1 Sam 3:1-21 · Read 10 min · think and write 15 min
Samuel was the son of Elkanah and Hannah. For years Hannah had no children; she prayed to the LORD at Shiloh, and later she bore a son, “and she named him Samuel, saying, ‘Because I have asked him of the LORD’” (1 Sam 1:20). When the child was weaned, she brought him to Shiloh and said to Eli the priest: “I prayed for this child, and the LORD has given me my petition which I asked of him. Therefore I have also given him to the LORD. As long as he lives he is given to the LORD” (1 Sam 1:27-28). For these things, see Hannah, Lesson 2.
From then on, “The child served the LORD before Eli the priest” (1 Sam 2:11). “Samuel ministered before the LORD, being a child, clothed with a linen ephod” (1 Sam 2:18), and “his mother made him a little robe, and brought it to him from year to year” (1 Sam 2:19). For these things, see Hannah, Lesson 3.
By then Eli was old, and “the sons of Eli were wicked men. They didn’t know the LORD” (1 Sam 2:12). “The child Samuel grew on, and increased in favor both with the LORD and also with men” (1 Sam 2:26). This lesson reads what happened one night in the LORD’s house at Shiloh.
1The child Samuel ministered to the LORD before Eli. The LORD’s word was rare in those days. There were not many visions, then.
2At that time, when Eli was laid down in his place (now his eyes had begun to grow dim, so that he could not see),
3and God’s lamp hadn’t yet gone out, and Samuel had laid down in the LORD’s temple where God’s ark was,
4the LORD called Samuel. He said, “Here I am.”
5He ran to Eli and said, “Here I am; for you called me.” He said, “I didn’t call. Lie down again.” He went and lay down.
6The LORD called yet again, “Samuel!” Samuel arose and went to Eli and said, “Here I am; for you called me.” He answered, “I didn’t call, my son. Lie down again.”
7Now Samuel didn’t yet know the LORD, neither was the LORD’s word yet revealed to him.
8The LORD called Samuel again the third time. He arose and went to Eli and said, “Here I am; for you called me.” Eli perceived that the LORD had called the child.
9Therefore Eli said to Samuel, “Go, lie down. It shall be, if he calls you, that you shall say, ‘Speak, LORD; for your servant hears.’” So Samuel went and lay down in his place.
10The LORD came, and stood, and called as at other times, “Samuel! Samuel!” Then Samuel said, “Speak; for your servant hears.”
11The LORD said to Samuel, “Behold, I will do a thing in Israel at which both the ears of everyone who hears it will tingle.
12In that day I will perform against Eli all that I have spoken concerning his house, from the beginning even to the end.
13For I have told him that I will judge his house forever for the iniquity which he knew, because his sons brought a curse on themselves, and he didn’t restrain them.
14Therefore I have sworn to the house of Eli that the iniquity of Eli’s house shall not be removed with sacrifice or offering forever.”
15Samuel lay until the morning, and opened the doors of the LORD’s house. Samuel was afraid to show Eli the vision.
16Then Eli called Samuel and said, “Samuel, my son!” He said, “Here I am.”
17He said, “What is the thing that he has spoken to you? Please don’t hide it from me. God do so to you, and more also, if you hide anything from me of all the things that he spoke to you.”
18Samuel told him every bit, and hid nothing from him. He said, “It is the LORD. Let him do what seems good to him.”
19Samuel grew, and the LORD was with him and let none of his words fall to the ground.
20All Israel from Dan even to Beersheba knew that Samuel was established to be a prophet of the LORD.
21The LORD appeared again in Shiloh; for the LORD revealed himself to Samuel in Shiloh by the LORD’s word.
In those days. “The child Samuel ministered to the LORD before Eli. The LORD’s word was rare in those days. There were not many visions, then” (v. 1). Eli’s “eyes had begun to grow dim, so that he could not see” (v. 2). “God’s lamp hadn’t yet gone out, and Samuel had laid down in the LORD’s temple where God’s ark was” (v. 3).
Here I am. “The LORD called Samuel. He said, ‘Here I am’” (v. 4), and ran to Eli. Eli said, “I didn’t call. Lie down again” (v. 5). The second time was the same (v. 6). The passage gives the reason: “Now Samuel didn’t yet know the LORD, neither was the LORD’s word yet revealed to him” (v. 7).
Eli perceived. The third time Samuel went to Eli again, and “Eli perceived that the LORD had called the child” (v. 8). He told Samuel: “It shall be, if he calls you, that you shall say, ‘Speak, LORD; for your servant hears’” (v. 9).
Speak; for your servant hears. “The LORD came, and stood, and called as at other times, ‘Samuel! Samuel!’ Then Samuel said, ‘Speak; for your servant hears’” (v. 10).
A hard word. The first thing the LORD told Samuel concerned the house of Eli: “Behold, I will do a thing in Israel at which both the ears of everyone who hears it will tingle” (v. 11). The passage gives the reason in its own words: “because his sons brought a curse on themselves, and he didn’t restrain them” (v. 13).
Afraid, yet hiding nothing. “Samuel lay until the morning, and opened the doors of the LORD’s house. Samuel was afraid to show Eli the vision” (v. 15). Eli called him, “Samuel, my son!” (v. 16), and said, “What is the thing that he has spoken to you? Please don’t hide it from me” (v. 17). “Samuel told him every bit, and hid nothing from him” (v. 18). Eli said: “It is the LORD. Let him do what seems good to him” (v. 18).
None of his words fell. “Samuel grew, and the LORD was with him and let none of his words fall to the ground” (v. 19). “All Israel from Dan even to Beersheba knew that Samuel was established to be a prophet of the LORD” (v. 20). “The LORD appeared again in Shiloh; for the LORD revealed himself to Samuel in Shiloh by the LORD’s word” (v. 21).
The last sentence of the book of Judges is: “In those days there was no king in Israel. Everyone did that which was right in his own eyes” (Judg 21:25). The days at the start of this lesson were days like that: “The LORD’s word was rare in those days” (v. 1).
At the end of this lesson the passage says: “All Israel from Dan even to Beersheba knew that Samuel was established to be a prophet of the LORD” (v. 20), and “The LORD appeared again in Shiloh” (v. 21).
Readers can see this: the chapter begins with the LORD’s word being rare, and ends with “The word of Samuel came to all Israel” (1 Sam 4:1); in between, a child in the night says, “Speak; for your servant hears.”
Perhaps you have known days like that: you read the Bible, you pray, and nothing seems to come back; or you could not say at all what God’s voice is like.
This lesson does not teach a method for hearing God’s voice. What it shows you is this: Samuel at that time “didn’t yet know the LORD” (v. 7), and three times he thought it was Eli calling him; yet “The LORD came, and stood,” and called his name a fourth time (v. 10). Samuel simply answered: “Speak; for your servant hears” (v. 10). A psalm says: “I will hear what God, the LORD, will speak” (Ps 85:8).
This week: Each time you read the Bible this week, begin with Samuel’s words: ‘Speak; for your servant hears.’ When you finish, write down one verse you read.
Scripture: World English Bible.