The Call of Samuel | 1 Samuel 3

[music] Um today we're going to look at the call of Samuel found here in chapter 3 of 1 Samuel. So I'll begin at uh verse one in chapter 3. And I'll begin by just reading verse one giving you some information because uh you're going to see that there's something said here that will provoke me to be able to lay this foundation. And then we're going to be looking at the call that God placed on Samuel or his initial call as we'll see it here in chapter 3. And so in 1st Samuel [snorts] 3:1 it says the boy Samuel ministered to the Lord before Eli and the word of the Lord was rare in those days. There was no widespread revelation. And so as we look at this couple of things just to lay the foundation and all uh when it says the boy Samuel ministered to the Lord before Eli there's a few things I want to point out here because at this point in 1 Samuel Samuel is no longer a small child. He actually has grown into his teenage years because the word boy here is not speaking of a small child and I just wanted to point that out. It [snorts] speaks of a young man or or a youth. Uh later on in uh in in 1 Samuel, we're going to see this in chapter 17 when Saul uh calls David a boy. And that word boy there means a youth. And that's what he refers to him in chapter 17:33 when he speaks of uh David. He speaks to him as simply being a youth. And so the word boy can speak of a young man. So Samuel was probably at this point in his early teens. And so the point that we'd be making as we initially look at this is that uh Samuel has grown into young adulthood. Now it seems obvious that Samuel hasn't been influenced by the sons of Eli. The sons of Eli were Ha and Phineas and they were corrupt even as we've seen. They were robbing God of his offerings. They were violating women. And it's uh it's something to see in that though he was raised in the same environment as these other uh young men, Samuel grew into young adulthood without being influenced for their evil. They had no influence on him. You see, Samuel, it seems, had a spiritual inclination. There was something in his heart that drew him to worship God. And Eli had properly trained him. And Samuel was in the process of learning how to minister. And this is going to be something we're going to look at in just a moment. And so, one of the commentators I use said that Eli more than likely ne uh regretted his neglect of his own sons. And so, he didn't repeat the error when he was ministering to this young man Samuel. And so, Samuel, the scripture says here, and I want you to see it in verse one. It says, "The boy Samuel ministered to the Lord before Eli." So when it speaks about him doing that, when it says Samuel ministered to the Lord before Eli, that means under the inspection or the watchful eye of Eli. So Eli was watching him and instructing him in the ways of the Lord. So he's mentoring him. He's teaching him how to serve the Lord. And that's in contrast to the sinfulness of Hoffne and Phineas. Samuel instead of going in the corrupt way that these others had gone is busy learning how to minister to God. Now notice it says in verse one it says the word of the Lord was rare in those days. There was no widespread revelation. Let me touch on that for just a moment. There was no widespread revelation. Now in order to develop this I need to remind you of a couple of things. God had said to Israel that he would make himself known. And when he did so, he would do so through the prophets. It says in Amos 3:7, "Surely the Lord God does nothing without revealing his secret plan to his servants, the prophets." In Numbers 12:6, he said, "Hear now my words. If there's a prophet among you, I, the Lord, make myself known to him in a vision. I speak to him in a dream." And so God would reveal his secret plan through his servants, the prophets. And so when it's speaking concerning the fact that the there was no widespread revelation, there's a reason for that. Unbelief and rebellion had provoked the Lord to cease communicating. And that's why it says the word of the Lord was rare. There was no widespread revelation. When you look at a little bit of the history of of of Israel from the book of Joshua to uh to Samuel to 1 Samuel, you'll see that there were there was a a group of people that would exercise authority that were referred to as the judges. And so they judged Israel from the time of Joshua until Samuel. And so what would happen during their time of judgment or judging Israel is Israel went through certain cycles and you see it when you read the book of judges. You see that Israel would be blessed. Then Israel would forsake God and enter into sin. Israel would begin to serve idols and they'd end up oppressed by their enemies. They would cry out and they would cry out to the Lord to be delivered and God would deliver them. But once again they would start serving him and when the judge died they would revert again practice idolatry and the cycle would begin once more. So they had a some have numbered it as seven seven cycles that they would go through. And so what happened is sin and rebellion had made hearing of the word of the Lord rare in those days. And so it was during that time that God established a line of prophets that he might reveal his will through them. You see, the priesthood was so ungodly that the Lord began speaking through these prophets. And so, priests and prophets as well as kings became very important in the nation of Israel because they foreshadowed Messiah. And so, it was rare for this to take place, for God to reveal himself. And that's why it's very noteworthy when we saw in chapter 2 27 how a prophet had come and spoken to uh Eli and had told him that judgment was going to come upon him. And so there is a a lack of communication through the revelation of God through prophets at this time. But now we see the call of this young man by the name of Samuel. In verse two, it goes on to say, "It came to pass at that time while Eli was lying down in his place, and when his eyes had begun to grow so dim, he couldn't see. And before the lamp of God went out in the tabern tabernacle of the Lord, where the ark of God was, while Samuel was lying down that the Lord called Samuel, and he answered,"Here I am." So he ran to Eli and said, "Here I am, for you called me." And he said, "I didn't call you. Lie down again." And he went and lay down. The Lord called yet again, "Samuel." And Samuel rose and went to Eli. He said, "Here I am, for you called me." He answered, "I didn't call, my son. Lie down again." Now Samuel did not yet know the Lord, nor was the word of the Lord yet revealed to him. We'll look at that in just a moment. The Lord called Samuel again the third time. So he arose and went to Eli and said, "Here I am, for you did call me." And Eli perceived that the Lord had called the boy. Therefore Eli said to Samuel, "Go lie down. And it shall be if he calls you that you must say, speak, Lord, for your servant hears." So Samuel went and laid down in his place. This is the details of how Samuel received his call. Let me just remind you of a few things that we're looking at. Eli is sleeping in his quarters. His quarters would have been a small cubicle in the courtyard there in the tabernacle. He's old. He's losing his sight. Samuel is there to minister to him. He's there to help him when he needs help. And uh what we're seeing here is the Lord as he's calling this uh young man into service. When you read your Bible, and we could we could take a long time looking at this. There's so many stories to look at, but it's interesting to see how people were what they were doing when they received the call. It's interesting when you look at uh the lives of some of the the ones that we're familiar with as we read the scripture. It's interesting to see what they were busy doing when they received their call. You look all the way back in the time of Abram for example, Bible tells us that he was in a place called of the Caldes. And when he was there in of the Caldes, which we're told it was a place that was filled with idolatry, his father was an idol maker. When he was there in this particular place, of the Caldes, in Genesis 12:1, the Lord said to Abram, "Get out of your country, from your family, from your father's house, to a land that I will show you." So Abraham was living amongst the pagans when God called him out. When you look in the life of Moses, Moses was tending the flock of his of his father-in-law, a man who is referred to in scripture as Jethro. And he was in the wilderness, the scripture says, of Sinai. When you look at the wilderness of Sinai, it's in southern Egypt. And in Exodus 3:es 9 and 10, as he was tending the flock, it says, "Look, the cry of the people of Israel has reached me, and I have seen how harshly Egyptians abuse them." And God says to them, "Go, I'm sending you to Pharaoh. you must lead my people Israel out of Egypt. He had been tending the flock and he sees a a a bush that is uh on fire but is not being consumed. And he approaches that that um that amazing thing and all and the Lord speaks from that that that burning bush and and he says, "Take off your shoes or sandals for you are standing in holy ground." And then the Lord speaks to him. So he was in the midst of simply doing his job. He was tending a flock. That's how he was that's all he was doing. And yet God says, "I'm going to send you." There's um a prophet by the name of Amos. And Amos was speaking concerning what he was doing when he was called. It's found in Amos 7:15. And he simply says, "The Lord took me from following the flock and said to me, "Go prophesy to my people Israel." It's interesting when you begin to look at the lives of these people how they were doing so very often very ordinary things very ordinary things taking care of some sheep you know just just in the midst of pagans whatever in the New Testament in the Gospel of Mark in chapter 1 verses 16- 20 it speaks concerning when when the Lord Jesus called uh Peter Andrew James and John to follow him. And it simply says that they were fishing or repairing their nets. That's what they were doing. They were fishermen, but they were busy about their business. In Matthew chapter 9:9, Matthew himself was just sitting at the tax office when Jesus said to him, "Follow me." Where were you when the Lord spoke to your heart? What were you doing? Probably something pretty ordinary. probably not some spectacular thing, something pretty ordinary. And the Lord says, "It's time." And so what we have here is we have a young man who's asleep. He's just laying there and he's hearing the voice of the Lord. And he was just resting when the Lord calls him. It came to pass, it says in verse two, uh, while while Eli was lying down in his place, when his eyes had begun to grow so dim that he couldn't see, before the lamp of God went out in the tabernacle of the Lord, where the ark of God was, and Samuel was lying down, that the Lord called Samuel, he answered, "Here I am." It was not yet dawn, is the picture that we have here. And that's when the Lord is calling him. It says in verse four that the Lord had said uh had called Samuel. He answered, "Here I am." So he ran to Eli and he said, "Here I am. You called me." And he said, "I didn't call. Lie down again." He went and lay down. The Lord called yet again, Samuel. So Samuel arose and went to Eli and said, "Here I am. You called me." He answered, "I didn't call my son. Lie down again." And so he's being he's hearing the voice of the Lord and he's waking him up. You see, Samuel was asleep and suddenly he's awakened by a voice calling him. He has a a quick response. By the way, I want to note that with you. He responded very quickly. And the fact that he is responding very quickly is revealing his character because he hears a voice. He thinks it's Eli calling him. So, he immediately arises from where he is at and he goes in to speak to Eli. you called me because he was there to serve Eli as well as serve the Lord. So his quick response is really uh here I am. But he's thinking that Eli is calling him again. Remember Eli is old. He's weak with age. Samuel's taking care of him. And it happens twice. And both times Eli says to him, "Go back to bed." Well, this is interesting in verse 7 because and I want you to note something and I'm going to develop this for a moment with you. In verse one, it had said, "The boy Samuel ministered to the Lord." But notice verse seven. Samuel did not yet know the Lord, nor was the word of the Lord yet revealed to him. What an interesting thing to look at. Samuel did not yet know the Lord, nor was the word of the Lord yet revealed to him. What are you speaking about there? H how's that possible? Well, one, Samuel was aware of God in the most basic sense, but he wasn't yet aware of how God moves in a personal way in somebody's life. He did not know yet how to discern the voice of God in contrast to the voice of men because he's hearing the voice and confusing the voice of God with the voice of Eli. So he has yet to learn how the Lord communicates. He hadn't experienced how God speaks. He has yet to understand how God calls. And the fact that he keeps coming and speaking to Eli is actually a testimony to Eli because Eli is going to become aware this isn't something that's normal. Something's taking place. So this is Samuel's first encounter with God. It's God's first communication to Samuel. And this is his way of being introduced into the way God moves and how God calls. in the book of uh of Job. We went through the book of Job not that long ago. Many of us have read it and studied it over the years. And you know the story, I'll just condense it to make a point. In the book of Job, it begins in the first two chapters with uh something going on between God and and Satan in terms of relation to uh this man Job. And when God speaks concerning Job and you know how how that goes, Satan had come and and uh God began to speak to him and the Bible tells us that God began to question him. Where have you been? And then Satan responds and he says, "Well, I've been going to and fro throughout the earth." And as we go through the book of Job, what he is saying is, "I've been up to no good." And what God is doing at that point is actually calling him to account. What have you been up to? God already knows. So he says,"What have you been up to?" And Satan says, "I've been going to and fro throughout the earth and it's I've been up to no good." And then God says, "Have you considered? Have you looked at have you made a discerning judgment of my servant Job?" So God is aware of the fact that Satan is up to no good and is examining different people to see what he can do to destroy their lives. And therefore, God questions him about Job. Have you considered him? Have you weighed him? Have you thought about him? What do you want to do with him? Well, yes, of course I've considered him. He says, 'But you've you've you've surrounded him with protection. There's there's nothing I can do. I can't I can't I can't do anything to this man because God had said that he's the most righteous man. And we know what happens. And so from that point on, even though God is declaring him to be a righteous man, all through the rest of the book, when God allows Satan to to do his best against him, all through the book, we see that Job holds fast to his integrity. And yet, when we get to the end and God says to him, "You have been questioning me." Because throughout the book, Job does that. He says, 'G yourself like a man. Let me question you. And God begins to question Job. And after he asks him several questions, Job 42:5 gives to us the response of Job. Job said, "I have heard of you by the hearing of the ear, but now my eyes see you." Samuel had an awareness of God. He was being trained in ministry, but he only has a fundamental a basic knowledge. This is his call. This is where he connects with God. This is when he begins to hear the voice of the Lord and to understand how the Lord works and how he speaks. And this is what is taking place here as the Lord begins to minister to him. And that's why verse 7 says, "Samuel did not yet know the Lord, nor was the word of the Lord yet revealed to him because this is his call. He was not yet aware of how God moves in a personal way in someone's life. This is his first encounter, his first time that God actually communicates to him. And in this introduction, God is calling him to be a judge and to be a prophet. And so verse 8 says, "The Lord called Samuel again the third time. So he arose and went to Eli and said, here I am. He did call me." Eli perceived that the Lord had called the boy. Therefore, Eli said to Samuel, "Go lie down." And it shall be, if he calls you, that you must say, "Speak, Lord, for your servant hears." So Samuel went and lay down in his place. Eli realizes that God is speaking to Samuel. So he gives him advice. Go and lay down in your room and wait. The Lord will speak to you once more. And very often the Lord will speak in silence. In Psalm 62:1, truly my soul silently waits for God. From him comes my salvation. Wait on the Lord and wait until he calls you. Just remain peaceful and calm and just wait on him. Lay down and be quiet. Shut up, boy. Listen to what God has to say. Verse N again. Go lie down. You've grown up in the most holy place imaginable. You need to respond properly. And so when you respond to him, verse n, say, [snorts] "Speak, Lord, for your servant hears." Respond with humility. Respond with obedience. Respond with reverence. When you hear his voice, your upbringing should have prepared you to re to be receptive to him when he speaks. This is what you have been trained in all this time since you were small and delivered to me to raise you up in the things of God. This is the moment that God is finally breaking through to you. As I was preparing this study, I I was considering some things and and all and and in my notes and I'll just read what I was what I was thinking. A home filled with spiritual life will create a receptivity to the things of the Lord. When children are surrounded by faith and prayer, when they are surrounded by service to God and commitment, that causes our children to be prepared to hear the voice of the Lord when he calls them when he speaks. When somebody is raised in a home that has no fear of God and when the home has no knowledge of God, there's not going to be a spiritual filter. They're not going to have spiritual discernment. And if the Lord were wanting to communicate to them, they're not going to recognize his voice because they're not familiar with it. And that's the reason why we as parents, those of us who are parents, that's the reason why we raised our children in the knowledge of God. That's why we gave them Bible studies. That's why we gave them devotions. That's why we spoke to them concerning the things of the Lord. We wanted them to be prepared to hear his voice when he would speak to them. And Eli had been doing that with Samuel. Eli had been training him what ministry is. But now God is actually ministering to Samuel and speaking to him. Samuel doesn't know that because his first ministry was to Eli. So when he hears the voice of his name being called Samuel, immediately he's going to think, well, that's simply Eli. He needs something. He's an older fella. He's blind. I take care of him. Naturally, his heart is going to go to that. And Eli, on the other hand, he doesn't know what's going on with Samuel. Samuel's waking up to hear a voice. you know what do I know about that when he keeps coming in and he comes in he says this is the Lord so seeing that it's the Lord and this is where mentoring comes in seeing that it's the voice of the Lord if he speaks to you a third time which he will you need to speak to him in a certain way you need to say your servant is hearing you need to be ready to hear what God has to say and so in verse 10 it says the Lord came and stood and called as at other times Samuel Samuel, Samuel. And Samuel answered, "Speak, for your servant hears." I have to be honest with you, man. If I was in my room and I was a young teen and I had a voice going calling me, I don't know. That would be a very scary moment. I have to be real with you about that one. And so what happens? Well, the Lord actually is now speaking to him. It's not a dream. It's not a vision. This is an actual event. The Lord is communicating. And so Samuel responds, "I'm listening." When it says he responds reverently, reverently that he hears that that is speaking that I hear you with a heart to obey you. I'm hearing you with a heart that will do as I am commanded. It's not enough that he has the capacity, in other words, to hear some some audible, if you will, voice. When he says speak because your servant is hearing, he's saying whatever it is you're saying, I'm going to do. If you want to know the Lord in an experiential way, you need to take heed, like it says in Luke 8:18, you need to take heed how you hear. Sometimes we can go to Bible studies even like this. Sometimes we can go on a Sunday or whatever. We can listen to a radio broadcast and we want to hear what the word of the Lord is, but we may we may not be listening with an ear of faith or an ear that is is trained to obedience. We may be simply hearing. A lot of times when you go to a Bible study, your mind is thinking not of the Bible study itself. You're thinking of a variety of things beyond that Bible study because sometimes we get distracted. That just happens. And so he's teaching them, listen, when he's when you're speaking to the Lord, let him know that you're hearing him not just with the hearing of your ear. Let him know that you're hearing with the willingness of your heart. Whatever it is you're saying, that's what I will do. How can I know the Lord in a very deep and experiential way? How is that possible? If you want to know how to have a deeper experience with God, let me tell you how. Listen to God's word with the desire to obey what you hear. In John 14:21, Jesus said it like this. Whoever has my commands and keeps them is the one who loves me. The one who loves me will be loved by my father, and I too will love them and reveal myself to them. One of the ways the Lord reveals or manifests himself in the most particular way is when you're obeying him. When you're hearing him and doing what the spirit says. Early in my Christian life, it wasn't really that early, but it was many years ago. Now, Maria and I went to a um it was a a Christian concert that was being held in Anaheim. And Marie's younger brother, Ronnie, didn't know the Lord. And it it was a concert that I thought the music would be appealing to him and the message was going to be given. And so I asked him, I said, "Ronnie, would you like to go to uh with us? Marie and I, your sister and I are going to go to a concert." He was a young boy at the time. And he said, "Yes, I'd like to." So we went and it was at Melody Land and it was a theater in the round. Some of you are old enough to remember that it was a theater in the round that it sat around 4,000 people, but it's a theater in the round and they have various entrances to it. And so we got there and the concert was already going and the interior, all the lights were pretty much off at the time, so you really couldn't see. And we were supposed to meet two other couples. And so Ronnie, Marie, and I walked in and we're standing looking around and I'm and I said, "I don't know. We're supposed to meet some friends." I said, "Marie, honey, you just go around this way and I'll go around this way and maybe we'll run into him." Which the chances of doing that was pretty low because there was nobody in in the uh you know, in that area. And so as we were walking, the the spirit of the Lord said to me, "Tell Ronnie that you're going to connect with these two couples at 7:00." I still remember [snorts] that at 7:00. And I said, "No, I'm not going to say that. This has got to be heartburn. I mean, that can't be the Holy Spirit speaking to me." And so I said, "No, it no." And I I remember this very well. True story. I was arguing within my heart and I heard again, "Tell him that you will connect with them at 7:00 and I looked at my watch and it was like 6:59 and there's nobody out there in the in this hallway." And so I'm I'm walking and Maria's left me and it's just Ronnie and me. And as we're walking, here comes the two couples at a door. They were at the door and I walk up to the glass door and I opened it up. When I opened the glass door up, Marie came walking around and we all connected at and I looked at my watch 7:00 and I turned to Ronnie and I said, "Forgive me, Ronnie." I said, "The spirit of the Lord had told me to tell you we were going to connect at seven and I didn't tell you." What a witness that would have been to this young man. You know, it would have been a prophetic witness and he would have had an opportunity to see something about God. But because I was so unsure that it was the voice of the Lord, I had yet to really learn. And I still am learning how to hear his voice. Well, Samuel was in a similar place. He knew certain things of ministry. He had been trained in certain ways. But now God is revealing himself. And that's why Eli says, "You tell the Lord, speak, Lord. Your servant is listening. I'm listening not only to hear, but I'm listening with a heart to obey." Because Jesus said, "When you keep later on, Jesus would say, when you keep his word, I will manifest myself to you. I'll reveal myself to you in a very special way." So once the Holy Spirit teaches us through the word of God to obey, that's how God begins to train us up in his ways. He begins to show us himself in a very personal way. So Samuel in verse 10 answers and says, "Speak for your servant hears." The Lord said to Samuel, "Behold, I will do something in Israel at which both ears of everyone who hears it will tingle. In that day I will perform against Eli all that I have spoken concerning his house from beginning to end. For I have told him that I will judge his house forever for the iniquity which he knows because his sons made themselves vile and he did not restrain them. And therefore I have sworn to the house of Eli that the iniquity of Eli's house shall not be atoned for by sacrifice or offering forever. So God tells Samuel, "I'm going to carry out the judgment that I've already warned and told Eli about. It's going to be so severe that people will be shocked with horror and pain." And I He's saying, "I am going to bring judgment that will not be stopped and will not be removed. And no number of sacrifices, no number of offerings will stop me from what I've determined to do." And so again, when God closes a door, there is nothing that can be done to open it. Nothing. That was literally true during the days of Noah when God had told him to enter into the ark. God had said to him that he was going to bring judgment on the earth. We know the story. It's found in Genesis. And uh he said, "I'm going to bring judgment and everything that breathes air is going to die." And so he says you need to have, you know, two by two and a variety of others that are going to come in. And uh and then what happens according to Genesis 7:16, the ark had been built and God begins to draw the the animals in. It says uh those that entered male and female of all flesh went in as God had commanded him. And here's the words that that I want to emphasize. And the Lord shut him in. The Lord shut him in. Can you imagine? Why do you think the Lord shut him in? Well, it's obvious that he did for a variety of reasons. One of the things I can't help but wonder about is that these are people that no one knew who were in the same area with him. They were the ones who mocked him for many years for the years of him building that ark. And can you imagine what it was like? Because during that day there was no rain. During that day there was a mist that watered but there was no rain. And what God was going to do is puncture what is called a water belt and he was going to bring torrential rain. And the rain was going to provide the flood. That's how it was going to take place. And so when when Noah was saying that God is going to bring judgment through the floods, they wouldn't have known what a flood was. And therefore, they mocked him because we have no idea what you're talking about. And yet, man was going more and more corrupt even as God was patiently awaiting. And he gave him 120 years. And so Noah builds the ark and the mocking and all that took place. If you can imagine what that would have been like for all those years until one day God shut him in. And when I was first reading that as a newer believer, I thought the Lord shut him in. Why would that be? Well, for a lot of reasons again, including the fact that I would help can't help but wonder. I'm I'm only wondering out loud whether Noah would have wanted to open up that ark to let the people he knew and friends perhaps to come in. I don't know. But I do know this. When God closes a door, no man can open it. And when it's done, it's done. There's no second chances. There's no no other chance. Hebrews 10:26 says, "If we sin willfully after we've received the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice of sins." If you reject the Lord completely, ultimately you're rejected by the Lord. And so, verse 15, Samuel laid down until morning and opened the doors of the house of the Lord. Samuel was afraid to tell Eli the vision. So, Samuel had slept. He was going about his duties and he was opening up the doors to the tabernacle. But he was afraid verse 15 to tell Eli what had happened. He doesn't want to tell Eli because he loves him and he honors him and he respects him. He he doesn't want to be someone who is bringing such bad news. And so he resists. He doesn't want to say anything. And so verse 16, Eli called Samuel and said, "Samuel, my son." He answered, "Here I am." And he said, "What is the word that the Lord spoke to you? Please do not hide it from me. God do so to you and more also if you hide anything from me of all the things that he said to you." How would you feel having to tell this older man who has raised you like a son and you love him deeply, how would you like to be the one who has to bring that kind of news? Samuel Samuel doesn't want to. Eli's words reveal the great tension he's dealing with. He'd already been told by a prophet that judgment was coming upon his house. And so verse 18, Samuel told him everything. He hid nothing from him and he said, "It's the Lord. Let him do what seems good to him." Eli knows that God is keeping his word and he re resigns himself to it. Lamentations 3:39 says, "Why should any living man complain when punished for his sins?" Eli had failed to correct his sons and Eli was receiving judgment for this. They had sinned greatly. They hadn't been restrained and God judged them all. Someone said that there are different forms of child neglect and the effects can linger over lifetimes and the one that is eternal is neglecting to discipline children in the ways of the Lord. There are different forms of neglect. You know, I I I'll say it like this because I think about this fairly often. So, let me say it like this. I am very blessed that we have people who come to Bible studies on Wednesdays. I really am. That is not to say I'm not blessed that people come on Sunday. I'm blessed when people come to a Bible study anytime. But to me, it's something that with you guys, you actually you you get ready, you come. I'm blessed that you do that because that indicates to me by and large that you have a sincerity of faith, that you want to grow in your faith. And not only that, but if you're parents, that also indicates to me that you care about your children and you want your children to know the Lord. You want them to have a relationship with God. And so, you come to be equipped. Not everybody does. Not everybody has that heart. And that's why I really took to this quote when they said there are different forms of child neglect and neglecting to discipline children in the ways of the Lord is the most severe. The Bible in Ephesians 6:4 says, "Fathers, do not provoke your children to wrath. Bring them up in the training and admonition of the Lord." So there's there's a a a lifetime of teaching. But something the Lord laid on my heart as I put together my notes is this. There is a last time that you teach your children. There will be a last time that you pray with your children and there will be a last time when you get to minister to your children. Never forget that because one day the last time will be the last time. And I don't say that in a negative or a weird way. is just true. One day the last time will be the last time. And that to me is something I think about quite often. You know, I have a a granddaughter. I have several of granddaughters. Thank God for them with beautiful babies. One in particular, one in particular is real spoiled by Grammy and me. Really spoiled. and and she'll come and climb into my bed with us. And she says, she she told me one day she says cuz I won't let her sleep in our bed with us. I like to sleep. I don't feel like having her little feet on my face or whatever. And she said, "Papa, can I sleep? What can I sleep in bed with you?" Well, sometime in the future. Yeah. You know what she told me a while back? She says, "Papa, in heaven, will I be able to sleep in bed with you?" Yeah, I know. And so she comes into our room and she'll bring what she calls her family, which is which Blue is Bluey and Bingo. And I'm learning all their names. And she brings the family and she'll put them in my bed. And so I have to play with Bluey and Bingo and and Marie and I do that. And our mama has come in and has said to us, we we can we can take her out. We can take her out. You need to go to sleep. And and you know what what I have said to her? I'll say I've said this. One day the last time is going to be the last time. Some of you parents know what I mean. One day, the last time you carry the kid to kindergarten, and I tell my son, he carries his baby. Sometimes she doesn't want to walk, so he carries her to kindergarten and he says, "She's getting big and she's getting heavy and it hurts my back." And I'll say, "Yeah, I know. But the last time will be the last time. So enjoy it because one day you will never do it again." You parents know what I mean by that. One day it'll be the last time. One day, guys, there's going to be the last time you kiss your child. It's going to be the last time you pray with them. There's going to be a last time you see them. I know that. I live in that knowledge. So, every last time is going to be the best time. And so with my kids, following Christ has always been the most important because the last time I share with them will be the last time I share with them. Right? So that's why I take parenting and grandparenting seriously because I know that eventually it'll never happen again. Eventually they're going to move on. Eventually I'm going to go to heaven. So I try to make sure that everything I do is aware of that. I I believe that children are formed by consistent modeling of values and expressions of our love and they trust and they believe us their parents grandparents because we love them completely. Well, in the case of Eli, Eli neglected discipline and the result was his entire line was rejected by God. And so it says in verse 19- 21, Samuel grew, the Lord was with him. Let none of his words fall to the ground. And all Israel from Dan to Beersa, those are the borders, knew that Samuel had been established as a prophet of the Lord. And the Lord appeared again in Shiloh. For the Lord revealed himself to Samuel in Shiloh by the word of the Lord. And so he was faithful to God. And God established him in the sight of Israel. And God fulfilled all that he had spoken. His credibility as a man of God was established. God was with him. And God continued revealing himself to Samuel. And he did so there in Shiloh at the in the tabernacle. As Samuel uttered prophetic pronouncements, God continued to develop relationship with him, manifesting himself. And Samuel was inspired to speak. And as Samuel was inspired in his relationship with his God, God was revealed in a deeper way within him. The Lord, as you open up yourself to him and you begin to obey him, God reveals to you deeper things and deeper things still. That's what Jesus said. He said, "If you love me and obey me, I will manifest myself to you." And you'll learn the ways of the Lord as the Lord continues to give you deeper knowledge and experience of him. How can I grow in my understanding of God? Obey him. If I want to know the Lord deeper, I need to learn to obey him. And as I obey him, he reveals himself to me. And that's what was happening in the life of Samuel. God was revealing himself in deeper ways as he's bringing him into a place of being a prophet over Israel. And father, we ask that we would learn these simple truths, Lord. That we would learn to be obedient. That we would learn to hear your voice. That we would be those who say, "Speak, Lord. Your servant is listening." May we hear, Lord, what you say. May we read our scriptures and do so with a heart to obey what you teach us. May this congregation become deeper and deeper in your things, in your ways, and understand you. And Father, I ask that you would manifest yourself to us, Lord. In these last days, I I especially would pray that we would become more and more willing and obedient to not only hear but to do those things the spirit that the spirit communicates to us. And so, Lord, we lift our lives to you now. And I pray that you would move in each one of us in such a way that you would be honored. Father, we yield ourselves to you. And we ask that you would continue to reveal yourself to us and through us. And even as our eyes are closed and our heads are bowed, perhaps the spirit of the Lord is speaking to you and you need to get right with him even right now. Before we close, I'd like to pray for you. And if you need to get right, whether you're rededication or saying, "God, I just need you. I want to know you." Whatever the case may be, if you need prayer, would you raise your hand? Let me pray for you right where you're Father, you see these hands. You know the reason why these hands are being raised to you right now. You know the need. We're simply casting them at your feet. May your Holy Spirit do the work in their hearts as they yield to you. May you just fill them with your presence. Wash them, Lord, from any iniquity. Fill them with your spirit. And from this moment on, Lord, may they be encouraged to walk with you, to love you, Lord, to to study your word, to read, to pray, fellowship with other believers, and grow in their walk. Lord, I lift them to you now. And I thank you, Lord. Bless you. You can put your hands down. And perhaps some may have a physical ailment that you'd like prayer that God might touch you. I'd like to pray for you. If so, would you raise your hand? Father, you see these hands. There's so many. Lord, I pray that you would reach down and with your mercy and your compassion that you would touch people, Lord, even right now. Father, that you would do a work in them and that healing would occur. You are the healer. We're simply asking and by faith we would receive. Thank you, Lord, for hearing our cry. Now, I pray that you would move. And Lord, we we yield to you now and we bless you. Thank you, Lord. Bless you. You can put your hands down. And Jesus, I ask that you keep moving in all of us as we're about to leave. In your name we pray. Amen.