1 Samuel Chapter 3

Now the young man Samuel was ministering to the Lord under Eli. And the word of the Lord was rare in those days; there was no frequent vision.

1. How old is the boy Samuel at this point?

The Jewish historian Josephus suggested he was 12 years of age, he was probably a teenager at this time. The same Heb. term translated here “boy” was used of David when he slew Goliath

2. What does it mean “Samuel ministered before the Lord”?

When John passes out the elements in the communion service he is ministering before the Lord. To a broader degree when Linda and Cy are cooking for the homeless, they are ministering before the Lord.

3. What does it mean “the word of the Lord was rare”?

The word from the Lord was rare. The time of the judges was a period of extremely limited prophetic activity. The few visions that God did give were not widely known. visions. A divine revelation mediated through an auditory or visual encounter. God was not revealing Himself at this particular time. He is just beginning to move when He calls Samuel to be a prophet. God is moving from the use of the judge and priest to the use of the prophet. The prophet becomes the spokesman to and for the king. there was no open vision, but which must also be clarified by the translation, “there were not many visions.” This last clause could also mean that visions, even when they did occur, were not being adequately explained to the people.

God, who at various times and in various ways spoke in time past to the fathers by the prophets,2 has in these last days spoken to us by His Son, whom He has appointed heir of all things. Heb. 1:1-2

At any rate, the dark circumstances of the period reflected in the immorality of Eli’s sons and their judgment, together with the lack of guidance from God by way of visions, must have made the people of Israel ready to recognize Samuel as God’s prophet and spokesman. The period between the Joseph to Moses was a silent period. The period between Malachi to John the Baptist was silent. This doesn’t mean that God isn’t working, during this period there was a lot happening. God just wasn’t talking.

2 At that time Eli, whose eyesight had begun to grow dim so that he could not see, was lying down in his own place. 3 The lamp of God had not yet gone out, and Samuel was lying down in the temple of the Lord, where the ark of God was.

4. Is there something about the lamp we need to take a closer look at?

The lamp of God had not yet gone out.The reference is to the golden lampstand, which stood opposite the table of the bread of the Presence (Ex 25:31–40) in the Holy Place. It was still night, but the early morning hours were approaching when the flame grew dim or went out. For the lamp to be permitted to go out before morning was a violation of the Pentateuchal regulations

The book of Exodus has very specific rules about the lampstand in the Holy Place.

It was the duty of the priests to take care of the lamp in the tabernacle. They were to put oil in it and see that it was kept burning. Eli was old, his eyesight dim, and the lamp was about to go out.

Just before dawn, while the golden lampstand was still burning, Samuel was called to his prophetic ministry.

Golden lampstand…the church, believers

Gold….pure…no wood… nothing man made

One piece…….unity….30 kg…..14 lbs

Six bowls…..us…… when attached to the stem = Christ

Seven bowls………complete

Oil…………Holy Spirit

Light…………The truth

This is filled with symbolism. Eli is old, he can’t see the light is about to go out. Just before the light goes out God calls Samuel to his ministry.

The same condition exists in Israel at the time. The light from the Holy Spirit, the word of the Lord, is about to go out. Because of the disobedience of the nation, the incompetence of Eli and the evil of his two sons. The power of the Holy Spirit is very weak at this time.

4 Then the Lord called Samuel, and he said, “Here I am!” 5 and ran to Eli and said, “Here I am, for you called me.” But he said, “I did not call; lie down again.” So he went and lay down. 6 And the Lord called again, “Samuel!” and Samuel arose and went to Eli and said, “Here I am, for you called me.” But he said, “I did not call, my son; lie down again.” 7 Now Samuel did not yet know the Lord, and the word of the Lord had not yet been revealed to him. 8 And the Lordcalled Samuel again the third time. And he arose and went to Eli and said,“Here I am, for you called me.” Then Eli perceived that the Lord was calling the young man. 9 Therefore Eli said to Samuel, “Go, lie down, and if he calls you, you shall say, ‘Speak, Lord, for your servant hears.’ ” So Samuel went and lay down in his place.

5. Have you ever been called by the Lord?

For many are called, but few are chosen.” Matt 22:14 (ESV)

Whether or not you accept the wedding garment is up to you, but Christ has provided it for you. The invitation has gone out to everyone, but you will have to come on the King’s terms.

The call spoken of here is sometimes referred to as the “general call” (or the “external” call)—a summons to repentance and faith that is inherent in the gospel message. This call extends to all who hear the gospel. “Many” hear it; “few” respond.

“Enter by the narrow gate. For the gate is wide and the way is easy that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many.  For the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few. Matt 7:13-14 (ESV)

Those who respond are the“chosen,” the elect. In the Pauline writings, the word “call” usually refers to God’s irresistible calling extended to the elect alone.

And those whom he predestined he also called, and those whom he called he also justified, and those whom he justified he also glorified. Romans 8:30 (ESV)

This is known as the “effectual call” (or the “internal” call). The effectual call is the supernatural drawing of God which Jesus speaks of .

No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him. And I will raise him up on the last day. John 6:44 (ESV)

Here a general call is in view, and this call extends to all who hear the gospel—this call is the great “whosoever will” of the gospel.

The Spirit and the Bride say, “Come.” And let the one who hears say, “Come.” And let the one who is thirsty come; let the one who desires take the water of life without price. Rev 22:17 (ESV).

Here, then, is the proper balance between human responsibility and divine sovereignty: the “called” who reject the invitation do so willingly, and therefore their exclusion from the kingdom is perfectly just. The “chosen” enter the kingdom only because of the grace of God in choosing and drawing them.

6. What does it mean Samuel did not yet know the LORD? If he was ministering before the Lord, how could he not know the Lord?

Samuel had not yet encountered the Lord in a personal way, nor had he received God’s Word by divine revelation

Millions work in church, teach Sunday school, preach, sing, feed the poor and give money, but still do not have a saving relationship as evidenced by the indwelling Holy Spirit.

“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. 22  On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?’ 23  And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.’Matt 7:21-23 (ESV)

And the Lord came and stood, calling as at other times, “Samuel! Samuel!” And Samuel said, “Speak, for your servant hears.”

7. Who is this person speaking to Samuel?

But the angel of the LORD called to him from heaven and said, “Abraham, Abraham!” And he said, “Here I am.” Gen 22:11

The Angel of the LORD, this is a direct revelation from the second person of the trinity, the preincarnate Jesus Christ.

 They heard the sound of the LORD God walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and the man and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the LORD God among the trees of the garden. Gen 3:8

“I am the Alpha and the Omega,” says the Lord God, “who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty.” Revelation 1:8

‘I, the LORD, am the first, and with the last. I am He.’”Isaiah 41:4

When I saw Him, I fell at His feet like a dead man. And He placed His right hand on me, saying, “Do not be afraid; I am the first and the last,18 and the living One; and I was dead, and behold, I am alive forevermore, Rev. 1:17-18

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.”

8. What’s going to happened to Eli and his sons?

I will not cut off every man of yours from My altar so that your eyes will fail from weeping and your soul grieve, and all the increase of your house will die in the prime of life.34 This will be the sign to you which will come concerning your two sons, Hophni and Phinehas: on the same day both of them will die. 1 Sam 2:33-34

Yogi Berra…”It’s hard to make predictions, especially about the future”

When God says something, it is the same as done. In the Old Testament we have what has been called “prophetic tense.” It is a past tense, but it speaks of the future. God speaks of things that have not yet happened as if they had already taken place. When God says something is going to happen, it is going to happen. God speaks to Samuel in these verses and tells him that He is about to move against the house of Eli.

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.” 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.” 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.

9. He let none of his words fall to the ground.  What does this mean?

The Lord was with him.The Lord’s presence was with Samuel, as it would be later with David. The Lord’s presence validated His choice of a man for His service. Let none of his words fall to the ground. Everything Samuel said with divine authorization came true. This fulfillment of Samuel’s word proved that he was a true prophet of God. Dan even to Beersheba.The traditional limits of the land of Israel from the N to the S. prophet of the Lord. Samuel’s status as a spokesman of God’s message was acknowledged by all throughout Israel.

NIVSN……………….NIV Study Notes.

JVM ………………….J Vernon McGee,

ACC ………………… Adam Clarke’s Commentary

BN ……………………Barnes Notes

WBC………….…….Wycliffe Bible Commentary

CN ……….…………..Constables Notes

IC……………….…….Ironside Commentary

NET…………….…….Net Bible Study Notes.

JFB……………………Jamieson Fausset  Brown Commentary

VWS………………….Vincent Word Studies

CMM………………..Commentary on Matthew and Mark

BDB……………..….Barclay’s Daily Study Bible (NT)

Darby……………….John Darby’s Synopsis of the OT and NT

Johnson……………Johnson’s Notes on the New Testament.

NTCMM…………..The New Testament Commentary:  Matthew and Mark.

EHS………………….Expositions of the Holy Scriptures

CPP…………………The Complete Pulpit Commentary

SBC…………………..Sermon Bible Commentary

K&D…………………Keil and Deilitzsch Commentary on the OT

EBC……………….…Expositors Bible Commentary

CBSC……………….Cambridge Bible for Schools and College

GC……………………Guzik Commentary

RD…………………..Robert  Deffinbaugh

NSB …………………The Nelson Study Bible

MHC…………………Matthew Henry Commentary

ESVN……………..….ESV Study Bible Notes

MSBN……………….MacArthur NASB Study Notes

CSTTB………………..Chuck Smith Through the Bible 

    

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