September 17, 2019: Day 3 – I Samuel 3

Samuel gets a calling.  This is another classic Bible story of Samuel when he is a child, and as vs.7 states, he does not yet know the Lord.  What a strong statement.  There are a few of those strong statements in these verses.  The first we find in vs.1 where we read that the word of the Lord was rare in those days.  God was simply not speaking because no one was listening.  

He finds Samuel sleeping by the ark of the covenant.  Okay, we can’t just let that pass.  The ark of the covenant was considered the presence of the Lord.  In vs.10 after two unsuccessful attempts to get Samuel’s attention, the Lord actually comes and stands in Samuel’s presence and calls out to him.  Eli, the wise high priest whose kids were scoundrels, instructs Samuel to respond and to listen to the Lord.  We need people like Eli who instruct us to be quiet and listen to the Lord.  Oh how things would be different if we listened to the Lord. 

The message is not good for Eli’s sake, but he accepts it and realizes that it is what his family deserves for, as we said earlier, his kids were scoundrels.  We then read in vs.19 what sets up the rest of the book of I Samuel, that the Lord was with Samuel.  From that we read that his authority and the respect that is given to him is given to him through all of Israel.  This doesn’t happen overnight.  This is a result of Samuel living in the presence of the Lord for his entire life.  

Keep notice of the fact that all of this is taking place at Shiloh.  It is at Shiloh where God continues to reveal himself simply because it is there where Samuel resides.  It is also where the ark of the covenant is as well as the center of the spiritual life for the people of Israel at that time.  Shiloh, don’t forget it.