1 Samuel 3:1-20 (NRSV)
Read 1 Samuel 3:1-20 on biblegateway.com
Chapter 3Now the boy Samuel was ministering to the Lord under Eli. The word of the Lord was rare in those days; visions were not widespread. Verse 2At that time Eli, whose eyesight had begun to grow dim so that he could not see, was lying down in his room; Verse 3the 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. Verse 4Then the Lord called, "Samuel! Samuel!" and he said, "Here I am!" Verse 5and 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. Verse 6The Lord called again, "Samuel!" Samuel got up 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." Verse 7Now Samuel did not yet know the Lord, and the word of the Lord had not yet been revealed to him. Verse 8The Lord called Samuel again, a third time. And he got up and went to Eli, and said, "Here I am, for you called me." Then Eli perceived that the Lord was calling the boy. Verse 9Therefore Eli said to Samuel, "Go, lie down; and if he calls you, you shall say, 'Speak, Lord, for your servant is listening.'" So Samuel went and lay down in his place. Verse 10Now the Lord came and stood there, calling as before, "Samuel! Samuel!" And Samuel said, "Speak, for your servant is listening."
Verse 11Then the Lord said to Samuel, "See, I am about to do something in Israel that will make both ears of anyone who hears of it tingle. Verse 12On that day I will fulfill against Eli all that I have spoken concerning his house, from beginning to end. Verse 13For I have told 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. Verse 14Therefore I swear to the house of Eli that the iniquity of Eli's house shall not be expiated by sacrifice or offering forever." Verse 15Samuel lay there until morning; then he opened the doors of the house of the Lord. Samuel was afraid to tell the vision to Eli. Verse 16But Eli called Samuel and said, "Samuel, my son." He said, "Here I am." Verse 17Eli 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." Verse 18So Samuel told him everything and hid nothing from him. Then he said, "It is the Lord; let him do what seems good to him."
Verse 19As Samuel grew up, the Lord was with him and let none of his words fall to the ground. Verse 20And all Israel from Dan to Beer-sheba knew that Samuel was a trustworthy prophet of the Lord.
Devotion
It seems that Eli had been too permissive a parent; his two sons had defiled a sacrificial ritual and had relations with women who had official responsibilities at the gate of the tent of meeting. That Eli, a high priest and judge, didn't punish his sons for their blasphemous actions was just too much.
Comedian Lewis Black points out that the New Testament God is simply too wimpy. Here we have an example of Black's Old Testament God being harsh and tough. Sacred things must never be desecrated in any fashion. God must act for the sake of the believing community.
Samuel was worthy of God's voice and so God spoke. It was a harsh word necessary to establish a right relationship between God and Israel. For the sake of the gospel, the wake-up call of the law will reveal the truth, like it or not.
Prayer
We desperately need your word O God to give light to our days. Ready our hearts to hear so that our souls may see and we may thus live forever in your grace. Amen