1 Samuel 3:1–21
At the beginning of the sixteenth century the motto of the Swiss city of Geneva was “After darkness — light!” It reflected the bold conviction of Calvin and his generation that, after the dark ages of the early Middle Ages, light had once again come to the people through the preaching of God’s Word. In those days, so that the darkness might be driven out of the city entirely, every citizen was required to hear six sermons a week. The first was preached on Sunday at sunrise, the second at nine in the morning, the third at three in the afternoon. The remaining three fell during the working week — on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday respectively.
The reason Calvin and the other city councilors of Geneva insisted on so much mandatory listening to the Word lay in their understanding of Proverbs 29:18:
18 Where there is no revelation, people cast off restraint; but blessed is the one who heeds wisdom’s instruction. (Proverbs 29:18)
Do we not see the very same principle being fulfilled in our own day? Are the results of ignorance toward God’s Word not the same today? Without God’s Word a society loses its foundations. Our cities and villages have turned into human jungles in which we devour one another for no reason. We must know that only God’s Word can save us from the road of self-destruction on which we have set out.
The question is: how could the change come to the crisis in which we find ourselves? The answer is this: the change can happen in the same way it did in the days of Samuel.
GOD’S WORD — A GREAT RARITY (v.1)
First of all, so that we might come to desire and to seek His Word, God can bring it about that the Word becomes so rare that we begin to treasure it. In Samuel’s day He did exactly that. Verse 1 says:
1 The boy Samuel ministered before the Lord under Eli. In those days the word of the Lord was rare; there were not many visions. (1 Samuel 3:1)
God can withdraw His teachers and His preachers from the stage to such a degree that hearing His undiluted Word becomes a scarce commodity — something lost, as the saying goes, “like white beans at the market.” When that happens, the glue that holds society together dissolves, evil runs wild, and begins to sweep away everything in its path. Then human nature decays to such a degree that we are astonished at how brutal a person can be. The streets grow empty, and the schools become as unsafe as battlefields. All of this happens because we have decided that we can do things our own way — without God’s revelation and His help. For the greatest gift God has given us — a gift second only to the gift of the Son of God — is God’s gift of His written Word. Sadly, in our lives and in the pulpit we often lose it, or trade it away for human musings and advice.
The Word that proceeds from the mouth of God, however, cannot be replaced with anything else. We cannot change its form or produce a duplicate of it. It is unique, and it alone is living and life-giving. It is a Word we can receive only from God. And when it is lost, or begins to be found only rarely, we become witnesses to the same result for our society that we observe in biblical times. In Amos 8:11–12 the prophet warns us that a time will come when God will send a famine — not a famine of bread or water, but a famine “of hearing the words of the Lord.”
11 “The days are coming,” declares the Sovereign Lord, “when I will send a famine through the land — not a famine of food or a thirst for water, but a famine of hearing the words of the Lord. 12 People will stagger from sea to sea and wander from north to east, searching for the word of the Lord, but they will not find it. (Amos 8:11–12)
When God falls silent, the darkness thickens, and in such times our gloomy mood and despondency often become unbearable.
GOD’S WORD — STARTLING AND SOBERING (v.2–14)
When, after a period of silence, God’s Word comes to us, it is usually startling and sobering. We can be struck by God’s Word in two ways — the way Samuel was impressed by it, or the way Eli was scorched by it (v.4–12).
2 One night Eli, whose eyes were becoming so weak that he could barely see, was lying down in his usual place. 3 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. 4 Then the Lord called Samuel. Samuel answered, “Here I am.” 5 And he ran 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 lay down. 6 Again the Lord called, “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; go back and lie down.” 7 Now Samuel did not yet know the Lord: The word of the Lord had not yet been revealed to him. 8 A third time the Lord called, “Samuel!” And Samuel got up and went to Eli and said, “Here I am; you called me.” Then Eli realized that the Lord was calling the boy. 9 So Eli told Samuel, “Go and lie down, and if he calls you, say, ‘Speak, Lord, for your servant is listening.’” So Samuel went and lay down in his place. 10 The Lord came and stood there, calling as at the other times, “Samuel! Samuel!” Then Samuel said, “Speak, for your servant is listening.” 11 And the Lord said to Samuel: “See, I am about to do something in Israel that will make the ears of everyone who hears about it tingle. 12 At that time I will carry out against Eli everything I spoke against his family — from beginning to end. 13 For I told him that I would judge his family forever because of the sin he knew about; his sons blasphemed God, and he failed to restrain them. 14 Therefore I swore to the house of Eli, ‘The guilt of Eli’s house will never be atoned for by sacrifice or offering.’” (1 Samuel 3:2–14)
We can be startled by God’s Word the way Samuel was startled by it. He had lain down and was just falling asleep when he heard a voice calling him by name: “Samuel!” He was startled and began to search for where the voice was coming from. In verses 4–10 words whose root is “call” occur eleven times — called, calling, call. With this calling God was trying to draw the attention of young Samuel.
By this time Eli’s eyesight had grown dim — not only were his physical eyes unable to see, but it was as though his spiritual eyes had been blinded as well. And so it was Samuel who was responsible for keeping the flame of the lamp from going out. According to the Law of Moses, the light in the tabernacle was never to go out (Leviticus 24:1–4):
1 The Lord said to Moses, 2 “Command the Israelites to bring you clear oil of pressed olives for the light so that the lamps may be kept burning continually. 3 Outside the curtain that shields the ark of the covenant law in the tent of meeting, Aaron is to tend the lamps before the Lord from evening till morning, continually. This is to be a lasting ordinance for the generations to come. 4 The lamps on the pure gold lampstand before the Lord must be tended continually. (Leviticus 24:1–4)
Because Eli could not see, Samuel — the one who had been born in answer to fasting and prayer and had been dedicated to the Lord from his birth — was the one who carried out the priestly duties. And so he had to enter the holy place. And God’s voice came from behind the curtain. In Exodus chapter 25, after God gave Moses precise instructions for making the ark of the covenant and its cover, which was called the “mercy seat,” He told him (Exodus 25:21–22):
21 Place the cover on top of the ark and put in the ark the tablets of the covenant law that I will give you. 22 There, above the cover between the two cherubim that are over the ark of the covenant law, I will meet with you and give you all my commands for the Israelites. (Exodus 25:21–22)
It seems that in Samuel’s case God’s voice came to him from the same place from which it came to Moses — from between the two cherubim that were over the ark with the tablets of the covenant, which stood behind the curtain, in the Most Holy Place of the tabernacle. Yet in order to reach him, God had to issue four calls to him. Why? Was Samuel dull-witted or slow? I doubt it, because when the author of the book explains Samuel’s reaction in verse 7 he says:
7 Now Samuel did not yet know the Lord: The word of the Lord had not yet been revealed to him. (1 Samuel 3:7)
The spiritual condition of the priesthood and the people in those days was such that even a boy raised in the house of God was ignorant of the Person and the ways of God. But before we censure and condemn those people and their times, let us look at the spiritual ignorance of our own time, at the ignorance that has taken hold even of people who have grown up in our own evangelical churches. Of course, I do not wish to put everyone under the same heading, but the degree of ignorance about God and His ways in our society is high enough to make this warning ring true for us as well.
Notice, however, the mercy and tenderness of the Lord. He did not rebuke Samuel, He did not shout at him for “not getting the point.” Instead He kept standing and calling — until He was heard. There were no reproaches and no angry speeches of the sort: “Little boy, you never do anything right!” and so on. Instead we see a wonderful Savior who is patient, gentle, and meek.
God’s Word can be startling not only through its call but also through its content. In fact, what God revealed to Samuel was so startling that the ears of everyone who heard it would tingle (v.11–14).
11 And the Lord said to Samuel: “See, I am about to do something in Israel that will make the ears of everyone who hears about it tingle. 12 At that time I will carry out against Eli everything I spoke against his family — from beginning to end. 13 For I told him that I would judge his family forever because of the sin he knew about; his sons blasphemed God, and he failed to restrain them. 14 Therefore I swore to the house of Eli, ‘The guilt of Eli’s house will never be atoned for by sacrifice or offering.’” (1 Samuel 3:11–14)
Actually, the word that came to Samuel was nothing new. In the previous chapter, the second, we read that because Eli did not restrain his sons when they committed lawlessness, the Lord sent a man of God who prophesied their death (1 Samuel 2:12–17; 22–25; 27–36).
12 Eli’s sons were scoundrels; they had no regard for the Lord. 13 Now it was the practice of the priests that, whenever any of the people offered a sacrifice, the priest’s servant would come with a three-pronged fork in his hand while the meat was being boiled 14 and would plunge the fork into the pan or kettle or caldron or pot. Whatever the fork brought up the priest would take for himself. This is how they treated all the Israelites who came to Shiloh. 15 But even before the fat was burned, the priest’s servant would come and say to the person who was sacrificing, “Give the priest some meat to roast; he won’t accept boiled meat from you, but only raw.” 16 If the person said to him, “Let the fat be burned first, and then take whatever you want,” the servant would answer, “No, hand it over now; if you don’t, I’ll take it by force.” 17 This sin of the young men was very great in the Lord’s sight, for they were treating the Lord’s offering with contempt. (1 Samuel 2:12–17)
22 Now Eli, who was very old, heard about everything his sons were doing to all Israel and how they slept with the women who served at the entrance to the tent of meeting. 23 So he said to them, “Why do you do such things? I hear from all the people about these wicked deeds of yours. 24 No, my sons; the report I hear spreading among the Lord’s people is not good. 25 If one person sins against another, God may mediate for the offender; but if anyone sins against the Lord, who will intercede for them?” His sons, however, did not listen to their father’s rebuke, for it was the Lord’s will to put them to death. (1 Samuel 2:22–25)
27 Now a man of God came to Eli and said to him, “This is what the Lord says: ‘Did I not clearly reveal myself to your ancestor’s family when they were in Egypt under Pharaoh? 28 I chose your ancestor out of all the tribes of Israel to be my priest, to go up to my altar, to burn incense, and to wear an ephod in my presence. I also gave your ancestor’s family all the food offerings presented by the Israelites. 29 Why do you scorn my sacrifice and offering that I prescribed for my dwelling? Why do you honor your sons more than me by fattening yourselves on the choice parts of every offering made by my people Israel?’ 30 “Therefore the Lord, the God of Israel, declares: ‘I promised that members of your family would minister before me forever.’ But now the Lord declares: ‘Far be it from me! Those who honor me I will honor, but those who despise me will be disdained. 31 The time is coming when I will cut short your strength and the strength of your priestly house, so that no one in it will reach old age, 32 and you will see distress in my dwelling. Although good will be done to Israel, no one in your family line will ever reach old age. 33 Every one of you that I do not cut off from serving at my altar I will spare only to destroy your sight and sap your strength, and all your descendants will die in the prime of life. 34 “‘And what happens to your two sons, Hophni and Phinehas, will be a sign to you — they will both die on the same day. 35 I will raise up for myself a faithful priest, who will do according to what is in my heart and mind. I will firmly establish his priestly house, and they will minister before my anointed one always. 36 Then everyone left in your family line will come and bow down before him for a piece of silver and a loaf of bread and plead, “Appoint me to some priestly office so I can have food to eat.”’” (1 Samuel 2:27–36)
When Eli learned of the evil deeds of his sons, he rebuked them, but he was not firm enough to impose his authority over them in defense of God’s holiness. To treat the sacrifice as something common and the holy as something ordinary is truly a grave offense. So heavy was their sin that it could never be atoned for by sacrifice or offering (3:14).
It is precisely this twofold nature of God’s Word that at times disturbs us — and rightly so. It both encourages us and rebukes us at the same time. Andrew Bonar tells of a Greek painter who painted a picture of a boy carrying a basket of grapes on his head. So beautiful was this picture that everyone urged the painter to display it at an open-air exhibition. The grapes in the basket looked so graphic and real that the birds swooped down on the canvas, trying to peck at them. The local townsfolk showered the painter with compliments, remarking that the grapes were so well painted that even the birds had been fooled by the image and mistaken them for real. The painter, however, deflected their praise, saying: “I should have tried harder and painted the boy better. He should have looked so real that the birds would not dare to come near him.” He believed that, for the birds, the picture ought to be both attractive and repelling. This example reveals to us the balance we must maintain in our ministry. To shower people with the comfort of the gospel while at the same time telling them nothing of their sin and its consequences is unbalanced and misleading. And conversely, if we constantly preach in anger, focusing only on judgment, without encouragement and care for people, this too would be a missing of the aim of God’s revelation. As God’s ambassadors we ought honestly to present both sides of God’s truth — both that God is love and that He is a “consuming fire” (Deuteronomy 4:24).
GOD’S WORD — SOVEREIGN AND INDISPUTABLE (v.15–18)
Our God has supremacy over His servants. God’s spokesmen cannot revoke His judgment. We even have our natural tendency to be afraid to proclaim it. Samuel too shared this fear, but when Eli called him and asked him to tell what the Lord had spoken to him, Samuel told him everything (v.18).
15 Samuel lay down until morning and then opened the doors of the house of the Lord. He was afraid to tell Eli the vision, 16 but Eli called him and said, “Samuel, my son.” Samuel answered, “Here I am.” 17 “What was it he said to you?” Eli 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.” 18 So Samuel told him everything, hiding nothing from him. Then Eli said, “He is the Lord; let him do what is good in his eyes.” (1 Samuel 3:15–18)
There is no sense in hiding what God has spoken, because it will come to pass anyway, whether or not we were faithful to proclaim it. The question of responsibility, however, remains. For if we, as God’s servants, hold back the truth or a part of it and do not warn people of the consequences of their deeds, then their guilt falls upon us, because we failed to sound the alarm and to give them the chance to change and to escape the looming danger. In Ezekiel 3:16–21 it is written:
16 At the end of seven days the word of the Lord came to me: 17 “Son of man, I have made you a watchman for the people of Israel; so hear the word I speak and give them warning from me. 18 When I say to a wicked person, ‘You will surely die,’ and you do not warn them or speak out to dissuade them from their evil ways in order to save their life, that wicked person will die for their sin, and I will hold you accountable for their blood. 19 But if you do warn the wicked person and they do not turn from their wickedness or from their evil ways, they will die for their sin; but you will have saved yourself. 20 “Again, when a righteous person turns from their righteousness and does evil, and I put a stumbling block before them, they will die. Since you did not warn them, they will die for their sin. The righteous things that person did will not be remembered, and I will hold you accountable for their blood. 21 But if you do warn the righteous person not to sin and they do not sin, they will surely live because they took warning, and you will have saved yourself.” (Ezekiel 3:16–21)
God, however, has supremacy not only over His servants but also over their hearers. Eli neither rejected nor disputed the Lord’s right to do what He had said: “He is the Lord; let him do what is good in his eyes.” God’s people know how to say “Amen” not only to God’s blessings but also to God’s punishment for sin. The reason for God’s punishment of sin is clear. If He did not condemn evil and sin, then the good and the righteous would be discouraged. God is not some cardboard lion that only roars menacingly and never carries out its threats. If the clergy fails, as it did in this case, the moment that happens God would despise it and strip away its authority before the world and even before His church. Therefore we must fear the Lord!
GOD’S WORD — ACCREDITING AND EMPOWERING (v.19–21)
At the end of this third chapter of the First Book of Samuel we learn how God stood behind His words, and how this became the cause of the growth of Samuel’s authority.
19 The Lord was with Samuel as he grew up, and he let none of Samuel’s words fall to the ground. 20 And all Israel from Dan to Beersheba recognized that Samuel was attested as a prophet of the Lord. 21 The Lord continued to appear at Shiloh, and there he revealed himself to Samuel through his word. (1 Samuel 3:19–21)
It is no secret that people sometimes treat preachers with familiarity — as though they do not take them very seriously. “Oh, him? We know him, he’s our own boy.” A preacher, however, must not be troubled by such an attitude, because if he holds to the preaching of the exact Word of God, his authority will grow. Nothing spoken by God’s revelation will “fall to the ground.” God’s Word will not fail. It will accomplish that for which it was sent. In Isaiah 55:10–11 God says:
10 As the rain and the snow come down from heaven, and do not return to it without watering the earth and making it bud and flourish, so that it yields seed for the sower and bread for the eater, 11 so is my word that goes out from my mouth: It will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it. (Isaiah 55:10–11)
In Isaiah 44:26 God says that He confirms the words of His servants and fulfills what His messengers declare. The question is: do we have confidence in God’s Word? Do we consider it adequate to meet the challenges of our time? Do we bring the good news to young people, do we share the Word with those who do not go to church — and even with the modern cynics who think that no one has the right to tell them what is good and what is bad, what is right and what is wrong?
Regardless of the numerical inequality, both in the days of Samuel and in our own day, everyone knew that what Samuel said and did carried God’s confirmation and approval. This leads us to ask ourselves the question: “How does God confirm our ministry?” The answer we find in this text. To understand it, we must look at whether the words we preach have the power to change people for the glory of God. If we preach God’s Word faithfully, then its relevance and its impact will be evident to all.
What are we to say after all this? Can the light of God’s revelation break through the darkness of our times? And if it can, how will that breakthrough happen, except through the faithful preaching of God’s Word?
The truth is that where there is no “prophetic vision,” where there is no application of God’s revelation, people run wild (Proverbs 29:18). And the price for the lessening of the hunger for God’s Word is the penetration of evil into every area of life.
That is why it is high time for the Bible’s teachers and preachers to return once more to the foundations of Christianity. Even though many people think that teaching God’s Word through a direct interpretation and explanation of the biblical text is now old-fashioned and too outdated to be effective, it is time for us to repent and to change the menu we offer at God’s table. Let us make a covenant with God that we will be faithful to His Word, longing for one thing only — to see the power that this Word promises. Let us resolve not to indulge people’s appetites or to conform to the fashion of the day in how we ought to serve God, but faithfully to pass on the New Testament teaching that was once and for all delivered to us by the apostles (Jude 1:3). Only then will we be able to experience revival and to see the unveiling of God’s power in our lives and in the church.