KING WITH RICHES-1-21-11-(THE PROPHET SAMUEL-WHO THE LORD VISIT AT THE FOOT OF HIS BED-WHEN HE WAS A BOY-AND A MAN WHO THE LORD DID NOT LET HIS WORDS EVER FALL TO THE GROUND-AND A TRUE PRIEST OF GOD-)

1 Samuel 3 (New International Version, ©2010) 1 Samuel 3 The LORD Calls Samuel 1 The boy Samuel ministered before the LORD 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. 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 family—from beginning to end. 13 For I told him that I would judge his family forever because 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 Eli’s 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.” 19 The LORD was with Samuel as he grew up, and he let none of Samuel’s 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. Footnotes: a.1 Samuel 3:13 An ancient Hebrew scribal tradition (see also Septuagint); Masoretic Text sons made themselves contemptible ___________________________________________________________________________________ Samuel the Prophet Introduction In the Old Testament, the Lord was instructing the children of Israel in dreams and visions to His prophets and priests. There were several periods during which the children of Israel did evil in the eyes of the Lord by worshipping idols. During those periods the word of the Lord became rare and there were not many visions. The Lord also delivered them to the hands of their enemies until they repented and returned to Him. He then gave them prophets and judges to lead them to His way and to rescue them from their oppressors. Samuel, who was dedicated to the service of the Lord before his birth, became a prophet. He anointed the first two kings of Israel, Saul and David. During his lifetime, the hand of the Lord was against the Philistines. Every year, Samuel used to go on a circuit judging for Israel between Ramah, Bethel, Gilgal and Mizpeh. He lead Israel against the Philistines in Mizpeh. The birth of Samuel During the time of Eli the priest and his two sons Hophni and Phinehas were priests of the Lord in Shiloh, a man called Elkanah from Ramathaim had two wives Hannah and Peninnah. Peninnah who had children used to provoke Hannah who was barren, and this went on year after year. Every year, Elkanah used to go to Shiloh and offer his sacrifices to the Lord in the Tabernacle. There Hannah wept to the Lord in the Tabernacle with bitter soul and prayed that He would remove her shame and give her a child. She vowed saying "O Lord of hosts, if thou wilt indeed look on the affliction of thine handmaid, and remember me and not forget thine handmaid, but wilt give unto thine handmaid a man child, then I will give him unto the Lord all the days of his life, and there shall no razor come upon his head." (I Samuel 1:11) Eli the priest saw Hannah mumble, for she was praying silently, and rebuked her thinking she was drunk. When he realized she was praying out of anguish and grief he blessed her saying "Go in peace: and the God of Israel grant thy petition that thou hast asked of him." (I Samuel 1:17) A year later, Hannah gave birth to a son and called him "Samuel" (which means "heard of God") for she has asked him of the Lord. When Samuel was two years old, she presented him in the Tabernacle in Shiloh to serve the Lord all his life. Meanwhile Eli's two sons who were priests were wicked, and the Lord rejected them because they did not listen to their father's rebuke. A man of God came and told Eli the priest, their father that He will bring their wickedness on all his house and that they will all die in the prime of life. God also told him that his two sons, Hophni and Phinehas, will be killed together in the same day as a sign for the Lord's anger against them. The Lord calls Samuel Samuel was ministering to the Lord under Eli the priest as a child girded with a linen ephod. His mother Hannah made him a little coat and brought it to him along with their yearly sacrifices. Now Eli the priest blessed Elkanah and his wife to have more children. Hannah later on had three more sons and two daughters, while Samuel grew before the Lord. One night when Eli the priest grew old and his sight became weak, Samuel was sleeping in the Tabernacle, where the ark of God was, God called Samuel, so he ran to Eli the priest and answered "Here am I; for thou calledst me". Eli then denied and asked him to go back to sleep. But then again the sound came calling Samuel, and he did the same, and Eli sent him back again. The third time, Eli understood that it was the Lord calling Samuel and sent him saying: "Go, lie down: and it shall be, if he calls thee, that thou shalt say, Speak, Lord, for thy servant heareth." (I Samuel 3:9) Then the Lord came again and called Samuel. When Samuel did as Eli instructed him, the Lord told Samuel about the things He will do to Eli's house for the evil doings of his sons and for he has failed to restrain them. Samuel then grew and the Lord was with him and all of Israel knew that Samuel was established to be a prophet of the Lord. The Lord appeared again in Shiloh and revealed Himself to Samuel.

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KING WITH RICHES-1-21-11-(THE PROPHET SAMUEL-WHO THE LORD VISIT AT THE FOOT OF HIS BED-WHEN HE WAS A BOY-AND A MAN WHO THE LORD DID NOT LET HIS WORDS EVER FALL TO THE GROUND-AND A TRUE PRIEST OF GOD-)

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