Let us turn once again to God's
Word and directing you this morning to that last verse in the chapter
that we read in 1st Samuel chapter 3 and verse 21. 1st Samuel chapter 3 verse 21
and the Lord appeared again in Shiloh and the Lord revealed
Himself to Samuel in Shiloh by the word of the Lord. In this chapter we have the records
of the call of Samuel. He was to be the last of the
judges, but he was also one who was called to be a prophet of
the Lord, one that was to speak the words of God. Now previously
we are told at verse 7, Now Samuel did not yet know the Lord, neither
was the words of the Lord yet revealed unto him. But then when
we run through the chapter and come eventually To these words
that we've announced as our text this morning we see how that
appointed time had clearly arisen and he was raised up then to
be the Lord's servant and to declare the words of God. The Lord appeared again in Shiloh
for the Lord revealed himself to Samuel in Shiloh by the words
of the Lord. and I want us to consider these
words of the Lord this morning and what we see in this chapter
is two things we see something of the the preciousness, the
rareness of that Word of God, and then we also see the way
in which that Word was revealed. And that's the division that
I want to follow, that twofold division. First of all to say
something then with regards to the fact that initially God's
Word was rare. In the opening verse we're told
how the child Samuel ministered unto the Lord before Eli, and
the word of the Lord was precious in those days. There was no open
vision. The word precious literally means
rare. A thing rare, of course, is very
soon priced. There's so little of it. and
therefore it becomes that that is precious. And that was true
at this time concerning the Word of God. And why was it so? Well,
we're told there, at the end of that first verse, that there
was no open vision. And the word that's used, open,
has the idea of bursting open. It speaks of something that is
suddenly burst forth and spread abroad. The same word is used,
for example, in Proverbs chapter 3 and verse 10, Thy presses shall
burst out with new wine. God's Word, you see, was precious
then because there was no spreading abroad. of that Word of God. There was no settled ministry,
there was no prophet that was established in Israel to take
to the people God's Word. God's Word was not so readily
available. God's Word was not to be found
on any hand. And that is a terrible thing,
is it not? when God's Word is scarce. It is an awful judgment
that has come upon any people. In fact, such is threatened in
the ministry of the Prophet Amos. As he declares the word of the
Lord to the children of Israel, he says, Behold, the days come,
saith the Lord, when there shall be a famine in the lands, not
a famine of bread, nor a thirst for water, but a famine of the
hearing of the word of God. And in many ways we can say that
that is true today even in our own land is it not? Yes there
is the word of God it has been available of course for many
centuries in the faithful authorised version, an English translation
of that Holy Word of God and yet we live now in a day when
there is much confusion how God's Word in a sense is under assault,
it has ever been so, has it not? There was a time when it was
attacked by those who we might say were the pyrocritics, they
wanted to pick at the Word of God. They were quick to say that
it was only full of myths and of fables. They said the Old
Testament needed to be demythologized. They would not accept the historic
account of creation and the like. These higher critics, they put
scorn upon the things that are recorded here in God's Word. It was under assault. And today
God's Word is still under assault but the activity of Satan of
course is so subtle. Now we have a multiplicity of
versions and people must wonder what actually is the Word of
God. We even have versions of Holy
Scripture that are what is called gender neutral. And so any masculine
statements that speak of God or they must be removed because
that would be offensive. the feminism of the day, you
see, requires that the Bible must even read as something that
is neutral with regards to genders. And so God's Word is constantly
being undermined and denied. And in that sense, whilst there
is the Word of God, yet God's Word is not spread abroad, it
is not declared, there's no interest really. there's no interest. It is surely a great blessing
and a great favor if we're those who are able to meet in a chapel
where God's Word is recognized, where God's Word is paramount,
where God's Word is opened and read and preached. And of course,
as I'm sure you're aware, it is no accident that in non-conformist
chapels historically, the dominant feature would be the pulpit and
the reading desk, the centrality of the Word of God. And yet,
even in those non-conformist chapels now, instead of the faithful
ministry of the Word of God. Our God's Word is constantly
being squeezed out because people want more congregational involvement,
they want more music, they want something that will tickle the
fancy of the people, make the service more attractive to the
outsider. Oh, what a sad and solemn day
it is. Surely we can say that these
words written all those many centuries ago, declaring to us
that the word of the Lord was precious, that the word of the
Lord was rare, in those days there was no open vision. Are they not acts? to the day
in which we live there, a truth alas that belongs to our own
nation. And we surely should recognize
what a blessing we have that we come together and our desire
is really to hear the word of the Lord. What we have here then
with The situation in Israel in the days when Samuel was young
is a day of judgment. God's judgment was upon that
people. We're told, are we not, here
in verse 13, As the Lord comes and the word
is revealed to Samuel, the message that he is to take to the high
priest, to Eli, verse 13, God says, I have told him that I
will judge his house forever for the iniquity which he knoweth
because his sons made themselves vile and he restrained them not. It's God's judgment. It's God's
judgment that was then upon that people, the immorality of the
sons of the high priest, the wicked sons of Eli, sons of Belial
is what they were. And what are we told concerning
them? there in chapter 2 and verse 22. Eli was very old, and
heard all that his sons did unto all Israel, and there they lay
with the women that assembled at the door of the tabernacle
of the congregation. Oh, what wickedness! What immorality! They were guilty of many things.
They robbed God even of the sacrifices when the People came to present
their offerings how they wanted that that was the best of those
sacrifices that were being offered unto the Lord. Again there in
that second chapter, in verse 12, the sons of Eli were sons
of Belial. It says they knew not the Lord. What they did, you see, was to
rob God. of the various offerings that
were being brought, they wanted all the best part. And they were
the priestly line, these sons of Eli. And we're told later
again in the words of another of the prophets, In Malachi,
the last book of the Old Testament, we see that man there also in
his day having to rebuke those who were the Lord's priests.
Look at the language that Malachi uses in chapter 3. In verse 8
he says, Will a man rob God? Yet ye have robbed me. But ye
say wherein have we robbed thee? In tithes and offerings. You
are cursed with a curse, for you have robbed me, even this
whole nation." And it was the priests, it was the priests who
were the chief culprits in these things. As he says previously
there in the second chapter in verse 7, the priest's lips should
keep knowledge, and they should seek the Lord at his mouth, for
he is the messenger of the Lord of hosts. But they are departed
out of the way, ye have caused many to stumble at the law, ye
have corrupted the covenant of Levi, saith the Lord of hosts."
That is a word that is surely addressed to the descendants
of the priestly tribe Levi. They were failing in their responsibilities. they were not only to be those
who would be making the sacrifices and those who were serving the
people by pleading with God there in the temple, but look at the
language that he's employed in that 7th verse of chapter 2.
The priests live should keep knowledge and they should seek
the Lord at his mouth. They should be telling the people
also the law of the Lord. He was the priest was God's messenger
to the nation. But how they failed, and how
it was time and again, when the rod comes in, you see, so often
does it not begin at the head. And it has been so in church
history. When churches which was sound
in the faith, denominations that were so sound in the faith have
begun to depart from the truth. So often the rot begins amongst
those who have the charge of ministering the word of God.
There are many examples that we could find in church history.
One that springs so readily to mind is the history of the Free
Church of Scotland in the 19th century, after the Great Disruption
in 1843. It was not long after, just a
few decades later, that so many of those men who were ministers
amongst the free church began to imbibe the poison that was
coming forth from the theological schools on the continent and
so the ministry was undermined the rot began to set in, there
was a departure a sad departure from the word of God and this
is what we see here, it's God's judgment instead of the faithful
ministry of the word of God, God's words was rare. There was no open vision. But even amongst those who we
might say were gracious characters, godly people, there was much
slackness. And this seems to be the case
even with Alcanar, who was of course the father of Samuel. We're told concerning this man
in the opening chapter, verse 3, And we went up out of his
city yearly to worship and to sacrifice unto the Lord of hosts
in Shiloh. And the two sons of Eli, Hophni
and Phinehas, the priests of the Lord, were there. He goes
up yearly. Now, it does appear that this
man simply went up once every year to Shiloh where the tabernacle
had been erected that there he might worship the Lord. What
God had commanded was not just a yearly visit to the place of
worship to the tabernacle, but all the males in Israel were
required to go three times every year. and that is spoken of quite
clearly is it not in the law of Moses in the book of Deuteronomy
chapter 16 and verse 16 three times it says three times in
a year shall all thy males appear before the Lord thy God in the
place which he shall choose, in the Feast of Unleavened Bread,
and in the Feast of Weeks, and in the Feast of Tabernacles,
and they shall not appear before the Lord empty. Every man shall
give as he is able, according to the blessing of the Lord thy
God which he hath given them." God required that they were to
come on those three occasions, the Feast of Passover, the Feast
of Weeks, Pentecost, and the Feast of Tabernacles. All God's
judgment was upon them. Even this man who appears to
have been a gracious character, even there was a certain slackness
in his religious practice. Alas, friends, what a terrible
thing it is when those who profess the name of God are not doing
that thing that God requires of them. How many today you see
are not satisfied They profess to be Christians, they profess
to be true followers of Christ, but they're satisfied just to
attend a place of worship just once on the Lord's Day. Well,
that's enough. Surely nothing more than that is required. And
once they've attended the service in the morning, why, the day
is their own. They're free to do as they please. Has not God
appointed one day in seven to be a Sabbath day? And we believe
that those days spoken of in Genesis chapter 1 are literal
days. The whole of the day is the Lord's
day. That's a day of 24 hours. And it's good, is it not, that
we forsake not the assembling of ourselves together, that we
attend on those means of grace that God has so graciously favored
us with. Oh, it is a terrible judgment,
I say. upon any people where God's Word is rare and there's
no open vision, where there's a despising of the Word of God,
He will soon remove that Word from such a people as that. He sends a famine. They have
no real hunger or thirst for the Word of God. There's a terrible
famine then of that hearing of the Word of the Lord. And yet,
Do we not also, when we consider the chapter from whence our text
is taken this morning, this third chapter, and the context here,
we see that judgment is also mixed with mercy. God is ever
a merciful and a gracious God. Because one is raised up as a
prophet and one is sent even to Eli. to tell him quite plainly
that God's judgment is about to come upon his household. There in verse 27 of chapter
2, there came a man of God it says. We know not who this man
was but there came a man of God unto Eli and said unto him, Thus
saith the Lord, did I plainly appear unto the house of thy
father when they were in Egypt in Pharaoh's house? And did I
choose him out of all the tribes of Israel to be my priest, to
offer upon mine altar, to burn incense, to wear an ephod before
me? And did I give unto the house
of thy father all the offerings made by fire of the children
of Israel? Wherefore, keep ye up my sacrifice,
and up mine offering which I have commanded in my habitation, and
honourest thy sons above me. to make yourselves fat with the
chiefest of all the offerings of Israel my people wherefore
the Lord God of Israel saith I said indeed that thy house
and the house of thy father should walk before me forever but now
the Lord saith be it far from me for them that honour me I
will honour and they that despise me shall be lightly esteemed
behold the days come that I will cut off thine arm and the arm
of thy father's house, and there shall not be an old man in mine
house." It's God's judgment, you see. And yet, I say, though
it is a word of judgment, it is the Word of God. God in mercy
does send a man, a prophet, to declare His Word. But more than
that, what we see here is how God calls this particular youngster,
even Samuel, to be his servant. And what do we see? We see something
of mercy, surely in the time when this call comes. We're told at verse 3, "...Ere
the lamp of God went out in the temple of the Lord, where the
ark of God was, and Samuel was laid down to sleep, that the
Lord called Samuel. There the lamp of God went out
in the temple of the Lord. Remember there were those lights
that were to be constantly dressed in the tabernacle, spoken of
back in the book of Exodus and there in the 27th chapter of
Exodus. Exodus chapter 27 and verses
20 and 21, "...they shall command the children of Israel that they
bring the pure oil of it beaten for the light to cause the lamp
to burn always in the tabernacle of the congregation without the
veil which is before the testament. Aaron and his son shall order
it from evening to morning before the Lord, it shall be a statute
forever unto the Lord, unto their generations, on the behalf of
the children of Israel." From evening to morning. It was in
the night how important that light was. And there that lamp
went out. The call comes, you see, at night. The call comes when the youngster
Samuel is asleep. The call comes then in the darkness. And is there not some significance
in that, that God should issue his call to this youngster at
such a time? It was a dark time in the nation,
and in the midst of the darkness, God appears. And God will raise
one to be his true servant. And not only the time, not only
the time when the call comes, but also the place where this
call comes. What are we told in the text?
The Lord appeared again in Shiloh. The Lord appears again in Shiloh. What is the significance of Shiloh?
Well, this is the place where they had set up the tabernacle
when Joshua came into the possession of the promised land. That tabernacle
that had been removed of course from place to place as they were
wandering through the wilderness, but when they come into the possession
of the land of promise they erect it and it is there in a sense
permanently in Shina. In Joshua 18.1 the whole congregation
of the children of Israel assembled together at Shina and set up
the tabernacle of the congregation there. and the land was subdued
before them. And it was there for many, many
years. It was there, of course, until
David took the fortress of Jerusalem from the Jebusites, and then
it was removed, of course, in David's day to Mount Zion, there
in Jerusalem. But Shiloh, Shiloh was that place. Now, it's interesting here, in
our authorised version, it does say, back in verse 3, "... ere the lamp of God went out
in the temple of the Lord." That should be the tabernacle of the
Lord. Temple, tabernacle, in a sense
it's one and the same thing, but it is the place where God
was. It's the house of the Lord, that's
how it's described in verse 15, Samuel lay until the morning
and opened the doors of the house of the Lord, or opens up the
tabernacle. It's the place where God dwells,
that special place, that place that he had spoken of to Moses.
Remember the words back in Exodus chapter 25 and verses 21 and
22 concerning the ark of the covenant and the mercy seat where
God would sit enthroned, where God would come and dwell in the
midst of his people. And this is where this Word of
God came. It came to where Samuel was,
who was there, attending to Eli in the house of the Lord. And
so the Lord appeared again, we're told, in Shiloh. All that favoured
spot. But it was also, alas, at this
time such an awful place, because it was associated with the most
gross of sins. Those wicked sons of Eli, who
lay with the women, we're told, that assembled at the door of
the tabernacle. God's Word. He comes even to
the place where sins are being committed, where those wicked
men were abusing their position and not only lying with those
temple prostitutes, as it were, but they were also, as we've
said, seeking to take always the best of those offerings that
the children of Israel were bringing. And so we're told, verse 17,
in chapter 2, that the sin of the young men was very great
before the Lord, for men abhorred the offering of the Lord. Because
the way in which these young men were abusing things and taking
all that was best for themselves, men abhorred even the offerings,
and yet this is the very place where God's Word comes. all that word of the Lord, how
rare it was, how precious in that sense, being such a rare
thing. But now the Lord begins to appear,
we see something, some manifestation of the grace of God, the mercy
of God, in coming at such a time and coming to such a place as
this. But let us, in the second place,
turn to this revelation that comes to Samuel the words of
the text the Lord appeared again in Shiloh for the Lord revealed
himself the Lord revealed himself to
Samuel in Shiloh by the word of the Lord And what we have,
as we've already intimated, what we are told in this chapter,
concerns the way in which this youngster was called. God called him, and the call
was very direct and very specific. The call was repeated, some three
times was it not, as we see. Verse 4, the Lord called Samuel,
and the answer, dear am I, Verse 6, the Lord called yet again,
Samuel. And then in verse 8, the Lord
called Samuel again the third time. Three times He's called
comes. And then He comes even the fourth
time. And the fourth time God calls twice. Verse 10, the Lord
came and stood and called us at other times, Samuel, Samuel. Then Samuel answered, Speak,
for thy servant ears. Previously it was just his name
spoken the once, but now the call is as it were repeated. Oh, the grace of God, you see. Now God comes again and again. And again, how God calls his
own sheep. We're told, are we not, by the
Lord Jesus, who is that Good Shepherd of the sheep, how the
Good Shepherd calleth his own sheep by name. There is that
effectual call of God that comes, is there not, to sinners. When
God calls a sinner to himself, how God deals with his people
in that very personal and that particular way. Maybe that's
been something of your experience, those occasions when you're in
the service and there are many others there in the house of
God with you, and yet you feel on that particular occasion that
all that is said in the course of the Ministry of the Word of
God is so suitable to you, it's as if you're the only person
present, because God is there and God is dealing with you and
God is speaking to you. Is that what we desire? It's
not something, of course, that we should be satisfied with when
God is pleased first of all to come and call us by his price.
but do we not desire that the Lord should come and call us
again and again and oh to have that blessed response that we
see in young Samuel speak Lord for thy servant heareth oh to
be those who have ears to hear all that the Lord is saying unto
his people you see there is there's something about God's presence
here with Samuel that has a certain permanence about it We are told
there in verse 10, the Lord came and stood. There is a certain
permanency there. The Lord revealed himself to
Samuel. And how did the Lord reveal himself
to Samuel? He revealed himself by the word
of the Lord. All that word, surely, we recognize
that word is Christ. This is the way in which God
ever reveals himself, Old Testament, New Testament. Who is Christ? Well, He is the Eternal Son of
God. He is very God of very God. He is the image of the invisible
God. And He is that One whose name
is the Word. In the beginning was the Word.
And the Word was with God. And the Word was God. We are familiar with those opening
words in the Gospel according to John. But what does John go
on to say? And the Word was made flesh and
dwelt among us and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the
only begotten of the Father. full of grace and truth. Oh,
He is the only begotten Son. Yes, those who are in Christ,
they are the adopted sons. But He is that One who is God's
eternal Son, the only begotten of the Father. No man has seen
God at any time. The only begotten Son which is
in the bosom of the Father, He hath declared Him. And this is
that one you see who is here in the text. The Lord appeared
again in Shiloh for the Lord revealed himself to Samuel in
Shiloh by the word of the Lord. By the word of the Lord. And
we see Christ not only in what we are told here at the end of
the verse but also when we think of the significance of Shiloh.
as we said that is the place where they erected the tabernacle
and then the tabernacle is removed eventually to Jerusalem and set
up on the Mount Zion and then in the days of Solomon of course
it is replaced by the temple of the Lord but you know that
that tabernacle and that temple it's all the type of the Lord
Jesus As he himself says there in John chapter 2, to the Jews,
destroy this temple. In three days I will build it
again. Oh, they understood not that
he was speaking of the temple of his brother. It's all a wonderful type of
the Lord Jesus. It's Christ that we see here.
His words, His revelation that comes to this youngster. how
the Lord revealed himself to Samuel. He is revealed in the
person and in the work of the Lord Jesus even here in the Old
Testament before ever Christ had come. All of these things
of course are are foretold. All of these things are set forth,
are they not, in types and in figures, even in the Old Testament
Scriptures. And so we see how Samuel is called
and then Samuel is spoken of as one who grows. Verse 19, Samuel grew. and the
Lord was with him and he let none of his words fall to the
ground. And all Israel from Dan even to Beersheba knew that Samuel
was established to be a prophet of the Lord. He grew. Now, doubtless
he grew physically. He was taken of course as a young
child when his mother weaned him. she dedicated him to the
service of the Lord as she had promised in her barrenness if
the Lord would give her a man child she would dedicate him
to the Lord's service all his day she had taken him when she
weaned him and left him there with Elon but now he grows physically
but not only does he grow physically surely he was also growing spiritually
there is a growth in grace as we read there in 2 Peter 3 grow
in grace and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus
Christ. That's how we grow in grace,
when we have a greater knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ. And
the greater our knowledge is of Him, surely the greater is
our knowledge of our need of Him. We see more and more the
need of a great Saviour. The more we grow in grace, the
more we see the awfulness of our condition as sinners. But
the more we also see of the greatness of that salvation that is in
the Lord Jesus Christ himself. Interesting that we see here how Samuel was
established. In verse 9 Samuel was established. to be a prophet of the Lord as
he grew. The Lord established him amongst
the people. No more is that word of the Lord
a rare thing. Now there is one who is raised
up to be the Lord's true servant. We have those words again of
Peter in 1 Peter chapter 5 and verse 10, the God of all grace
who hath called us unto his eternal glory by Christ Jesus after that
you have suffered a while make you perfect, establish, strengthen,
settle you. Or isn't this so applicable to
Samuel? He was established, strengthened
and settled. And how was that so? Well, God
established him by coming to Him. God established him by being
with Him. The Lord came and stood. Oh,
there's some inconstancy. And the Lord reveals Himself
to this man. As we've said at the end of that the 21st verse,
the words of our text, the word he revealed himself to Samuel
by the word of the Lord, that is the Lord Jesus Christ that
word that he spoken of at the beginning of the chapter the word of the Lord was precious
in those days. There was no open vision. But as I was reading that, I
thought, well, how true it is. Do we not have that language
in Peter again, where he speaks of the preciousness. To you that
believe, he is precious. Oh, is Christ precious to us?
Is he precious to us today as that one who is that great teacher
come from God? Remember what Nicodemus says,
we know that thou art a teacher come from God. No man can do
these miracles that thou doest except God be with him. Is it
the Lord Jesus Christ that we want to be our great teacher? He is that one, you see, who
speaks in the Old Testament and speaks to all these prophets.
When we come to the very last book of Scripture we're told
as much. Revelation 19 and verse 10, the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy. Here is Samuel, he is raised
up to be the mouthpiece of the Lord, to speak the words of the
Lord Jesus. Again Peter speaks of searching
what or what manner of time the Spirit of Christ which was in
them did testify, speaking of the ministry of the Old Testament
prophets there in 1st Peter chapter 1 and verse 11. it's the spirit of Christ who
is in them it's all the word of Christ that's
why I so dislike those red letter Bibles that are so popular it's
in the United States and of course now when you go into Bible shops
or book shops to buy a Bible you'll often discover lots of
American printed Bibles and they're often red letter editions. They put the words of Christ
in the Gospels in red. I don't like that because it
seems to suggest that those words are more significant and more
important than other words. But Christ is here in the Old
Testament. Christ is everywhere. Because all of it is the word
of the Lord Jesus Christ. Isn't Christ that one who is
the great prophet? That one that was promised? You
remember the language? We have it twice there in Deuteronomy
18. Moses speaks in verse 15, and
he says to the children of Israel, The Lord thy God will raise up
unto thee a prophet from the midst of thee of thy brethren
like unto me. Unto him ye shall hearken. And
then it's repeated, but this time we see Moses speaking as
it were the mouthpiece of God. I will raise him up a prophet
from among their brethren. like unto thee, and will put
my words in his mouth, and he shall speak unto them all that
I shall command him." Who is the one that he's being spoken
of? It's the Lord Jesus Christ, who is the greatest of all the
prophets. And here is Samuel, you see,
raised up, raised up to be the Lord's servant, the Lord's prophet,
the Lord's mouthpiece. and he speaks the Word of God.
He's established. There at the end of verse 19
we're told that the Lord was with him and did let none of
his words fall to the ground. None of his words fell to the
ground. All that he spoke came to pass. And that's the mark,
is it not, again of the true Prophet. the end of that 18th
chapter in Deuteronomy if thou say in thine heart how shall
we know the word which the Lord hath not spoken when a prophet
speaketh in the name of the Lord if the thing follow not nor come
to pass that is a thing which the Lord hath not spoken but
the prophet hath spoken it presumptuously thou shalt not be afraid of him
but none of Samuel's words fell to the ground because he was
the true prophet, the true servant of the Lord, as was the case
in Joshua, in Joshua chapter 21. Verse 45, we have this statement,
They failed not ought of any good thing which the Lord had
spoken unto the house of Israel all came to pass. Oh, that's
the Word of God. And that's why we must give God's
Word that preeminent place. Look how privileged we are today. As Peter says, we have also a
more sure word of prophecy. Where unto you do well that you
take heed. Oh God grant that we would be
those taking heed of God's words as we come together. We desire
to give God's Word that preeminent place, that it ought to have,
it's the Word of God. We desire to be under the Word,
not only to be those who are hearers of the Word, but as James
says, we want to be those who are doers of the Work also. Here
is the proof, is it not, that we are true hearers, when we
practice what we hear, when God's Word is brought home to us and
applied to us. Oh, we can learn so much, can
we not, from Samuel? As the Lord comes and speaks,
His gracious response when He says, Speak, Lord, for thy servant
heareth. How does faith come? It comes
by our hearing, and hearing, we are told, comes by the Word
of God. Oh, the Lord then be pleased
to draw near and to appear to us and to reveal Himself to us.
The Lord appeared again in Shiloh, for the Lord revealed Himself
to Samuel in Shira by the words of the Lord. May the Lord bless
His word to us in all things today. For His name's sake. Amen.