Who Is Tending The Lamp

WHO IS TENDING THE LAMP?

I Samuel 2:12, 22 & I Samuel 3: 3

Intro: In the reading of the text we see a few things. First, we have read about Eli’s sons Hophni and Phineas and how wicked they were. In The final verse of scripture we read how the lamp of God has gone out in the temple. I want to talk about this lamp for a little while. If you have ever studied the tabernacle you know that is where the Ark of the Covenant resides. The tabernacle is 150’ long x 75’ wide and is manufactured out of different types of skins and fabrics each of those representing something. The tabernacle has a inner court and an outer court and is surrounded by a white fabric fence. There are five pieces of furniture in the tabernacle. The brazen altar, the laver, the candlestick, the table of shewbread, and the golden altar of incense. The candlestick is the lamp that I am talking about. Now this candlestick was not like a candlestick such as you would think of as a candlestick today. This candlestick did not hold wax candles. This lamp had seven branches made of pure gold that represented the Diety of Jesus Christ. At the end of each branch was a vessel filled with oil and a wick. That wick was lit at night and burnt all night and was extinguished at sunrise. In the reading of our text we find that Samuel is preparing for bed and the lamp has gone out. I want to preach this evening on the subject “WHO IS TENDING THE LAMP”

I. FIRST NO ONE WAS WORKING TO MAINTAIN THE LAMP

A. Eli had become old and his vision was bad

1. Poor physical vision

2. Poor spiritual vision

B. By customs, manners and law Eli’s sons Hophni and Phineas should have been in the temple tending to it however they were tending to other things and neither were they nor Eli concerned about it (Leviticus 8 Moses consecrates Aaaron and his soons Nadab and Abihu)

II. NO ONE WAS WORRIED ABOUT THE LAMP

A. (I Samuel 2:22) We find Hophni and Phineas at the temple. However, there were not there to tend to the lamp. They were laying with the women who assembled at the door of the tabernacle of the congregation

B. They were laying with temple prostitutes

C. They were not worried about the lamp or the Ark of the Covenant nor Eli or any one else

D. But in that same verse it took a Man of God to come to Eli and prophesy to him that both of his sons would die in one day. And he also told Eli this in 2:35 “And 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 forever”

E. That faithful priest was Zadok who was a Levite and he bore the ark of God for David and was eventually appointed high priest and served under David

F. (Psalms 132:17) There will I make the horn of David to bud: I have ordained a lamp for mine anointed.

III. NO ONE TRIMMED THE WICK IN THE LAMP

A. To give light the wick must be trimmed

B. Fire burns the wick and turns it to ashes

C. Ashes will not absorb no more oil

D. The wick represents our life

E. If we are not careful we will not trim our lives and we will try to be putting out a light to a lost world using a burnt wick

F. A burnt wick will not shine, it will not burn all it will do is smoke

G. Do you get my point?

IV. NO ONE WAS THERE TO FILL THE VESSELS BACK UP WITH OIL

A. The oil represents the “Holy Ghost”

B. The reason the lamp went out is because it ran out of oil

C. The reason people quit church is because they don’t come back for a refill

D. I know you get the Holy Ghost when you get saved but if you don’t maintain a relationship with him you is not going to stay

E. It is intimate, personal, professional

F. If you don’t come to church you are not going to get filled backed up and your wick is not going to get trimmed and you are going to go out

G. You may say well preacher I don’t have to come to church all the time and I will be okay…you are a smokey wick