Scripture
By Charlene Brown
Scripture Lesson Text: 1 Samuel 3:1-9; 19-20; 7:3-5; 10,12 Related Scriptures: 1 Samuel 1:1-28; Judges 2:16-23 In the Scripture lesson text we find young Samuel growing up in the temple under the watch of Eli the priest. During this time God’s voice wasn’t heard, yet God spoke to Samuel . Here we find Samuel having his first encounter with God. God calls Samuel by name and Eli instructs Samuel on how to properly respond to God’s voice. Samuel wasn’t yet familiar with the voice of God, but over time he recognized it and obeyed. In 1 Samuel 1:1-28 speaks of the introduction to the conditions around the birth of Samuel. Samuel was a child of whom was an answer to the prayers of a barren woman by the name of Hannah. Hannah’s husband had two wives, one bore him children but the other (Hannah)was barren. Hannah prayed for a child and vowed to return him to God to be raised in the temple. God answered Hannah’s prayer and she kept her promise and left him at the temple. Judges 2: 2-16 was during a time that the Lord raised up judges to lead His people. The people didn’t listen to the judges and yet the Lord was moved with compassion and saved them from their oppressors time and time again. The people continued to rebel against the Lord and over time it angered the Lord and caused Him to leave the nations. Unlike Samuel, the people did not obey the voice of the Lord, therefore it led to Him abandoning them and allowing them to be given over to their oppressors.
Synopsis
By Doug Smith
Although God had spoken directly and audibly with Moses and Joshua, His word became rare during the three centuries of rule by judges. By Eli’s time, no prophets were speaking God’s message to Israel. Although God does not always use the sound of an audible voice, He always speak clearly through His word. To receive God’s message we must be ready to listen and act upon what He tells us.
Just outside the holy place was a court with small rooms where the priests were to stay. Samuel probably slept here with the other priest, only a few yards away from the ark. The phrase “from Dan to Beersheba” was often used to describe the totality of the Israelite nation. Dan was one of the northernmost cities in the land, and Beersheba one of the cities farthest south. In this context, it was a way of emphasizing that everyone in Israel knew that Samuel was called to be a prophet.
Samuel told the people they had to return to the Lord and”serve him only” . Samuel urge the Israelites to get rid of their strange gods, that is idols. Mizpeh held special significance because, it was at Mizpeh where the Israelites had gathered earlier to mobilize against the tribe of Benjamin. The Israelites had great difficulty with the Philistines, but God rescued them. In response, the people set up a stone as a memorial of God’s great deliverance.
Practical Application
By Pam Jones
This story opens with the acknowledgment of Samuel being just a child (1 Samuel 3:1) when his life was dedicated/vowed to the Lord for service as a Nazarite, by his mother. Samuel was also a testament of the scripture in Proverbs 22:6 “Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old, he will not depart from it;” and he didn’t. As a child, Samuel knew his parent’s voices, but they were no longer with him. He was not familiar with the Lord’s voice, which is why he didn’t recognize it when the Lord called his name three times during that awesome, unforgettable night.
Samuel answered “Here am I” each time after his name was called, which shows his willingness to serve, even though he thought it was Eli who called him. But then Eli told him to respond with “Speak Lord; for thy servant heareth.” In other words, Lord, I hear you and I’m listening to what you have to say. There are times we hear and recognize the Lord’s voice, but lean to our own understanding. Samuel followed the instructions of relaying to Eli the difficult prophecy from the Lord that night, without any hesitation.
In 1 Samuel 3:19 it reads “And Samuel grew, and the Lord was with him, and did let none of his words fall to the ground.” Samuel gained God’s trust, because he did not compromise on what he was told to say to anyone. God fulfilled every word, prophecy, promise, rebuke, and condemnation because Samuel obeyed His voice. He wasn’t a false prophet; he didn’t speak his own words and give false hopes, nor did he allow foolishness to abound in the people’s lives. We are able to spend time with God, to learn His voice and speak His words, and gain the Lord’s trust and have a fruitful and meaningful calling and ministry.
