2018-09-23T08:00:00-05:00
12 Therefore from one man, and him as good as dead, were born descendants as many as the stars of heaven and as many as the innumerable grains of sand by the seashore.
13 These all died in faith, not having received the things promised, but having seen them and greeted them from afar, and having acknowledged that they were strangers and exiles on the earth. 14 For people who speak thus make it clear that they are seeking a homeland. 15 If they had been thinking of that land from which they had gone out, they would have had opportunity to return. 16 But as it is, they desire a better country, that is, a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared for them a city.
17 By faith Abraham, when he was tested, offered up Isaac, and he who had received the promises was in the act of offering up his only son, 18 of whom it was said, “Through Isaac shall your offspring be named.” 19 He considered that God was able even to raise him from the dead, from which, figuratively speaking, he did receive him back. 20 By faith Isaac invoked future blessings on Jacob and Esau. 21 By faith Jacob, when dying, blessed each of the sons of Joseph, bowing in worship over the head of his staff. 22 By faith Joseph, at the end of his life, made mention of the exodus of the Israelites and gave directions concerning his bones.
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.