1 Samuel 2:20-3:9.
After the Lord had given Hannah her little son, Samuel, and she had loaned him to the Lord, then He gave her three sons and two daughters. If we do anything for the Lord we can be sure He will fully reward us, although our motive in doing it is not the reward, but just to please Him.
We find here that, although Eli rebuked his sons for their wicked conduct, he did not restrain them. He allowed it to go on unpunished. We, as parents, may correct our children for their evil ways, but this is not enough. We should put a stop to it; and God holds us, as parents, responsible if we do not, as He did Eli here.
God then sent one of His servants to Eli to tell him how He was going to punish him for the sins of his sons. Let us remember, children, that if your parents do not make you obedient, God says they are honoring you above Him, and this is serious indeed. He will have to punish them for this, as He did Eli. Oh, dear parents, let us not think that we are wiser than God, who has told us to use the rod upon our children (Proverbs 13:24, 19:18), for if we spare them, God.will have to use the rod of His chastisement upon us for our folly and disobedience to His Word. How often this has taken place, as we all know!
God said that in place of the house of Eli, He would raise up a faithful Priest who would walk before His Anointed forever. This is undoubtedly a beautiful reference to the millennial day, when Christ will be both Priest and King. The priesthood had failed, and the king who was soon to be chosen would fail too, but it is remarkable to read this prophecy here concerning Christ. The priesthood was to be set aside as the direct means of God speaking to His people, and now, before a king ever reigned in Israel, God tells us of His anointed One. It is lovely to see this, I say, for in the Word of God, purpose is always before responsibility. Man has always failed under responsibility, but, thank God, His purposes shall stand forever.
We now come to the interesting story of Samuel as a child. The dear little lad had early learned to be helpful, and to serve the Lord. He had learned the preciousness of the Word of God too, although so young, for God had not spoken by signs for some time. Let us always read and value the precious Word of God, the Bible.
One night, when both Eli and Samuel had gone to bed, Samuel heard someone calling him. Like an obedient little lad he jumped out of bed, and ran in to Eli and said, “Here am I; for thou calledst me.” Eli had not called him, and he thought Samuel had just imagined it, so he told him to go and lie down again. Samuel did so, and before long he heard the voice again. For the second time he went to Eli and said, “Here am I; for thou didst call me.” Eli assured him that he had not called, and told him to go and lie down again.
Soon the voice called again, the third time, and Samuel ran in to Eli. By this time Eli realized that it was the Lord who was calling Samuel, and so he told him to lie down in bed once more, and if the voice called again to just say, “Speak, Lord; for Thy servant heareth.” What a lovely attitude for a little boy, with his ear opened to hear the Lord speaking to him!
ML 04/18/1954