January 29, 2011
1 Samuel 3:11-4:1a
There is an old Sunday School song that goes:
Oh be careful little eyes what you see,
O be careful little eyes what you see,
For the Father up above is looking down in love,
O be careful little eyes what you see.
The song goes on to sing about what little ears hear, where little feet go and what little tongues say.[1] It’s not the best theology for it makes God into some kind of cosmic traffic cop to be feared—kind of like those remote traffic light enforcers that snap a photo of your license plate and, just when you think you’ve safely run a red light, a ticket arrives in the mail. Hopefully, our understanding of God is deeper than that, but for some people, fear is needed to keep them in check. John Calvin and other theologians have written about the three uses of the law. The law convicts us of our sinfulness and leads us to salvation in Christ. The law is the mirror we use to examine ourselves so that we may grow more Christ-like. And finally, for some, the law is there to be feared and to keep them in check, or at least to kept them from getting any worse. [2]
This song alludes to how our minds work when there is an opportunity and we don’t think we’ll get caught, be seen, or held accountable. If we don’t listen to our conscience, we’re liable find ourselves taking a bad risk. Scripture is full of such stories and even though one’s peers might not hold a protagonist accountable, God watches and takes notes. As we get into our passage for today and look at the context, we’ll see an example of a couple guys who thought they’d pulled a fast one and gotten away with it. But they didn’t.
Last week we looked at the call of Samuel; this week we’ll dig a bit into the details of that call and learn what God is doing through this young prophet. If you remember our story from last Sunday, the Ark of the Covenant is in Shiloh and it is there the Hebrew people are reminded of God’s presence and there they gather to worship. But it’s a time when God seems to be uninterested. There have been no prophecies and no visions. Eli, an old man who has gone blind, is supposed to be watching over the Ark and the Hebrew people… (There’s something ironic about that arrangement.) Of course, even though he’s blind, he does hear things, things he doesn’t want to hear, things that are troubling… His sons are corrupt. They think that God isn’t watching. They think they’ll get away with their dastardly deeds. If you go back and read the second chapter of First Samuel, you’ll learn they took the best of the sacrifices for themselves and used their authority to obtain favor from women visiting the temple. This bothered Eli, but he was unable to stop it. So God steps up to protect the integrity of the faith.
At the end of the second chapter, we’re told of a stranger who visits Eli and gives the old man bad news. God is planning to bring about a change. Eli and his family will be removed from the priesthood, none of his descendants will grow old, and both of his sons will die by the sword on the same day. But at the same time, God promises a new priest, one who will be faithful.
The third chapter, as we saw last week, begins with the call of Samuel. Last week, we examined that message and how Samuel kept thinking it was Eli calling. Time and time again, Samuel ran into Eli’s room asking what the old man wanted. But it wasn’t Eli… Finally, Eli figured that God must be summoning the boy and tells him that if the call comes again, to say, “Speak Lord, your servant is listening.” I’m sure Eli’s heart was heavy, knowing God is calling Samuel and not one of his on sons. He may have understood that the oracle given in chapter two is beginning to come true. Now let’s look at what God says to Samuel as we read the ending of this chapter… Read 1 Samuel 3:11-4:1a.
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This morning I am going to examine our text from three different viewpoints—God’s, Samuel’s and Eli’s. As we look at what is happening through each of their perspectives, I want us to consider what we can learn from the insight they offer.
The saying “the Lord gives and the Lord takes away”[3] is true, but it needs to be elaborated upon. God’s holiness demands that God protect his interest. That’s what’s happening here. Eli’s sons were corrupt; they couldn’t be trusted to continue watching over the spiritual lives of the Hebrew people. Time and time again, as we see in the Old Testament, God goes out and finds an unlikely candidate to call his people back to the straight and narrow. Corruption may be allowed for a period of time, but sooner or later those who are corrupt receive their due, as is the case here. Eli’s sons will not be inheriting their father’s position. Instead, as we’ll learn in the fourth chapter, they are both killed in battle. The Philistines routed the Hebrew army and even the sacred Ark falls into their hands. Eli must have been leaning back in his chair when he hears the news (something I’m often guilty of doing) for he falls backwards in his chair, breaks his neck and dies.
This is a black moment in Israel’s history. Their religious leader, who had judged Israel for forty years, is dead. The Ark of the Covenant is in the hands of the Philistines. Their army is defeated, with many having been killed in battle and the rest running for their lives. I’m sure the headlines in the next morning’s issue of the Shiloh Gazette read, “We’re all doomed!”
But as depressing as things appears to the Israelites, God has things in control. He’s preparing a young boy to be the spokesperson for Israel and, as I pointed out last week, Samuel will become one of the great characters in the Hebrew Scriptures. There are two things we should remember from God’s side of the story. God often seems to prefer to work behind the scenes and God protects his interest. The first can be comforting during times of trouble and the second serves as a warning to those of us whom God has blessed and given responsibilities. We’re to diligently use our blessings for God’s glory, not our own.
Next, let’s consider Samuel. He’s just a boy and God tells him that Eli and his family will learn, first-hand, how wrathful God can be. Think about this! Samuel is living with this family. We’re told Samuel lay awake all night; he knew the old man was going to quiz him about what God had told him and he didn’t want to be the bearer of bad news. I expect that as the sun came up Samuel was tiptoeing around, doing his duties while trying to dodge the old man. But he couldn’t hide forever. Sooner or later, Samuel would have to tell Eli the truth.
One of the things kids don’t like being called is a tattle-tale. This continues on through adulthood, for whistleblowers are often condemned as being disloyal to their superiors. We don’t like to squeal on those with whom we’ve worked and played. But there are times when our loyalty to friends and maybe even what some would call loyalty to our country has to take a backseat to what is right and noble. Ultimately, of course, being a true friend, employee, or patriot means you do what is right.
As Christians, our first loyalty is to Jesus Christ. When his teachings are being compromised we might find ourselves in a situation where we have to choose. “Do I tell Eli the truth? Do I confront someone in the wrong? Do we, for the sake of many who are being harmed, tell the truth even if the repercussions of the truth will damage the reputation or the career of a friend? Tough decisions! Such decisions require prayer and humility and lots of faith in the righteousness of the Almighty. I’m sure Samuel prayed a lot that morning as he waited in bed, fearing the dawn.
Now let’s look at Eli. I feel sorry for the old man. He’s ninety-eight years old and can’t control his sons. He’s condemned both by the oracle in Chapter 2 as well as the Lord’s conversation with Samuel. Yet, you know, I admire him. He helped Samuel discern God’s call and in the morning when he asked Samuel to tell him what God said, he took the bad news in stride. “It is the Lord; let him do what seems to be good.” Even in judgment, Eli has faith in God. His humility is commendable. He doesn’t go out and blame someone else for the judgment; he doesn’t even blame his sons who deserve such condemnation. Instead, he trusts God to do what is right. I’d have a hard time; I don’t know if I’d be that willing to be out of control. But if we think about it, when it comes to God, none of us is in control. We have to accept what God wants to do, and that God is working for what is best, not for me personally, but for the kingdom for which we’re to labor.
Toward the end of the siege of Petersburg, during the Civil War, the South gambled on a bold attack that held out the possibility of plundering the northern supplies depot and cutting off the bulk of the Union army. It was a brilliantly planned maneuver, and even though the attack didn’t start as planned, they surprised the Union forces and for a brief period of time, it looked as if the South could achieve their goals. But things began to fall apart and they were turned back and less than a week later Petersburg fell. A week after that, Lee surrendered at Appomattox.
The Confederate General in charge of the attack was John B. Gordon. He’d go on to serve three terms in the United States Senate and a term as governor of Georgia. As an old man, he ran into one of the defenders of Fort Stedman who asked him why the assault failed.
“Why did we fail? I’ll tell you why,” Gordon replied. “God did not intend that we should succeed. He did not intend that the Southern Confederacy should be an accomplished fact. He caused the axle of the tender of the last section of the train that was to bring troops north of Richmond to break, thus delaying that entire body of troops from reaching us. Had they arrived I believe that we should have captured City Point that morning. God did not intend that we should succeed. He was in charge.[4]
The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom,” Solomon says.[5] This passage is a reminder that we can’t pull one over on God. God knows what is happening and working behind the scenes to bring it about. As people of faith, we’re to trust God. Even in his judgment, Eli continued to trust in God’s way and did not blame the Lord for his own failures with his boys.
Last week, I suggested how with God, there is always hope. But this week, we see there is also judgment. Not only are we to place our hope in the Lord, we’re to fear the Lord! God is going to protect his name. As followers of Jesus, we are to look to him for direction. When we are unsure of which direction to head, we’re to ask ourselves what Jesus would have done. But we have to be careful, for it is too easy to use Jesus as a stamp of approval on our own hearts desires. Instead, we’re to examine ourselves by his life and actions, an examination in which we will all fail if it was not for his grace. Still, we examine ourselves and we strive to live better lives, trusting in God’s grace and mercy.[6]
Let me close with a quote from a book I’ve been reading by Richard Mouw titled Uncommon Decency: Christian Civility in an Uncivil World.
“A proper view of reality begins in our own awareness of the divine gaze. The Lord not only hears all—he sees all. He knows not only our habits of speech; he sees the hearts in which those habits are formed. Christian discipleship is permeated by the consciousness that we live before the face of God.”[7] Amen.
©2012 Jeff Garrison and First Presbyterian Church, Hastings, MI
[1] Richard Mouw Uncommon Decency: Christian Civility in an Uncivil World (Downer’s Grove, IL: IVP Books, 2010), 55-56
[2] John Calvin, The Institutes of Christian Religion. 2.7 (especially parts 6, 10 and 12)
[3] Job 1:21
[4] Noah Andre Trudeau, The Last Citadel: Petersburg, Virginia, June 1864-April 1865 (Baton Rouge, LSU Press, 1991), 354.
[5] Proverbs 1:7 and 9:10. Actually, the phrase is used by the Psalmists: See Psalm 111:10.
[6] The law was not given that we might be justified by keeping it, but that it might teach us our own weaknesses and sin so that we might be converted to Christ in faith. Second Helvetic Confession, Chapter XII. (Book of Confessions, 5:083)
[7]Mouw,, 54-55.
