Before we proceed with this week’s verse, here is a PSA –
We all need a little bit of normalcy in order to get through these chaotic times. Therefore, Weekend Wisdom (Saturdays) and Project 3:16 (Sundays) will continue along with a post during the week.
So without further adieu, let’s look at the next 3:16.
1 Samuel
The books of 1-2 Samuel were not written by him, but about him. No one knows who wrote these books.
According to the Introduction to 1-2 Samuel in my ESV Study Bible, the theme of these books is:
God’s exercising of his cosmic kingship by inaugurating a Davidic dynasty (“house”) and not a Saulide one.
By God electing the holy city Zion (Jerusalem) as the place where David’s successor will establish the temple for worship of the divine King Yahweh
The Davidic “covenant” (2 Samuel 7, Ps. 89:3) entitled Matthew to put David at the center of the genealogical history of the divine plan of salvation (Matt. 1:1)
Introduction to 1-2 Samuel (ESV pg 485) Other verses referenced in the introduction 2 Samuel 7; Psalm 89 (Davidic Dynasty) , 1 Samuel 13:13-14; 15:28 (Saulide), 2 Samuel 6, Psalm 132 (Zion), 2 Samuel 24:18 (temple)
Chapter 3
Chapter 3 of 1 Samuel is about the Lord calling Samuel and telling him what He is going to do to the house of Eli, a priest at the temple. Eli’s sons did not know God in fact, 1 Samuel 2:12 refers to his sons as worthless.
Samuel’s mother Hannah was barren and ask God to give her a son and she in turn would lend him back to God. So when Samuel was weaned, his mother took him to the temple, explained to Eli that she was the one who stood in his presence praying for a son, and now she was here to lend her son to the Lord as long as Samuel lived.
In chapter 3, God calls Samuel, who thinks it is Eli calling him. The third time Eli understands that it must be God calling, so he tells Samuel to go lie down again and say ‘Speak Lord, for your servant hears.” When God calls again, Samuel does as Eli instructed and is told by God about the plan for Eli’s house. Samuel was afraid to tell Eli about his vision but in 3:16 Eli summons Samuel.
But Eli called Samuel and said, “Samuel, my son.” And he said “Here I am.”
1 Samuel 3:16
These verses at the end of Chapter 3 tell the rest of the story.
17 And Eli said, “What was it that he told you? Do not hide it from me. May God do so to you and more also if you hide anything from me of all that he told you.” 18 So Samuel told him everything and hid nothing from him. And he said, “It is the Lord. Let him do what seems good to him.”
1 Samuel 3:17 – 18 (ESV)
You have to admire Eli for saying “Let him do what seems good to him.” His family is about to be destroyed forever all because he knew his sons were doing bad and did not do anything about it.
My Prayer
May the Lord call you to dig deeper into the book of Samuel.
Have a joy-filled day.
Bio: Michele Kearns is the founder and HUG© (Hope Unites Globally) Award-Winner of JoyReturns. She shares her widowhood adventures hoping to inspire widows to move through grief and rebuild their lives. She’s also managed call center teams, co-facilitated a grief support group, and helped small businesses with various writing assignments. Michele loves Jesus, books, history, music, chocolate, red roses, and golden retrievers. She is also the amateur photographer behind the blog OgleOhio.com.
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