THE FAITHFUL SERVANT’S PRAYER

The scriptures carefully chart Samuel’s physical and spiritual progress, beginning with his brief home life under the strong influence of a godly mother, to being brought as a young child ‘unto the house of the Lord in Shiloh’, 1. 24. There he was able to ‘minister unto the Lord’, 2. 11, and he ‘grew before the Lord’, v. 21, and ‘grew on, and was in favour both with the Lord, and also with men’, v. 26.

Today, it is a good thing to bring one’s children to assembly meetings as soon as it is judged that they are old enough.

God and the people were pleased with the innocence of young Samuel. To both, he was a breath of fresh air at the spiritually polluted sanctuary where the sons of Eli were stealing the best parts of the sacrifice from the people, 2. 12-16. ‘The sin of the young men was very great before the Lord: for men abhorred the offering of the Lord. But Samuel ministered before the Lord’, 2. 17, 18.

An open vision was a rare thing in those days; God did not often speak directly, but now that He had found a clean heart, Ps. 73. 1, He was going to speak again. For whatever reason, the lamp was about to go out before the ark in the tabernacle, 1 Sam. 3. 3 (but see Exod. 27. 20; 30. 7), and all were asleep. This was a picture of Israel’s spiritual state of neglect and apathy.

Samuel’s inexperience meant that it was not until God’s third, and this time double call, that he answered. However, he prayed, and no doubt meant, the words taught him by Eli ‘Speak; for thy servant heareth’, 3. 10 (although he apparently missed out the word ‘Lord’). God answered Samuel’s prayer, but the answer gave him difficulties, for God confirmed to Samuel His earlier words of judgement, cp. 2. 27-36 and 3. 11-14.

Samuel had to learn the difficult task of passing on unpalatable divine messages, which he did, ‘Samuel told him every whit’, v. 18. This difficult act of obedience was blessed: ‘Samuel grew the Lord was with him, and did let none of his words fall to the ground all Israel knew that Samuel was established a prophet of the Lord’, vv. 19, 20.

May we too be as faithful as Samuel in telling to others the divine message, whatever its content, and whatever the personal cost.