1 Samuel 2:23-3623And he said unto them, Why do ye such things? for I hear of your evil dealings by all this people. 24Nay, my sons; for it is no good report that I hear: ye make the Lord's people to transgress. 25If one man sin against another, the judge shall judge him: but if a man sin against the Lord, who shall entreat for him? Notwithstanding they hearkened not unto the voice of their father, because the Lord would slay them. 26And the child Samuel grew on, and was in favor both with the Lord, and also with men. 27And there came a man of God unto Eli, and said unto him, Thus saith the Lord, Did I plainly appear unto the house of thy father, when they were in Egypt in Pharaoh's house? 28And did I choose him out of all the tribes of Israel to be my priest, to offer upon mine altar, to burn incense, to wear an ephod before me? and did I give unto the house of thy father all the offerings made by fire of the children of Israel? 29Wherefore kick ye at my sacrifice and at mine offering, which I have commanded in my habitation; and honorest thy sons above me, to make yourselves fat with the chiefest of all the offerings of Israel my people? 30Wherefore the Lord God of Israel saith, I said indeed that thy house, and the house of thy father, should walk before me for ever: but now the Lord saith, Be it far from me; for them that honor me I will honor, and they that despise me shall be lightly esteemed. 31Behold, the days come, that I will cut off thine arm, and the arm of thy father's house, that there shall not be an old man in thine house. 32And thou shalt see an enemy in my habitation, in all the wealth which God shall give Israel: and there shall not be an old man in thine house for ever. 33And the man of thine, whom I shall not cut off from mine altar, shall be to consume thine eyes, and to grieve thine heart: and all the increase of thine house shall die in the flower of their age. 34And this shall be a sign unto thee, that shall come upon thy two sons, on Hophni and Phinehas; in one day they shall die both of them. 35And I will raise me up a faithful priest, that shall do according to that which is in mine heart and in my mind: and I will build him a sure house; and he shall walk before mine anointed for ever. 36And it shall come to pass, that every one that is left in thine house shall come and crouch to him for a piece of silver and a morsel of bread, and shall say, Put me, I pray thee, into one of the priests' offices, that I may eat a piece of bread. (1 Samuel 2:23‑36)
YOU have heard, dear children, how Samuel lived with old Eli at Shiloh.
He did not live in the tabernacle, but in some tents very near it.
Eli had two sons, who were grown-up men, and they were priests, and offered sacrifices at the altar.
I suppose you think that Eli's sons were good because Eli was good: but I am sorry to tell you that they were very wicked men. They did not love God, they only cared for eating, and amusing themselves: and they did not wish to please God. Eli was good himself, but he did not punish his wicked sons, and that was very wrong of Eli. The Bible says: 'He that spareth the rod hateth his son.' My dear children, do your parents punish you, when you fall into passions, or are disobedient, or say what is not true? They should punish you for your good.
Eli heard of the wicked things that his sons did: and he said to them, 'Why do you do such wicked things? Everybody tells me of your wickedness. O my sons, the Lord will be very angry with you, and will punish you.' But Eli's sons would not listen to what their father said, but went on in their bad ways.
At last a good man came to Eli, and told him that God was very angry, and that He would let both his sons be killed in one day.
It must have grieved Eli to hear this. God was displeased with Eli for not having punished his sons. Yet Eli was a good man, and God loved him.
The two sons went on in their wickedness. And now you shall hear something else that God said.
One evening old Eli was lying in bed: and little Samuel was lying in another bed a little way off. Samuel heard a voice calling him, `Samuel.' Samuel thought that Eli called him, and he answered, 'Here am I'; and then he got out of bed and ran to Eli, to know what he wanted. You see what a kind little child Samuel was, and how ready he was to wait upon old Eli.
But Eli said to Samuel, 'I did not call you'; then Samuel went and lay down again.
Soon afterward Samuel heard someone call again, 'Samuel.' So he went again to Eli, and said, 'Here am I, for you did call me.' But Eli said, 'I did not call, my son; lie down again.'
Then Samuel lay down, and he soon heard the voice again saying, 'Samuel.' Then he felt sure that it was Eli who called him, and he went to him and said, 'Here am I, for you did call me.'
Now Eli knew who it was who had called Samuel.
My dear child, do you know who it was? It was the Lord.
So Eli told Samuel to lie down again, and when he heard the voice, to answer, 'Speak, Lord, for Thy servant heareth.' Samuel was to call himself God's servant.
So Samuel went and lay down again, and soon the Lord came and stood by him, and called as before, 'Samuel, Samuel.' Then Samuel answered, 'Speak, for thy servant heareth.' God had never spoken to Samuel before. Samuel must have longed to know what the Lord had to say to him. It was something very sad and dreadful; it was about Eli.
God told Samuel that He should soon punish Eli's sons for their wickedness, and that He was angry with Eli for not having punished them.
After God had done speaking, Samuel remained in his bed, and Eli did not call him. Samuel did not like to tell Eli that God was angry with him.
So when the morning came, Samuel did not go to Eli, but began to open the doors round about the tabernacle; for it was Samuel's business to open the doors. Soon Eli called Samuel: for he wanted to know what God had said to Samuel. Eli begged Samuel to tell everything to him, and to hide nothing from him. Then little Samuel told Eli all that God had said.
How grieved Eli must have been when he heard that the Lord would punish his sons: and that the Lord was angry with him; but Eli answered very meekly, and said, 'Let the Lord do what He thinks good.' Eli really loved God, though he had done this wrong thing.
After this, God often spoke to Samuel; and Samuel used to tell people what God had said, and all that Samuel told them came true. Samuel was a prophet; a prophet is a person to whom the Lord tells what He means to do.
People paid great attention to what Samuel said, but still many people went on doing wicked things. The people in Shiloh were very wicked, and God determined soon to punish them, as well as Eli's sons. But God loved Samuel. What a happy child Samuel was!
My dear children, the Bible says 'We love Him, because He first loved us.' God loves you; and He has said, 'I love them that love Me.' Pray to God to make you love Him, and to make you good like Samuel. I hope that you will not grow up like Eli's wicked sons.
What voice salutes young Samuel's ear,
So like to Eli's gentle tone?
O let the child no danger fear!
It is the Lord from Heaven come down.
And why does He to Samuel speak?
On him the Lord has poured His grace,
And made him holy, wise, and meek,
And fit to fill a prophet's place.
With grief he hears of dreadful woes,
The sons of Eli soon shall feel;
Trembles the message to disclose,
Till Eli bids him all reveal.
Such was the tender, gentle child,
To whom these honors high were given;
On him the great Jehovah smiled,
And deigned to speak with him from heaven.
Child
O Lord, renew my sinful heart,
Which is by nature hard and vain,
That I may act a lowly part,
And grieve to cause another pain.
Questions on Lesson 2
Were Eli's sons good or bad?
Why was God displeased with Eli?
What did God say should happen to Eli's sons?
When did God first speak to Samuel?
What did Eli tell Samuel to say to God when he spoke to him?
What did God tell Samuel when he spoke to him?
How did Eli behave, when Samuel told him what the Lord had said?
What is a prophet?
Was Samuel a prophet?
Have I ever told you of any other prophets besides Samuel?