The Conditions of the Day
The neglect of divine principles by the priesthood had resulted in the whole nation of Israel being far from their God. The conditions into which Samuel was born were marked by the failure of his father to live up to his responsibilities as a Levite, a high priest who tolerated gross immorality and debauchery in his sons, and a nation that was disobedient and rebellious. Israel was in deep trouble: politically, they were being harried by the Philistines; religiously, the priesthood was corrupt; domestically, there was discord and strife. We would wonder if anything could be done for God amid such spiritual and moral chaos but, into such conditions, Samuel was born. Outwardly though, tradition and routine were still observed, and Elkanah's disunited family made their annual visit to Shiloh, the divinely appointed gathering centre for God's people. As "the house of the Lord" (1 Sam 1.7), Shiloh was His abiding place and, as "the temple of the Lord" (v 9), it was the place of sacrifice and approach unto God. But that journey to Shiloh marked the beginning of recovery, and all spiritual recovery begins when God's people get back to the altar with a willingness to be restored. It was the same in Jeremiah's day; "But go ye now unto my place which was in Shiloh, where I set my name at the first …" (Jer 7.12), and it is still true today.
Samuel's Call
The readiness of Samuel to receive the call of God was to the eternal credit of Hannah, his mother. Amid the discord of the home where she was taunted "because the Lord had shut up her womb" (1 Sam 1.6), her silent prayer arose; "For this child I prayed" (v 27). We should never cease to pray for our children. Perhaps our Gospel outreach would be more effective if we had the spirit of Hannah, and Rachel, who cried "Give me children, or else I die" (Gen 30.1). Having received her heart's petition, Hannah offered her son back to God; "as long as he liveth he shall be lent to the Lord" (1 Sam 1.28). Service for God can be a costly exercise, and Hannah laid the very best that she had on the altar for God. Every year, Hannah made Samuel "a little coat" (2.19), but he was also "girded with a linen ephod" (v 18). Garments in Scripture bespeak character, and Samuel remained under the influence of a godly, praying mother, in contrast to Eli's sons and the weakness of their father. Samuel wore the linen ephod that represented the righteousness of the high priest (Ex 28.4), even though he was not of Aaron's family, in contrast to Eli, Israel's high priest, who was thoroughly discredited.
It is good to see progress in divine things amongst the Lord's people, and it is better when that spiritual progress is acknowledged by others. It is more encouraging still to see spiritual progress and growth in days of failure and departure. Of Samuel, it is recorded that "the child did minister unto the Lord" (1 Sam 2.11), and "the child Samuel grew before the Lord" (v 21). "And the child Samuel grew on, and was in favour both with the Lord, and also with men" (v 26), "and Samuel grew, and the Lord was with him … and all Israel … knew that Samuel was established to be a prophet of the Lord" (3.19-20). Samuel's character and progress must have been a constant rebuke to old Eli. The high priest's eyes had failed to discern the difference between a broken and contrite spirit and that of a drunken woman and, in Samuel's case, he failed to appreciate that God was calling the child in the night. In those days God's word was "precious" (3.1), meaning 'rare'. A lack of spiritual awareness meant that those responsible for guiding the people were out of touch with God. Nearness to God is essential for all those who seek to promote God's precepts, but in Eli's day the lamp of testimony was going out (3.3), demonstrating a lack of spiritual witness. God demanded that it burn continuously through the hours of darkness (Ex 27.20-21; Lev 24.2-3), but spiritual carelessness and lethargy had crept in. Things had been allowed to slip, and when God called it was dark. The first two times that God called the child, he came to Eli and was told "lie down again" (1 Sam 3.5). It was not until the third visit of Samuel that Eli perceived that God was calling the child, and he instructed him as to what to say in return. But we are given a clear insight into Samuel's limitations; "Samuel did not yet know the Lord, neither was the word of the Lord yet revealed unto him" (v 7). There are two key words in this verse; know and yet. The word know indicates that direct contact between God and the individual is essential. We need to have our own personal experience with God in order to enter into the spiritual blessings promised. Knowledge of divine things does not in itself mean that an individual is saved, or that they are spiritually enlightened. Each individual must come to know God for themselves, through faith in the Lord Jesus and the resulting indwelling of the Holy Spirit. As for the word yet, this signifies that the time had not come. Much as we might like to, we cannot pass on our spirituality to others of our choice. Our spiritual standing and appreciation must be self-obtained with the help of the Spirit of God, but that does not mean that teaching, in its broadest definition, is without benefit. Brought up in a coal mining area, I was always intrigued by the words of an older brother who worked in the colliery; "The coal you dig out for yourself burns brightest on the fire."
Samuel's call was individual, for God spoke to him by name. The channel for divine revelation should have been Eli and his sons; "For the priest's lips should keep knowledge, and they should seek the law at his mouth: for he is the messenger of the Lord of hosts" (Mal 2.7). But where the preferred channel is blocked, God will sovereignly use another, and so He did with Samuel. The call was unmistakeable because it was a double call, "Samuel, Samuel" (1 Sam 3.10), and it was persistent, God patiently dealing with His servant until, on the fourth occasion, there was a response. Eli had told Samuel to say "Speak, Lord; for thy servant heareth" (v 9), but Samuel responded "Speak; for thy servant heareth" (v 10). The omission of "Lord" in his response indicates that Samuel knew he could not answer to God beyond his own spiritual understanding and experience. In our spiritual life we should not try to be what we are not, for God will certainly know and the saints will quickly realise it. The next morning Eli called Samuel to him, to hear what the Lord had revealed in the night. This was a major test for the young man in his service for God. Inexperienced in many ways, and much younger than Eli, Samuel was straightforward and honest with God's high priest: "And Samuel told him every whit, and hid nothing from him" (v 18). He delivered God's Word as he had received it, painful though it would doubtless be to Eli. It was not an easy task, neither was it an encouraging message: "I will perform against Eli all things which I have spoken concerning his house … I will judge …" (vv 12-13). To proclaim the certainty of coming judgment on Israel, and on Eli's house, was Samuel's first test of faithfulness to God in service, and it would characterise him for the rest of his life for God. Today we have a similar challenge, for Paul wrote to Timothy "Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season … for the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but … heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears" (2 Tim 4.2-3). The desire to know the Word of God will be put to one side, and replaced by those things which only 'tickle' the ears of the hearers. In such circumstances, Samuel and Timothy both stood steadfast for God, and so must we.
(To be continued …)
