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Expanded Comments |
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| 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. |
Was precious – Scarce. R4091:5
No open vision – Visions and revelations were not then given; the Urim and Thummim answers had ceased. R5615:5
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| 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; |
Eyes began to wax dim – Eli was then about 70 to 80 years of age. R5615:5, R4091:5
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| 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; |
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| 4 That the LORD called Samuel: and he answered, Here am I. |
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| 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. |
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| 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. |
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| 7 Now Samuel did not yet know the LORD, neither was the word of the LORD yet revealed unto him. |
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| 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. |
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| 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. |
Speak, LORD – Indicating Samuel's readiness to do him service. R5297:1
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| 10 And the LORD came, and stood, and called as at other times, Samuel, Samuel. Then Samuel answered, Speak; for thy servant heareth. |
Samuel answered – Blessed shall we be if, like Samuel, when we hear the Lord's message we respond promptly. R4092:5
Thy servant heareth – We should be willing to receive the truth in whatever way the Lord is pleased to send it, whether from the mouth of a little child or from unlearned men. R5297:2
How often the servant wants to do all the talking and to have the Lord hear him and perform his will. R1882:5
Some mistakenly interpret the Lord's voice directing them in accordance with their own wills. R4092:5
Eli showed no resentment against Samuel, the channel the Lord had used. R5297:1
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| 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. |
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| 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. |
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| 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. |
I will judge – This was not the first time that the Lord had reproved Eli regarding the wrong course of his sons. R5615:6
Restrained them not – Hence he was a sharer in the penalty which came upon his sons. R5615:6
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| 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. |
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| 15 And Samuel lay until the morning, and opened the doors of the house of the LORD. And Samuel feared to show Eli the vision. |
And Samuel – Samuel exhibited the spirit of meekness; so we should speak sympathetically when telling of the trouble coming on Babylon. R4092:4
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| 16 Then Eli called Samuel, and said, Samuel, my son. And he answered, Here am I. |
Eli – Seems to represent the Great Company. R5297:5
Samuel – Seems to represent the Little Flock. R5297:5
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| 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.
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| 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. |
Told him every whit – It was a trial to Samuel to tell his friend and benefactor of the Lord's criticism and pronouncement of judgment. Sympathy and tenderness of heart must not prevent the Lord's faithful servants from speaking his message boldly. R5615:6
It is the LORD – Some in Nominal Christendom are not in sympathy with the trend of affairs. R5297:5
The Great Company are weak in standing forth, yet submissive in the time of trouble. R5297:5
Seemeth him good – If Eli was weak in some respects he was strong in others, as is shown in his humility and this beautiful example of absolute submission. R5297:2
We should all strive to have that attitude of mind that would be fully submissive to the divine decree. Q499:T
Eli should have trained his sons in righteousness, otherwise they should have ceased to be members of his household and should have come under certain restraints, which he as a lawgiver should have enforced. R5296:6
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| 19 And Samuel grew, and the LORD was with him, and did let none of his words fall to the ground. |
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| 20 And all Israel from Dan even to Beersheba knew that Samuel was established to be a prophet of the LORD. |
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| 21 And the LORD appeared again in Shiloh: for the LORD revealed himself to Samuel in Shiloh by the word of the LORD. |
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