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Last week we learned about Hannah, the wife of Elkanah, and she was barren. Her husband had a second wife, Peninnah, and she had born him several sons and daughters, but Elkanah’s heart was devoted to Hannah. Out of jealousy Peninnah antagonized Hannah because of her barrenness.

It’s amazing how similar their story is to the story of Jacob’s wives Leah and Rachel. Rachel was loved but remained barren for a season, and Leah bore Jacob six sons and a daughter.

Hannah prayed to God for a son and God answered her prayer. In the case of Leah and Rachel, God eventually opened Rachel’s womb, and she bore Jacob two sons. Rachel’s son Joseph became second in command in Egypt because of his ability to interpret dreams.

Hannah’s son’s name was Samuel. Remember, Hannah gave her son back to the Lord for his entire life. She took him to Shiloh and left him with Eli the priest.

From today’s text God called Samuel and he thought it was Eli calling him. Three times God called Samuel, and three times he ran to Eli and said, “Here I am; you called me.” Eli responded on those first two occasions, “I did not call you; go back and lie down. After the third time God called to Samuel and he went to Eli, Eli realized it was the Lord calling Samuel, and he told Samuel, “go and lie down, and if he calls you, say, “Speak, Lord, for your servant is listening.”

God came to Samuel a fourth time and called to him like He had in the past, and Samuel said, “Speak, for your servant is listening.”

Is God calling your name, and you think it is somebody else doing the calling? “Listening and responding is vital in a relationship with God. Although God does not always use the sound of a human voice, He always speaks clearly through the Bible. To receive his messages, we must be ready to listen and to act upon what He tells us. Like Samuel, be ready to say “Here I am” when God calls you to action.[1]

My greatest call from God thus far was a call to pastor this church. From the first time I visited this church God put in my mind, (being here). Years passed before it happened, but it happened. I even came as an associate minister for ten years then I left for three years before returning as your pastor. Pay attention to the voice of God when He calls you. A highlight of my ministry was welcoming my father as a new member and baptizing him, December 5, 1999.

God had already sent a prophet to prophecy against the House of Eli. 1 Samuel 2:27-36

Now a man of God came to Eli and said to him, “This is what the LORD says: ‘Did I not clearly reveal myself to your ancestor’s family when they were in Egypt under Pharaoh? I chose your ancestor out of all the tribes of Israel to be my priest, to go up to my altar, to burn incense, and to wear an ephod in my presence. I also gave your ancestor’s family all the food offerings presented by the Israelites. Why do you scorn my sacrifice and offering that I prescribed for my dwelling? Why do you honor your sons more than me by fattening yourselves on the choice parts of every offering made by my people Israel?’ Therefore, the LORD, the God of Israel, declares: ‘I promised that members of your family would minister before me forever.’ But now the LORD declares: ‘Far be it from me! Those who honor me I will honor, but those who despise me will be disdained. The time is coming when I will cut short your strength and the strength of your priestly house, so that no one in it will reach old age, and you will see distress in my dwelling. Although good will be done to Israel, no one in your family line will ever reach old age. Every one of you that I do not cut off from serving at my altar I will spare only to destroy your sight and sap your strength, and all your descendants will die in the prime of life. “‘And what happens to your two sons, Hophni and Phinehas, will be a sign to you—they will both die on the same day. I will raise up for myself a faithful priest, who will do according to what is in my heart and mind. I will firmly establish his priestly house, and they will minister before my anointed one always. Then everyone left in your family line will come and bow down before him for a piece of silver and a loaf of bread and plead, “Appoint me to some priestly office so I can have food to eat.

[1] Life Application Study Bible, NIV, study notes on 1 Samuel 3:1-7, 405.

What was the message God gave to Samuel?

1 Samuel 3:11-14

And the LORD said to Samuel: “See, I am about to do something in Israel that will make the ears of everyone who hears about it tingle. At that time I will carry out against Eli everything I spoke against his family—from beginning to end. For I told him that I would judge his family forever because of the sin he knew about; his sons blasphemed God, and he failed to restrain them. Therefore, I swore to the house of Eli, ‘The guilt of Eli’s house will never be atoned for by sacrifice or offering.’”

Eli realized God had given a message to Samuel. He demanded that Samuel tell him what God said, not to hide it from him. Samuel told Eli everything God had said to him. All Eli could say was, “He is the Lord; let him do what is good in his eyes.”

The mark of a true prophet of God is what he prophesies comes to pass.

The man of God said both of Eli’s sons would die on the same day, and that no one in his family would reach old age.

In a battle with the Philistines Israel was defeated. The elders thought by bringing the Ark into Israel’s camp that God would fight for them. When the ark was brought, it was accompanied by Eli’s sons, Hophni and Phinehas.

1 Samuel 4:10, 11

So, the Philistines fought, and the Israelites were defeated and every man fled to his tent. The slaughter was very great; Israel lost thirty-thousand-foot soldiers. The ark of God was captured, and Eli’s two sons, Hophni and Phinehas, died.

When word got back to Shiloh about the battle, Eli’s sons, and the ark, Eli fell backward off his chair by the side of the gate and broke his neck and died.  

The man of God’s prophesy also stated that God would raise up a faithful priest who will do according to what is in my heart and mind.

1Kings 1:26, 27

To Abiathar the priest the king said, “Go back to your fields in Anathoth. You deserve to die, but I will not put you to death now, because you carried the ark of the Sovereign LORD before my father David and shared all my father’s hardships.” So, Solomon removed Abiathar from the priesthood of the LORD, fulfilling the word the Lord had spoken at Shiloh about the house of Eli.

One of Eli’s downfalls was not disciplining his sons, who were priests. The prophet said in his prophecy to Eli; “Why do you scorn my sacrifice and offerings that I prescribed for my dwelling? Why do you honor your sons more than me by fattening yourselves on the choice parts of every offering made by my people Israel.”

Samuel is described as the greatest judge of Israel. He also had two sons. He knew what happened to Eli’s sons.

1 Samuel 8:1-9

When Samuel grew old, he appointed his sons as Israel’s leaders. The name of his firstborn was Joel and the name of his second was Abijah, and they served at Beersheba. But his sons did not follow his ways. They turned aside after dishonest gain and accepted bribes and perverted justice.

So, all the elders of Israel gathered together and came to Samuel at Ramah. They said to him, “You are old, and your sons do not follow your ways; now appoint a king to lead us, such as all the other nations have.”

But when they said, “Give us a king to lead us,” this displeased Samuel; so, he prayed to the LORD. And the LORD told him: “Listen to all that the people are saying to you; it is not you they have rejected, but they have rejected me as their king. As they have done from the day, I brought them up out of Egypt until this day, forsaking me and serving other gods, so they are doing to you. Now listen to them; but warn them solemnly and let them know what the king who will reign over them will claim as his rights.”

Samuel was obedient to the word of the Lord. God instructed him to anoint Saul, a Benjamite, to become Israel’s first king. Saul reigned over Israel 42 years. Even though he was king, he still had to obey God. Samuel advised the king, but he didn’t always follow through on what he was told.

1 Samuel 13:13, 14

 “You have done a foolish thing,” Samuel said. “You have not kept the command the LORD your God gave you; if you had, he would have established your kingdom over Israel for all time. But now your kingdom will not endure; the LORD has sought out a man after his own heart and appointed him ruler of his people, because you have not kept the LORD’s command.” If we are honest, we can see some of Saul’s behavior in ourselves. We will do part of what we are told to do, but we also determine not to follow all God’s instructions, because we think we know a betterway to accomplish God’s will. Another time Saul failed to carry out God’s commands, and Samuel informed him;                                         

Does the LORD delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices

as much as in obeying the LORD?

To obey is better than sacrifice,

and to heed is better than the fat of rams.

For rebellion is like the sin of divination,

and arrogance like the evil of idolatry.

Because you have rejected the word of the LORD,

he has rejected you as king.”

Because God rejected Saul, Samuel had to appoint a new king without Saul finding out. God sent Samuel to Bethlehem under the guise of coming to sacrifice to the Lord. Jesse was invited to the sacrifice. So, Jesse and his sons were consecrated and attended the sacrifice. Seven of Jesse’s sons passed before Samuel, but the Lord rejected them all. God said, The Lord does not look at the things people look at. People look at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart. None of the seven sons were accepted. The eighth son, David, who was tending his father’s sheep, was God’s choice.

Samuel anointed David in the presence of his brothers, and from that day the Spirit of the Lord came powerfully upon David.

Samuel died and was buried in his home in Ramah. Samuel was the last and most effective of Israel’s judges.Study Questions

Do you recollect being told how to do something, but doing it in a different way because you thought your way was better? How did that turn out?

God had a plan for Samuel’s life. Do you wonder or have you discovered the plan God has for your life?

Samuel agreed with the plan of God for his life, are you in agreement with God’s plan for you?

In Samuel’s early life, his mother was very much involved with him. Who is one of your biggest supporters?

Who have you advised in your sphere of influence?

Samuel anointed two kings, what act of obedience have you done for someone else?

How are or how were your parenting skills?

David was the youngest of eight sons, but he was anointed king. How have your siblings responded to God’s calling on your life?

Do you long to hear the voice of God?