1.

Your PAST Samuel had been left in the temple by his parents - no hint of rejection in his life though one might question his father role when his children cannot follow the priestly pattern as Elis did not before him - maybe it is better to emphasise the fact that God does not have grandchildren each generation needs to be priests for themselves and to walk before God for themselves 2. The SONS of Eli - abuse of the sacricial system - therefore abuse of their privileged position - they should have been disciplined early in life, now they were too old for it and walked their own path - (maybe Eli had been too busy with ministry to give the proper attention to his children during their younger years - he had assumed they would pick it up from him) - it appears the boy brought into focus the ungodliness of the sons of Eli - heaping burning coals on their heads? 3. Your CIRCUMSTANCES Samuel was in the midst of a corrupt priesthood, yet he was not the same as them

12 Elis sons were scoundrels; they had no regard for the Lord. 13 Now it was the practice of the priests that, whenever any of the people offered a sacrifice, the priests servant would come with a three-pronged fork in his hand while the meat was being boiled 14 and would plunge the fork into the pan or kettle or caldron or pot. Whatever the fork brought up the priest would take for himself. This is how they treated all the Israelites who came to Shiloh. 15 But even before the fat was burned, the priests servant would come and say to the person who was sacrificing, Give the priest some meat to roast; he wont accept boiled meat from you, but only raw. 16 If the person said to him, Let the fat be burned first, and then take whatever you want, the servant would answer, No, hand it over now; if you dont, Ill take it by force. This sin of the young men was very great in the Lords sight, for they[b] were treating the Lords offering with contempt. 18 But Samuel was ministering before the Lorda boy wearing a linen ephod.19 Each year his mother made him a little robe and took it to him when she went up with her husband to offer the annual sacrifice. 20 Eli would bless Elkanah and his wife, saying, May the Lord give you children by this woman to take the place of the one she prayed for and gave to the Lord. Then they would go home. 21 And the Lord was gracious to Hannah; she gave birth to three sons and two daughters. Meanwhile, the boy Samuel grew up in the presence of the Lord.

4. YOUR FOCUS - Samuel focussed on God 3:1 - he ministered before the Lord - in fact Samuel was faithful in small things taking care of little practical issues in the Tabernacle, sweeping and dusting, taking care of an old man - he was lying down in the house of the Lord - perhaps the intimate presence draws focus to the idea of the Tent of Meeting? 5. A PRIEST who could not see - 3:2 or possibly would not - he chose to ignore sin, he would not address it for fear of losing what little he had - the result was that he lost everything, the priesthood went from his family, his preeminent position was lost - he had gotten lost in habit and tradition, doing what he had always done - he was almost blind physically, was he also blind spiritually? - he had been warned previously but had failed to act 6. No one knew God Relationship with God was a right of the children of Israel 7. God was still speaking - 3:4 he spoke to Samuel - did he want to speak to others and they just did not have an ear to listen? 8. Samuel had not been taught to listen - 3:4 he did not recognise the voice of God

The boy Samuel ministered before theLord under Eli. In those days the word of the Lord was rare; there were not many visions. 2 One night Eli, whose eyes were becoming so weak that he could barely see, was lying down in his usual place. 3 The lamp of God had not yet gone out, and Samuel was lying down in the house of the Lord, where the ark of God was. 4 Then the Lord called Samuel. Samuel answered, Here I am. 5 And he ran to Eli and said, Here I am; you called me. But Eli said, I did not call; go back and lie down. So he went and lay down. 6 Again the Lord called, Samuel! And Samuel got up and went to Eli and said, Here I am; you called me. My son, Eli said, I did not call; go back and lie down. 7 Now Samuel did not yet know the Lord: The word of the Lord had not yet been revealed to him. 8 A third time the Lord called, Samuel! And Samuel got up and went to Eli and said, Here I am; you called me. Then Eli realized that the Lord was calling the boy. 9 So Eli told Samuel, Go and lie down, and if he calls you, say, Speak, Lord, for your servant is listening. So Samuel went and lay down in his place.

Samuel was about 12 years old at this time He had been there since he was 3 years old He was a child born of a promise made to God - and God fullled his part as did the mother (do you fulll the promises you make to God?) Eli should have stopped minsitering at age 50 - Num 4:46, 47 The re was not to go out - Lev 6:12,13 so was this a metaphor for Gods speech going out or was it physical during the night? What voices are you listening to? internet, tv, radio people / traditions friends, peer group bible - you can be Biblical without being Christian (Jews and Muslims have high regard for scriptures) the church

- no one was listening to the voice of God yet there was still a great deal of religious activity - God was recognised / acknowledged in what took place, but no one met with him - the person who should have taught him had not - to their own shame! - it took 3x for God to get through so that Eli dredged up from the depths of his memory that God still spoke

10 The Lord came and stood there, calling as at the other times, Samuel! Samuel! Then Samuel said, Speak, for your servant is listening. 11 And the Lord said to Samuel: See, I am about to do something in Israel that will make the ears of everyone who hears about it tingle. 12 At that time I will carry out against Eli everything I spoke against his familyfrom beginning to end. 13 For I told him that I would judge his family forever because

Do you listen? Note: I love the bible - arguably I have told people to read and study the Bible more than most teachers, But, The 1st disciples did not have Bibles but knew what God was saying Have you excused having a Bible for having a relationship? Would you know the voice of God if it hit you over the head? - the 1st missionary journey of Paul - Rom 8:14/15 led by Spirit - also Gal 5:16 - Jn 16:13, 14 - how did the rst disciples know? the Sp of God revealed it to them or reminded them of it - Jesus Luke 4:1 - temptation - isa 43:18ff Do you act? When God speaks do you act on what he has said?

of the sin he knew about; his sons blasphemed God,[a]and he failed to restrain them.14 Therefore I swore to the house of Eli, The guilt of Elis house will never be atoned for by sacrifice or offering. 15 Samuel lay down until morning and then opened the doors of the house of the Lord. He was afraid to tell Eli the vision, 16 but Eli called him and said, Samuel, my son. Samuel answered, Here I am. 17 What was it he said to you? Eli asked. Do not hide it from me. May God deal with you, be it ever so severely, if you hide from me anything he told you.18 So Samuel told him everything, hiding nothing from him. Then Eli said, He is the Lord; let him do what is good in his eyes.

If it doesnt t in with what you want to do do you ignore it or argue against it? Do you work hard to see it in the perspective of Gods bigger plans? Samuel proves himself faithful - he is prepared to listen here and then act on what has been told him we make all sorts of excuses for not doing what God has said yet as Saul will discover later - to obey is better than sacrice 9.

19 The Lord was with Samuel as he grew up, and he let none of Samuels words fall to the ground. 20 And all Israel from Dan to Beersheba recognized that Samuel was attested as a prophet of the Lord.21 The Lord continued to appear at Shiloh, and there he revealed himself to Samuel through his word.