1Sa 3:1 | KingComments | STEP | The priesthood is under judgment. God has pronounced judgment. This opens the way to bring forward the prophet of God. In this way God prevents a void from arising in the relationship with His people. He will always give a connection between His people and Himself, no matter how great the failure of His people may be. Before the judgment on Eli and his house is carried out, God makes clear to His people the way in which He comes to them now to reveal His will, and that is through a prophet. In those days, the Word of God has little place among God’s people. It is the same today. There is hardly any reading in the Bible anymore or it should be an easily readable translation. It is often not a question of getting to know God’s thoughts, but of satisfying the religious feelings that are characteristic to each human being. The fact that visions are infrequent means that there are no announcements of God’s will concerning His people. This means that there is darkness over the people. Yet even in the darkest times God has a testimony for His Name. Whoever is truly for God will not remain for long without a message from God. Such a person is the young Samuel. He serves the LORD, but still under Eli’s supervision. He serves the LORD, despite the corrupt way of life of the sons of Eli. Both the supervision of the weak Eli and the company of the wicked sons is determined by the LORD as the climate in which Samuel’s education must take place. In this dark environment the light of Samuel’s faithfulness to the LORD will shine even brighter.

‏ 1 Samuel 3:1

Word From the Lord Is Rare

The priesthood is under judgment. God has pronounced judgment. This opens the way to bring forward the prophet of God. In this way God prevents a void from arising in the relationship with His people. He will always give a connection between His people and Himself, no matter how great the failure of His people may be. Before the judgment on Eli and his house is carried out, God makes clear to His people the way in which He comes to them now to reveal His will, and that is through a prophet.

In those days, the Word of God has little place among God’s people. It is the same today. There is hardly any reading in the Bible anymore or it should be an easily readable translation. It is often not a question of getting to know God’s thoughts, but of satisfying the religious feelings that are characteristic to each human being.

The fact that visions are infrequent means that there are no announcements of God’s will concerning His people. This means that there is darkness over the people. Yet even in the darkest times God has a testimony for His Name. Whoever is truly for God will not remain for long without a message from God. Such a person is the young Samuel.

He serves the LORD, but still under Eli’s supervision. He serves the LORD, despite the corrupt way of life of the sons of Eli. Both the supervision of the weak Eli and the company of the wicked sons is determined by the LORD as the climate in which Samuel’s education must take place. In this dark environment the light of Samuel’s faithfulness to the LORD will shine even brighter.