| Samuel's call 1 Samuel 3 | by A. Wood | ||||||
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Background v1-3It is always good to look at the background to events in the Bible. We learn in these verses of how rare the Word of the Lord was in those day, how few had it revealed to them. They didn't have the Word as we do today in a nice book, easily available (here in the UK at least), just a few had scrolls with the Word on it. We learn that Eli was getting on in years and his sight had failed. We also learn that the lamp of God which was always to be lit, had gone out. They were pretty bleak days as far as the Spirituality of the priests of Israel let alone the people. But if we read the proceeding 2 chapters we learn that there was a couple who had been before the Lord for a son, and having been given this son by the Lord, gave Him up to the Lord. However bleak the days got for Israel, the Lord always had His people somewhere.
The first three calls v4-v9Samuel can be forgiven for at first not recognising the call of the Lord. How many of us accepted the call of the Lord at first hearing. It is sad that Eli, the priest, did not recognise the call of the Lord. The Lord knew that Samuel wasn't deliberately disobeying His call, and persists. It is encouraging for us that if at first we don't recognise God's calling of us, He will likewise persist in calling us. If we are unsure that it is His call, then we should pray for Him to call again that we might be sure it is His call.
The call itself v10-14It would be easy to have a go at Samuel for failing to say Lord, as he mostly repeats what Eli had told him to say. But no doubt Samuel may have been a bit nervous, as I'm sure many of us are when the Lord first calls us. But again it is encouraging that the Lord does not pull him up on it, likewise if we when we first talk to the Lord, whether it be privately or indeed in public, don't say things quite right, I'm sure the Lord will likewise be forgiving.In some ways what followed was not a call as such but more a warning of the judgment to come to Eli's house for their iniquities. But it was the start of the Lord speaking to Samuel and we learn later on in this chapter that Samuel would grow up learning more of the Lord's word. Have we likewise grown since we first heard the Lord.
Samuel's response v15-19How does Samuel respond, well understandably he is nervous to tell Eli about the coming judgment. But when asked to tell all, he does so, hiding nothing. While we likewise are often understandably nervous telling others of God's coming judgment, we likewise need to tell them all, and not hide anything from them.
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