child be weaned, and then I will bring him, that he may appear before the Lord, and there abide for ever.
Prior to Samuel coming to the tabernacle to live with Eli, he lived largely in the energy and motive-power of his mothers intense religious life.
You may have been raised in a Christian home, went to church, went to bible study, went to prayer meetings. Literally trained to follow the tradition of your family, but suppose for a moment that all of that failed you, have you come to apprehend Christ as a living reality for yourself.
IV. Samuel
11 And Elkanah went to Ramah to his house. And the child did minister unto the Lord before Eli the priest.
18 But Samuel ministered before the Lord, being a child, girded with a linen ephod.
Samuel served the Lord even as a child. The Scripture shows a sharp contrast between the boy Samuel’s righteousness and the wickedness of Eli’s sons.
Samuel wore the priestly garment, the ephod (v. 18). This was a sleeveless garment worn by the priest when he officiated at the altar. Note that Samuel ministered before the Lord, suggesting a continued, ongoing activity that was being ingrained into the very lifestyle of Samuel.
Throughout the years, Samuel continued to grow in the presence of the Lord (v. 21). This is the striking emphasis of this passage, painting a sharp contrast between Samuel’s growth and righteousness and the wicked behavior of Eli’s sons, the priests of that day.
The lesson for us is clear: we must grow in righteousness. We must follow the Lord and live righteous lives before Him. God demands righteousness, and anything short of righteousness exposes a defiled, corrupt, sinful heart.
There was the contrast of young Samuel’s growth in the Lord. A sharp contrast is again being emphasized between Samuel’s spiritual growth and the depraved behavior of Eli’s sons, the leading priests of that day. Note the strong emphasis that Samuel grew physically and in favor with God and with the people.
⇒ While the priests were declining in wickedness, Samuel was growing spiritually.
⇒ While the priests were being denounced by the people, Samuel was finding favor with the people and being commended by them.
⇒ While the priests were being condemned by God, Samuel was finding favor with the Lord.
Note how the childhood of Samuel stands as a picture of the childhood of Christ. God poured His grace into the life of Samuel, and Samuel’s life as a child pictures the life of our Lord
Samuel was still young and tenderhearted (v. 1). Ever since childhood Samuel had been faithfully serving the Lord, assisting and learning from Eli, the High Priest. Now Samuel was no longer a small child (2:21, 26). He was a young man, a vigorous youth ready to enter manhood. Thus, it was time for God to issue a call to Samuel for service, time for a very special relationship to be established between God and Samuel. Samuel was hereafter to know the Lord personally and intimately. The young man was now to be set apart by God, set apart to begin his own ministry among God’s people.
b. A prophet was desperately needed, for God’s Word and visions were rare during the period of the judges (v. 1). As the last verse of the great Book of Judges says:
“In those days there was no king in Israel: every man did that which was right in his own eyes” (Jud. 21:25).
1 And the child Samuel ministered unto the Lord before Eli. And the word of the Lord was precious in those days; there was no open vision. 2 And it came to pass at that time, when Eli was laid down in his place, and his eyes began to wax dim, that he could not see; 3 And ere the lamp of God went out in the temple of the Lord, where the ark of God was, and Samuel was laid down to sleep; 4 That the Lord called Samuel: and he answered, Here am I. 5 And he ran unto Eli, and said, Here am I; for thou calledst me. And he said, I called not; lie down again. And he went and lay down. 6 And the Lord called yet again, Samuel. And Samuel arose and went to Eli, and said, Here am I; for thou didst call me. And he answered, I called not, my son; lie down again. 7 Now Samuel did not yet know the Lord, neither was the word of the Lord yet revealed unto him. 8 And the Lord called Samuel again the third time. And he arose and went to Eli, and said, Here am I; for thou didst call me. And Eli perceived that the Lord had called the child. 9 Therefore Eli said unto Samuel, Go, lie down: and it shall be, if he call thee, that thou shalt say, Speak, Lord; for thy servant heareth. So Samuel went and lay down in his place. 10 And the Lord came, and stood, and called as at other times, Samuel, Samuel. Then Samuel answered, Speak; for thy servant heareth.
At one time God was real to Eli and at this point he remembered the experience that he had with God.
God’s call came to Samuel at night, came after he and Eli had gone to bed (v. 3). Samuel was lying down in the temple, close to the Ark of God that symbolized God’s holy presence. The lamp of God, the golden lampstand that was located in the Holy Place, had not yet gone out. Apparently, Samuel slept close by the lampstand, close to the entrance that led into the Most Holy Place where the Ark of God was kept. It was sometime during the night that the call of God came to the young man Samuel.
b. The call of God was given to Samuel repeatedly, time and again (vv. 4–8). God issued His call to Samuel four different times, but Samuel misunderstood the call the first three times. He thought the voice he was hearing was that of Eli, merely a human voice. Each time Samuel ran to Eli saying, “Here am I.” But each time Eli responded that he had not called Samuel and instructed him to go back to bed.
Note why Samuel did not respond to God’s call: because he did not yet know the Lord and could not discern the call of God (v. 7). He knew the written Word of the Lord, but he did not yet know the Lord personally. He did not have a personal, intimate relationship with the Lord. He did not yet know how the Lord reveals and speaks to the human heart.
c. There was a certain response demanded by God’s call, a response that Samuel needed to learn (vv. 9–10). No doubt, this was the purpose for God’s repeated call to the young man. After God issued His third call, it dawned upon Eli that God was perhaps issuing a call to Samuel. Consequently, Eli instructed Samuel on how to respond to God’s call. He was simply to respond, “Speak, Lord, for your servant hears and is listening.” Thus when God issued His fourth call, Samuel responded exactly as he had been instructed: “Speak Lord, for your servant hears and is listening” (v. 10).
Thought 1. The call of God demands a positive response; therefore, we must never reject it. At first, we may not understand God’s call, just as Samuel did not understand. But when the call is repeated time and again, we must hear and listen to the call. We must submit ourselves, surrender our lives to serve God. Too many persons have rejected God’s call, turning away and refusing to serve God. As the Scripture says, many have been called, but few chosen. Many have been called …
• to accept Christ as their Savior and Lord
• to turn away from some fleshly, carnal sin
• to rededicate their lives and live wholeheartedly for Christ
• to serve in the ministry
• to serve in missions
• to minister to the poor
• to enter a certain profession
• to prepare and secure education for a certain task
• to earn money and give sacrificially
• to witness to a certain person or group
• to write in their wills some gift of money, property, or an entire estate to the cause of Christ
But when God called, they shut their ears and hardened their hearts, turning away. Almost every time a body of people gathers together, there are people present who have been called by God to make a specific decision. Yet they have refused, rejecting the call of God.
When God calls, there is a specific response demanded. The required response is straightforward and clear-cut: “Speak, Lord, for your servant hears and is listening.” Or, very simply, “Here am I Lord. Send me.”
God declared that He was ready to execute a severe, shocking judgment in Israel (v. 11). Every ear that heard of the judgment would tingle, arousing terrifying fear and distress. Chapter four will describe exactly what happened:
⇒ Israel would be defeated in war by the Philistines, losing 30,000 foot soldiers.
⇒ Eli’s two sons would be killed and Eli himself would die when receiving a report from the battlefield. The death of all three priests would mean a complete change in the priesthood, a cultural shock and transfer of power for the Israelites.
⇒ The Ark itself would be captured by the Philistines. Above all else, this would shock and strike terror in the hearts of the Israelites, for the Ark of God was the very symbol of God’s presence among them. To many of the people, the loss of the Ark meant the loss of God’s presence. God would no longer be present with them to guide, protect, and provide for them.
God knew exactly what was going to happen in the coming judgment upon Israel. Samuel and the people had no idea, but God did; therefore, He was able to pronounce that the judgment would be terrifying and shocking, a judgment so severe that it would shake the very culture of Israel. Not only would there be a massive loss of life, but the very religion and priesthood of the nation would be shaken to the core.
God pronounced that the judgment would be executed against the priesthood, against Eli and his family. And the judgment would be executed just as predicted (v. 12; see outline and note—1 Sam. 2:27–36 for more discussion). Two reasons were given for the coming judgment upon Eli’s family:
1) Eli’s family was to be judged because Eli had condoned the terrible, gross sins of his sons. Being the father and the chief priest, Eli should have restrained his sons and enforced a strict discipline upon them. Instead, he allowed them to become vile, contemptible, and blasphemous toward God—all because he refused to discipline and restrain them (v. 13).
2) Eli’s family was to be judged because their wickedness hardened their hearts (v. 14). They became stiff-necked, stubborn against God. They went too far—beyond repentance, beyond ever returning to God. Consequently, God pronounced a tragic, terrifying judgment: their guilt could never be atoned for by sacrifice or offering. Only God can tell when a person’s heart reaches this point, the point of never repenting and never returning to Him. These two sons of Eli—these wicked priests—had reached this point. Time and again, they had rejected the appeal of God’s grace and mercy. And now they were being doomed to the judgment of God.
The message of God’s judgment was now completed. God had finished speaking to Samuel. What kind of thoughts were bouncing around in the mind of this young man? What emotions was he experiencing? What were his thoughts, his emotions? Scripture does not elaborate; only our imaginations can tell us.
b. Fear struck the heart of Samuel (v. 15). This is the only emotion experienced by Samuel that is mentioned in Scripture. Samuel feared sharing the message with Eli. After receiving the message from the Lord, he lay down until morning, and then he arose and went about his usual chores. He obviously did everything he could to avoid facing Eli, for he knew that Eli would ask about the message from the Lord.
c. But Eli heard Samuel stirring and called for him to come (vv. 16–17). Insisting that Samuel share the message, Eli charged Samuel with a threatening oath. He threatened the young boy by pronouncing some severe judgment upon him if he refused to share the message. Eli’s approach to Samuel in a threatening manner exposes his carnal, worldly heart.
d. Obediently, Samuel shared the message of judgment with Eli (v. 18). He hid nothing, kept nothing from Eli.
e. On hearing the pronouncement upon him and his family, Eli demonstrated a submissive, understanding spirit (v. 18). He knew that he had failed to rear his sons in the discipline of the Lord, and that he himself had lived a carnal, fleshly life. He was helpless to correct his failure, for he was now aged and physically disabled, about ready to leave this earth and face the Lord eternally.
Thought 1. Judgment is the one subject missing from most pulpits today. The message of the gospel is that of judgment: either the judgment of Christ upon the cross that brings salvation to us, or the judgment that we will confront when we come face-to-face with God. The message of judgment is intertwined with the very message of salvation. We are saved because of the judgment Christ bore, a judgment that we deserve, that was due us. Christ bore our judgment; therefore, we are saved from the wrath of God. But if we continue in our sin and wickedness, we must die and bear the judgment of God.
Judgment must be proclaimed by the faithful prophets of today: the judgment that Christ bore to save us and the judgment that we will bear if we continue in sin and wickedness. The faithful prophet of God cannot escape the message of judgment. He must proclaim the wrath of God, for we are appointed to die and then to face judgment.