Download Samuel A Child Of Destiny, July 8 2012

Children of the Bible
Lesson 6
Lesson Text—I Samuel 3:1-4
I Samuel 3:1-4
1 And the child Samuel ministered
unto the Lord before Eli. And the word
of the LORD was precious in those
days; there was no open vision.
2 And it came to pass at that time,
when Eli was laid down in his place,
and his eyes began to wax dim, that he
could not see;
Lesson Text—I Samuel 3:1-4
3
And ere the lamp of God went out in
the temple of the Lord, where the ark
of God was, and Samuel was laid
down to sleep;
4 That the LORD called Samuel: and he
answered, Here am I.
Lesson Text—I Samuel 3:5-7
I Samuel 3:5-7
5 And he ran unto Eli, and said, Here
am I; for thou calledst me. And he
said, I called not; lie down again. And
he went and lay down.
Lesson Text—I Samuel 3:5-7
6
And the Lord called yet again,
Samuel. And Samuel arose and went
to Eli, and said, Here am I; for thou
didst call me. And he answered, I
called not, my son; lie down again.
7 Now Samuel did not yet know the
LORD, neither was the word of the
Lord yet revealed unto him.
Lesson Text—I Samuel 3:8-10
I Samuel 3:8-10
8 And the LORD called Samuel again
the third time. And he arose and went
to Eli, and said, Here am I; for thou
didst call me. And Eli perceived that
the LORD had called the child.
Lesson Text—I Samuel 3:8-10
9
Therefore Eli said unto Samuel, Go,
lie down: and it shall be, if he call thee,
that thou shalt say, Speak, LORD; for
thy servant heareth. So Samuel went
and lay down in his place.
10 And the LORD came, and stood, and
called as at other times, Samuel,
Samuel. Then Samuel answered,
Speak; for thy servant heareth.
Lesson Text—I Samuel 3:11-13
I Samuel 3:11-13
11 And the LORD said to Samuel,
Behold, I will do a thing in Israel, at
which both the ears of every one that
heareth it shall tingle.
Lesson Text—I Samuel 3:11-13
12
In that day I will perform against Eli
all things which I have spoken
concerning his house: when I begin, I
will also make an end.
13 For I have told him that I will judge
his house for ever for the iniquity
which he knoweth; because his sons
made themselves vile, and he
restrained them not.
Lesson Text—I Samuel 3:14
I Samuel 3:14
And therefore I have sworn unto the
house of Eli, that the iniquity of Eli’s
house shall not be purged with
sacrifice nor offering for ever.
Focus Verse—I Samuel 3:18
I Samuel 3:18
And Samuel told him every whit,
and hid nothing from him. And he
said, It is the Lord: let him do what
seemeth him good.
Focus Thought
Obedience to the voice of the Lord
and a willingness to declare the
whole truth assures the favor of
God and greatness in the service
of the Lord.
Culture Connection
I. The
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Importance of Obeying God
In her article titled “Obeying: God's
Way Is Always Best,” Shana Schutte
shared the following: “Desperate
longings can tempt us to do desperate,
disobedient things. Desire not
submitted to Christ can make us to
lose our sensibility, justify our
behavior, and make excuses.
“When I was a teacher, one of my
I.co-workers
A Loving
Mother
posted
a quote on his
classroom wall: ‘The moment you
settle for less than what you want is
the moment you get more than you
bargained for.’
“This is how it is with disobeying
God. Once we settle for not going His
way, we get less than we imagined and
more than we ever wanted”
(www.focusonthefamily.com, accessed
April 6, 2011).
There simply is no substitute for
obedience to God. To obey God is to
I.discover
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a life of peace and joy within
His will, but to disobey Him is to
experience a life of hurts,
disappointments, and sorrows without
consolation. Consolation is the real
difference because everybody in life
suffers hurts, disappointments, and
sorrows. However, when we are
obediently following God, we discover
He is able to comfort us, strengthen
us, and give meaning even to life’s
disappointments.
Samuel became a great prophet
because he had a mother who
I.consecrated
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him to the work of God
and, most of all, because he had a
heart turned toward God. He was
sensitive to the voice of the Lord and
obedient to His words. Those
attributes will also lay the foundation
for believers today to experience the
fullness of a life lived in Jesus Christ
and His purpose on earth.
Contemplating the Topic
I. A Loving Mother
It is possible there has never been
an era like the present in which truth is
so undervalued and so often distorted
for personal gain or advantage. In
Mass Media, George Rodman tells how
big business and even governments
hire public relations firms to assist
them with developing their message
and getting it across to the public in a
sellable manner.
One public relations tool listed in
I.Rodman’s
A Loving
Mother
book is called “The Big
Lie,” which he says occurs when a
prominent person states an outright
lie and sticks to it in spite of the
evidence that refutes it, hoping the
public will eventually become
“confused by the issue.”
The absence of truth alters the way
individuals and society function.
For example, when Ronald Reagan’s
Patti, Mother
violated school rules
I.daughter,
A
Loving
by smoking, Reagan wrote her a letter
addressing the importance of telling
the truth and warning her not to
“establish a pattern” of accepting
dishonesty as “a way of life.” Reagan
wisely added that “compromising with
truth no matter how trivial does
something to us” (Kiron K. Skinner,
et. al., eds., Reagan: A Life in Letters).
Just as the absence of truth alters
way
businesses
do business and
I.the
A
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Mother
governments govern and individuals
conduct their lives, it also alters the
way ministers minister and preachers
preach and churches operate and
Christians live. Reagan was right.
Compromising the truth, no matter
how trivial, changes us, but not for the
better.
Today’s lesson focuses our
on an Old
Testament
I.attention
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Loving
Mother
character who early in his life
established a pattern of living
honestly and valuing the truth.
Perhaps God chose him as the
catalyst for revival at Shiloh mainly
because of this characteristic.
We too can be the means of
bringing revival if we speak the truth,
live the truth, and love the truth. (See II
Thessalonians 2:7-10.)
Searching The Scriptures
I. A Loving
Mother
A Loving
Mother
No study of Samuel would be
complete without first devoting some
attention to his mother, Hannah,
whose selfless devotion to God
unquestionably influenced the destiny
of her son.
A. Barren—Loved by Her
A. Barren—Loved by Her Husband,
Husband, but
Ridiculed
by
Her
but Ridiculed by Her Enemies
Enemies
To be childless was extremely
devastating to a woman in Hannah’s
day. The culture of their day placed
great emphasis on child-bearing
because God’s promise of a future
Savior depended on it. (See Genesis
3:15.)
According to The New Unger’s Bible
Dictionary, “The reproach attached to
I.barrenness,
A Loving
Mother
especially among the
Hebrews, was doubtless due to the
constant expectation of the Messiah
and the hope cherished by every
woman that she might be the mother
of the promised Seed.”
Although Hannah’s desire for
children had not materialized, her
husband, Elkanah, did not chide her
for being barren. Elkanah loved his
family and led them in worship despite
the despicable situation at Shiloh.
He did not allow the hypocrisy of
I.others
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Mother
to interfere
with his duties as
the spiritual head of his family. When a
man truly loves God, he will love his
wife also, and lead her by his own
example in a God-ward direction.
Like Elkanah, a Christian husband
should do his best to ensure the
spiritual well-being of his family, even
when situations are less than ideal.
Patiently and lovingly he should lead
his family in devotion and faithfulness.
Though feeling like a failure because
I.ofAherLoving
Mother
barrenness and the derision of
Peninnah and others, Hannah
remained faithful. The loving
leadership of her husband helped to
keep her strong and focused on her
desires.
B. Determined in Her Heart
B. Determined in Her Heart
Though spiritually demoralized by
her barrenness and emotionally
battered by her adversary’s cruelty,
Hannah sought refuge from her pain in
prayer. Her example speaks volumes to
those wrestling with anger, loneliness,
depression, or bitterness. Those who
hurt us often seek to justify the way
they treat us and, like Peninnah,
seldom ask for forgiveness.
Hannah’s example leads us to the
I.only
A true
Loving
sourceMother
of healing for such
moments—meeting God in a secret
place of prayer. Hannah did not seek
revenge; she sought God, and God
rewarded her. In the end Hannah, not
Peninnah, won this conflict.
C. Misunderstood by the Priest
C. Misunderstood
by
the
Priest
Just when Hannah felt things could
not possibly get any worse, the priest
Eli misjudged her devotion as
drunkenness. Few wounds go deeper
than being misunderstood by those
whom we respect. Perhaps the wound
went deeper when Hannah, who had to
have noticed the blatant sins of Eli’s
sons, wondered why Eli had not
upbraided them for committing far
worse sins.
How quick we are to point out the
we perceive
in others, and yet,
I.flaws
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Mother
how blind we are to our own. (See
Matthew 7:3-5.)
Perhaps Paul thought of Eli’s
example when he wrote that a bishop
who cannot rule his own household
and children well, cannot properly
guide the affairs of God’s house. (See I
Timothy 3:1-5.) Such inconsistency
should never lurk in a church’s
authority structure.
Paul was not implying a minister
tyrannize
his family; he simply
I.should
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Mother
meant a minister should wisely control
his household affairs, including his
children. If a minister’s household is
full of disorder, it is apparent he has
failed to provide adequate leadership
and does not inspire respect, both of
which are essential in leading a
church. Maintaining order in the family
of God is crucial. (See I Corinthians
11:34; 14:40; 16:1; Colossians 2:5;
Titus 1:5.)
There should not be one rule for the
family and
another for the
I.church
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minister’s family. Eli was wrong to
judge Hannah rigidly and yet not judge
his own house.
D. A Child Promised
D. A Child Promised
As Hannah prayed, she promised
that if God gave her a son she would
dedicate him to a lifetime of service in
God’s house. Through Eli, God
confirmed to Hannah that He would
answer her prayer, and true to her
word, Hannah kept her commitment.
Perhaps it was under the tutelage of
such a mother that Samuel developed
his truthful spirit.
In Hand of Providence, Mary Beth
states the
most influential
I.Brown
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Loving
Mother
person in the life of Ronald Reagan
was his mother, Nelle Reagan. She
“had an unshakable faith in God’s
goodness” and “planted that faith
very deeply in [him].” Reagan
learned “the value of prayer” from
his mother. She “seldom missed
Sunday services.” Even in difficult
times, Reagan’s mother “tithed to her
church” and “taught her boys to do
so, too” (Mary Beth Brown, Hand of
Providence).
Barnes’ Notes suggests that people
I.teach
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Mother
by example
and often “by the
neglect of that which they regard as of
no value.” For example, “A man who
does not pray is teaching his children
not to pray,” and a man “who neglects
the public worship of God is teaching
his children to neglect it,” and a man
“who does not read the Bible is
teaching his children not to read it”
(Barnes’ Notes, Biblesoft, Ephesians
6:4).
Hannah’s influence shaped the
I.character
A Loving
of herMother
son, for she taught
Samuel by example to value honesty
and truthfulness and to honor God’s
Word.
E.
A Child Born and Dedicated
E. A Child
Born
and
Dedicated
The child Samuel was more than
the product of a biological
phenomenon. He became a great
prophet in Israel largely because of his
mother’s prayers and consecration to
God. From Hannah’s example we
should understand the “ripple effect”
of a parent’s devotion to God.
The future of any child is shaped
largely by the influence of his parents.
Children are not born to be preachers
or drunkards.
The parents either purposefully
nurture or unwittingly neglect to guide
I.theAdestiny
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of their children. As their
children mature, parents should
deliberately encourage them in a Godward direction. This parenting quality
is evident in Hannah’s providing a
larger coat for Samuel every year. She
helped her son find his way into God’s
plan for his life by presenting him
before the Lord and dedicating his life
to God’s service. However, she did not
abandon him, but returned at intervals
to encourage him in his service to
God.
In Revolutionary Parenting, George
contendsMother
that children who are
I.Barna
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raised by parents who emphasize
their own spiritual growth make a
positive “impression” on the young
minds of their children. Those
children note that “the example set
by their parents” continues to affect
their lives as adults. Barna also
notes, “One of the essential childrearing behaviors identified by the
parents of spiritual champions” is the
“modeling of the principles” taught
by the parents.
In simple terms, parents must
I.practice
A Loving
Mother
what they preach. Barna also
states, “The greatest influence a
church may have in affecting children
is by impacting their parents.”
A Good Child
Child in an
II. A Good
in Evil
an Environment
Evil
Environment
Shiloh was full of moral decay,
apathy, and neglect. What an
atmosphere for a young,
impressionable child! Imagine how
Hannah felt about leaving her Godgiven son in the spiritually lethargic
and morally corrupt environment.
A. Eli’s Evil Sons
A. Eli’s Evil Sons
The writer of I Samuel regarded Eli’s
sons as “Sons of Belial” who “knew
not the Lord” (I Samuel 2:12). How did
a priest’s children become so
devilish? Evidently, growing up in a
home where they were seldom if ever
disciplined alienated them further and
further from the Spirit of God.
Eli’s slack hand at home not only
affected his sons, but it affected the
I.entire
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religious community at Shiloh.
As Adam Clarke’s Commentary
suggests, “These men were the
principal cause of all the ungodliness
of Israel.” Eli himself said to his sons,
“Ye make the Lord’s people to
transgress” (I Samuel 2:24).
How could Eli be so quick to
I.condemn
A Loving
Mother
what he
assumed to be sin
in Hannah and yet allow his own
children to sin openly with only mild
rebukes? Eli’s slackness served only
to embolden his sons. If Eli’s own
children could not respect his
spiritual leadership, how could
anyone else? Amazingly, the evil
influence of these sons of Belial had
no effect on young Samuel. He was
truly a good child in an evil
environment.
B. Samuel’s Ministry as a Child
B. Samuel’s
as a influences
Child
DespiteMinistry
the surrounding
and overall adverse environment,
Samuel developed physically, morally,
and spiritually. (See I Samuel 2:21, 26;
3:19.) Numerous factors provide the
necessary stimulus for spiritual
growth. For instance, God gifted the
church with the five-fold ministry for
“the perfecting of the saints.” (See
Ephesians 4:11-15.) Peter wrote that
believers should desire God’s Word
that they may “grow”
(See I Peter 2:1-2).
But another factor that often
the necessary
stimulus for
I.provides
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Mother
spiritual growth is adversity. Despite
our misgivings, adversity is often our
friend, not our foe. Samuel grew to be
a great prophet in an adverse
environment.
Adversity reveals the strength of
one’s character and what is in one’s
heart. Proverbs 24:10 says, “If thou
faint in the day of adversity, thy
strength is small.”
After Abraham climbed the most
mountain
in his life to
I.difficult
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sacrifice his son Isaac, God said,
“Now I know that thou fearest God.”
The adverse moment revealed what
was truly in Abraham’s heart. Samuel
was submerged in an adverse
environment, but it revealed his
passion for serving God. Instead of
looking for a place to quit, Samuel
looked for a place to serve.
Samuel in Apprenticeship
III. Samuel in Apprenticeship
An apprentice, according to
Webster’s Dictionary, is a learner, a
beginner, or a novice. It is obvious that
at such a young age Samuel did not
arrive at Shiloh with any previous
training or knowledge about the call of
God or the work it involved. We can
see his naiveté in the way he
responded to God’s call, mistaking the
voice of God for that of Eli.
I. A Loving Mother
In spite of Eli’s shortcomings, he was
instrumental in helping Samuel to
develop some of the skills necessary
to lead Israel out of spiritual mire.
A. Samuel Ministered
A. ItSamuel
Ministered
is amazing that at such a young
and impressionable age Samuel did
not succumb to the deplorable
spiritual conditions about him. How
did he rise above it? Did God place
spiritual blinders on Samuel so he did
not notice the apathy of Eli or the
moral corruption of Eli’s sons?
Perhaps Samuel made a practice of
focusing on the positive rather than
the negative.
The 
famed
explorer, Ernest
E
rnestAntarctic
Shackleton
Shackleton, knew pessimism was
deadlier than fatigue or frostbite. He
did not allow his crewman to
“magnify the faults and shrink the
virtues of others around them,”
because negativism would destroy
the morale of the crew (Kim Heacox,
Shackleton: The Antarctic Challenge,
National Geographic, 1999, 22).
Samuel must have trained his eyes
good thatMother
existed at Shiloh
I.onAtheLoving
instead of the bad. Rather than
pointing out the faults of others,
Samuel seems to have asked himself,
“What can I learn from this so I don’t
make the same mistakes?” Samuel
wisely chose to turn his negative
environment into a learning
environment rather than an excuse to
justify misbehavior.
B. The
B. The Lord Called Samuel
Lord Called
Samuel
by
by Name
Name
Although Samuel may not have
appeared to be qualified for his future
destiny, God saw character and
integrity in the child that was not yet
evident to others. The Wycliffe Bible
Commentary suggests, “Samuel slept
somewhere near the ark,” deep in the
interior of the temple complex, close to
the heart of God and far from the
world.
thisMother
with Eli’s sons who
I. ACompare
Loving
favored the position by the door of the
temple where sensual opportunities
lurked at the outside edge of the
temple compound—close to the world.
While some position themselves
where the church borders the world,
others position themselves where the
church borders the heart of God.
Intimacy with God is seldom
experienced on the fringes!
Samuel Conferred
C. SamuelC.Conferred
with His
with His Mentor
Mentor
Samuel was young and
inexperienced, but passionate. When
destiny knocked, he did not know how
to answer; but his desire to learn drove
him to the bedside of his aging mentor.
Not yet discerning God’s voice, Samuel
supposed Eli had called him.
This being repeated a second and
I.third
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time, Eli finally realized God was
speaking to Samuel and instructed
him to go and lie down and when the
Lord spoke again, he was to say,
“Speak, Lord; for thy servant heareth”
(I Samuel 3:9).
The manner in which Samuel
the Lord
suggests he was
I.addressed
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Loving
Mother
listening attentively, desiring to
understand and obey God’s voice.
Samuel’s wisdom as a young man is
evident in his humility. He willingly
admitted he did not know everything
and turned to his elders for guidance.
In contrast, ego and pride have
wrecked many a minister.
D. Samuel Responded Positively
D. Samuel
Responded
Positively
Samuel’s
life illustrates
how that
even though a person’s life,
surroundings, environment, and peer
group may be less than ideal, he can
move beyond such things and
experience the leading of God’s Spirit.
Ideal circumstances seldom produce
great achievers. In spite of adversity,
Samuel grew in character, integrity,
and spiritual stature; His obedience
became the key to the fulfillment of the
destiny God had in mind for his life.
(See I Samuel 15:22.)
The Lord’s Revelation
IV. The
Lord’s
Revelation
The Lord revealed His plan for
Shiloh to Samuel, a plan which,
unfortunately for Eli, contained
judgment. No matter how good a
leader Eli may have been in the past,
he had grown indifferent to the fact
that he and his children were more of
a liability to God’s people than an
asset. Lest anyone should be exalted
by their self-importance, God teaches
us through Eli’s example that no one
is irreplaceable.
when
we cease
to put God’s
I.And
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kingdom first, God can and will bring
about the necessary changes—even
when we refuse to do so.
The Lord’s
Eli’s
A. TheA.Lord’s
PlanPlan
for for
Eli’s
House
House
The conduct of Eli and his sons
made it difficult for others to serve
God. God’s people reached a point
where they abhorred bringing their
offerings to the Lord. (See I Samuel
2:17.)
It is important to note that God had
I.made
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His will known
to Eli before
revealing it to Samuel. (See I Samuel
3:11-14.) God told Eli of His
displeasure concerning the iniquity of
his house, yet Eli did not receive it in a
spirit of repentant obedience (I Samuel
3:14).
Iniquity injures the covenant
relationship between the Lord and His
people, but acknowledgement and
confession of sin bring mercy and
forgiveness. (See Psalm 32:5.)
However, if God deals with an
I.individual
A Loving
aboutMother
his sin and he refuses
to acknowledge or confess it, he
crosses a line.
Transparency 3
Once Eli rejected God’s Word, he
I.crossed
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the line of no return, for God
said to Samuel, “And therefore I have
sworn unto the house of Eli, that the
iniquity of Eli’s house shall not be
purged with sacrifice nor offering for
ever” (I Samuel 3:14). Perhaps Eli, like
Saul, thought ritualistic service
compensated for his disobedience.
(See I Samuel 15:22.)
I.ButAnothing
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brings God’s favor and
blessing like sincere repentance and
total obedience. (See Deuteronomy
11:26-28.) Eli wanted to retain his
position but did not want to obey.
God’s plan would forever end the reign
of Eli as priest.
B. Samuel’s Trepidation
B. Samuel’s Trepidation
Eli, knowing that God had spoken
to Samuel, asked the lad what the Lord
said. Perhaps Samuel cringed, as he
“feared to shew Eli the vision” (I
Samuel 3:15). Confronting a person,
especially an elder, with the truth is
seldom easy. Samuel was young, but
he proved to God and His people that
he valued truth over the favor and
praise of men.
Those who must confront people
the truth face
the temptation of
I.with
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indulging peoples’ sentiments rather
than esteeming the truth. Almost
everyone wants to be liked, but a true
leader must not allow human
sentiments to block the way to
victory. Despite his trepidation
Samuel told Eli the truth. He
overcame error by embracing the
truth.
C. Samuel’s
of the
Word
C. Samuel’s
ValueValue
of the
Word
of
the
Lord
of the Lord
Despite the uncomfortable position
he was in, there is no question where
Samuel’s loyalty lay. Samuel put God
and His Word before anyone’s
feelings—even his own. It would have
been easy for Samuel to water down
the message, but he valued the Word
of the Lord more than his elder’s
sentiments.
When Ernest Shackleton’s crew had
theirMother
icebound ship during
I.toAabandon
Loving
their Antarctic expedition of 1914 and
find a route to safety, Shackleton
allowed his men two pounds of
personal gear. He knew of men who
had frozen to death under similar
conditions simply because they would
not let go of sentimental items. Queen
Alexandra had given Shackleton a
highly prized, personally inscribed
Bible that outweighed the two-pound
limit.
I.SoAheLoving
Mother
tore out the page containing the
queen’s inscription along with the 23rd
Psalm and a page from the Book of
Job. Similarly, we must place greater
value on God’s Word than on personal
sentiment (Kim Heacox, Shackleton:
The Antarctic Challenge, National
Geographic, 1999, 91).
I. AIt seems
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Mother
Eli, unlike
Samuel, valued
personal sentiment over God’s Word,
and that weakness came home to
haunt him. When we allow our
personal plans, ambitions, or the
sentiments of others to interfere with
God’s will, we are neither obeying God
nor honoring His Word.
D. Samuel’s Life a Testimony
D. Samuel’s Life a Testimony
Samuel’s integrity and purity stood
out like a diamond against the
blackness of Eli and his sons. “All
Israel . . . knew that Samuel was
established to be a prophet of the
Lord” (I Samuel 3:20). The real and
genuine stands out when contrasted
with the counterfeit and phony.
Samuel’s pure and sincere devotion to
I.God,
A Loving
His people,Mother
and his duty to
speak the truth, earned him the
respect and confidence of the people,
which became the key to revival at
Shiloh.
Internalizing the Message
I. A
Loving
Mother
The life of Eli illustrates how a man
who values position and personal
sentiment over humble obedience to
God’s Word can lead a religious
culture astray. Poor, self-serving
leadership can devastate God’s
people. The life of Samuel, on the other
hand, depicts how important the
confidence and respect of the people
are to a leader’s ability to lead and see
God’s people experience God’s favor.
I.TheAdifference
Lovingbetween
Mother
Eli and
Samuel comes down to the fact that
one would not embrace the truth
whereas the other would.
Compromising the truth, no matter
how trivial it may seem, changes us
for the worse. Embracing and
obeying the truth is the key to good
leadership and revival.