2018-09-23T11:00:00-05:00
2 From the day that the ark was lodged at Kiriath-jearim, a long time passed, some twenty years, and all the house of Israel lamented after the LORD.
3 And Samuel said to all the house of Israel, “If you are returning to the LORD with all your heart, then put away the foreign gods and the Ashtaroth from among you and direct your heart to the LORD and serve him only, and he will deliver you out of the hand of the Philistines.” 4 So the people of Israel put away the Baals and the Ashtaroth, and they served the LORD only.
5 Then Samuel said, “Gather all Israel at Mizpah, and I will pray to the LORD for you.” 6 So they gathered at Mizpah and drew water and poured it out before the LORD and fasted on that day and said there, “We have sinned against the LORD.” And Samuel judged the people of Israel at Mizpah. 7 Now when the Philistines heard that the people of Israel had gathered at Mizpah, the lords of the Philistines went up against Israel. And when the people of Israel heard of it, they were afraid of the Philistines. 8 And the people of Israel said to Samuel, “Do not cease to cry out to the LORD our God for us, that he may save us from the hand of the Philistines.” 9 So Samuel took a nursing lamb and offered it as a whole burnt offering to the LORD. And Samuel cried out to the LORD for Israel, and the LORD answered him. 10 As Samuel was offering up the burnt offering, the Philistines drew near to attack Israel. But the LORD thundered with a mighty sound that day against the Philistines and threw them into confusion, and they were defeated before Israel. 11 And the men of Israel went out from Mizpah and pursued the Philistines and struck them, as far as below Beth-car.
12 Then Samuel took a stone and set it up between Mizpah and Shen and called its name Ebenezer; for he said, “Till now the LORD has helped us.” 13 So the Philistines were subdued and did not again enter the territory of Israel. And the hand of the LORD was against the Philistines all the days of Samuel.
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version copyright (c)2001 by Crossway Bibles, a division of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved. http://www.esv.org
Painted in this intimate encounter between God and Samuel and Eli is a larger picture of Israel’s spiritual state out of which God calls Samuel into his prophetic role. In the land, visions from God were infrequent and Israel began to only see the Lord dimly. A deafening darkness had settled on Israel like the darkness that had settled on the temple that evening. But then God’s vision came to Samuel in the dead of night.
God’s word was so unusual in that time that Samuel had never heard it before, and when he first did, it was unrecognizable. It was not until the third instance of mistaken identity that even Eli realized what was happening. The frequency of silence had dulled his sense of hearing until the moment of understanding—God was on the move. The God Who rescued His people out of Egypt, Who gathered a people through His thunderous appearance at Mount Sinai, and Who brought them into the Promised Land was revealing Himself again. Finally His vision and voice had broken through the silent darkness to sustain Israel into the future. And so, after sending Samuel back to his room, Eli waited eagerly until morning to hear this new word from God.
We serve a God Who calls into being that which was not. His very voice is a creative act. By it darkness folds back and light comes to be. His own people are called into being by His sovereign word. We who once were not God’s people are now called children of the living God. It is a deep and personal calling—like a shepherd calling out to his sheep and the sheep knowing his voice. The result of this calling is that we now have a new vision for life. A vision bursting with the good news of our risen and ascended Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. It is a vision that sustains us while we move about as husbands and wives, sons and daughters, employees and employers, craftsmen and artists, as worshippers.
Eli waited not knowing what word he would receive, and when he heard it, it was tragic. But let us rejoice! For we too wait to see with our eyes and hear with our ears the vision and voice of God. But unlike Eli, we who have been called His people know what will be revealed. The darkness has been lifted, the light has come forth, and we know with confidence that one day, we will see King Jesus coming with His Kingdom to cover the earth. The darkness that we feel too often in this life will be banished by His glorious light and we will finally see our God not dimly, but with eyes bright and clear.