I
S A M U E L
CHAP. III.
In
the foregoing chapter we had Samuel a young priest, though by birth a Levite
only, for he ministered before the Lord in a linen ephod; in this chapter we
have him a young prophet, which was more, God in an extraordinary manner
revealing himself to him, and in him reviving, if not commencing, prophecy in
Israel. Here is, I. God's first manifestation of himself in an extraordinary
manner to Samuel, ver. 1-10. II. The message he sent by him to Eli, ver.
11-14. III. The faithful delivery of that message to Eli, and his submission
to the righteousness of God in it, ver. 15-18. IV. The establishment of Samuel
to be a prophet in Israel, ver. 19-21.
|
The
Call of Samuel.
|
B.
C. 1128.
|
|
|
1 And the child Samuel
ministered unto the LORD
before Eli. And the word of the LORD
was precious in those days; there was no open vision. 2 And
it came to pass at that time, when Eli was laid down in his place, and
his eyes began to wax dim, that he could not see; 3 And ere
the lamp of God went out in the temple of the LORD,
where the ark of God was, and Samuel was laid down to sleep;
4 That the LORD
called Samuel: and he answered, Here am I. 5 And he ran
unto Eli, and said, Here am I; for thou calledst me. And he said, I
called not; lie down again. And he went and lay down. 6 And the LORD
called yet again, Samuel. And Samuel arose and went to Eli, and said, Here am
I; for thou didst call me. And he answered, I called not, my son; lie down
again. 7 Now Samuel did not yet know the LORD,
neither was the word of the LORD
yet revealed unto him. 8 And the LORD
called Samuel again the third time. And he arose and went to Eli, and said,
Here am I; for thou didst call me. And Eli perceived that the LORD
had called the child. 9 Therefore Eli said unto Samuel, Go, lie
down: and it shall be, if he call thee, that thou shalt say, Speak, LORD;
for thy servant heareth. So Samuel went and lay down in his place.
10 And the LORD
came, and stood, and called as at other times, Samuel, Samuel. Then Samuel
answered, Speak; for thy servant heareth.
To make way for the account of God's revealing himself first to Samuel, we are
here told, 1. How industrious Samuel was in serving God, according as his
place and capacity were (v. 1): The child Samuel, though but a
child, ministered unto the Lord before Eli. It was an aggravation of
the wickedness of Eli's sons that the child Samuel shamed them. They rebelled
against the Lord, but Samuel ministered to him; they slighted their father's
admonitions, but Samuel was observant of them; he ministered before Eli, under
his eye and direction. It was the praise of Samuel that he was so far from
being influenced by their bad example that he did not in the least fall off,
but improved and went on. And it was a preparative for the honours God
intended him; he that was thus faithful in a little was soon after entrusted
with much more. Let those that are young be humble and diligent, which they
will find the surest way to preferment. Those are fittest to rule who have
learnt to obey. 2. How scarce a thing prophecy then was, which made the call
of Samuel to be the greater surprise to himself and the greater favour to
Israel: The word of the Lord was precious in those days. Now and then a
man of God was employed as a messenger upon an extraordinary occasion (as ch.
ii. 27), but there were no settled prophets, to whom the people might have
recourse for counsel, nor from whom they might expect the discoveries of the
divine will. And the rarity of prophecy made it the more precious in the
account of all those that knew how to put a right value upon it. It was
precious, for what there was (it seems) was private: There was no open
vision, that is, there were none that were publicly known to have visions.
Perhaps the impiety and impurity that prevailed in the tabernacle, and no
doubt corrupted the whole nation, had provoked God, as a token of his
displeasure, to withdraw the Spirit of prophecy, till the decree had gone
forth for the raising up of a more faithful priest, and then, as an earnest of
that, this faithful prophet was raised up.
The manner of God's revealing himself to Samuel is here related very
particularly, for it was uncommon.
I. Eli had retired. Samuel had waited on him to his bed, and the rest that
attended the service of the sanctuary had gone, we may suppose, to their
several apartments (v. 2): Eli had laid down in his place; he
went to bed betimes, being unfit for business and soon weary of it, and
perhaps loving his ease too well. Probably he kept his chamber much, which
gave his sons the greater liberty. And he sought retirement the more because
his eyes began to wax dim, an affliction which came justly upon him for
winking at his sons' faults.
II. Samuel had laid down to sleep, in some closet near to Eli's room, as his
page of the back-stairs, ready within call if the old man should want any
thing in the night, perhaps to read to him if he could not sleep. He chose to
take Samuel into this office rather than any of his own family, because of the
towardly disposition he observed in him. When his own sons were a grief to
him, his little servitor was his joy. Let those that are afflicted in their
children thank God if they have any about them in whom they are comforted. Samuel
had laid down ere the lamp of God went out, v. 3. It should seem he
lay somewhere so near the holy place that he went to bed by that light, before
any of the lamps in the branches of the candlestick went out (for the main
lamp never went out), which probably was towards midnight. Till that time
Samuel had been employing himself in some good exercise or other, reading and
prayer, or perhaps cleaning or making ready the holy place; and then went
softly to his bed. Then we may expect God's gracious visits, when we are
constant and diligent in our duty.
III. God called him by name, and he took it for Eli's call, and ran to him, v.
4, 5. Samuel lay awake in his bed, his thoughts, no doubt, well employed (as
David's Ps. lxiii. 6), when the Lord called to him, bishop Patrick thinks out
of the most holy place, and so the Chaldee paraphrase reads it, A voice was
heard out of the temple of the Lord; but Eli, though it is likely he lay
nearer, heard it not; yet possibly it might come some other way. Hereupon we
have an instance, 1. Of Samuel's industry, and readiness to wait on Eli;
supposing it was he that called him, he hastened out of his warm bed and ran
to him, to see if he wanted any thing, and perhaps fearing he was not well.
"Here am I," said he--a good example to servants, to come when they
are called; and to the younger, not only to submit to the elder, but to be
careful and tender of them. 2. Of his infirmity, and unacquaintedness with the
visions of the Almighty, that he took that to be only Eli's call which was
really the call of God. Such mistakes as these we make oftener than we think
of. God calls to us by his word, and we take it to be only the call of the
minister, and answer it accordingly; he calls to us by his providences, and we
look only at the instruments. His voice cries, and it is but here and there a
man of wisdom that understands it to be his voice. Eli assured him he did not
call him, yet did not chide him for disturbing him with being over-officious,
did not call him a fool, and tell him he dreamed, but mildly bade him
lie down again, he had nothing for him to do. If servants must be ready at
their masters' call, masters also must be tender of their servants' comfort:
that thy man-servant and thy maid-servant may rest as well as thou.
So Samuel went and lay down. God calls many by the ministry of the
word, and they say, as Samuel did, "Here am I;" but not looking at
God, nor discerning his voice in the call, the impressions of it are soon
lost; they lie down again, and their convictions come to nothing.
IV. The same call was repeated, and the same mistake made, a second and third
time, v. 6-9. 1. God continued to call the child yet again (v.
6), and again the third time, v. 8. Note, The call which divine
grace designs to make effectual shall be repeated till it is so, that is, till
we come at the call; for the purpose of God, according to which we are called,
shall certainly stand. 2. Samuel was still ignorant that it was the Lord that
called him (v. 7): Samuel did not yet know the Lord. He knew the
written word, and was acquainted with the mind of God in that, but he did not
yet apprehend the way in which God reveals himself to his servants the
prophets, especially by a still small voice; this was altogether new
and strange to him. Perhaps he would have been sooner aware of a divine
revelation had it come in a dream or a vision; but this was a way he had not
only not known himself, but not heard of. Those that have the greatest
knowledge of divine things must remember the time when they were as babes,
unskilful in the word of righteousness. When I was a child I understood as
a child. Yet let us not despise the day of small things. Thus did
Samuel (so the margin reads it) before he knew the Lord, and before the
word of the Lord was revealed unto him; thus he blundered one time after
another, but afterwards he understood his duty better. The witness of the
Spirit in the hearts of the faithful is often thus mistaken, by which means
they lose the comfort of it; and the strivings of the Spirit with the
consciences of sinners are likewise often mistaken, and so the benefit of
their convictions is lost. God speaketh once, yea, twice, but man
perceiveth it not, Job xxxiii. 14. 3. Samuel went to Eli this second and
third time, the voice perhaps resembling his, and the child being very near to
him; and he tells Eli, with great assurance, "Thou didst call me (v.
6-8), it could be no one else." Samuel's disposition to come when he was
called, though but by Eli, proving him dutiful and active, qualified him for
the favour now to be shown him; God chooses to employ such. But there was a
special providence in it, that he should go thus often to Eli; for hereby, at
length, Eli perceived that the Lord had called the child, v. 8.
And, (1.) This would be a mortification to him, and he would apprehend it to
be a step towards his family's being degraded, that when God had something to
say he should choose to say it to the child Samuel, his servant that waited on
him, and not to him. And it would humble him the more when afterwards he found
it was a message to himself, and yet sent to him by a child. He had reason to
look upon this as a further token of God's displeasure. (2.) This would put
him upon enquiring what it was that God said to Samuel, and would abundantly
satisfy him of the truth and certainty of what should be delivered, and no
room would be left for him to suggest that it was but a fancy of Samuel's; for
before the message was delivered he himself perceived that God was about to
speak to him, and yet must not know what it was till he had it from Samuel
himself. Thus even the infirmities and mistakes of those whom God employs are
overruled by infinite Wisdom, and made serviceable to his purposes.
V. At length Samuel was put into a posture to receive a message from God, not
to be lodged with himself and go no further, but, that he might be a complete
prophet, to be published and made an open vision. 1. Eli, perceiving that it
was the voice of God that Samuel heard, gave him instructions what to say, v.
9. This was honestly done, that though it was a disgrace to him for God's call
to pass him by, and be directed to Samuel, yet he put him in the way how to
entertain it. Had he been envious of this honour done to Samuel, he would have
done what he could to deprive him of it, and, since he did not perceive it
himself, would have bidden him lie down and sleep, and never heed it, it was
but a dream; but he was of a better spirit than to act so; he gave him the
best advice he could, for the forwarding of his advancement. Thus the elder
should, without grudging, do their utmost to assist and improve the younger
that are rising up, though they see themselves likely to be darkened and
eclipsed by them. Let us never be wanting to inform and instruct those that
are coming after us, even such as will soon be preferred before us, John i.
30. The instruction Eli gave him was, when God called the next time, to say, Speak,
Lord, for they servant heareth. He must call himself God's servant, must
desire to know the mind of God. "Speak, Lord, speak to me, speak
now:" and he must prepare to hear, and promise to attend: Thy servant
heareth. Note, Then we may expect that God will speak to us, when we set
ourselves to hearken to what he says, Ps. lxxxv. 8; Hab. ii. 1. When we come
to read the word of God, and to attend on the preaching of it, we should come
thus disposed, submitting ourselves to the commanding light and power of it: Speak,
Lord, for thy servant heareth. 2. It should seem that God spoke the fourth
time in a way somewhat different from the other; though the call was, as at
other times, a call to him by name, yet now he stood and called, which
intimates that there was now some visible appearance of the divine glory to
Samuel, a vision that stood before him, like that before Eliphaz, though he could
not discern the form thereof, Job iv. 16. This satisfied him that it was
not Eli that called; for he now saw the voice that spoke with him, as
it is expressed, Rev. i. 12. Now also the call was doubled--Samuel, Samuel,
as if God delighted in the mention of his name, or to intimate that now he
should be made to understand who spoke to him. God hath spoken once, twice
have I heard this, Ps. lxii. 11. It was an honour to him that God was
pleased to know him by name (Exod. xxxiii. 12), and then his call was
powerful and effectual when he called him by name, and so brought it
particularly to him, as Saul, Saul. Thus God called to Abraham by name,
Gen. xxii. 1. 3. Samuel said, as he was taught, Speak, for thy servant
heareth. Note, Good words should be put into children's mouths betimes,
and apt expressions of pious and devout affections, by which they may be
prepared for a better acquaintance with divine things, and trained up to a
holy converse with them. Teach young people what they shall say, for they
cannot order their speech by reason of darkness. Samuel did not now rise
and run as before when he thought Eli called, but lay still and listened. The
more sedate and composed our spirits are the better prepared they are for
divine discoveries. Let all tumultuous thoughts and passions be kept under,
and every thing be quiet and serene in the soul, and then we are fit to hear
from God. All must be silent when he speaks. But observe, Samuel left out one
word; he did not say, Speak, Lord, but only, Speak, for thy servant
heareth, way was made for the message he was now to receive, and Samuel
was brought acquainted with the words of God and visions of the Almighty, and
this ere the lamp of God went out (v. 3) in the temple of the
Lord, which some of the Jewish writers put a mystical sense upon; before
the fall of Eli, and the eclipsing of the Urim and Thummim for some time
thereby, God called Samuel, and made him an oracle, whence they have an
observation among their doctors, That the sun riseth, and the sun goeth
down (Eccl. i. 5), that is, say they, Ere God maketh the sun of one
righteous man to set, he makes the sun of another righteous man to rise. Smith
ex Kimchi.
|
Eli
and His House Threatened.
|
B.
C. 1128.
|
|
|
11 And the LORD
said to Samuel, Behold, I will do a thing in Israel, at which both the ears of
every one that heareth it shall tingle. 12 In that day I will
perform against Eli all things which I have spoken concerning his
house: when I begin, I will also make an end. 13 For I have told
him that I will judge his house for ever for the iniquity which he knoweth;
because his sons made themselves vile, and he restrained them not.
14 And therefore I have sworn unto the house of Eli, that the iniquity of
Eli's house shall not be purged with sacrifice nor offering for ever.
15 And Samuel lay until the morning, and opened the doors of the house of the
LORD.
And Samuel feared to shew Eli the vision. 16 Then Eli called
Samuel, and said, Samuel, my son. And he answered, Here am I.
17 And he said, What is the thing that the LORD
hath said unto thee? I pray thee hide it not from me: God do so to
thee, and more also, if thou hide any thing from me of all the things
that he said unto thee. 18 And Samuel told him every whit, and hid
nothing from him. And he said, It is the LORD:
let him do what seemeth him good.
Here is, I. The message which, after all this introduction, God delivered to
Samuel concerning Eli's house. God did not come to him now to tell him how
great a man he should be in his day, what a figure he should make, and what a
blessing he should be in Israel. Young people have commonly a great curiosity
to be told their fortune, but God came to Samuel, not to gratify his
curiosity, but to employ him in his service and send him on an errand to
another person, which was much better; and yet the matter of this first
message, which no doubt made a very great impression upon him, might be of
good use to him afterwards, when his own sons proved, though not so bad as
Eli's, yet not so good as they should have been, ch. viii. 3. The
message is short, not nearly so long as that which the man of God brought, ch.
ii. 27. For, Samuel being a child, it could not be expected that he should
remember a long message, and God considered his frame. The memories of
children must not be overcharged, no, not with divine things. But it is a sad
message, a message of wrath, to ratify the message in the former chapter, and
to bind on the sentence there pronounced, because perhaps Eli did not give so
much regard to that as he ought to have done. Divine threatenings, the less
they are heeded, the surer they will come and the heavier they will fall.
Reference is here had to what was there said concerning both the sin and the
punishment.
1. Concerning the sin: it is the iniquity that he knoweth, v.
13. The man of God told him of it, and many a time his own conscience had told
him of it. O what a great deal of guilt and corruption is there in us
concerning which we may say, "It is the iniquity which our own heart
knoweth, we are conscious to ourselves of it!" In short, the iniquity
was this: His sons made themselves vile, and he restrained them not.
Or, as it is in the Hebrew, he frowned not upon them. If he did show
his dislike of their wicked courses, yet not to that degree that he ought to
have done: he did reprove them, but he did not punish them, for the mischief
they did, nor deprive them of their power to do mischief, which as a father,
high priest, and judge, he might have done. Note, (1.) Sinners do by their own
wickedness make themselves vile. They debauch themselves (for every man is
tempted when he is drawn aside of his own lusts, Jam. i. 14) and thereby
they debase themselves, and make themselves not only mean, but odious to the
holy God and holy men and angels. Sin is a vile thing, and degrades men more
than any thing, Ps. xv. 4. Eli's sons made light of God, and made his
offerings vile in the people's eyes; but the shame returned into their own
bosom: they made themselves vile. (2.) Those that do not restrain the
sins of others, when it is in the power of their hand to do it, make
themselves partakers of the guilt, and will be charged as accessaries: Those
in authority will have a great deal to answer for if they make not the sword
they bear a terror to evil workers.
2. Concerning the punishment: it is that which I have spoken concerning his
house, v. 12 and 13. I have told him that I will judge his house
for ever, that is, that a curse should be entailed upon his family from
generation to generation. The particulars of this curse we had before; they
are not here repeated, but it is added, (1.) That when that sentence began to
be executed it would be very dreadful and amazing to all Israel (v.
11): Both the ears of every one that hears it shall tingle. Every
Israelite would be struck with terror and astonishment to hear of the slaying
of Eli's sons, the breaking of Eli's neck, and the dispersion of Eli's family.
Lord, how terrible art thou in thy judgments! If this be done in a green tree,
what shall be done in the dry? Note, God's judgments upon others should affect
us with a holy fear, Ps. cxix. 120. (2.) That these direful first-fruits of
the execution would be certain earnests of the progress and full
accomplishment of it: When I begin I will proceed and make an end
of all that I have threatened, v. 12. It is intimated that it might
possibly be some time before he would begin, but let them not call that
forbearance an acquittance, nor that reprieve a pardon; for when at length he
does begin he will make thorough work of it, and, though he stay long, he will
strike home. (3.) That no room should be left for hope that this sentence
might be reversed and the execution stayed or mitigated, v. 14. [1.]
God would not revoke the sentence, for he backed it with an oath: I have
sworn to the house of Eli; and God will not go back from what he has sworn
either in mercy or judgment. [2.] He would never come to a composition for the
forfeiture: "The iniquity of Eli's house shall not be purged with
sacrifice nor offering for ever. No atonement shall be made for the sin,
nor any abatement of the punishment." This was the imperfection of the
legal sacrifices, that there were iniquities which they did not reach, which
they would not purge; but the blood of Christ cleanseth from all sin,
and secures all those that by faith are interested in it from that eternal
death which is the wages of sin.
II. The delivery of this message to Eli. Observe,
1. Samuel's modest concealment of it, v. 15. (1.) He lay till the
morning, and we may well suppose he lay awake pondering on what he had
heard, repeating it to himself, and considering what use he must make of it.
After we have received the spiritual food of God's word, it is good to compose
ourselves, and give it time to digest. (2.) He opened the doors of the
house of the Lord, in the morning, as he used to do, being up first in the
tabernacle. That he should do so at other times was an instance of
extraordinary towardliness in a child, but that he should do so this morning
was an instance of great humility. God had highly honoured him above all the
children of his people, yet he was not proud of the honour, nor puffed up with
it, did not think himself too great and too good to be employed in these mean
and servile offices, but, as cheerfully as ever, went and opened the doors of
the tabernacle. Note, Those to whom God manifests himself he makes and keeps
low in their own eyes, and willing to stoop to any thing by which they may be
serviceable to his glory, though but as door-keepers in his house. One would
have expected that Samuel would be so full of his vision as to forget his
ordinary service, that he would go among his companions, as one in an ecstasy,
to tell them what converse he had had with God this night; but he modestly
keeps it to himself, tells the vision to no man, but silently goes on in his
business. Our secret communion with God is not to be proclaimed upon the
house-tops. (3.) He feared to show Eli the vision. If he was afraid Eli
would be angry with him and chide him, then we have cause to suspect that Eli
used to be as severe with this towardly child as he was indulgent to his own
wicked sons, and this will bear hard upon him. But we will suppose it was
rather because he was afraid to grieve and trouble the good old man that he
was so shy. If he had run immediately with the tidings to Eli, this would have
looked as if he desired the woeful day and hoped to build his own family upon
the ruin of Eli's; therefore it became him not to be forward to declare the
vision. No good man can take pleasure in bringing evil tidings, especially not
Samuel to Eli, the pupil to the tutor whom he loves and honours.
2. Eli's careful enquiry into it, v. 16, 17. As soon as ever he heard
Samuel stirring he called for him, probably to his bed-side; and, having
before perceived that God had spoken to him, he obliged him, not only by
importunity (I pray thee, hide it not from me), but, finding him
timorous and backward, by an adjuration likewise--God do so to thee, and
more also, if thou hide any thing from me! He had reason enough to fear
that the message prophesied no good concerning him, but evil; and yet, because
it was a message from God, he could not contentedly be ignorant of it. A good
man desires to be acquainted with all the will of God, whether it make for him
or against him. His adjuration--God do so to thee, if thou hide any thing
from me--may intimate the fearful doom of unfaithful watchmen; if they
warn not sinners, they bring upon themselves that wrath and curse which they
should have denounced, in God's name, against those that go on still in
their trespasses.
3. Samuel's faithful delivery of his message at last (v. 18): He
told him every whit. When he saw that he must tell him he never minced the
matter, nor offered to make it better than it was, to blunt that which was
sharp, or to gild the bitter pill, but delivered the message as plainly and
fully as he received it, not shunning to declare the whole counsel of God.
Christ's ministers must deal thus faithfully.
4. Eli's pious acquiescence in it. He did not question Samuel's integrity, was
not cross with him, nor had he any thing to object against the equity of the
sentence. He did not complain of the punishment, as Cain did, that it was
greater than he either deserved or could bear, but patiently submitted, and
accepted the punishment of his iniquity. It is the Lord, let him do what
seemeth him good. He understood the sentence to intend only a temporal
punishment, and the entail of disgrace and poverty upon his posterity, and not
a final separation of them from the favour of God, and therefore he cheerfully
submitted, did not repine, because he knew the demerits of his family; nor did
he now intercede for the reversing of the sentence, because God had ratified
it with a solemn oath, of which he would not repent. He therefore composes
himself into a humble resignation to God's will, as Aaron, in a case not much
unlike. Lev. x. 3, He held his peace. In a few words, (1.) He lays down
this satisfying truth, "It is the Lord; it is he that pronounces
the judgment, from whose bar there lies no appeal and against whose sentence
there lies no exception. It is he that will execute the judgment, whose power
cannot be resisted, his justice arraigned, nor his sovereignty contested. It
is the Lord, who will thus sanctify and glorify himself, and it is highly
fit he should. It is the Lord, with whom there is no unrighteousness,
who never did nor ever will do any wrong to any of his creatures, nor exact
more than their iniquity deserves." (2.) He infers from it this
satisfying conclusion: "Let him do what seemeth him good. I have
nothing to say against his proceedings. He is righteous in all his ways and
holy in all his works, and therefore his will be done. I will bear the
indignation of the Lord, because I have sinned against him." Thus we
ought to quiet ourselves under God's rebuke, and never to strive with our
Maker.
|
Samuel
Honoured as a Prophet.
|
B.
C. 1128.
|
|
|
19 And Samuel grew, and
the LORD
was with him, and did let none of his words fall to the ground. 20
And all Israel from Dan even to Beer-sheba knew that Samuel was
established to be a prophet of the LORD.
21 And the LORD
appeared again in Shiloh: for the LORD
revealed himself to Samuel in Shiloh by the word of the LORD.
Samuel being thus brought acquainted with the visions of God, we have here an
account of the further honour done him as a prophet.
I. God did him honour. Having begun to favour him, he carried on and crowned
his own work in him: Samuel grew, for the Lord was with him, v.
19. All our increase in wisdom and grace is owing to the presence of God with
us; this is all in all to our growth. God honoured Samuel, 1. By further
manifestations of himself to him. Samuel had faithfully delivered the message
he was entrusted with, and therefore God employed him again in his service: The
Lord revealed himself again to Samuel in Shiloh, v. 21. Note, God
will graciously repeat his visits to those that receive them aright. 2. By
fulfilling what he spoke by him: God did let none of his words fall to the
ground, v. 19. Whatever Samuel said, as a prophet, it proved true,
and was accomplished in its season. Probably there were some remarkable
instances of the truth of Samuel's predictions that happened soon after, which
confirmed those that were afterwards to be fulfilled, and gave general
satisfaction as to his mission. God will confirm the word of his servants,
and perform the counsel of his messengers (Isa. xliv. 26), and will do
what he hath said.
II. Israel did him honour. They all knew and owned that Samuel was
established to be a prophet, v. 20. 1. He grew famous; all that
came up to Shiloh to worship took notice of him, and admired him, and talked
of him when they returned home. Early piety will be the greatest honour of
young people, and bring them, as much as any thing, and as soon, into
reputation. Those that honour God he will honour. 2. He grew useful and very
serviceable to his generation. He that began betimes to be good soon
came to do good. His established commission from God, and established
reputation with the people, gave him a great opportunity of shining as a light
in Israel. When old Eli was rejected, young Samuel was established; for God
will never leave himself without a witness nor his church without a guide.
Contents
|
Next
Section
