Today's Reading: 1 Samuel 1:1-4:11
I was struck by a couple of things in my reading this morning.
One: that Samuel's mother, Hannah, was willing to give up the son she so desperately wanted-and it was her idea to do so.
Two: That you can spend your life serving the Lord and not know Him. Let's look at Samuel's life. In verse 2:11 we read this: "and the boy (Samuel) served the LORD by assisting Eli the priest." and again in verse 2:18, "But Samuel, though he was only a boy, served the LORD."
So this is the part that really catches my attention (highlighting is mine):
Meanwhile, the boy Samuel served the LORD by assisting Eli. Now in those days messages from the LORD were very rare, and visions were quite uncommon. One night Eli, who was almost blind by now, had gone to bed. The lamp of God had not yet gone out, and Samuel was sleeping in the Tabernacle* near the Ark of God. Suddenly the LORD called out, “Samuel!” “Yes?” Samuel replied. “What is it?” He got up and ran to Eli. “Here I am. Did you call me?” “I didn’t call you,” Eli replied. “Go back to bed.” So he did. Then the LORD called out again, “Samuel!” Again Samuel got up and went to Eli. “Here I am. Did you call me?” “I didn’t call you, my son,” Eli said. “Go back to bed.” Samuel did not yet know the LORD because he had never had a message from the LORD before. So the LORD called a third time, and once more Samuel got up and went to Eli. “Here I am. Did you call me?” Then Eli realized it was the LORD who was calling the boy. So he said to Samuel, “Go and lie down again, and if someone calls again, say, ‘Speak, LORD, your servant is listening.’” So Samuel went back to bed. And the LORD came and called as before, “Samuel! Samuel!” And Samuel replied, “Speak, your servant is listening.” -1 Samuel 3:1-10, NLT
Even though Samuel had served the LORD for many years he did not know the LORD. That is a sobering thought. Can we go about our lives, even lives serving the Lord and not know Him. From this text I think the clear answer is yes. But I look to what else the above passage has to say: "Samuel did not yet know the LORD because he had never had a message from the LORD before." I will tell you once again why it is important to read our Bibles. It is the clearest message we have from the LORD. If we really want to know Him we have to start by reading what He has to say-what He tells us about Himself. The Bible is the clearest picture we have this side of heaven.
One: that Samuel's mother, Hannah, was willing to give up the son she so desperately wanted-and it was her idea to do so.
Two: That you can spend your life serving the Lord and not know Him. Let's look at Samuel's life. In verse 2:11 we read this: "and the boy (Samuel) served the LORD by assisting Eli the priest." and again in verse 2:18, "But Samuel, though he was only a boy, served the LORD."
So this is the part that really catches my attention (highlighting is mine):
Meanwhile, the boy Samuel served the LORD by assisting Eli. Now in those days messages from the LORD were very rare, and visions were quite uncommon. One night Eli, who was almost blind by now, had gone to bed. The lamp of God had not yet gone out, and Samuel was sleeping in the Tabernacle* near the Ark of God. Suddenly the LORD called out, “Samuel!” “Yes?” Samuel replied. “What is it?” He got up and ran to Eli. “Here I am. Did you call me?” “I didn’t call you,” Eli replied. “Go back to bed.” So he did. Then the LORD called out again, “Samuel!” Again Samuel got up and went to Eli. “Here I am. Did you call me?” “I didn’t call you, my son,” Eli said. “Go back to bed.” Samuel did not yet know the LORD because he had never had a message from the LORD before. So the LORD called a third time, and once more Samuel got up and went to Eli. “Here I am. Did you call me?” Then Eli realized it was the LORD who was calling the boy. So he said to Samuel, “Go and lie down again, and if someone calls again, say, ‘Speak, LORD, your servant is listening.’” So Samuel went back to bed. And the LORD came and called as before, “Samuel! Samuel!” And Samuel replied, “Speak, your servant is listening.” -1 Samuel 3:1-10, NLT
Even though Samuel had served the LORD for many years he did not know the LORD. That is a sobering thought. Can we go about our lives, even lives serving the Lord and not know Him. From this text I think the clear answer is yes. But I look to what else the above passage has to say: "Samuel did not yet know the LORD because he had never had a message from the LORD before." I will tell you once again why it is important to read our Bibles. It is the clearest message we have from the LORD. If we really want to know Him we have to start by reading what He has to say-what He tells us about Himself. The Bible is the clearest picture we have this side of heaven.
May grace abound,
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