2nd Sunday after the Epiphany, 2009
Rev. Brian L. Kachelmeier
1 Samuel 3:1-10
In the name of Jesus. Amen.
Today’s Old Testament text opens with these words, “Now the young man Samuel was ministering to the Lord under Eli. And the word of the Lord was rare in those days; there was no frequent vision.” (1 Samuel 3:1 ESV) What does this mean that the word of the Lord was rare? This does not mean that the people didn’t have the word of God. They had the written word and it was the duty of the Levitical priests to teach it. It was the obligation of the parents to raise their children in the way of the LORD. As usual, our text explains what it means. There were no frequent visions. The Lord was not directly manifesting Himself to the people. The question may be posed, why was this the case? What was the cause of this silence?
Let’s set our Old Testament text into the context of the book of First Samuel. In chapter one and chapter two, we are introduced to Samuel who was the answer of Hannah’s prayers and the answer to the problem of the day. The problem of the day revolved around Eli the high priest and his two worthless sons named Hophni and Phinehas. These sons were notorious for their despising of the offerings to the Lord and for their sexual immorality.
Sexual sin has been a constant plague on the people of God throughout the ages. It was a constant temptation in the land of the Gentiles. In fact, the Gentiles incorporated it into their worship services. Thus, we see the Israelites fall into this sin at the base of Mount Sinai. Later the combined efforts of Balaam and Balak encouraged the people of God to indulge themselves in such practice.
It was a constant temptation to the Gentile church in the days of the New Testament. In today’s epistle to the Corinthians St. Paul writes, “Flee from sexual immorality. Every other sin a person commits is outside the body, but the sexually immoral person sins against his own body. Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body.” 1 Corinthians 6:18-20 (ESV)
If Paul were to write a letter in our day, no doubt he would include the sinfulness of pornography on the internet, the seduction of romance novels, gay and lesbian marriage, and the new thought that being gay is a gift from God. The true gift from God is marriage. In sexual sin, you take what was not given to you in the gift of holy marriage.
The relationship of Christ and the church is depicted for us as a holy marriage. The church is the bride of Christ. In Christ, you are to be holy as you have been declared holy. We are not to follow after false lovers. Yet, Hophni and Phinehas, just like some misguided Christians today, think that they need not worry about such things. They are deluded by a false sense of security. As Hophni and Phinehas desecrated the temple of the Lord in those days, in our day Christians who indulge in sexual sin desecrate their own bodies which is the temple of the Lord.
In this back drop, we see a picture of the spiritual condition of the people of God in those days. The Levitical priests were given an office in which they served before the LORD on behalf of the people, but they misused and abused this office. They were supposed to instruct the Lord’s people with the Lord’s word. They were to be examples to the people of godly living. Yet, our text tells us that they were taking God’s people down a different path. They were leading them in darkness away from the light. They were blind leaders leading the blind. They were the closest to the Lord in proximity of office, but yet the furthest away from the Lord in their hearts.
Such texts are warnings to us. We should never laugh in pride over leaders who have fallen. We should be careful lest we fall. David fell into adultery. Yet, he did not stay in this pit. He confessed His sin unto the Lord and the Lord restored him. The example of Hophni and Phineas show us the destruction of those who remained in their sin.
When the people of God failed to listen to the voice of God as given to them in the written word, the LORD would send his prophets with a living voice. Thus, the Lord sent a prophet straight to the high priest in response to this wicked activity. The prophet delivered the message to Eli that his two sons Hophni and Phinehas shall die in the same day. The Lord declared, “And I will raise up for myself a faithful priest, who shall do according to what is in my heart and in my mind.” This prophet was sent to correct the Levitical priesthood at Shiloh.
From Shiloh, the people of God would be set back on course. Thus, the Lord called the prophet Samuel at Shiloh. He was sent to the whole people of God to bring them back to the Lord. On this day, we contemplate the call of Samuel to be a prophet.
In this we see the contrast between the prophet Samuel and the high priest Eli. In verses two and three of our Old Testament text we are told, “At that time Eli, whose eyesight had begun to grow dim so that he could not see, was lying down in his own place. The lamp of God had not yet gone out, and Samuel was lying down in the temple of the Lord, where the ark of God was.” (1 Samuel 3:2-3 ESV) Notice how each man was lying down in his place. Although Eli was the high priest, it was Samuel who was by the ark of God. Eli’s eyesight was growing dim in more ways that one. His sons are making a mockery of the priestly office right underneath his own nose.
We are warned not to let our eyes go dim, but to remain in the light of the Lord. A dim flashlight with a weak battery is worthless. The only solution is to get a new battery. When our spiritual eyes go dim, the only solution is to get new eyes. It is the Lord who opens our eyes to see things rightly through His eyes.
Not only is Samuel compared to Eli, he is also contrasted to the sons of Eli. In verse seven of today’s text we are told, “Now Samuel did not yet know the Lord, and the word of the Lord had not yet been revealed to him.” (1 Samuel 3:7 ESV). Now what does this mean that Samuel did not yet know the Lord. It does not mean that He had no idea who God was. The text itself clarifies by saying that what is meant is that the word of the Lord had not yet been revealed to him. Remember that we were told at the beginning of the text that in those days the word of the Lord was rare. In other words, Samuel had not yet been called as a prophet directly by God. In this we see a comparison with the sons of Eli. We are told that they did not know the LORD. They were not called into the prophetic office. They did not receive a divine vision from God. They rejected the Lord and He rejected them. Those who honor the Lord will be honored and those who despise the Lord will be lightly esteemed.
Yet in the midst of the faithlessness of the people of God, the Lord remains faithful. The Lord had not forsaken His people. He promised to dwell in their midst. The reoccurring theme in the days of the Old Testament was that those who had been placed in the office to serve the Lord constantly failed. Here we see the failure of Eli, his sons, and other priests. Later we see the failure of Saul and other kings. None are holy. None are perfect. All fall short of the glory of God. This is the constant message of the Old and New Testaments. There is only one who is holy. He is the perfect priest and king. The whole of Scripture points to Jesus.
Just as Samuel outshines Eli, Jesus outshines them all. He is the priest that is raised up after the Father’s heart and mind. The sons of Eli were replaced with the Son of God. While all earthly leaders fail, Jesus alone is holy and righteous. He is the perfect priest and King. We see all the failures of the people of God contrasted to Jesus. He alone heard the voice of the Father and did all that the Father required. He did not grumble or complain. Jesus is the Servant of the Lord who hears and does what the Father says. Just as Samuel was rejected by the people of God, Jesus was rejected as the King. The people rejected God and crucified their King.
Yet, in the cross, Jesus was rejected in our place. He took all the worthlessness, the wickedness, and sexual immorality of the people and was put to death. He was rejected by the Father, so that we would not be rejected by the Father. He who knew no sin became sin for us so that we would become the righteousness of God. We were purchased with a price. We belong to Him. It is the Lord who calls us by name through the gospel. The Holy Spirit creates faith in our hearts so that we can begin to say, “Speak, for your servant is listening.” Amen.
