Samuel and Eli

Like Samson, Samuel was a life-long Nazirite, dedicated to the Lord through a vow made by his mother. He lived in the temple and was raised by the priest Eli from the time he was weaned (probably about three years of age). In today's account, he was still a boy and "did not yet know the Lord because he had never had a message from the Lord before". This sounded strange until I thought about it. Although we can know the Lord without receiving a direct message from Him, the people of the Old Testament had no Bible, no Holy Spirit speaking to their hearts, and no flesh and blood example of God (Jesus) to connect with. How could anyone really know Him? He could be feared and he could be worshipped and He could be obeyed, but how could He be known? And so, when God called out to Samuel, in an apparently audible voice, Samuel did not understand what was happening.

Enter the "ministry of Eli". In a Priscilla Shirer Bible study called "Discerning the Voice of God", she refers to the pivotal role that Eli played in Samuel's life. Speaking as someone who had heard the voice of God, Eli was able to instruct Samuel as to how to listen. His advice was to say to the Lord, "Speak, your servant is listening". What a beautiful way to pray. And when Samuel shares with Eli what had been spoken to him, though it foretold the death of his two sons, Eli says simply, "It is the Lord's will. Let Him do what He thinks is best". That kind of spiritual maturity is amazing. Priscilla Shirer's advice for any believer attempting to discern the will of God, was to submit to the "ministry of Eli". We should surround ourselves with wise, mature believers who may be better able to hear God's voice or see God's hand, when we ourselves cannot.

Tomorrow's reading: 1 Samuel 4:12-8:22