The Call of Samuel

Observe the setting. It is night in the tabernacle at Shiloh. The lamp is still burning, so it is before dawn. Eli is in his place, nearly blind. Samuel is lying down near the ark of God. The Lord calls, and Samuel, assuming it is Eli, runs to him three times. On the third occasion Eli understands and tells Samuel to answer the Lord. The message Samuel receives confirms the judgment already announced against Eli's house in the previous chapter, and it adds that the guilt of Eli's family will never be atoned for by sacrifice. In the morning Eli insists on hearing everything, and accepts it.

Interpret the chapter's emphasis on the word. The word of the Lord was rare at the start. Samuel did not yet know the Lord because the word had not been revealed to him. By the end, the Lord reveals himself to Samuel at Shiloh by his word, and Samuel's words do not fall to the ground. The prophet's authority is entirely tied to God's speech. Samuel has no army, no priesthood of his own, only a message he did not choose and did not want. This is what a prophet is.

Apply it. Knowing God comes through his word. Sanctuary attendance, even lifelong service, cannot replace it. And receiving God's word may mean carrying something hard to someone you love, as Samuel did to Eli.

When did you first recognise God speaking to you through Scripture rather than simply reading it? Who has played Eli for you, helping you understand a call you did not recognise? Is there a hard word you have been given that you are lying awake avoiding?