1 Samuel - Odessa, Missouri Community of Christ

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18 Dr. Constable's Notes on 1 Samuel 2007 Editiongrow up (Ezek. 18:4, 20). Some choose to turn away from the Lord. Nevertheless thisstory shows what can happen. Children can grow up in an ungodly environment awayfrom their parents' personal supervision and still become godly. The influence of a wiseand godly parent can overcome many other ungodly influences in a child's life.C. GOD'S FIRST REVELATION TO SAMUEL 3:1—4:1AThis chapter records how God's blessing of and through Samuel continued and grew as aresult of his faithful commitment to God. This is a revelation of another call to ministrythat God extended to His servants the prophets (cf. Exod. 3; Isa. 6; Jer. 1; et al.). 43 It isalso another instance in which God revealed Himself to someone audibly in a dream. 441. Samuel's call 3:1-18The Hebrew word used to describe Samuel in verse 1 (naar) elsewhere refers to a youngteenager (cf. 17:33). Consequently we should probably think of Samuel as a boy in hisearly teens as we read this section. 45 At this time in Israel's history (i.e., the late Judgesperiod), special revelations from God were rare. These normally came to the prophets invisions or dreams (cf. Num. 12:6; 1 Sam. 28:6). Samuel, who saw clearly, both physicallyand spiritually, contrasts with Eli, who could not see well either way (v. 2, cf. vv. 5, 6;4:15).The lamp of God (v. 3) is an expression that refers to the lamps on the sanctuarylampstand that continued to give light into the night until they ran out of oil in themorning (cf. Exod. 27:20-21; 30:8; Lev. 24:2-4; 2 Chron. 13:11). Samuel was probablysleeping in the holy place of the sanctuary. Eli evidently slept nearby (v. 5). Samuel'sself-discipline in getting up three times in response to what he thought was Eli's call wascommendable. His selfless, willing obedience qualified him to receive the ministry thatGod entrusted to him (cf. Gen. 22:1, 11; Exod. 3:4; Isa. 6:8; 1 Tim. 1:12).Verse 7 does not necessarily mean that Samuel did not then know the Lord at allpersonally, that he was an unbeliever. 46 Rather it means that the boy had not yet come toknow Yahweh as he was about to know Him having heard His voice speaking directly tohim. Even though Samuel knew God and His will, God had not previously communicatedwith him directly. Finally, God not only called to Samuel but also stood by him (v. 10, cf.Gen. 18:22) suggesting the possibility that Samuel could see Him (i.e., a theophany). TheLord's repetition of Samuel's name added a note of urgency (cf. Gen. 22:11; Exod. 3:4;Acts 9:4).43 See John E. Johnson, "The Old Testament Offices as Paradigm for Pastoral Identity," Bibliotheca Sacra152:606 (April-June 1995):182-200.44 See Robert K. Gnuse, The Dream Theophany of Samuel: Its Structure in Relation to Ancient NearEastern Dreams and Its Theological Significance.45 Flavius Josephus, Antiquities of the Jews, 5:10:4, wrote that Samuel was 12 years old.46 Zane C. Hodges, "The Salvation of Samuel," Grace Evangelical Society News 9:3 (May-June 1994):1, 3-4, took terms such as "knew the Lord" and "did not know the Lord" as evidence of salvation or lack of it(cf. Jer. 31:34; John 17:3). However this may be reading too much into the text.
2007 Edition Dr. Constable's Notes on 1 Samuel 19In verses 11-14 God restated for Samuel what the prophet had told Eli concerning the fateof Eli's house in the near and far future (2:27-36). 47 Under the Mosaic Law the penaltyfor showing contempt for the priesthood, for disobeying parents, and for blasphemy wasdeath (Deut. 17:12; 21:18-21; Lev. 24:11-16, 23). This would be what Hophni andPhinehas would experience (cf. 4:11). The cutting off of Eli's line happened about 130years later (cf. 1 Kings 2:27, 35).The writer may have intended to mark the beginning of Samuel's ministry with hisstatement that the lad opened the doors of the Lord's house (v. 15; cf. 1:28b). 48Eli realized that God's words to Samuel would have been very significant. He thereforeinsisted that the lad tell him what God had said. Samuel faithfully reported to Eli all thatGod had revealed to him (v. 18). He was a faithful prophet from the start. This was thesecond time Eli had received a prophecy of his family's future (cf. 2:27-36). Thus heknew that the prediction would surely come to pass. He accepted God's will submissively(v. 18).2. Samuel's ministry 3:19—4:1aThese verses summarize Samuel's continuing ministry as a prophet in Israel. Samuelqualified for this privilege by his faithful obedience to God's will as he knew it. Godsovereignly chose Samuel for this ministry, but his disobedience could have disqualifiedhim, as the disobedience of Eli and his sons disqualified them and as Saul’s disobediencedisqualified him.The phrase "let none of his words fail [lit. fall to the ground]" is a metaphor taken fromarchery (cf. Josh. 21:45; 23:14; 1 Kings 8:56). The arrow that falls to the ground fails toreach its target. In contrast, all of Samuel's words hit their mark. They were effectivebecause God found him to be a reliable bow. 49The phrase "from Dan to Beersheba" became proverbial during the united monarchy forall the land of Israel (cf. Judg. 20:1; 2 Sam 3:10; 17:11; 24:2, 15; 1 Kings 4:25). Danstood on the northern border about 150 miles from Israel's southernmost major town,Beersheba.The Lord's word (v. 21) is what Samuel communicated to the people as His prophet. Hedid this so consistently that Samuel's word amounted to the Lord's word (4:1a; cf. Jer.1:2, 4, 11, 13; Hos. 1:1; Mic. 1:1).Moses called Abraham (Gen. 20:7), Aaron (Exod. 7:1), and himself (Deut. 34:10)prophets. Samuel became a prophet in a new sense. He was the first of those "servants ofthe Lord" who became primarily, not secondarily, as the former prophets had become,47 The reference to people's ears tingling occurs only here at the beginning of the monarchy and at its end inthe Old Testament (2 Kings 21:12; Jer. 19:3).48 See J. Gerald Janzen, "'Samuel Opened the Doors of the House of Yahweh' (I Samuel 3.15)," Journal forthe Study of the Old Testament 26 (June 1983):89-96.49 For further study of this verse, see W. T. Claassen, "1 Sam. 3:19 - A Case of Context and Semantics,"Journal of Northwest Semitic Languages 8 (1980):1-9.
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