| Scripture |
Expanded Comments |
| |
|
| 1 And the boy Samuel ministered to Jehovah before Eli. And the word of Jehovah was rare in those days; a vision was not frequent. |
Was precious – Scarce. R4091:5
No open vision – Visions and revelations were not then given; the Urim and Thummim answers had ceased. R5615:5
|
| 2 And it came to pass at that time, when Eli lay in his place (now his eyes began to grow dim, he could not see), |
Eyes began to wax dim – Eli was then about 70 to 80 years of age. R5615:5, R4091:5
|
| 3 and the lamp of God had not yet gone out, and Samuel lay in the temple of Jehovah, where the ark of God was, |
|
| 4 that Jehovah called to Samuel. And he said, Here am I. |
|
| 5 And he ran to Eli, and said, Here am I; for thou calledst me. And he said, I did not call: lie down again. And he went and lay down. |
|
| 6 And Jehovah called again, Samuel! And Samuel arose and went to Eli, and said, Here am I; for thou calledst me. And he said, I did not call, my son: lie down again. |
|
| 7 Now Samuel did not yet know Jehovah, neither had the word of Jehovah yet been revealed to him. |
|
| 8 And Jehovah called again the third time, Samuel! And he arose and went to Eli, and said, Here am I; for thou calledst me. And Eli perceived that Jehovah was calling the boy. |
|
| 9 And Eli said to Samuel, Go, lie down; and it shall be, if he call thee, that thou shalt say, Speak, Jehovah, 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
|
| |
|
| 10 And Jehovah came, and stood, and called as at the other times, Samuel, Samuel! And Samuel said, 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
|
| 11 And Jehovah said to Samuel, Behold, I do a thing in Israel, at which both the ears of every one that heareth it shall tingle. |
|
| 12 In that day I will perform against Eli all that I have spoken concerning his house; I will begin and make an end. |
|
| 13 For I have declared to him that I will judge his house for ever, for the iniquity which he hath known: 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
|
| 14 And therefore I have sworn unto the house of Eli that the iniquity of Eli's house shall not be expiated with sacrifice or oblation for ever. |
|
| |
|
| 15 And Samuel lay until the morning, and opened the doors of the house of Jehovah. And Samuel feared to declare the vision to Eli. |
And Samuel – Samuel exhibited the spirit of meekness; so we should speak sympathetically when telling of the trouble coming on Babylon. R4092:4
|
| 16 And Eli called Samuel, and said, Samuel, my son. And he said, Here am I. |
Eli – Seems to represent the Great Company. R5297:5
Samuel – Seems to represent the Little Flock. R5297:5
|
| 17 And he said, What is the word that he has spoken to thee? I pray thee, keep it not back from me: God do so to thee, and more also, if thou keep back anything from me of all the word that he spoke to thee. |
|
| 18 And Samuel told him all the words, and kept nothing back from him. And he said, It is Jehovah: let him do what is good in his sight. |
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
|
| |
|
| 19 And Samuel grew, and Jehovah was with him, and let none of his words fall to the ground. |
|
| 20 And all Israel, from Dan even to Beer-sheba, knew that Samuel was established a prophet of Jehovah. |
|
| 21 And Jehovah appeared again at Shiloh; for Jehovah revealed himself to Samuel at Shiloh by the word of Jehovah. |
|