Well, join me, if you would, in your Bibles, in the book of 1 Samuel, chapter 2, 1 Samuel, chapter 2. And we want to pick out a few of the verses that we looked at last week in this chapter because they are opposite of some of the verses that we want to look at this week. We found here in the book of 1 Samuel that God is so gracious to share with some, at least, the gospel.

And there are those, as we always find, that don't know the first thing about the gospel. They don't know anything about grace. And many times they're put into a place of of authority, just as we find here Eli's sons, they, in verse 12 of the second chapter, it says, now the sons of Eli were the sons of Belial. And that sons of Belial means they were worthless, and they're particularly worthless in what they were doing.

They were not representatives of the gospel. They were not representatives of Christ. They were not representatives of God. They had been inherited this position and that's what the real problem when we find that pastorates are just passed from generation to generation. I don't know of a country that ever had a real positive experience about passing their kingship from one to another because it just led to some real issues. Well, here we have in verse 12 of this, now the sons of Eli were the sons of Belial. They knew not the Lord.

What a statement that the writer of this, now we know that the The real author of this book is the Holy Spirit, but whoever wrote this, and many people feel like it was Samuel for a time, and he's going to die, and whoever took over after that, it really doesn't matter. I'm not going to get into a discussion about that. I won't argue about it. All I know is that the Holy Spirit spake through these holy men, and they wrote it down.

In verse 15 of that same chapter, also before they burnt the fat, the priest servants came and said to the men that sacrificed, give us, give flesh to roast for the priest, for he will not have sodden flesh, but raw. And if they didn't give it, they took it as we follow this through.

And that was so different from what we found in the book of Leviticus when God ordained this, they were given a hook with three barbs on it, go down in the meat, what gets hooked on it is yours, the rest of it goes on to others. So here we have them going through the pot several times so they could get the meat that they wanted. And then in verse 22 of this, it says, now Eli, was very old and heard all that his sons did unto all Israel and how they lay with the women that assemble at the door of the tabernacle of the congregation. So we find out not only were these people, they were against God, but they were against their fellow man. And they had great heaps and gobs of sin piled up on them. They were natural men.

They were born of their father, Adam, and here you just can't put enough clothes, religious clothes on somebody to get them to act like a Christian. You cannot get enough teaching into them to get them to act like a Christian. They're just not there. God has to do that work, and he does it with the new birth.

And so when these guys come out in their inherited disposition, Eli's sons, they have a problem, and they know not God, And then in verse 25, it tells us here, if one man sin against another, the judge shall judge him. But if a man sin against the Lord, who shall entreat for him? Notwithstanding, they hearken not unto the voice of their father. Now these are the sons of Eli, and he's having a conversation with them. And he's just begging them, please straighten up because you're not flying right. You're not doing the right thing.

And then he said, it's written here, that that's not going to change because the Lord would slay them. That's what he had prepared for them. Now, we find in the scriptures that God is very careful to let us know so much about him. Now, there's many hidden things about God we don't know, but there are some things that we are given the information about God, and it tells us in the Proverbs that God hath made all things, yea, yes, even the wicked for the day of judgment. He's made all things. So he's in charge of all things. He's created all things. He's doing all things. And he has all things under his control and guidance.

So he said, this is what's going to happen to your sons. They're going to die. I'm going to take their life and they are going to lose their life. They're not going to change. And you know, unless the Lord changes, we will not change. Unless the Lord saves us, we will not be saved.

And so here we have an example of that. Now in the midst of that, In the account of all this, we find out that God is going to bless Israel with a servant. with a priest and his name is Samuel. Notice with me in verse 11 of this chapter, verse 11 of this second chapter of 1 Samuel. Now Elkina went to Rama to his house and the child, now this is Samuel, remember the account that Samuel's mama couldn't have any children and she wanted a child and she came up here through pray to have a child, and the preacher that was there, Eli, thought she was drunk, and he accused her of that.

And she says, no, but I've just poured out my heart to the Lord, and she's interested in having a son. Well, she says that if I have a son, I'll give him to the Lord. Well, that's in God's great purpose of things. He is going to have this son be one of the most outstanding prophets and priests in the Old Testament.

So we have the, there's going to be a son that's going to be born unto him and shall minister to the Lord before Eli the priest. And then in verse 18, we read this about the son, Samuel ministered before the Lord, being a child girded with a linen ephod.

Now it's interesting when we look up that word child, many commentaries say, well, he was brought there when he was an infant and he grew up a little bit. Well, we looked at that when, Hannah brought him in and the word doesn't mean that he was an infant. It means he had matured and he was at a point of quit nursing.

Well, let's look up a couple of places in the Old Testament where the same particular word is used and it gives us a lot more insight of his age. In the book of Genesis, first book in the Bible. In the book of Genesis, we read this about this word, Genesis chapter 22. Genesis chapter 22 and in verse five, Genesis 22 and verse five, we read this. Now twice in this verse of scripture is that word we find over in the book of 1 Samuel chapter two used. that he's a child.

Well, here, this word has been translated a little bit differently, and we notice that it allows for us to look at Samuel as a lot more mature than most commentators would say and most preachers would bring out. He is not just an infant. He is someone, as we read here, Abraham said unto his young men, Now that young men is the same word. They had the ability of taking care of the mules for Abraham or the donkeys or the horses. And then it goes, abide here with the ass and I am the lad. Now that's talking about Abraham's son. He's the lad and that's exactly the same word.

So I'm going to put it in that that Samuel is about the age of Abraham's son, Isaac, when he takes him up on the mountain to offer him as a sacrifice. Now we know that he didn't offer him, God prevented that, but he tested Abraham. Abraham was willing because God had given him to him, but he also understood that if he had to have sacrificed him, he would also brought him back alive. He just believed that, that was what God had given him.

But he's a lad, he's going up there, he's old enough to carry wood, he's old enough to carry fire, he's old enough to go up there and be that sacrifice. So let's look at Samuel in that same light as we see what he's going to do. He's more than an infant. He's more than a very young child. He's probably in his early or late teens. that he is here serving Eli and serving God in the tabernacle there. One other place I wanna look, the same word is used, is found in the book of Genesis chapter 44. In Genesis chapter 44, verse 22. Now, when Joseph was sold into bondage by his brothers, 11 of them.

He's recounting this. Now he requests that if he sells any more grain to his family, there's a brother that has to come, the youngest brother, his very own brother. And it tells us here in the book of Genesis chapter 44 and verse 22, and he said unto My Lord, the lad cannot leave his father. That's the same word, the lad. Now he's gonna go down there, he has to go down there. So he's old enough to travel, he's old enough to get along. The lad cannot leave his father, for if he should leave his father, his father would die.

The lie had been shared with the father that that son, Joseph, had been killed by a beast, and here's his coats, all bloody, and everything else, but they had sold him into slavery. And that same chapter in verse 30, it tells us this. Now, therefore, when I came to thy servant, my father, the lad, be not with us, seeing that his life is bound up in the lad's life.

So twice in that verse of scripture, we have the same word that's used over there with regard to the child that is Samuel. So he is older than we often think he is by looking at these other places. All right, let's go back over there to the book of 1 Samuel. in 1 Samuel chapter two, 1 Samuel chapter two, and we wanna look there at a verse and then look at some of the thoughts that go along with that. In 1 Samuel chapter two, verse 26, 1 Samuel chapter two, verse 26, the Bible says this, now, We cannot stress the value of the Bible enough.

It really bugs me when someone tells me, well, that's in the Bible. It really is an honor to God's word when they say in John 10, 15, it's in the Bible. And I need to be careful about that. We all need to be careful about that. that it's just not some thought that we've come up with, but it's the Bible that we're looking at.

So, and Samuel grew on, verse 26, and was in favor both with the Lord. Now you notice that capital L, capital O, capital R, capital D, we bring this up a lot in the Old Testament, that's the name Jehovah. That's the name Jehovah that we find in the Old Testament. And we find almost all of the other terms that are used about God are either used about the God, or they can also be used about false gods, about idols. But this name is never, ever applied to anything else. It's always applied to God, the sovereign God, the heavenly God, Jehovah.

Now, as we look at this, we find that there's an appointed servant that's been brought out and his name is Samuel and he's serving Eli. And it's wonderful that in a time when there is such nonsense going on with the priests, the sons of Eli, Eli's sons, the nonsense that's going on with them, that we find in these days that there is God honoring his word by calling out someone else, Samuel, the priest. that were the sons of Belial, yet there are those who have a knowledge of God, who stand for God, and that's what God is bringing out for us. Here we have, over here on this side, all the terrible things that Eli's sons are doing. And over here we have the contrast, and that's someone who knows the Lord, someone who has been brought up under the Lord, and his name is Samuel.

Now, the Lord has promised that he will always forever have a testimony in this world about the gospel, that there will never be a time when there will not be somebody that knows something about the gospel. It will never die completely out. Now, it may not be in this country or that country, but somewhere in the world, there will be the gospel. The good news, it has never died. It's not gonna die. It will always be here. It will be here when the Lord Jesus Christ comes again. And he has promised this in the scriptures.

Turn with me, if you would, over to the book of Matthew chapter 16. Matthew chapter 16, verses 15 through 18. In Matthew chapter 16, we read that the Lord shared with one of his disciples the very importance of the gospel and the very importance of the institution that preaches the gospel, and that is the church. It is living saints talking about a living God to people that are dead in trespasses and sin. Okay, here in the book of Matthew chapter 16, Matthew chapter 16 verse 15, we read this.

He saith unto them, but whom say ye that I am? Now it's very interesting in this passage of scripture that we come up with the verse that we want to look at, because he's asking his disciples, who do the world say I am? And you know, they said, right, there was people who says, well, you're one of the old Old Testament prophets come back to life or you're Elijah come back or like that. And finally the Lord says, well, who do you say that I am? Now that's the most important question that we could ever have asked to us.

Who do we say that Christ is? Now, some people would simply say he's a good man and others would say, he's my savior. and he's altogether lovely. All right, notice here, Peter answered and said, thou art the Christ, the son of the living God. Now we think that, well, that's just a nice pat answer, but Jesus shares with us and he is simply saying to Peter, don't you think too much of this because you didn't get any of that on your own. Isn't it wonderful that the Lord would reveal the truth unto his people? Here he's revealed the truth to Peter.

Peter didn't come to this conclusion on his own. Some preacher didn't teach it to him. Now, a preacher may have taught it to him, but that preacher didn't cause him to understand it. A Sunday school teacher may have taught him this, but the Sunday school teacher could not make him understand this. Jesus goes on to say, this is how you know that great truth. Because most of the people in the world don't know that truth. And the reason they don't know it is found here in verse 17.

Jesus answered and said unto him, blessed art thou Simon Barjona. Now that's Simon's first name and Simon's last name, Simon Barjona. For flesh and blood hath not revealed this unto thee. Now notice the word revealed. is so important, the revelation of Jesus Christ. That's the first words in the book of Revelation, the revelation of Jesus Christ. So flesh and blood hath not revealed this unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven.

And then in verse 18, and I say also unto thee, thou art Peter. Now Peter means a little rock, a stone, that's what the word means. And this word rock that he uses next means like a Gibraltar rock. A huge rock. And he's not talking about Peter. When we took that trip over there to Europe recently, how many times we heard that Peter was the one who started the church. Peter wasn't the one who started the church. The Lord started the church. Peter was part of it to begin with here. But you know what? So was Abel in the church. So was Moses in the church. So was David in the church. So was Saul, Samuel. So the Old Testament saints were in the same church that we're in, the spiritual body.

And he says here, blessed art thou Simon Barjona, for flesh and blood, verse 17, hath not revealed this unto you, but my father, which is in heaven. And I say also unto thee, thou art Peter. Don't get too big because your name means small, small rock. And upon this rock, now I can just see him upon this rock. Christ is saying upon this rock, not that rock, but this rock. Upon this rock, I will build my church. Now notice what he had to say about it. the gates of hell would not prevail against it. Now the gates of hell may come up against it, but it's not gonna prevail against it. Somewhere in every generation, there's someplace that the gospel is being preached. Now over there, if we looked when we were going through the book of Judges, that Israel was a sad place when it came to the gospel.

Most people were worshiping Baal. Most Jews were worshiping Baal. Most descendants of Abraham were worshiping Baal. There was just a few, a remnant, that were worshiping the Lord. Most of them had fallen after idolatry. And you know, if the Lord doesn't give us a new heart, we will fall after idolatry and whatever we want to name it. And we will, we're not saying it out loud, but we're simply saying, inwardly that Christ is not sufficient. Therefore, I have to get involved with this God. Well, there were many that had fallen into that pit.

They were worshiping idolatry. There was even some priests dressed up in priest's garments and saying the things they were supposed to do, and yet did not know the Lord, those sons of Eli. So in all that mess, right here in front of our nose is someone that God has loved with an everlasting love, and this guy is going to serve the Lord. I just think it's such a blessing that there's someone would know the gospel because God revealed the gospel to him. Here is Samuel in the mess. That's a mess. That's a terrible mess. It's a terrible religious mess. There's just not very few places you could go to ever hear anything.

Well, as we go back over there, before we get there, stop with me in the book of 1 Kings chapter 19. 1 Kings, we read this Sunday, but it fits right in today too. As we look at 1 Kings chapter 19, there was one of God's prophets that was a little down in the mouth because the queen was after him and wanted to kill him. And he's feeling a little bit sorry. And in 1 Kings, 1 Kings chapter 19, 1 Kings chapter 19, and there in verse 18, we find out that the Lord, just like He is doing here in the book of 1 Samuel, here in 1 Kings, He said, you know, you may think you're the only one left, but you're not.

I have reserved. Notice with me here in verse 18, yet I have left me 7,000 in Israel, all the knees which have not bowed unto Baal. 7,000. Now I don't know about you, but to me that's a pretty good large group of people. 7,000 that have not bowed the knee to Baal.

Now we don't hear a lot about them when we went through the book of Judges. We don't hear a lot about them when we go through the book of First Samuel. We don't hear a lot about them even when we're in the book of First Kings. But here we have God's testimony that he has his people where he has his people.

So it's wonderful to find out that there, even in the place that is, it's a terrible place to live for a while, and God is going to raise up someone who knows something, and that's Samuel. Going back to 1 Samuel again, 1 Samuel chapter two and verse 18, 1 Samuel chapter two and verse 18, let's look at this again. As we follow through here, there's, There's been a time of great religious decline. God had one prepared to serve God. In the book of 1 Samuel 2, verse 18, it tells us, but Samuel ministered before the Lord, being a child, being a young man, girded with a linen ephod. There will be many years of service Samuel's gonna live to be pretty old, and he is gonna be serving the Lord for Israel, for the people of God, for God, there all that time. He's gonna run into a lot of opposition, but he's gonna be faithful to declare the gospel wherever he goes.

It tells us that never has there been a time when there wasn't a testimony, as we read here. Now, in the midst of this, Drop down to verse 27 of this chapter, if you would. Verse 27, 1 Samuel 2, verse 27. Now, I don't know about you, but I had to check to see if the ink was dry on this, because I've never noticed this verse before.

And this verse says, and there came a man of God unto Eli. We've got all of these people worshiping idols. We've got these priests that don't know what they're doing. They know not to God. We have a young fellow over here that's serving, and then a man of God comes, and notice here, and said unto him, there came a man of God unto Eli, and said unto him, now he's not bringing a story, He's not bringing hearsay. He is telling us there, thus saith the Lord.

I want to tell you what God has told me. Now, I was listening to Brother Gary Shepard this last Sunday, and he says, and I have to feel the same way when someone says, I want to tell you what God shared with me last night. Now, the next time that happens, I'm going to say, what chapter and verse was that? Because that is really the only real blessing that we can share.

Because if we're gonna share some dream or some experience, we probably ought to just keep our mouth shut. But if we have a verse of scripture, if we have something that blessed us, we were reading Psalm 119, and there was a passage, yes and amen. Well, that's what this guy brings. He doesn't bring hearsay. He brings the word of the Lord.

Now, when this was written, we didn't have the Bible as we know it. We didn't have a paper. We didn't have electronic. We didn't have scrolls. The Old Testament was in the process of being made, but most of it wasn't made yet. When we get to the book of 1 Samuel, I don't know whether Moses had the first five books already taken care of, probably did, stored somewhere so they could be added to, but most of the Old Testament was not done.

So we're going to find, just as we find often the Lord appearing unto Moses or unto Joshua in person to give his word, today his word is found in the word of God that we know as the Bible. We don't have to look anywhere else. We don't have to, I remember a man in a TV program one time taking a test and he wrote A, B, C, D on his fingers and slapped them on the table and the one that hurt the most is the one he filled in. We don't have to do that and say, I wonder what the meaning, whack. We have the word of God. I don't read it as much as I should, but I'll tell you what, when I am in it, the Lord opens up verses of scripture that are blessing.

Now, I've known people, my grandmother was one of them, that read through the Bible once a year. If you sat down and asked her what was in the Bible, she couldn't tell you what was in the Bible. She never paid enough attention to it. It was reading for speed, speed reading. Read your Bible, read it slowly. Don't skip over. Find a place that you don't have to skip over.

All right, so here we have, there came a man of God unto Eli and said unto him, thus saith the Lord. I have the Lord's message. And you know what? We pray every time someone stands in our pulpit, they have that same authority. When we have visiting speaker, they have the same authority. Let me tell you what the Bible says on this subject. We want that. We need that. We don't have any need for hearsay. We don't have a need for stories. We need to know what the Bible has to say.

God continued to show his presence and his grace to these folks. Here's a man of God that walks in. Did you know his name? We don't even know his name. This man came in, God continued to show his presence and his grace, even with all the things that were going on wrong in this place, where worship of idols was rampant and the priests were responsible for the true worship were sons of Belial. There came a man of God from somewhere, and where he went after he left, it doesn't tell us.

Came a man of God unto Eli, and when this man spoke, he said, thus saith the Lord. I want you to know, Eli, that this message is not my message, this message is from the Lord. Now, what he had to say wasn't very, Hmm. It was hard to swallow. This man of God is going to bring up some things that are going to be hard for Eli to swallow, but they're the truth. And you know, to the natural man, the things of God are all hard to swallow, but they are a blessing to the saints, to God's people.

No greater word. No greater authority and no greater message could ever have been brought to Eli. This man brought the word of the Lord. Now this was, there was no general message from God. There was a message to Eli. You know, there's no general message that God ever gives. Now we're called on to give that general message, but God never gives a general message. It is always specific. You know, I was thinking about that today.

How many people the Lord Jesus Christ healed in his personal ministry? And how many other people were around these people that were healed that were also in desperate straits when it come to their health or other issues? And the person that heard their name, the person that heard what God said, what the Lord said, were healed. Now, I heard a preacher tell me one time that if Jesus hadn't used the word Lazarus, that everybody would have come forth out of the tombs.

You know, I think the Lord is better at doing that than we think he is. He didn't have to use his name, but he did. He was very specific in who was gonna be called out of the tomb. That was Lazarus, but he could focus in on that. All right, so the disciples even asked one time, Lord, why do you speak in parables? And his answer is so important. Join me if you went over the book of Matthew 13. The book of Matthew 13. In the book of Matthew 13, the disciples asked Jesus why he spoke in parables.

Now we're bringing this up because that man of God specifically came to Eli and specifically delivered the message of the Lord to Eli, even though it was a very difficult message to share. I don't think that that preacher of the Lord that came and delivered that got great delight out of delivering that message to Eli, because it's a sad message. It is a really sad message. I don't get delight out of sharing that we fell in Adam because it's a sad message.

But here in Matthew chapter 13, verse 10, we read this, the disciples said, unto him, why speakest thou unto them in parables?" Why do you keep talking in parables to these folks? Well, the Lord answered that, and it's a shocking answer. He answered and said unto them, because it is given unto you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven. Now, what's the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven? That's the gospel. Don't go shaking that bush too much, it's just the gospel. The mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, the gospel.

But to them it is not given. For whosoever hath, to him shall be given, and he shall have more abundance. But to whoever hath not, from him shall he take away, even that he hath." So the disciples asked, why do you always speak in parables? And he did. read through the book of Matthew and there's parable after parable. And he said, because it's given unto you to know the mysteries of the kingdom, to know the gospel, but to them it's not.

So that man of God came to Eli personally. We don't have even Samuel involved in hearing this message. Now it's going to affect him. But the message went directly to Eli, and it's a sad message. And I am convinced that this preacher that came and shared that message did it because God required it, not because he relished it. It was a sad message.

The Lord shared, I thank thee, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent, and hast revealed them unto babes. He's thanking his Father for not revealing everything. He revealed to the babes, but not to the wise and prudent.

And we have the revelation that God gives us is through the Holy Spirit. This man delivered God's message, the truth, even though it was a most solemn message. Turn with me back over there to the book of 1 Samuel 2. The man of God came to Eli and delivered a message to him, a message from the Lord. This is the Lord's message to Eli. 1 Samuel 2. beginning with verse 27. And there came a man of God unto Eli. What a miracle of grace!

One more was found out in the hinterlands, 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. He's making reference to God appearing unto the children of Israel in Egypt when they were in bondage.

And in that group of people was a tribe called Levi, and they were the priests. And did I choose him out of all the tribes of Israel to be my priest? Other people tried to get that influence, and God didn't like it. He was not happy with them, and most of them died as a result of it. Did I not choose out of all the tribes of Israel to be my priest, to offer unto 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, kick ye up my sacrifice and mine offering, which I have commanded in my habitation, and honorest thy sons above me."

Those two rascal sons. And he said, the man of God brought the message of God and said unto Eli, you have thought more of your sons than you have of me. and honors thy sons above me to make yourselves fat with the chiefest of all the offerings of Israel, my people." Can you just hear Eli take some deep breaths? The truth came to him and he knew the truth. 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 honor me, I will honor. And they that despise me shall be lightly esteemed. Behold, the days come that I will cut off thine arm. Now he's not going to cut off his real arm. He's using it as a metaphor that he is going to remove these sons from him.

And the arm of thy father's house, that there shall not be an old man in thy house. And thou shalt see an enemy in my habitation, in all the wealth which God shall give Israel. and there shall not be an old man in thy house forever. And the man of thine whom I shall not cut off from mine altar shall be to consume thine eyes, to grieve thine heart, and all the increase of thy house shall die in the flower of their age. And this shall be a sign unto thee, that shall come upon thy two sons on Hophni and Phinehas. In one day they shall die, both of them. And then verse 35, and I will raise me up a faithful priest that shall do according to that which is in my heart and in my mind. And I will build him a sure house and he shall walk before me anointed forever.

Now, there is some things in this verse of scripture that shares with us the part that Samuel is going to have. But the real message here is that God is going to have his only begotten son as his high priest. And we read that in the book of Hebrews, a high priest after the order of Melchizedek. having no father or mother, no beginning of days or end of life. This is the high priest.

But Samuel is going to reflect some of that. He's going to be a type and a shadow of some of that. Verse 36, and it shall come to pass that everyone that is left in thine house shall come and crouch to him for a piece of silver and a morsel of bread, and shall say, put me, I pray thee, into one of the priest's offices that I may eat a piece of bread." So those that are left are going to come and beg for a position so that they can get some pay.

Well, this is the message of the man of God to Eli. And as we said, it's not a very comforting message, but it is the truth. And we're going to see that fulfilled in the very next chapter. Those sons of Eli are going to die. God said they would. Well, he's going to take care of his messenger. He's going to take care of his message. He's going to take care of the message of Christ as it's going to go out here in Israel.

Even though it is in a difficult time, most people are worshiping idols. Most people are worshiping Baal. There is some that still know the truth of the gospel. And one of them came and spoke to Eli, a man of God. came to Eli and said, thus saith the Lord.

Now that's what happens every time God saves somebody, too. A man of God, someone of God, comes and declares the gospel to someone who doesn't know anything about the gospel, and that message is from the Lord, and God is going to be very special with that message, and it will bear fruit. He will bear the fruit of it.

Well, we're going to stop there tonight and we'll pick this up next time. But can you just think as Eli heard this message, how he felt? He took two or three very deep breaths. Well, it won't be long. And this man of God, Eli, I believe he was a believer. He just had a lot of things going on in his life that weren't sound. But the Lord is going to promote him. And Samuel's going to take over. And we'll see another man of God doing what was right in Israel. Well, we'll stop there for tonight. We'll pick this up at the next time.