On Wednesdays, at the Church we are presently studying the Book of 1 Samuel. Last week, we studied chapter three, which disclosed the story of God calling young Samuel to be the prophet of God.

Samuel’s calling began during a time when a word from God in Israel was very rare; a time when God spoke infrequently (vs. 1b). Why did the Lord choose a teenage boy? In short, the Lord chose him to be the prophet of God because He needed someone who could be trusted with His word.

Why was the Lord silent? The Lord’s silence and His calling the lad Samuel were interrelated. The Lord called Samuel because the individuals who were the spiritual leaders (Eli and sons) in Israel were not to be trusted with the word of God. They concerned themselves with worldly and sinful pursuits. Eli the High Priest refused to correct his iniquitous sons who served as priests in the Tabernacle. His sons were immoral and violent men.

When Eli failed to correct his sons, he became an accessory to their sin and rebellion against the Lord. When he refused to discipline and correct his sons, he became an enabler. Eli was a poor parent and high priest. By his inaction, he too despised the sacrifices of the Lord.

By refusing to correct his sons, Eli placed his family before devotion to God (Luke 14:26; Ex 20:2-5). According to scripture, Eli’s first duty was to the Lord and then his family. Thus, Eli and sons were not the least bit trustworthy, so the Lord did not entrust His Word to them. The Lord would not entrust His holy word to such self-centered individuals even if they were supposed to be spiritual leaders serving Him.

Psalm 66:18 If I had harbored sin in my heart, the Lord would not have listened. ^NET

Thus, the Lord called young Samuel to be His prophet and his first assignment was to deliver God’s message of condemnation and judgment upon Eli the High Priest (3:15-18). It is important to remember that Eli raised Samuel from the approximate age of three to the time of this episode, which likely would be in Samuel’s early teens. In contrast to Eli and his sons, Samuel proved to be trustworthy, for he held nothing back from Eli in delivering the Lord’s message. The Lord calls each individual in Christ Jesus to faithfully follow Him. However, it is not always easy to do so.

The chapter ends with the Lord speaking to His people because He had a boy who would fully carry out the Lord’s will and speak His Word (3:19-21). Samuel proved to be faithful to the Lord throughout his life.

Personal Application

Do you consistently put the Lord Jesus first in your life? Do you live in obedience to the Lord? Can you be trusted with the things of God?