Ⅲ
Samuel grew up under the custody of Eli; in his youth Samuel ministered to Jehovah before Eli (vv. 11b, 18-19), being taught by Eli the way to minister to God:
A
God called Samuel three times; "then Eli perceived that it was Jehovah calling the boy. And Eli said to Samuel, Go and lie down, and if He calls you, you shall say, Speak, O Jehovah; for Your servant is listening…Then Jehovah came and stood by and called as at the other times, Samuel! Samuel! And Samuel said, Speak, for Your servant is listening"—3:1-10:
１
This was something completely positive that Samuel learned from Eli; as the Lord's servants, we need to maintain our fellowship with Him, always listening to Him—Luke 1:34-38; 10:38-42.
２
Our lives depend on the Lord's words, and our work depends on His commands (Rev. 2:7; 1 Sam. 3:9-10; cf. Isa. 50:4-5; Exo. 21:6); the life of the believers hinges totally upon the Lord's speaking (Eph. 5:26-27).
３
The Lord's speaking enables us to fulfill the goal of His eternal economy to have a bride as His counterpart—Rev. 2:7; Eph. 5:26-27; S. S. 8:13-14.
B
While Samuel was learning, he observed the deterioration of the degraded Aaronic priesthood:
１
He saw the Ark of God being usurped by the elders of the people and captured by the Philistines with the glory of God departing from Israel; he realized God's severe judgment on the house of Eli, which included the deaths of Eli and his two evil sons, Hophni and Phinehas—1 Sam. 2:12-36; 4:11-22.
２
God's severe judgment on the house of Eli was prophesied by a man of God (2:27-36); then, this severe judgment was confirmed by the word of Jehovah spoken through Samuel (3:11-18).
３
God's purpose in telling Eli through Samuel of the coming judgment might have been to make an unforgettable impression on this young priestly boy; this was God's wisdom—vv. 17-18.
４
This did not weaken Samuel in his future Nazarite priesthood; rather, it became a constant warning to him throughout his priestly service that helped him to remain pure in his service to God for his entire life.
Morning Nourishment
1 Sam. 3:10 Then Jehovah came and stood by and called as at the other times, Samuel! Samuel! And Samuel said, Speak, for Your servant is listening.Isa. 50:4 The Lord Jehovah…awakens my ear to hear as an instructed one.
Eph. 5:26 That He might sanctify her, cleansing her by the washing of the water in the word.
Song of Songs 8:13 says, “Thou that dwellest in the gardens, the companions hearken to thy voice: cause me to hear it.” “Thou” refers to the Lord…. The word “hearken” means that everyone is listening. All those who are seeking the Lord together with [the lover] adopt the same attitude. They have been dealt with, and they know the futility of speaking and the profit of hearkening…. They know that their lives depend on the Lord’s words and their work depends on the Lord’s commands. They will only listen, because they cannot and will not move by themselves any longer. Without the Lord’s words, they will not have any revelation, light, or knowledge. The life of the believers hinges totally upon the Lord’s speaking.
“O Lord, while we are waiting to hearken, make us hear…. Please allow us to hear Your voice, because only this can guide us until Your return.” (CWWN, vol. 23, “The Song of Songs,” pp. 124-125)
Today’s Reading
Samuel grew up under the custody of the old Eli, the last priest of the waning Aaronic priesthood (1 Sam. 1:25). This was God’s wisdom. Because God intended to replace the waning priesthood with Samuel, it was necessary for him to learn certain lessons while he was under Eli’s custody…. Samuel had the capacity to understand and apprehend what he saw in Eli’s situation, and this became a constant warning to Samuel for the future. Samuel learned of Eli to minister to Jehovah as a priest (2:11b). While Samuel was learning, he observed the deterioration of the degraded Aaronic priesthood (2:12-17, 22-25). This did not weaken Samuel in his future priesthood. Rather, it became a constant warning to him throughout his priestly service.Samuel came to realize that God’s severe judgment was on the house of Eli (2:27-36; 3:4-18; 4:1-22). We should not think that God… is not doing anything about the situation of His people on earth. God is very busy in dealing with His people. First, God’s severe judgment on the house of Eli was prophesied by a man of God (2:27-36). Second, this severe judgment was confirmed by the word of Jehovah through Samuel (3:4-18). I believe that God’s purpose in letting Eli know through Samuel of the coming judgment was to make an unforgettable impression on this young priestly boy. This was God’s wisdom.
Samuel observed all these tragedies, and they became lessons to him, warning him and reminding him throughout his service to God. Thus, his being placed by God in His wisdom under the custody of the old Eli was very profitable, for he learned certain things positively and observed other things negatively. This helped Samuel to remain pure in his service to God his entire life. When he was about to die, he could remind the people of Israel that he had never defrauded them, oppressed them, or taken anything from them (12:3-4).
While Samuel was under Eli’s custody, God taught him in a very fine way, built him up, and established him as His proper priest. As such a priest, Samuel became a judge to judge Israel, a prophet to prophesy for God, and the one to bring forth the kingship. By this kingship the kingdom of God was established on earth. This is a picture of what our situation should be today. We need to be, first, a Samuel, and then, a David, enjoying Christ to such a degree that what we have enjoyed of Christ will become a kingdom, which is the church. (Life-study of 1 & 2 Samuel, pp. 15-17, 19)
Further Reading: Life-study of 1 & 2 Samuel, msgs. 2-7; The Principle of the Nazarite (booklet)