YP Address—B. Prost
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Could we sing together #191?
#191.
Probably most of you know by now that I have always had a great deal of interest in who wrote hymns.
And this is supposed to be a young people's meeting.
And I want you to know that this hymn was written by someone who was fairly young.
I don't know how old she was when she wrote it. Her name was Mary Boley. Her married name was Peters.
But it is a great encouragement and I suggest it that way to every young sister here because.
Probably, and I haven't counted them up, but she wrote. She is one of the most prolific hymn writers in our Little Flock hymn book.
And during her lifetime, she also managed while raising a family to.
Write a 7 volume history of the world in the light of Holy Scripture.
And she went to be with the Lord when she was only 43.
So I just say that.
As an encouragement to the young people here.
You don't have to live to be old in order to do something for the Lord. You don't have to be an old woman or an old man in order to walk with the Lord and to have his mind and to be able to serve Him. And in her case, she didn't step out of her proper place that the Lord had given her as a sister.
191.
Thrilled my heart this morning at the end of the meeting when Ryan asked the young people to stand up and made the comments he did.
I suppose some of you were wondering just what was coming when he asked you to do that, but it was a compliment, and we are very, very thankful for the testimony of our young people.
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In a day when we see so much going on in this world that is contrary to the ways of God, I want you to know, and I speak for many of the older ones here, if not all.
That to see young people having a desire to please the Lord and go on against the tide that is against them.
Is a tremendous encouragement to us.
You know, the devil goes after people in my age bracket and there are people sitting here this afternoon who are old enough to be.
My parents, not too many, but there are some, and there are those who are younger than I but who are no longer in the class of young people.
And the devil attacks all of us.
But he doesn't pay as much attention to people in my generation as he does to you young people, because He knows that if the Lord leaves us here, sooner or later some of us are going to pass off the scene or at least not be able to be as active.
But he knows that if there is going to be any continued blessing in this world, any continued testimony for Christ.
It's going to be with those that are younger and if he can discourage, if he can turn aside the young people, he's gained his object, even if he allows some of us older ones to stay where we are. I'd like to read a verse in starting out in the Book of Revelation chapter one.
Revelation chapter one, a verse that has been much before me in the last week or two.
Revelation chapter one.
Verse 9.
I, John.
Who also am your brother and companion in Tribulation?
And in the Kingdom and patience of Jesus Christ was in the aisle that is called Patmos for the word of God and for the testimony of Jesus Christ.
Let me read it. I trust closely.
Or at least quote it as it appears in the Darby translation.
I, John, your brother and fellow partaker in Tribulation Kingdom and patience in Jesus was in the aisle that is called Patmos for the word of God and for the testimony of Jesus.
Pardon me if I missed a word or two, but that gives the sense of it.
Here was a man who had been exiled to an island where, as far as we know, he had no Christian fellowship.
And also where, as far as we know, he did not suffer what we would conventionally call active persecution.
But he identifies himself with all of the other believers who were at that time, in many cases, suffering grievously under the Roman Empire.
And he says I am your companion and fellow partaker in three things.
Tribulation.
Kingdom.
And patience, The word patience there has the thought of endurance.
And all three of those words are tied together.
I'm kind of dating myself with this comment.
But I can well remember.
Our late brother Clifford Brown ministering on this chapter.
At least 45 years ago.
Or rather ministering on this verse.
And I remember to this day how he emphasized those 3 words. Tribulation.
Kingdom Patience.
And he pointed out that the name attached to our Lord Jesus Christ there does not include.
His personal titles Lord and Christ, as it is in our King James it says Jesus Christ and so on.
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He pointed out that more accurately, it should say simply Jesus. Why is that? Does that mean that He does not? We speak with all reverence. Have those titles yet? No, indeed He does. I believe the thought is here that what is called for in this verse is an intimate relationship with Jesus as a person.
Forgetting for the moment his character is Christ or Messiah. Forgetting for the moment his Lordship, although that is most important.
It is an intimate relationship with Him as Jesus and may I suggest to each one here and maybe I can be forgiven seeing this as a young people's meeting for laying stress on this for the young people.
All of these three things.
Are very important, very necessary.
And an integral part of the Christian life.
We can't escape the tribulation.
We can't escape the Kingdom character. What does that mean?
I believe it was Mr. Wigram that made the remark and I agree with him. He said much of the downfall of the Church.
Has been because in some cases they paid a lot of attention.
To the heavenly calling of the church, as Paul gave it, and forgot the character.
Of being in the Kingdom of Jesus Christ. What does the Kingdom mean? The Kingdom brings before us practical walk, and we had that in the Reading meeting yesterday. It brings before us a walk through this world that is in keeping with the moral character of the one who is the rightful king.
And finally, there is endurance. Patience, endurance. That's what it takes. Endurance. It's not like a 100 meter dash. It's like running a marathon.
With the Lord's help this afternoon I'd like to turn back to the Old Testament for an example. I believe of some of this in a man of God in the Old Testament.
His life covers an extensive period of time and we're going to be able only to hit some highlights.
But I'm referring to Samuel.
Let's turn back to First Samuel.
I.
May I say something else?
Some of us were sitting at the lunch table today.
And I suppose perhaps we didn't give enough credit where credit was due.
But some of us were remarking at the lunch table how pleasantly surprised we were at how well some children and young people obviously were listening in the meetings yesterday and how they could, with accuracy, recall.
What? Brother Heinz said, even if they couldn't remember his name.
How they could remember what Brother Jim said in the gospel and other remarks that were made.
I'm thankful for that.
And I'm going to assume.
That that level of interest reflects itself.
In a basic understanding of Samuel's life. A basic knowledge of Samuel and his life, because we don't have time to go through it all in detail.
But just to give a little background, we know that Samuel was born at a very difficult time in Israel's history.
It was in the days of the judges, and if you read the book of Judges, it's one of the saddest books in the whole Bible.
Very, very sad book. The only one that I think rivals it are books like maybe Jeremiah, possibly even Ecclesiastes. But it's a sad book because it details the awfulness of man's sinful heart even in the presence of all the blessing that God had given.
Samuel was born at a difficult time.
He was born, though, to a very godly mother who badly, badly wanted children and who prayed and let's see what happened.
Samuel, Chapter one.
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Verse 24.
And when she, that is, Hannah, his mother, had weaned him, she took him up with her, and three Bullock with three bullocks and one Eva of flour, and a bottle of wine, and brought him under the House of the Lord in Shiloh. And the child was young.
And they slew a Bullock, and brought the child to Eli. And she said, Oh my Lord, as thy soul liveth, my Lord, I am the woman that stood by thee here praying under the Lord for this child. I prayed, and the Lord hath given me my petition, petition which I asked of him. Therefore also I have lent him to the Lord. As long as he liveth, he shall be lent to the Lord.
And he worshipped the Lord there.
Isn't it remarkable?
That out of all the failure in the book of Judges, God had a godly woman here.
Who in the midst of much difficulty?
Was prepared to say, Lord, I will dedicate, I will lend this child unto the Lord.
As long as he lives.
Can we speak first of all to some young parents here? You're still young people. At least you feel like it. I know you do.
It's a difficult day in which to bear and bring up children, but I encourage each one of you, no matter how dark the day, to take courage because the Lord is the same.
And God answered this woman's faith in a remarkable way.
But there was a cost. There was a cost to her, as we heard yesterday about that woman whose son went to college and then felt the call to go to the foreign mission field. There was a cost to her and there was a cost to him. There was a cost to Hannah here, and there was a cost to Samuel. And every parent here can identify with the anguish perhaps that must have been in that mother's heart as she took that little boy.
Up to the temple, and she knew very well what went on there. It was number secret what kind of sons Eli had. It was no secret the wickedness with which they went on, and they were supposed to be the spiritual leaders of the nation. It was no secret that Eli couldn't deal with the situation, although he was their father.
What was her faith in the Lord? Who was there?
And may I encourage each young family here today. I have heard young parents say I cannot, I will not raise my children in that environment.
Boy, tremble when I hear words like that. Yes, we all want a nice environment for our children, a happy assembly Christians let go on well for the Lord. A place where your children are nurtured and encouraged. It's much to be desired and to be thankful for.
But God doesn't always provide that. And he didn't hear. And yet here was a mother who brought this young boy up and said to Eli, I prayed for this child and now here he is. I am giving him to the Lord.
You know, we as parents always want to see our children do well. We want to see our children get along in this world. And I have to confess to you that I have been very thankful.
For the way the Lord out of nothing but his grace.
Has come in blessing.
To our children, and I know many parents hear what identify with that.
But all I say to each one of us, what really counts is what is for the Lord. What really counts is what is for the Lord. Yes, it's not a good testimony for a Christian not to do his work well and all the rest of it, Of course not. But what really counts is what is for the Lord.
Well, our time is going. Let's go on here, Chapter 2.
Again, we're going to have to skip over some of the history here.
Chapter 2, Verse 18. But Samuel ministered before the Lord, being a child.
Girded with a linen ephod. Moreover, his mother made him a little coat and brought it to him from year to year, when she came up with her husband to offer the yearly sacrifice.
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We're not going to enter into detail here as to what the ephod meant.
But I suggest the thought in these verses is this, that God recognizes and distinguishes between the spiritual and the natural.
On the one hand, Samuel was in an environment where he, and I don't think it's a wrong word to use, He was compelled to serve in the House of God. There was nothing else to do. He was there. He was under Elis direction and no doubt he did what Eli told him. He would obey Eli, no doubt as a father.
And he was girded with a linen ephod.
Brother Jim last night made reference to meetings and sometimes how slow the clock goes.
I know the feeling. Even after 55 years or so, I still remember the feeling. I do.
And I remember because in our day.
In the reading meetings that I went to when I was a little boy, they didn't watch the clock. I did, but they didn't. And it was nothing for the reading meeting to go five, 1015 minutes overtime and oh.
Maybe some children here can identify with that.
And I'm sure that Samuel felt it sometimes when he was compelled to be in the company of an older man most of his life. And there were perhaps not the playmates and the people that he could have enjoyed a ball game with. He probably didn't get to throw the Super Bowl or blow bubbles or things like that, at least not very much. But.
His mother brought him a little coat every year. You know, that's significant.
The coat, the garments in Scripture often speak of our circumstances. And his mother remembered that that boy was growing and that every year the coat would be too small. We as parents all know what that's like. But there's a moral significance to that coat, which I hope is not overreaching the meaning of the passage. And that is that his mother recognized that there was going to be growth there, that as a natural boy he was going to grow.
And he would need a bigger coat every year.
Parents, your children and young people need a bigger coat every year. They need a bigger coat and a bigger one. What does that mean? It means simply this, and we see it in the life of Samuel that as children grow, they need to be encouraged to develop. Yes, they're natural faculties. They need to be encouraged to develop their natural minds, their abilities. In what direction, That depends.
It tells us in Proverbs train up a child in the way he should go. But if you read the more accurate translation, it says train up a child according to the tenor of his way.
I have one son and he often used to help me in the garden, and I appreciated that, and sometimes he would help me do other things that had to do with his hands. But it became very evident as time was went on that that was emphatically not the tenor of his way. It was not what he was cut out to do. And when he got old enough he pursued a different track, which was of course, quite in keeping with his abilities. And I say that to each one here because as children grow.
They need to develop their natural abilities, but.
There was always that linen ephod, There was always the spiritual side of things. And I have no doubt that Eli did not bend in that direction. No, there were certain things that were absolutely necessary and important. And I say it to you children here, if your parents insist that you come to meetings, if your parents insist that you sit for a Bible reading, if your parents insist.
That you do certain things in a spiritual way that you find very difficult and you don't understand.
Don't resent it because you know those long reading meetings that I sat through when I was a boy?
And those times when they went overtime, which was a terrible grief to somebody at my age, I can tell you today what the brothers in those meetings said. I could tell you today the things that they said because they sunk in, even though at the time I didn't know exactly what it all meant, but they sunk in.
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And what is the result here? What is the result here? Verse 26, chapter two of first Samuel. And the child Samuel grew on and was in favor both with the Lord and also with men.
You know, it's a nice thing to be in favor with others, isn't it? We all want that.
If there's one thing that is most, shall we say, difficult for us to cope with, especially when we're young, it's not to be liked and it's to be misunderstood. Is that right? I think I'm right. If you're not liked, not part of the group, and you're misunderstood, there's just about no greater cross to bear when you're young than to have that happen to you.
But you notice the order here.
Samuel grew.
And it says he was in favor both with the Lord and also with men. Oh, the Lord came first in his life, and he honored the Lord first. Because sometimes we have to honor the Lord in spite of the fact that we will not be in everybody else's good books as a result.
But you know, the Lord made a way that Samuel was in favor also with men. And I say to you young people, yes, there may be a certain set, if you go on for the Lord, with which whom you with whom you will not be in favor.
But those that are worth having as friends, Those that are worth knowing.
Are going to look at you and seek out your company. It may not be as large a company. And I know the tug at heartstrings sometimes when you see those with whom you would like to be friends deliberately go off and say no, we won't invite him or we don't particularly want her.
But remember, those that really count will be watching.
Well, time goes on here.
And I want to come to what I really have on my heart to say this afternoon.
Because here is Samuel growing up in the House of the Lord. No doubt he was a very small boy when he was first taken up there. I'm not sure how old he might have been, three or four, but he was not very old. And here is that tender little boy growing up.
And the wickedness of Eli's house goes on. And if we had finished that second chapter, we would find out that there was a man of God, whose name we are not told, who was sent to Eli to give him a warning. Eli, I am going to bring judgment on you and your house for the way you are acting as the priests of the Lord.
And there is no evidence of any response one way or the other for me like.
And we find here in this next chapter that Samuel comes in.
Very, very difficult.
We all know the story, but we'll read part of it.
Chapter 3 And the child Samuel ministered unto the Lord before Eli in the word of the Lord was precious in those days.
There was number open vision or a vision wasn't very frequent as the thought, and it came to pass at that time when Eli was laid down in his place, and his eyes began to wax dim that he could not see. And there the lamp of God went out in the temple of the Lord, where the ark of God was. And Samuel was laid down to sleep, that the Lord called Samuel, and he answered, Here am I. And he ran unto Eli, and said, Here am I, for thou callest me.
And he said I called not lie down again.
And he went and lay down. And the Lord called yet again Samuel. And Samuel arose and went to Eli, and said, Here am I, for thou didst call me.
Excuse me?
And he answered. I called not my son. Lie down again.
Excuse me?
Now Samuel did not yet know the Lord, neither was the word of the Lord yet revealed unto him. And the Lord called Samuel again the third time, And he arose and went to Eli, and said, Here am I.
For thou didst call me. And Eli perceived that the Lord had called the child. Therefore Eli said unto Samuel, Go, lie down.
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And it shall be, if he call thee, that thou shalt say, speak, Lord, for thy servant here. So Samuel went and lay down in his place.
And the Lord came and stood, and called, as at other times, Samuel, Samuel. Then Samuel answered, Speak for thy servant here.
Every child here I think knows that story, knows how that the Lord called Samuel and Samuel thought it was Elis voice and how even Eli didn't understand that the first what was going on.
But finally, Eli understands that it's the Lord.
And the Lord is about to speak to Samuel.
I want to bring several things out of this passage. First of all.
There are times in the history of the people of God.
When those who are older have failed and the Lord has had to use someone younger.
Now, I want to be careful how I say that because it's never right for a younger person to presume to think that all of his older or her older brothers and sisters are so far out of it that he or she has to take over and do the job right. Yes, we see that attitude and the Word of God would condemn that in the strongest terms. But here it was not Samuel that took the place of leadership. It was the Lord who said, Samuel, I have a message for you.
And, you know, I believe the Lord can use young people today in that way. And if you're walking with the Lord, even if you are young, the Lord can speak directly to you. It says Samuel did not yet know the Lord. He hadn't yet been introduced to a direct revelation from God. But the Lord is going to show him. And sometimes maybe you and I in our lives may be surprised at what the Lord has to tell us.
But the Lord can speak just as directly to you, even though it is not in an audible voice as He spoke to Samuel.
But the message is significant.
What kind of a message was he given?
A very negative message he was given, A message that would go straight to Eli. A message that told again what the Lord had already said to Eli through a prophet.
About the awful judgment that God was going to bring on Eli's house. And Samuel obviously was afraid.
What does it say?
At the end of verse 15, and Samuel feared to show Eli the vision.
Well, he might, but he I made him tell it.
And I say to you young people here, you have been born into difficult days in the history of the church. You are living in difficult days. Most, shall we say, blessed days.
I don't like to use the word unadvisedly, but I think it's the right word to use in some cases. Most exciting days.
Days of tremendous opportunity.
But very difficult days, and very often, I know some of you can identify, maybe all of you can, with what I'm going to say, you feel compelled to grapple with issues and with difficulties and problems.
Maybe in the world, but more explicitly even among the people of God. And your attitude may well be, and I understand it. What did I do to deserve this? I had nothing to do with creating this problem. I had nothing to do with engineering this kind of a scenario. And yet here I am, caught in the world pool.
Caught in the crossfire and I have to try and deal with it. I have to make difficult choices. I have to cope with things that I had nothing to do with causing. What kind of a life is this? This is not fair.
Young people, in one sense, I agree with you.
But on the other hand, if you and I recognize the truth of Revelation 1:00 and 9:00.
That we are companions and fellow partakers in the Tribulation and Kingdom and patience of Jesus. We are not going to escape.
The difficulties and problems in the Christian pathway, yes, we can run away from them and some have done that. We can deliberately choose an easier path that involves compromise. And the devil says yes, come, I'll, I'll smooth things out for you. There's a bit of a cost involved, but.
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I'll make life easier, I'll make life run smoothly, and you won't have to grapple with these things anymore.
All you have to do is give up a few things, he'll tell you that.
And for Samuel, as a very young boy, has to receive this revelation of judgment against Eli's house and be the mouthpiece to tell Eli.
What was going to happen?
But even though he feared to tell Eli the vision, he told him.
What is the result? Notice verse 19 and Samuel grew. Second time it says that and notice this which it does not say before, and the Lord was with him.
Oh young people, if I could only get this across to you. There is no greater joy in your life.
Than to feel that the Lord is with you, to have a sense in your soul that the Lord is with you.
It doesn't mean there won't be a difficulty or a problem, but you'll have a sense in your soul that the Lord is behind you, that his strength is there, that His wisdom is with you, and that there's not a cloud between you as you go to Him with the difficulties and the problems. And more than that, it says He let none of his words fall to the ground.
Oh, you know, as young people we all like to think, and others to think that we're worth something, that we're a bit important, that we've got something to offer.
I have to confess to you that I knew that feeling too. And it doesn't go away when we cease to be young people, because everybody in this world, deep down inside.
Has the desire to have some recognition to be somebody, but you know, to set out to do that will cause failure because pride in every form is wrong and God will not allow it. But when Samuel walked with the Lord and the Lord was with him, and he grew.
God saw to it that none of His words fell to the ground. There was a moral power in a life lived for the Lord, and there will be in your life today.
Verse 20 and all Israel from Dan even to Beersheba knew that Samuel was established to be a prophet of the Lord.
I am not suggesting that that is going to happen to every young person here, but I do suggest that if the Lord has something for you to do for Him and He does.
Not only will he make it clear to you, it will be clear to those that know you well.
It will be clear to them. You won't have to force the issue.
In fact, most of the time you'll probably get more responsibility than you would like.
And in verse 21 it says, And the Lord appeared again in Shiloh, for the Lord revealed himself to Samuel and Shiloh by the word of the Lord.
Eli, for the moment, is out of the picture. The man of God who spoke to Eli initially.
Is not mentioned again.
The Lord is revealing His mind by Samuel, a relatively young man.
And I say to the young people here today, what God is looking for in the world today are young people who are prepared to say yes.
Excuse me?
By God's grace, I will swim against the tide. By God's grace, I want to walk in an intimate relationship with the Lord. By God's grace, I want the Lord to be with me.
And by his grace, I'm not going to run away from the difficult situation into which He may have put me.
Because I want to live.
And serve him, live for and serve him.
But now something happens that we have to be prepared for.
In chapter 4 it says.
The first clause and the word of Samuel came to all Israel.
But then it's significant that you do not hear Samuel mentioned for several chapters.
He isn't mentioned again as far as I can see until you get down to Chapter 7 and verse 3.
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And Samuel speak unto all the House of Israel.
What happens in these intervening chapters?
Has Israel taken to heart what Samuel said?
Have they paid attention to His word? After all, it says all Israel from Dan to Beersheba knew that Samuel was established to be a prophet of the Lord. They knew everyone knew right from one end of the country to the other. And it says clearly that the Lord appeared or revealed himself to Samuel and Shiloh by the word of the Lord. And it says here in chapter 4 and verse one, the word of Samuel came to all Israel.
They didn't pay attention.
We all know the sad story how that Israel went out to battle against the Philistines and when they were losing the sons of Eli said, well, we'll soon fix the situation. We'll go get the Ark of God and bring it into the camp and that'll be our.
Help in getting victory. When we bring the ark of God into the camp, we can't lose. The Lord will fight for us.
And you remember how that they went and brought that Ark of the Covenant into the camp, and they shouted with a shout, so that the earth rang, and the Philistines were afraid and said, Oh.
Remember those mighty gods of the Israelites that brought them out of the land of Egypt and so on.
And the Philistines more or less said, well, let's give it our best shot. We're probably going to lose, but let's, let's.
Do the best we can. And you know what happened. There was a terrible defeat for Israel and the Ark of God was taken by the Philistines. And you know the story how it was taken and put into the House of Dagan, the Philistines, God and how the Lord caused all kinds of trouble for the Philistines. And eventually they sent it back to Israel on that cart pulled by 2 Cows that were compelled to leave their calves behind and so on. All of this was going on.
And Samuel wasn't consulted, evidently, whatever he may have had to say, just as we say, went by the board and no one paid attention.
I say to you young people, and I say to my own heart and to everyone here.
Don't be surprised even if someone recognizes, even if many people recognize.
That you are walking with the Lord and seeking to please Him. Don't be surprised if things don't immediately turn around and go in the right way. We would love to see that happen. And I can only imagine the, shall we say, the anguish of heart in Samuel as he saw all this take place. Oh, he could have so easily have given them instruction directly from the Lord if they would have listened. He could so easily have helped them to see what the real problem was.
But it wasn't the time and young people, you may have to bide your time.
You may have to bind your time.
It's happened down through the ages.
Where people who realized that they wanted to get somewhere had to wait until they opportunity opened up properly. And you have to wait for God's time. And sometimes that may mean going on with a situation, maybe among the people of God, maybe in your local assembly, maybe in your life, that you say this is not right, this ought not to be going on. It is so wrong. I can remember a sister telling me that I knew her well right from the time we were teenagers and.
I can remember sitting in her home a few years ago when we were talking about a difficulty. But Bill, it's so wrong. It's so wrong, Bill. And I had to say to her, yes, I know it's wrong, but you and I are not going to straighten it out with the natural energy of our old sinful self.
And then we when we come along to Chapter 7, we find.
At the end of verse two it says And all the House of Israel lamented after the Lord.
And Samuel is there ready to speak for the Lord.
Oh, this is wonderful.
And that's what is needed today, those who have the mind of the Lord and who are ready with the right word at the right time in the right place, That's what prophecy really is. Now I know some of you sisters will say, well, just a minute, though I am not in a position to do that.
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Maybe not in the same way that a brother can, but you can have a tremendous impact.
Just by walking with the Lord and having a quiet word at the right time and in the right place and I suggest that God can use you in that capacity just as much as a brother and here all Israel finally laments after the Lord how long who it says well, the our Kabul encourages Jerome that the time was long for it was 20 years, 20 years.
Long time to wait for something to happen, isn't it?
But Samuel was there.
And what does he say? Verse three? And Samuel spake unto all the House of Israel, saying, If ye do, return unto the Lord with all your hearts.
Then put away the strange gods and Ashtaroth from among you, and prepare your hearts unto the Lord, and serve Him only, and he will deliver you out of the hand of the Philistines.
Then the children of Israel did put away Balaam and Ashtaroth and serve the Lord only.
And Samuel said, Gather all Israel to mispay, and I will pray for you unto the Lord.
I don't think we recognize.
How important our prayer life is.
I don't think we realize how much our prayer life effects first of all ourselves and then others.
Oh, we don't want to get the wrong thought about prayer.
Some people have the idea that if you can only get enough people praying for something, that the crescendo of prayer ascending up to heaven will be so loud and insistent that God will have to pay attention just because so many people are calling for it.
Don't see that in the Word of God it says the effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.
Others go to the opposite tack and say, well, why do we need to bother praying? Because after all, God has his purposes all worked out and He's going to accomplish them anyway.
And what I say in prayer is not going to make God change his mind one way or the other. So why be so insistent on prayer?
And that's wrong too.
Because prayer is, someone elses said is a privilege that you and I have. Because we have common interests with God.
And I remember a man one time.
Who was accosted? Who spent much time in prayer? And he said, do you really think that when you get on your knees and pray that you change God's mind? Oh, he said, you're holding the stick by the wrong end. He said prayer doesn't change God, but it does change me.
That was the right answer. Prayer does not change God in that sense. It changes me. It brings me into the current of God's socks, though, that when I pray, hopefully I pray in keeping with his mind. And when I pray in keeping with his mind, oh, what a wonderful thing that is. And so here we find that Samuel, no doubt, all that time when they had lost the ark of God, when they had lost the victory.
To the Philistines, when all of this had been going on in the ark of God, was encouraged Jerem.
He had been praying. He had been praying, and it was a day when prayer was not the privilege of everyone the way it is today. It was a privilege that was not known widely in the Old Testament. Where had Samuel learned how to pray? From his mother. From his mother. He'd learn from his mother. How did his mother know how to pray? We don't know. But she had prayed, and because it was not a common thing, she was mistaken for it. Eli thought she was drunk.
But she was praying.
Son picked up on that, no doubt, and he prayed, and when the time came, he was there to say something to help. We don't have time to read the whole story here, but he offers a lamb, a sucking lamb, and there's a great victory for Israel.
All because of the faithfulness of one man who was where God would have him, when God would have him, and with the word from the Lord.
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Verse 15.
And Samuel judged Israel all the days of his life, and he went from year to year in circuit to Bethel and Gilgal and Mizpah, and judged Israel in all those places. And his return was to Rama, for there was his house, and there he judged Israel, and there he built an altar unto the Lord.
Well, there came a time when Samuel had to take a place of responsibility. He was called upon to be a judge. And we don't have time to go into a lot of detail here, but the place names are significant.
Rhema means high places.
What does that mean? It means that Samuel morally and spiritually lived above.
The failure and the difficulty that was going on around in young people, you can do the same. You don't have to be overcome by it. The word of God tells us in.
Romans chapter 12 and the last verse. It says be not overcome of evil but overcome evil with good. You don't have to be overcome of the evil, you can live above it.
His home was in Rhema.
But he went from place to place to Bethel. Bethel means the House of God. I believe that would speak of the coming together. He didn't neglect the fellowship of others.
Gilgal That was the place of self judgment, the most necessary thing which must continually go on in your life and mine.
Mizpah. We could spend a whole day talking about Mizpah.
Sometime look up the number of times it's mentioned in the word of God. It goes all the way back to Jacob and Laban.
When they said to one another.
The Lord watched between me and thee, while we are absent one from another.
It brings in the lordship, the accountability to God.
And Samuel walked always before the Lord.
We have only a few minutes left.
Samuel's life all rosy, No.
There were some sad things in his life and look on to the next chapter, Chapter 8.
And it came to pass when Samuel was old that he made his sons judges over Israel. Now the name of his first born was Joel, and the name of his second abaya. They were judges in Beersheba. And his sons walked not in his ways, but turned aside after lucre, and took bribes and perverted judgment.
Then all the elders of Israel gathered themselves together, and came to Israel, to Rhema, and came unto Samuel, to Raymond, said unto him.
Behold, thou art old, and thy sons walk not in thy ways. Now make us a king to judge us like all the nations.
But the thing displeased Samuel, when they said, give us a king to judge us, and Samuel prayed under the Lord.
Oh, poor Samuel.
He ran into the same problems as Eli had.
Eli was not able to train his sons in the right way, and as a result, they were a failure. And here we find Samuel sons. Oh, it doesn't say they failed in quite the same serious way as Eli's sons did, but they perverted the judgment that was committed to them, and they took bribes in order to decide how to judge a case. Terrible thing for a judge to do.
And as a result, they bring Samuel into disrepute.
And they want a king.
They want a king.
And you know every parent here that has had young people grow up.
Perhaps can identify with some failure in our children and our hearts feel it.
And Samuel doesn't say that he consulted the Lord when he made his sons judges, because God doesn't deal generally in dynasties. No, God would have raised up someone to replace Samuel, but he didn't tell Samuel to make his sons judges. And we need to be careful about that in our Christian life because God raises up who he will. Oh, he delights to bless in families. Yes, he does. But if God is going to raise up someone specially to take leadership, he doesn't necessarily do it from father to son to grandson and so on.
But it's nice to see what Samuel did here in the middle of a difficulty like that. He prayed unto the Lord. He didn't say, get out of here, my sons are going to run the show, and I don't want to hear anymore about this for a king. No, he prayed to the Lord.
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And as a result, we find that Samuel.
Was able to tell them first of all what his own record was about his own life.
He could point to himself and say, I want you to listen because.
I think I have your ear and he had it.
And we'll just summarize the rest of the history in this way.
Samuel had to endure.
The anointing of King Saul.
And all of the sad difficulties that came as a result of that.
Samuel had to go along.
With an ungodly king because Israel wanted him.
But then there came a time when the Lord said to Samuel, How long wilt thou mourn for Saul?
And he sends him out to Bethlehem, there to anoint God's rightful king.
And there isn't too much said about what happened subsequently, and we don't have time to turn to it. But, you know, if you turn to the book of First Chronicles, you find little snatches there a couple of times that indicate that during all those years when David was in exile, when David was running from Saul, when he was being chased, as he says, like a Partridge in the mountains.
He met up from time to time with Samuel, and together they talked about the coming Kingdom. They talked about the day when David would be the rightful king on the throne. They even arranged the affairs of the temple, the singers, and so on, and the priesthood and the courses of the priesthood. They arranged a number of things, and I love to think of the enjoyment that Samuel must have had.
In having communion and having those happy times, no doubt not very frequent.
But those enjoyable times with David while an ungodly king was still on the throne?
But Samuel, who had had the privilege of anointing God's rightful king, and now is admitted into his counsels, and the two of them together, the aged Samuel and the young David, talking together about that coming Kingdom, and together making the arrangements that David later remembered.
All beloved young people.
I can't tell you that things are going to get easier.
Can I take 2 minutes and reminisce again?
I remember quite a few years ago now.
Speaking with my late father-in-law, Albert Hayhoff.
In less than two weeks.
It will be 25 years since the Lord took him home.
And it's hard to believe.
It's hard to believe that there is a generation of young people sitting here that don't remember them.
But I remember one time sitting in our living room.
And he said something like this, he said Bill.
I have no doubt in my soul.
That I am gathered to the name of the Lord Jesus Christ.
But he said, I sometimes tremble as I think of what lies ahead for those gathered to the Lord's name. Because he said, as the coming of the Lord draws near, is the Lord going to allow us to be taken up as quote, the testimony? Is he going to allow us to be taken up with the satisfaction of having been the testimony?
I have to say, there's a young man. I trembled as I heard those words.
And then he went on to say, when I go to a Bible conference.
He said if I only saw the faces, it would be worth the trip.
And he said, To sit in the presence of my dear brethren and hear the word of God ministered. It's a privilege that I count most dear.
He said. I wonder.
If I would have the moral courage.
To have to walk away from much of it.
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If faithfulness to the Lord demanded it as time went on.
It was almost prophetic.
And I say to you, dear young people.
The days are not going to get easier.
As in Samuel's day, you may have to endure much trouble and difficulty that you had nothing to do with starting.
But God calls you to cope with it, to walk with him.
As in Samuel's day, you may have to endure an ungodly king who made all kinds of mistakes.
And on whom Samuel expended all kinds of energy to try and get him to go straight and all.