1 Samuel 3:19-20 Prophets and Witnesses

 ”So Samuel grew, and the Lord was with him and let none of his words fall to the ground. And all Israel from Dan to Beersheba knew that Samuel had been established as a prophet of the Lord. 

‭‭I Samuel‬ ‭3‬:‭19‬-‭20 NKJV‬‬

a. The LORD was with him: Nothing compares to this, to have and to know you have the LORD with you. The Christian can know God is with them: If God is for us, who can be against us? (Romans 8:31)

b. Let none of his words fall to the ground: This means all of Samuel’s prophecies came to pass and were known to be true words from God. Therefore, all Israel…knew that Samuel had been established as a prophet of the LORD.

i. Since the days of Moses (some 400 years before the time of Samuel) there were not many prophets in Israel, and certainly no great prophets. At this important time in Israel’s history, God raised up Samuel as a prophet.

ii. Coming in this place in Israel’s history, Samuel is rightly seen as Israel’s last judge and first prophet. Samuel bridges the gap between the time of the judges, and the time of the monarchy when prophets (such as Nathan, Elijah, and Isaiah) influenced the nation.

Prophets and Witnesses 

I am reminded about two witnesses!

”And I will give power to my two witnesses, and they will prophesy one thousand two hundred and sixty days, clothed in sackcloth.”“ Revelation‬ ‭11‬:‭3‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

My two witnesses: This introduces two of the more interesting characters of Revelation, the two witnesses. The character of their ministry is prophetic (they will prophesy); they preach and demonstrate repentance (clothed in sackcloth), and they have an effective ministry (I will give power). (Guzik)

The two witnesses indeed served with power. “Such power, in fact, that they are able to witness for 1,260 days in spite of the antagonism of the world.” (Walvoord)

The Lord doesn’t give up on us, He sends out prophets and witnesses to warn us to turn from our sinful ways, to repent and to turn back to Him.

If today, you feel a tugging on your heart ❤️ don’t ignore it, the Lord loves you and has plans for you!

Blessings 

1 Samuel 3:15-18 Lay Down Until Morning!

  ”So Samuel lay down until morning, and opened the doors of the house of the Lord. And Samuel was afraid to tell Eli the vision. Then Eli called Samuel and said, “Samuel, my son!” He answered, “Here I am.” And he said, “What is the word that the Lord spoke to you? Please do not hide it from me. God do so to you, and more also, if you hide anything from me of all the things that He said to you.” Then Samuel told him everything, and hid nothing from him. And he said, “It is the Lord. Let Him do what seems good to Him.”“ ‭‭I Samuel‬ ‭3‬:‭15‬-‭18‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

Samuel lay down until morning: Of course, he didn’t sleep at all. We see young Samuel laying on his bed, ears tingling at the message from God, wondering how he could ever tell Eli such a powerful word of judgment (Samuel was afraid to tell Eli).

Samuel, my son! Eli was not a good boss or a good parent to Hophni and Phinehas. But Samuel came to him as a “second chance,” and Eli did a better job of raising Samuel than he did with his sons by birth. (Guzik)

I woke up early this morning and couldn’t get a prayer request for an upcoming ministry we are leading out of my mind. I tried to lay down until morning but couldn’t! So I got up and sent out the prayer request on our church prayer sheet email group.

Eli’s response seems lackadaisical to me.

If we were in his position and learned what the Lord told Samuel, wouldn’t we fallen to our knees and cry out to the Lord and ask Him for forgiveness?

Blessings 

1 Samuel 3:11-14 Judgement is Coming!

 ”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. On that day I will fulfill against Eli all that I have spoken concerning his house, from beginning to end. 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. 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.”“

‭‭1 Samuel‬ ‭3‬:‭11‬-‭14‬ ‭ESV‬‬

a. Both ears of everyone who hears it will tingle: God will give young Samuel spectacular news. In other places in the Old Testament, tingling ears are signs of an especially severe judgment (2 Kings 21:12, Jeremiah 19:3).

b. For I have told him that I will judge his house: Through the word of the man of God in 1 Samuel 2:27-36, Eli already heard of the judgment to come. This word to young Samuel was a word to confirm the previous message from God.

i. “The Lord sends him a word of threatening by a child; for God has many messengers.” (Spurgeon)

c. For the iniquity which he knows, because his sons made themselves vile: Eli knew of this iniquity from his own observation and from the reports of the people, but especially because God made it known by the message of the man of God.

d. And he did not restrain them: Eli’s responsibility to restrain his sons was not only or even mainly because he was their father. These were adult sons, no longer under Eli’s authority as they were when they were younger. Eli’s main responsibility to restrain his sons was as their “boss” because he was the high priest and his sons were priests under his supervision. However, Eli’s indulgence towards his sons as a boss was no doubt connected to his prior indulgence of them as a parent. 

e. The iniquity of Eli’s house shall not be atoned for by sacrifice or offering forever: What a terrible judgment! This means, “It’s too late. Now the opportunity for repentance is past. The judgment is sealed.”

i. Probably, the judgment declared by the man of God in 1 Samuel 2:27-36was a warning, inviting repentance. Because there was no repentance God confirmed the word of judgment through Samuel. Or, perhaps Eli pleaded that God might withhold His judgment, and this is God’s answer to that pleading.

ii. Do we ever come to a place where our sin cannot be atoned for by sacrifice or offering forever? Only if we reject the sacrifice of Jesus for our sin. As Hebrews 10:26 says, if we reject the work of Jesus for us, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins. (Guzik)

Judgment is coming!

Just as with Eli’s judgment foretold, we are foretold of the coming judgment of all mankind and all those that reject the sacrifice of Gods Son Jesus!

”Then I saw a great white throne and him who was seated on it. From his presence earth and sky fled away, and no place was found for them. And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Then another book was opened, which is the book of life. And the dead were judged by what was written in the books, according to what they had done. And the sea gave up the dead who were in it, Death and Hades gave up the dead who were in them, and they were judged, each one of them, according to what they had done. Then Death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire. And if anyone’s name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire.“

‭‭Revelation‬ ‭20‬:‭11‬-‭15‬ ‭ESV‬‬

Is your name written in the Book of Life?

Blessings 

1 Samuel 3:10 The Lord Stood!

 ”Now the Lord came and stood and called as at other times, “Samuel! Samuel!” And Samuel answered, “Speak, for Your servant hears.”“

‭‭I Samuel‬ ‭3‬:‭10‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

a. Then the LORD came and stood and called: This seems to have been audible and because it says the LORD stood, it may be that this was a unique appearing of the LORD, perhaps in the person of Jesus before Bethlehem. This was not a dream or a state of altered consciousness. (Guzik)

The Lord Stood!

This really stuck out to me, but there are times that the Lord stood with us too!

”But the Lord stood with me and strengthened me, so that the message might be preached fully through me, and that all the Gentiles might hear. Also I was delivered out of the mouth of the lion.“ ‭‭II Timothy‬ ‭4‬:‭17‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

As Christian’s we are supposed to preach the gospel so that all the gentiles might hear!

When we would perform our weekly visits at the Veterans Home we would meet together as a team and pray that the Holy Spirit would give us the words to speak when we performed our visitations with the veterans. 

The Lord stood with me and strengthened me, (spiritually) so that the message might be preached fully through me, and that all the Gentiles might hear. 

Do you pray for the words to speak before talking to someone about Jesus?

Blessings 

1 Samuel 3:5-9 Willingness

 ”So he ran to Eli and said, “Here I am, for you called me.” And he said, “I did not call; lie down again.” And he went and lay down. Then the Lord called yet again, “Samuel!” So Samuel arose and went to Eli, and said, “Here I am, for you called me.” He answered, “I did not call, my son; lie down again.” (Now Samuel did not yet know the Lord, nor was the word of the Lord yet revealed to him.) And the Lord called Samuel again the third time. So he arose and went to Eli, and said, “Here I am, for you did call me.” Then Eli perceived that the Lord had called the boy. Therefore Eli said to Samuel, “Go, lie down; and it shall be, if He calls you, that you must say, ‘Speak, Lord, for Your servant hears.’ ” So Samuel went and lay down in his place.“ ‭‭I Samuel‬ ‭3‬:‭5‬-‭9‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

a. He ran to Eli: Samuel was an obedient boy. He was wrong in thinking Eli spoke to him, but he was right in what he did. Samuel came to Eli quickly because he knew Eli was blind and might need help.

b. And the LORD called yet again: When speaking to us, God almost always confirms His word again and again. It is generally wrong to do something dramatic in response to a single “inner voice” from the LORD. If God speaks He will confirm, and often in a variety of ways.

c. Samuel did not yet know the LORD: Samuel was a godly and obedient boy, serving God wonderfully. Still, he had not yet given his heart to the LORD. Even children raised in a godly home must be converted by the Spirit of God.

d. Speak, LORD, for Your servant hears: Eli gave Samuel wise counsel. Eli told Samuel to:

· Make himself available for God to speak (Go, lie down).

· Not be presumptuous about God speaking (if He calls you).

· Respond to the word of God (Speak, LORD).

· Humble himself before God and His word (Your servant hears).

e. Speak, LORD: We must hear from God. The preacher may speak, our parents may speak, our friends may speak, our teachers may speak, those on the radio or television may speak. That is all fine, but their voices mean nothing for eternity unless God speaks through them. (Guzik)

I’ve heard it preached, just because you come to our church doesn’t mean you have salvation and are going to heaven! A good pastor knows he is preaching to the living and to the dead!

We all need the advice of Eli and the willingness of Samuel.

We must be willing to lie down and be still.

If He calls you, 

We must be willing to say, speak Lord.

We must be willing to humble ourselves and say your servant hears.

May we have the willingness of the blind man, who heard Jesus passing by in the crowd and his faith when he cried out loud, Jesus son of David have mercy on me!

Blessings 

1 Samuel 3:2-4 Here I am!

 ”And it came to pass at that time, while Eli was lying down in his place, and when his eyes had begun to grow so dim that he could not see, and before the lamp of God went out in the tabernacle of the Lord where the ark of God was, and while Samuel was lying down, that the Lord called Samuel. And he answered, “Here I am!”“ I Samuel‬ ‭3‬:‭2‬-‭4‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

a. His eyes had begun to grow so dim that he could not see: This was true both spiritually and physically of Eli. His age made him an ineffective leader for Israel.

b. Before the lamp of God went out in the tabernacle of the LORD: As a figure of speech, this simply means “before dawn.” But it is also suggestive of the dark spiritual times of Israel – it is dark and will probably get darker.

i. Exodus 27:21 refers to the responsibility of the priests to tend the lamps until sunrise, or just before dawn.

c. While Samuel was lying down, that the LORD called Samuel: We don’t know for certain how old Samuel was. The ancient Jewish historian Josephus said Samuel was 12 years old. However old he was, God spoke to Samuel.

d. And he answered, “Here I am!” This leads us to believe God spoke to Samuel in an audible voice, instead of in an “inner voice,” though this is not certain. But Samuel was so impressed by what he heard, he responded by saying, “Here I am!”

i. This is a beautiful way to respond to God’s word. It isn’t that God does not know where we are, but it tells God, and it reminds us, we are simply before Him as servants, asking what He wants us to do. Samuel is among several others who also said, “Here I am” when the LORD spoke to them: Abraham (Genesis 22:1), Jacob (Genesis 46:2), Moses (Exodus 3:4), Isaiah (Isaiah 6:8), and Ananias (Acts 9:10).

(Guzik)

“Here I am!”

One day while at church pastor Robert discussed opportunities for foster care and the Lord tugged on our hearts 💕 not for foster care but for adoption. This was after a series of events with a close friend’s daughter that gave up her children because of an addiction. 

It laid heavy on my heart and I wondered, what happens to these children when families give them up for one reason or another?

The Lord called us to adoption and we each said, “here I am”.

It’s amazing how our God works in the midst of tragedy! 

The child He gave us to adopt was given up by his mother to his grandmother, then grandmother gave him to his great aunt and when he was seven the great aunt dropped him off at CPS and said we don’t want him anymore. 😢

When the Lord talks to you, do you say, here I am?

Blessings 

1 Samuel 3:1 Word of the Lord

 ”Now the boy Samuel ministered to the Lord before Eli. And the word of the Lord was rare in those days; there was no widespread revelation.“

‭‭I Samuel‬ ‭3‬:‭1‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

a. The boy Samuel ministered to the LORD: For the third time, it is emphasized that Samuel ministered to the LORD (also in 1 Samuel 2:11 and 2:18), just as Aaron and his sons did at their consecration as priests (Exodus 29:1) and just as Paul and Barnabas did before they were sent out as missionaries (Acts 13:1-2).

b. The word of the LORD was rare in those days: The only word of the LORD we read of in the first two chapters of 1 Samuel is the word of judgment brought by the man of God against Eli. God didn’t speak often, and when He did, it was a word of judgment.

i. The word of the LORD was rare in those days because of the hardness of heart among the people of Israel and the corruption of the priesthood. God will speak, and guide, when His people seek Him, and when His ministers seek to serve Him diligently. (Guzik)

Is the word of the Lord heard today?

Some people never hear the Lord speak because of the hardness of their hearts! He speaks to us as we study the Bible, He speaks to us through godly pastors that preach the Bible, He speaks to us through or conscience, He speaks to us in dreams, He also speaks to us through godly people. 

I don’t know how many times I’ve sat through church listening to a pastor preaching and thought, he is preaching about me!

Step out of the fast paced world, slow down and listen to that small still voice when you study His word.

Can you hear Him?

Blessings