Message to Eli

The next morning, young Samuel went about his usual task and opened the doors of the house of the Lord, appearing as if nothing had happened. He was afraid to tell Eli about the prophecy he had received from the Lord. However, Eli was determined to hear it. He pressed Samuel, with an oath to tell the whole truth and not to hide a single word from him, as otherwise there will be divine punishment. He said to Samuel, “May God do the same to you, and more so, if you hide a single word from me of all the words that He spoke to you!” Eventually, Samuel spoke all of that he heard from the Lord to Eli. Let’s pay attention to how Eli responded in faith. (1) He acknowledged the authority of the Lord by saying, “He is the Lord.” (2) He accepted the message as it was, saying, “let Him do what seems good to Him.”

Samuel’s growth

Samuel grew both physically and spiritually, becoming a distinguished adult. (1) He displayed characteristics of a true prophet. The Lord was with him, and all his prophecies were fulfilled. (2) Deuteronomy 18:22 provides a sign of a true prophet. If a prophet speaks in the name of the Lord but what was spoken does not come true, he is a false prophet. (3) Eventually, all of Israel, from Dan in the north to Beersheba in the south, recognized Samuel as a prophet appointed by the Lord. The Lord, who appeared to the young Samuel, appeared to him again in Shiloh. This time, too, there was a verbal communication, which was concerning the upcoming battle with the Philistines (the battle against the Philistines is addressed in Chapter 4). Until this, visions and words from the Lord had been long absent, but now God began to speak to Israel again through the prophet Samuel. This indeed marked the beginning of the time of the prophets. From his youth, Samuel had started learning to hear the voice of the Lord. The more you listen, the clearer the Lord’s voice becomes. We must not neglect the spiritual training of children. Likewise, let’s also, train ourselves to hear the Lord’s voice.