This chapter details God calling Samuel to be His prophet. We’re not told exactly how old Samuel is at this point, though the text indicates he is still growing, so he is likely under 18.
“Then the Lord called Samuel, and he said, ‘Here I am!’ 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. And the Lord came and stood, calling as at other times, ‘Samuel! Samuel!’ And Samuel said, ‘Speak, for your servant hears.’ 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.’ So Samuel told [Eli] everything and hid nothing from him. And he said, ‘It is the Lord. Let him do what seems good to him.’ ” (v4-5,10-11,18)
The Lord gives Samuel a prophetic message about the destruction of the house of Eli because of his sons’ unresolved sin. Samuel then shares this message with Eli. This isn’t actually new news to Eli, since God shared this same message through another prophet a few years earlier. This message God shares with Samuel is mainly a confirmation to Eli that Samuel is the next prophet God has chosen.
The Lord calls Samuel three times, and three times he thinks Eli is calling, so he runs to Eli’s chamber. Why did Samuel not recognize that voice of God? Verse 7 says “Samuel did not yet know the Lord, and the word of the Lord had not yet been revealed to him.” Here’s an interesting thought – Samuel did not “know the Lord”, yet multiple times it says “Samuel was ministering to the Lord in the presence of Eli” (v1). How can someone “serve the Lord”, without “knowing Him”?
You may have heard the often quoted verses: “For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast.” (Eph 2:8-9) “We have all become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous deeds are like a polluted garment. We all fade like a leaf, and our iniquities, like the wind, take us away.” (Isa 64:6)
Our own works are not enough to make us true servants of God, we also need a heart change. Samuel had not yet “known the Lord”, which meant he did not have a personal relationship with God. All of his service to this point, though useful for the building of God’s kingdom, had been devoid of spiritual contact with God. Samuel was obedient to Eli, not necessarily obedient to God, for he did not personally know God.
Unfortunately, this is more common than it should be. When we think of people who have been labeled “backsliders”, those who stepped away from “following God”, the question comes to my mind: “Did they truly know God”?. They may have been highly active members of the church, but when a crisis hit they turned their back on God.
Note: I’m not judging or belittling people who have a crisis of faith and their flight response is stronger than their fight response. Typically I’m in that same camp (I have a history of practicing avoidance). In fact, I think “backsliding” reflects more poorly on the church than the person who walked away.
My encouragement for today, is that we as a body of Christ step up our discipleship, ensuring that every member has a firm personal relationship with God, and we walk beside them as they weather the storms of life. We don’t want to lose a crew member overboard in a storm – we need to teach them how to stay on the ship when it’s buffeted by the waves. Eli, for whatever reason, failed to raise his sons and Samuel (who he also call son) to have personal relationships God. I encourage us not to make the same mistake as Eli, and heavily invest in others’ personal relationships with God / Jesus.
Father God, O Holy Lord of Abraham, Joseph, Samuel and David, great and mighty is Your name. Father You have raised up many people of great faith – faith so great the worst circumstances imaginable could not shake it. Thank you for building that same faith in our lives, and just as importantly, in the lives of those whom we serve. Father may we be faithful stewards of our faith and encourage that same faith in others. May we also be bold enough to weather storms with others, so they will not falter. May faith in You be the most contagious thing in this world, so all may come to love You.All honor, glory, praise and thanksgiving be to You, O Lord God Almighty. Amen.
~ Conqueror in Training