Our passage of Scripture finds Samuel and Eli to be a little older, but Samuel is still referred to as a boy. Samuel hears his name called while he is sleeping in the temple just before dawn. He quickly approaches Eli, who tells him to return to bed. Samuel is informed by Eli that it is the Lord the third time it occurs. Samuel is informed by the Lord that Eli and his family will be subject to judgment because Eli failed to prevent his sons from blasphemy against the Lord.
Can we see any similarities with our Scripture and Christians today?
In verses 1-5:
Despite the fact that God had spoken straightforwardly and perceptibly with Moses and Joshua, God’s Word had become uncommon during the three centuries of rule by judges. By the time Eli was High Priest, there were no prophets speaking God's messages to the children of Israel. Eli's children either would not tune in to God or gave into greed which impeded any correspondence with God.
Hearing God speak to us and acknowledging Him is essential in building a relationship with him. God does not generally utilize the sound of a human voice, but he always talks plainly through his Word. In order to obtain God’s messages, we should be prepared to hear him and to follow up on what he is telling us. Like Samuel, we should be prepared to state ‘Here am I’ when God summons us to work.
• Isaiah 6:8, Also I heard the voice of the Lord, saying, Whom shall I send, and who will go for us? Then said I, Here am I; send me.
• 1 Peter 2:9, But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light;
The Ark of the Covenant was kept in the Most Holy Place, the deepest room of the Tabernacle where just the High Priest could enter but one time each year. Before the Most Holy Place was the Holy Place, a little room where the other hallowed furniture of the Tabernacle was kept (the altar of incense, the table of shewbread, the lampstand). Right outside the Holy Place was a court with little rooms where the priests were to remain. Samuel presumably rested there with different priests, a couple of yards from the Ark.
The Lord calls Samuel and Eli thinks that Samuel is dreaming and sends him back to bed. This has happened twice.
In verses 6-10:
One would normally anticipate that a discernible message from God should be given to the priest Eli and not to Samuel a child. We need to note that Samuel would not have been working in the Tabernacle as a small child. He was probably in his early teenage years. Eli was more seasoned and increasingly experienced, and he held the correct position. Nevertheless, God’s levels of leadership depend upon faith and trust. His perspective on power did not go in hand with a person’s age or position. When discovering steadfast followers, God may utilize unforeseen channels. Be ready for the Lord to work at wherever, whenever, and through anybody He selects.
• Hebrews 5:4, And no man taketh this honour unto himself, but he that is called of God, as was Aaron.
• Amos 7:14-15, Then answered Amos, and said to Amaziah, I was no prophet, neither was I a prophet's son; but I was an herdman, and a gatherer of sycomore fruit: And the LORD took me as I followed the flock, and the LORD said unto me, Go, prophesy unto my people Israel.
Now Samuel did not yet know the Lord. This tells me that God must have been calling him to salvation. Salvation must come first before one can work for the Lord. The Lord will utilize the unsaved for some purpose, but I believe that those times are to motivate his own to actually get up do their jobs and work.
The third time that the Lord calls Samuel, Eli perceives that it must be the Lord calling him. So, he instructs Samuel on how he must answer that call. How many times will it take for people to hear, listen, and respond to the Lord’s calling? On the last call, Samuel finally responds, “Speak, for thy servant heareth.” The first few times I believe that he knew someone was calling him, but he was unsure of who it was. He just assumed that it was Eli. However, Eli gave guidance to him as to what he should do.
God might make multiple calls, yet there clearly comes a day when an individual's heart is solidified. Proverbs 29:1 tells us, “He, that being often reproved hardeneth his neck, shall suddenly be destroyed, and that without remedy.” Making a similar error over and over is a solicitation to destruction. Ultimately, individuals will need to confront the outcomes of declining to learn. On the off chance that their error is declining the invitations of God or dismissing his commands, the results will be particularly consequential. Eventually, God might need to dismiss them. We should ensure that we are not guilty of hardening our hearts.
Do we Christians have spiritual cobwebs, due to dust and us not cleaning out our spiritual minds? Is our spiritual alarm clock buzzing? Does God need to nudge or shake us to get us out of our spiritual nap? Are we too tired & sleepy from work, stress, staying up late at night with other things, or our home, yard work, and etc.? Have we fallen asleep during our Christian walk? Have the mature Christians given assistance to the younger Christians? (Samuel went to Eli for guidance).
In Acts 24:25, Paul’s discussion with Felix turned out to be really close to home so that Felix felt sentenced (convicted). Felix, similar to Herod Antipas (Mark 6:17-18), had taken another man's spouse. Paul’s words were intriguing until they zeroed in on “righteousness, temperance, and judgment to come.” Many individuals will be happy to examine the Gospel with us as long as it does not come in contact with their personal lives. At the point when it does, some will oppose or leave. Be that as it may, this is what is really going on with the Gospel, God’s ability to change lives. The Gospel is not productive until it moves from doctrine and standards into a groundbreaking dynamic. If our witness causes somebody to oppose or run from us, we have made the Gospel intimate.
In Acts 26:28-29, Agrippa addressed the presentation that Paul gave with a snide comment. Paul did not respond to the rejection; however, he made an individual appeal for which he trusted every one of his audience members would react. Paul's reaction is a genuine model for us as we inform others regarding God's plan of salvation. An earnest individual appeal or individual declaration can show the amount of our sincere consideration and can possibly shatter through solidified hearts.
God may have to work like the military boot camp company commanders or drill instructors by turning on the lights, banging on the trash cans, yelling out loud, and blowing a whistle to wake people up.
