1 Samuel 3
Charles Spurgeon · Citado em PreceptAustin
1 Samuel 3
Spurgeon - Samuel was but a child, yet he was a faithful servant of God up to the light he had received. The grown-up sons of Eli were rebelling against God, but “the child Samuel ministered unto the Lord.” It is a great aggravation of sin for ungodly men to persist in it when even little children rebuke them by their careful walk and conversation; it made the sin of Eli’s sons all the worse Because “the child Samuel ministered unto the Lord before Eli”...God spoke with very few, and his speech to them was private: “There was no open vision.” What was spoken was very rich and rare, but there was little of it. The Lord, in anger at the sin of Eli’s sons, took away the spirit of prophecy from the land. Related Resource: What does it mean that there will be a famine of hearing the words of the Lord (Amos 8:11)? | GotQuestions.org How do I hear from God? | GotQuestions.org Boy (05288)(na'ar means boy (Ge 19:4),infant (Ex 2:6, 2Sa 12:16), lad, servant (Zebah in 2Sa 16:1), youth, young man, mature young man (Absalom - 2Sa 14:21, 18:5). The basic meaning of naʿar is "youth," over against an older man. At times it may signify a very young child (Isa 7:16). It can be one old enough to serve in battle (Ge 14:24, 1Sa 21:2, 30:13, 17). A helper carrying armor (1Sa 14:1). Young male servant (Ge 18:7, 22:3). In Esther 2:2 it referred to attendant of the king. A young man, a lad, a young boy was not capable of ruling a land (Eccl. 10:16). Na'ar figuratively describes Israel in its formative early years (Hos. 11:1). In 1Sa 3:1 the Septuagint translates with paidarion (diminutive of pais) which refers to a little boy, a young slave, a child, but even a youth who is no longer a child (Ge 37:30) Vine says "Naʿar occurs 235 times in the Hebrew Old Testament. Its use is predominant in the Pentateuch and in the historical books."....We must keep in mind the opposition of youth and old age, so that we can better understand that Jeremiah, while claiming to be only a "youth," was not necessarily a youngster. In truth, he argued that he did not have the experience of the older men, when he said: "Ah, Lord God! behold, I cannot speak: for I am a child" (Jer. 1:6). Absalom was considered a naʿar, even though he was old enough to lead the troops in rebellion against David (1Sa 14:1) The naʿar ("servant") addressed his employer as "master" (Jdg 19:11)...The Septuagint gives the following translation(s): paidarion ("little boy; boy; child; young slave"); neos ("novice"); neaniskos ("youth; young man; servant"); paidion ("infant; child"); pais ("child"); and neanias ("youth; young man"). (Vine's Expository Dictionary of Old Testament and New Testament Words) Gilbrant - A masculine noun, naʿar occurs about 240 times in the OT, with the heaviest concentration in Samuel, Kings and Genesis. No consensus exists as to its etymology. Cognates exist in Egyptian and Ugaritic. In general, the noun can refer to a "young man" or "child," with a range of age all the way from an infant to a youth of marriageable age. It also denotes a "servant." Naʿar speaks of a baby, whether one about to be born (Jdg. 13:5, 7f, 12); recently born (1 Sam. 4:21; Exo. 2:6); not weaned (1 Sam. 1:22); or just weaned (1 Sam. 1:24f, 27). The word is also used of Ishmael (Gen. 21:12), Isaac (Gen. 22:5, 12), Joseph (Gen. 37:2) and Benjamin (Gen. 43:8; 44:22) as young men. In fact, Joseph is called a naʿar at age seventeen (Gen. 37:2) and at thirty (Gen. 41:12, 46). The sixteen-year-old Josiah is also referred to by naʿar (2 Chr. 34:3). At times, naʿar suggests the concept of immaturity or inexperience often associated with youth. Solomon is "young and tender" according to 1 Chr. 22:5 and 29:1 (see also 2 Chr. 13:7; 34:3; Prov. 7:7). Gideon refuses to draw his sword in Jdg. 8:20 "because he was still a youth." David's inexperience as a youth is likewise noted as he contemplated fighting Goliath (1 Sam. 17:33, 42). Conversely, naʿar may also suggest the notion of a vigorous, mature strength possessed by a young man. David's young men (1Sa 25:9, 12, 14) and Absalom, his son (2 Sam. 18:5, 12), were battle-tested warriors; yet this noun denotes them and others like them. Isaiah's point in Isa. 40:30 is that even youths, that is, those in their prime, grow weary and tired. Shechem, as he made preparations for marriage, was a youth (Ge. 34:19). The inclusive nature of this noun referring to a wide spectrum of young men is evident in the narrative describing Samuel as he grew from an infant to a mature attendant of Eli (1 Sam. 1:22, 24f, 27; 2:11, 18, 21, 26; 3:1, 8). Naʿar appears with zāqfin (HED #2292), "old," in the phrase "young to old" (Gen. 19:4; Josh. 6:21), and in "young and old" (Exo. 10:9; Isa. 20:4; Lam. 2:21), indicating that these two terms are exclusive of each other. Whoever naʿar denotes cannot be considered old. Naʿar can also denote a servant (Gen. 18:7; 22:3, 5, 19; Num. 22:22; Judg. 7:10f; 1 Sam. 9:3; 2 Ki. 4:12, 25) or, in a more general sense, a follower or attendant (Gen. 14:24; 2 Sam. 2:14). Prominent synonyms of naʿar are yeledh (HED #3315) and bāchûr (HED #1005). Like naʿar, yeledh refers to boys from newborns to teens to mature young men. Its overlapping meaning with naʿar appears in Gen. 21 where both words describe Ishmael: naʿar in vv. 12, 17f (used by God and the angel) and yeledh in vv. 8, 14 and 16. Bāchûr is often used to refer to chosen or choice young men (Lam. 1:18f; 2:21f). This semantic picture of naʿar as a broad, inclusive term proves valuable in understanding several key texts in the OT. For example, the forty-two lads who mocked Elisha only to meet the bears were not small children pulling an innocent prank (2 Ki. 2:23f). The hesitancy of Solomon (1 Ki. 3:7) and Jeremiah (Jer. 1:6) stemming from their youth grew out of their realization of their own inexperience. Important proverbial sayings involving naʿar must also be understood in light of its wide range of meaning (see Prov. 20:11; 22:6, 15; 23:13). Israel's youth prompted the Lord's fatherly instruction and guidance (Hos. 11:1). (Complete Biblical Library) Na'ar - 220v - attendants(1), boy(19), boy's(1), boys(1), child(12), children(4), lad(36), lad's(2), lads(3), servant(34), servant's(1), servants(23), young(12), young man(33), young men(38), young people(1), youth(14), youths(2). Gen. 14:24; Gen. 18:7; Gen. 19:4; Gen. 21:12; Gen. 21:17; Gen. 21:18; Gen. 21:19; Gen. 21:20; Gen. 22:3; Gen. 22:5; Gen. 22:12; Gen. 22:19; Gen. 25:27; Gen. 34:19; Gen. 37:2; Gen. 41:12; Gen. 43:8; Gen. 44:22; Gen. 44:30; Gen. 44:31; Gen. 44:32; Gen. 44:33; Gen. 44:34; Gen. 48:16; Exod. 2:6; Exod. 10:9; Exod. 24:5; Exod. 33:11; Num. 11:27; Num. 22:22; Deut. 28:50; Jos. 6:21; Jos. 6:23; Jdg. 7:10; Jdg. 7:11; Jdg. 8:14; Jdg. 8:20; Jdg. 9:54; Jdg. 13:5; Jdg. 13:7; Jdg. 13:8; Jdg. 13:12; Jdg. 13:24; Jdg. 16:26; Jdg. 17:7; Jdg. 17:11; Jdg. 17:12; Jdg. 18:3; Jdg. 18:15; Jdg. 19:3; Jdg. 19:9; Jdg. 19:11; Jdg. 19:13; Jdg. 19:19; Ruth 2:5; Ruth 2:6; Ruth 2:9; Ruth 2:15; Ruth 2:21; 1 Sam. 1:22; 1 Sam. 1:24; 1 Sam. 1:25; 1 Sam. 1:27; 1 Sam. 2:11; 1 Sam. 2:13; 1 Sam. 2:15; 1 Sam. 2:17; 1 Sam. 2:18; 1 Sam. 2:21; 1 Sam. 2:26; 1 Sam. 3:1; 1 Sam. 3:8; 1 Sam. 4:21; 1 Sam. 9:3; 1 Sam. 9:5; 1 Sam. 9:7; 1 Sam. 9:8; 1 Sam. 9:10; 1 Sam. 9:22; 1 Sam. 9:27; 1 Sam. 10:14; 1 Sam. 14:1; 1 Sam. 14:6; 1 Sam. 16:11; 1 Sam. 16:18; 1 Sam. 17:42; 1 Sam. 17:55; 1 Sam. 17:58; 1 Sam. 20:21; 1 Sam. 20:35; 1 Sam. 20:36; 1 Sam. 20:37; 1 Sam. 20:38; 1 Sam. 20:39; 1 Sam. 20:40; 1 Sam. 20:41; 1 Sam. 21:2; 1 Sam. 21:4; 1 Sam. 21:5; 1 Sam. 25:5; 1 Sam. 25:8; 1 Sam. 25:9; 1 Sam. 25:12; 1 Sam. 25:14; 1 Sam. 25:19; 1 Sam. 25:25; 1 Sam. 25:27; 1 Sam. 26:22; 1 Sam. 30:13; 1 Sam. 30:17; 2 Sam. 1:5; 2 Sam. 1:6; 2 Sam. 1:13; 2 Sam. 1:15; 2 Sam. 2:14; 2 Sam. 2:21; 2 Sam. 4:12; 2 Sam. 9:9; 2 Sam. 12:16; 2 Sam. 13:17; 2 Sam. 13:28; 2 Sam. 13:29; 2 Sam. 13:32; 2 Sam. 13:34; 2 Sam. 14:21; 2 Sam. 16:1; 2 Sam. 16:2; 2 Sam. 17:18; 2 Sam. 18:5; 2 Sam. 18:12; 2 Sam. 18:15; 2 Sam. 18:29; 2 Sam. 18:32; 2 Sam. 19:17; 2 Sam. 20:11; 1 Ki. 3:7; 1 Ki. 11:17; 1 Ki. 11:28; 1 Ki. 14:3; 1 Ki. 14:17; 1 Ki. 18:43; 1 Ki. 19:3; 1 Ki. 20:14; 1 Ki. 20:15; 1 Ki. 20:17; 1 Ki. 20:19; 2 Ki. 2:23; 2 Ki. 4:12; 2 Ki. 4:19; 2 Ki. 4:22; 2 Ki. 4:24; 2 Ki. 4:25; 2 Ki. 4:29; 2 Ki. 4:30; 2 Ki. 4:31; 2 Ki. 4:32; 2 Ki. 4:35; 2 Ki. 4:38; 2 Ki. 5:14; 2 Ki. 5:20; 2 Ki. 5:22; 2 Ki. 5:23; 2 Ki. 6:15; 2 Ki. 6:17; 2 Ki. 8:4; 2 Ki. 9:4; 2 Ki. 19:6; 1 Chr. 12:28; 1 Chr. 22:5; 1 Chr. 29:1; 2 Chr. 13:7; 2 Chr. 34:3; Neh. 4:16; Neh. 4:22; Neh. 4:23; Neh. 5:10; Neh. 5:15; Neh. 5:16; Neh. 6:5; Neh. 13:19; Est. 2:2; Est. 3:13; Est. 6:3; Est. 6:5; Job 1:15; Job 1:16; Job 1:17; Job 1:19; Job 24:5; Job 29:5; Job 29:8; Ps. 37:25; Ps. 119:9; Ps. 148:12; Prov. 1:4; Prov. 7:7; Prov. 20:11; Prov. 22:6; Prov. 22:15; Prov. 23:13; Prov. 29:15; Eccl. 10:16; Isa. 3:4; Isa. 3:5; Isa. 7:16; Isa. 8:4; Isa. 10:19; Isa. 11:6; Isa. 13:18; Isa. 20:4; Isa. 37:6; Isa. 40:30; Isa. 65:20; Jer. 1:6; Jer. 1:7; Jer. 51:22; Lam. 2:21; Lam. 5:13; Hos. 11:1; Zech. 2:4 Ministering (08334) sharath basically means to minister to or wait on another, human or divine. Those who so minister are usually human beings, but may include the heavenly host (Ps 103:21) or even the nonhuman (pS 104:4). (1) personal service rendered to important person, usually ruler - Joseph to imprisoned officials (Gen 39:4; 40:4); Joshua to Moses (Ex 24:13; Josh 1:1); Elisha to Elijah and the youth to Elisha (1Ki 19:21; 2Ki 4:43; 6:15); the Levites to Aaron (Num 3:6; 13:2) and the congregation of Israel (16:9) and (2) ministry of worship of those in special relationship to God, eg priests (2/3's of uses are in this category). In royal contexts, sharath has reference to personal attendants (2 Sa 13:17–18; 1 Kgs 1:4; 10:5; 2Chr 22:8; Xerxes in Esther 1:10; 2:2; 6:3; cf. Ps 101:6). Occasionally, the word is used of political or military officials (1 Chron 27:1; 28:1; 2 Chron 17:19; cf. Prov 29:12). The verb, therefore, has to do with serving a superior by one of lower rank. The service is continuous but limited in duration. It is the service of free people, not slaves. The first two uses describe Joseph as servant, first to Potiphar (Ge 39:4) and then over other prisoners (including the cupbearer and the baker for the king of Egypt - Ge 40:4). Rare (03368)(yaqar from verb yaqar = to be precious, prized or appraised) is an adjective meaning precious, rare, splendid, weighty, valuable. Describes God's Word in 1Sa 3:1, God's lovingkindness in Ps 36:7, God's wisdom in 3:15. Note first use in 1Sa 3:1 and KJV says "the word of the LORD was precious." Describes precious and costly stones (2Sa 12:30; 1Ki. 10:2, 10, 11), the valuable foundation stones (1 Ki. 5:17), expensive building stones or materials (1Ki. 7:9-11). IN Jer 15:19 yaqar describes what is valuable, noble, moral, ethical, or worthy compared to what is worthless. Gilbrant - It is exclusively coupled with stones (gemstones and foundation stones) and with life, instructing us regarding its precious value. The Temple was financed with precious stones (1 Chr. 29:2) and had precious stones laid in it (2 Chr. 3:6). The Queen of Sheba gave King Solomon gifts, including precious stones (2 Chr. 9:1, 9f). By extension, the adjective is used to describe a variety of valuable objects, including speech (Jer. 15:19) and the moon (Job 31:26). In 2 Sam. 12:30, yāqār emphasizes value over weight or volume: "And he took the crown from off their king's head. Its weight was a talent of gold, with a precious stone in it. And [he] set it on David's head." In the same way, the solid foundation stone laid by Yahweh in Zion is called a precious cornerstone (Isa. 28:16). The cornerstone is the most valued and important, for it rests on bedrock. Since most every edifice in Jerusalem is built on steep hills, only one corner, side or portion rests on bedrock. Literally, the cornerstone is the most stable of the entire structure. One recently discovered foundation stone of the Jerusalem Temple complex weighs an estimated 600 tons, and beside it is another one weighing over 400 tons. If these two stones were to shift, the entire complex would collapse. To hew out, square and transport such stones was not cheap. Certain stones in Solomon's Temple were known as "great stones, costly stones" (1 Ki. 5:17). Peter applies this passage and concept to Christ as the most precious in the sight of God (1 Pet. 2:4-8) as does Paul (Eph. 2:20f), who implies that our entire lives are built on the cornerstone of Jesus Christ himself. (Complete Biblical Library) Yaqar - costly(6), glory(1), luminaries(1), noble(1), precious(23), rare(1), splendor(1), weightier(1). 1 Sam. 3:1; 2 Sam. 12:30; 1 Ki. 5:17; 1 Ki. 7:9; 1 Ki. 7:10; 1 Ki. 7:11; 1 Ki. 10:2; 1 Ki. 10:10; 1 Ki. 10:11; 1 Chr. 20:2; 1 Chr. 29:2; 2 Chr. 3:6; 2 Chr. 9:1; 2 Chr. 9:9; 2 Chr. 9:10; 2 Chr. 32:27; Job 28:16; Job 31:26; Ps. 36:7; Ps. 37:20; Ps. 45:9; Ps. 116:15; Prov. 1:13; Prov. 3:15; Prov. 6:26; Prov. 12:27; Prov. 24:4; Eccl. 10:1; Isa. 28:16; Jer. 15:19; Lam. 4:2; Ezek. 27:22; Ezek. 28:13; Dan. 11:38; Zech. 14:6 Vision (02377) (chazown/chazon) describes a divine revelation by means of an oracle, a vision or a word from God (as to His prophets). The meaning is not so much the means (vision, oracle) but the end achieved (the message). This word speaks of God's direct revelation to people via His prophets, His "mouth pieces" as it were. Notice that in this passage "vision" is paralleled with the law, which further supports that the writer intends "vision" to mean a divine word or a word from God and, not someone's personal vision or dream. Chazon - 35x in 34v - vision(31), visions(4) - 1 Sa 3:1; 1 Chr. 17:15; 2 Chr. 32:32; Ps. 89:19; Prov. 29:18; Isa. 1:1; Isa. 29:7; Jer. 14:14; Jer. 23:16; Lam. 2:9; Ezek. 7:13; Ezek. 7:26; Ezek. 12:22; Ezek. 12:23; Ezek. 12:24; Ezek. 12:27; Ezek. 13:16; Dan. 1:17; Dan. 8:1; Dan. 8:2; Dan. 8:13; Dan. 8:15; Dan. 8:17; Dan. 8:26; Dan. 9:21; Dan. 9:24; Dan. 10:14; Dan. 11:14; Hos. 12:10; Obad. 1:1; Mic. 3:6; Nah. 1:1; Hab. 2:2; Hab. 2:3 James Smith - Handfuls of Purpose - THE CALL OF SAMUEL 1 Samuel 3 “Often through my heart is pealing Many another voice than Thine; Many an unwilling echo stealing From the walls of this Thy shrine. Let Thy longed-for accents fall: MASTER, speak, and silence all.” —F. R. HAVERGAL. “The Word of the Lord was precious (rare) in those days; there was no open vision.” Why? The spiritual heavens were shut up, because of the unbelief and unrighteousness of God’s professing people (chap. 2:12–17). In these degenerate days God takes the child Samuel and sets him in the midst, that out of the mouth of this babe He might ordain strength (Psa. 8:2). God hath chosen the weak things to confound the mighty (1 Cor. 1:27). Samuel was “lent unto the Lord” (chap. 1:28). Now the Lord takes the loan of him that He might through him speak to all Israel. We may learn here— I. That the Call of God may Come very Early in Life. Samuel must have been quite a child when the Lord spoke to him, perhaps about six years of age. Is it not wonderful that the Almighty, the “Ancient of Days,” can make His will known to a child? “They that seek Me early shall find Me” (Prov. 8:17). “The High and Lofty One that inhabiteth eternity” dwells with the humble spirit (Isa. 57:15). II. That the Call of God may come, although we may have had no Personal Experience of God. “Now Samuel did not yet know the Lord” (v. 7). He believed in Him, but as yet he had had no personal dealings with Him. The existence of God was known to him, but the Word of the Lord had not yet been revealed unto him. He earnestly worshipped the Lord, according to the traditional faith (chap. 1:28), but as yet he had received no definite message from Him. What a difference it makes in one’s religious life when His Word has been heard, and His will concerning us as individuals has been clearly revealed. This is eternal life, to know Him and Jesus Christ whom He hath sent. Those who honestly seek like Samuel shall surely find. III. That the Call of God Comes at an Opportune Time. “Ere the lamp of God went out” (1Sa 3:3). There is something melancholy in the very idea of the lamp of God going out. Had He not expressly commanded that the light of the holy lamp-stand was to burn continually (Lev. 24:2). Does it not reveal the backslidden condition of the priesthood, that the lamp of God was allowed to go out? It is suggestive of the watchful grace of God that He spoke to Samuel ere the sacred light had died away into midnight darkness. How fares it with the lamp of God in our own hearts? Is our testimony dying down for the lack of fresh oil? IV. That the Call of God may Come in a very Natural Way. “The Lord called Samuel, and he ran unto Eli” (1Sa 3:4, 5). The voice was so humanlike that he thought it was the voice of Eli. Let us take care that those calls or rebukes that come to us in familiar forms may not be the very voice of God to our own souls. The Lord had a purpose in speaking to Samuel as He did. He wished Eli, the priest, to know at the lips of the child that the Lord had spoken. Samuel’s instantaneous obedience to the call reveals what manner of spirit he was of. V. That the Call of God Demands an Answer to God “Speak, for Thy servant heareth” (1Sa 3:10). Eli could give Samuel no answer to the call of God. Those called of Him must respond to Him for themselves. It is so in the matter of salvation. Every one who has gone astray from God must turn back to Him, and with a willing ear hear what God the Lord will speak. It is so in the matter of consecration and service. No man can do this for us. We must yield ourselves unto God (Rom. 6:13). It is with Him we have to do. The mighty God, the Lord hath spoken. Hear Him. VI. That the Call of God may Involve Painful Testimony. “Samuel feared to show Eli the vision” (1Sa 3:15). It was a solemn and humiliating message that he had received for Eli. He and his house were to be set aside as unworthy of the priesthood. But the truth must be told, and let it be said to the credit of the old weak-kneed priest that he was prepared to hear all that God had spoken, and to acquiesce in His will (vv. 17, 18). There be many who say, “Prophesy unto us smooth things,” and who would be sorely offended if the whole counsel of God was told out in their ears. But the Lord will fulfil all His purposes, whether men will bear or forbear. When the learned and honoured Eli prove unfaithful, then the Lord will speak to some consecrated boy and make him a preacher of righteousness. VII. That the Call of God Insures Fellowship and Victory. “The Lord was with him, and did let none of his words fall to the ground” (1Sa 3:19). He never sends us a warfare on our own charges. When the Word of God is brought home to our hearts by the power of the Holy Spirit it is that it might be fulfilled in our own experience. His presence with us, in the preaching of His Word, is the guarantee that He will bring it to pass. “If the thing follow not, nor come to pass, that is the thing which the Lord hath not spoken” (Deut. 18:22). The word was not Samuel’s, but the Lord’s, so it will not return unto Him void. The secret of success in the Lord’s work always lies in the doing of His will. “Whatsoever He saith unto you, do it” (John 2:5). “Take My yoke upon you, and learn of Me, and ye shall find rest unto your souls.” James Smith - A CONSECRATED LIFE 1 SAMUEL 3 In looking over the facts recorded regarding the early years of Samuel’s life, they seem suggestive of the experiences of a soul that has been born of God, and wholly devoted to Him. We see him— I. ASKED OF THE LORD (1Sa 1:20).—Hannah looked upon Samuel as one given from God in answer to many tears and much bitterness of soul (v. 10), after being mocked and misunderstood by him who should have sympathised and helped (v. 14). How much do we owe to Christ, to His tears and prayers, and bitterness of soul, for our life from above. How little we think of our being given to Christ by the Father in answer to His prayers. “Born from above” is true of every child of God. We must believe that we are the “given” of God. One of the “All that the Father hath given Me.” Our citizenship made sure. II. CONSECRATED TO THE LORD (1Sa 1:28).—He is now given back to the Lord, to belong to Him, “as long as he liveth.” That which is truly God’s ought not to be withheld from Him. “I live, yet not I, but Christ in Me.” This life, then, should be given back to God “as long as he liveth.” “Ye are not your own.” Keep not back part of the price. Hannah’s conduct with her first and much loved child might seem hard to the carnally minded, but she could say, “My heart rejoiceth” (chap. 2:1). Those who surrender all to God can always rejoice. Every child of God ought to be wholly God’s. If we are the gifts of the Father to His Son Jesus Christ, for what purpose is it? III. MINISTERING BEFORE THE LORD (1Sa 2:18).—He was but a young minister (being a child). It was but little he could do. It was but little he knew, for the Lord had not yet revealed Himself to him (1Sa 3:7). But although he was both weak and ignorant, that did not hinder him from doing what he could. He believed although he understood little. Jeremiah said, “Ah, Lord God. I cannot speak, for I am a child” (Jer. 1:6). God wants us to be children first, before we are men in service (child-like spirit). But the willing child will become the wise man. It is in our weakness we must come. He gives power to the weak. IV. WAITING ON THE LORD (1Sa 3:10).—The Lord had spoken twice to Samuel, and he ran to Eli. He is not the only one who has run to man at the voice of the Lord. Paul says, “Immediately I conferred not with flesh and blood.” To know His will, we must wait on Him with open ears. Speak, Lord, for Thy servant heareth. It is a good point gained when we are willing to know what the will of the Lord is, but waiting is willingness in practice. How natural for us to run out and in and serve man, but how different to be silent before the Lord. V. TAUGHT BY THE LORD (1Sa 3:11–14).—While waiting Samuel learned what the will of the Lord was. Those who are taught in the deep things of God are those who wait much on God. To be unwilling to wait is to be unwilling to be taught, and just to do our own will. When God teacheth, the ear shall tingle that hears the tidings. The word of the Lord will not be in vain. Paul’s preaching was “in demonstration of the Spirit, and of power.” The divinely commissioned will be divinely taught, the Bible is a dry book to those who wait not VI. WITNESSING FOR THE LORD (1Sa 3:18).—Though he at first feared (1Sa 3:15) to shew the truth to Eli, yet afterwards he told him every whit, and hid nothing. Could he be a faithful servant and keep back part of the truth? Many Gospel hearers might justly complain that the half has not been told them. The preachers either have no vision (v. 15) or else they fear to shew it. How can a man be a witness if he has had no vision. He is like a servant out of work; he may busy himself here and there, but he has no reward from his labour. The faithful will know God’s counsel, and will declare it all (Acts 4:20). VII. WALKING WITH THE LORD (1Sa 3:19).—“The Lord was with him, and did let none of His words fall to the ground.” If we are faithful to God He will prove Himself faithful to us. “He dwells with the humble and the contrite” (Isa. 57:15). We cannot climb to abiding fellowship with God. It is not the result of our efforts, but the flowing forth of great grace into the depths of the broken spirit. As the waters abide in the deep so will God dwell with the humble. VIII. ACKNOWLEDGED AS OF THE LORD (1Sa 3:20).—“And all Israel knew that Samuel was a prophet of the Lord.” How did they know? Just because he declared the truth of God. And God was with him. The one that lives in the presence of God will be acknowledged as belonging to God. “They took knowledge of them that they had been with Jesus” (Acts 4:13), when they saw their power and boldness (see margin, 1Sa 3:20). Faithfulness to God is what all expect from a servant of God. If the world sees not this, the conclusion must be either we are hypocrites, or else there is no God. IX. PRIVILEGED BY THE WORD OF THE LORD (1Sa 3:21).—“The Lord revealed Himself to Samuel by the Word of the Lord. The Word is the instrument through which we must know Him. It is the Christian’s telephone, and our ear must be attentive to His Word if we would know His mind and will. We cannot know Himself apart from this. In shutting out His Word we shut the appointed means of communication between our souls and God. “They have rejected the Word of the Lord, and what wisdom is in them?” -- Jeremiah. 8:8–9 THE FIRST COMPONENT OF FAITH - Charles Stanley 1 SAMUEL 3:1–10 1 SAMUEL 3:10 Now the Lord came and stood and called as at other times, “Samuel! Samuel!” And Samuel answered, “Speak, for Your servant hears.” Our desire to walk by faith, stepping solely within the will of God for our lives, begins with a desire to hear what He is saying. When we have no idea where God is leading us or what He wants to change in our hearts, listening is the first and most crucial component to a greater faith. Samuel was a young boy when he first heard God speak to him. The first sounds of God’s voice were difficult for him to discern. Yet through some gentle guidance from Eli, Samuel’s faith began to blossom. Listening for God’s voice became a pattern for Samuel’s life. Countless times throughout his leadership in Israel he heard and obeyed the voice of the Lord. As we deepen our relationship with the Lord, we can improve our hearing in relation to God’s voice through the following: Meditate upon God’s Word. If we know the Word of God already spoken, discerning His voice clearly will be easier. Establish a time to listen to God. Our prayers become more effective when we are willing to hear God’s heart. Expect God to speak. If we don’t believe that God does and desires to communicate to us today, we won’t be as inclined to listen. However, when we do believe the truth—that He does want to speak to us—we hear Him loud and clear. Lord, open my heart to discern Your voice. Give me the discipline to listen for You and the faith to believe You want to speak to me. Are You Listening? By Drew Wilkerson SCRIPTURE: 1 Samuel 3:1–10 INTRODUCTION: Some people question whether or not God really speaks. In this familiar Old Testament story we are reminded that God speaks to anyone who is willing to listen. The key is knowing how to tune into God’s voice. The boy Samuel shows us how. Believe God wants to speak. We can’t hear God if we don’t have faith. Believe God wants to speak to you. God desires a personal relationship with us. Believe God wants a response. It is overwhelming but true. God wants to use us. CONCLUSION: God’s voice is not dead. It’s our hearing that we need to work on. God is always looking for people, children and adults, who are willing to say, “Speak, Lord, for your servant is listening.” A Word From The Lord The word of the Lord was rare in those days. — 1 Samuel 3:1 Today's Scripture: 1 Samuel 3:1-10 Noted preacher and theologian Helmut Thielicke (1908–1986) endured great opposition from the Nazi regime in Germany during the 1930s and 1940s. Yet he remained committed to proclaiming God’s presence and power in Jesus Christ during a difficult and perplexing time. Scholar Robert Smith said that as
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Spurgeon on Eli - He was a good old man, but he was almost worn out, and he had been unfaithful to God in not keeping his family right. He must have found some comfort in having such a sweet and dear companion and servant as little Samuel was. 1 Samuel 3:3 and the lamp of God had not yet gone out, and Samuel was lying down in the temple of the LORD where the ark of God was, the lamp: Ex 27:20,21 30:7,8 Lev 24:2-4 2Ch 13:11 the temple: 1Sa 1:6 Ps 5:7 27:4 29:9 1 Samuel 3 Resources - multiple sermons and commentaries A Menorah SAMUEL SLEEPING IN THE TEMPLE and the lamp of God had not yet gone out - This refers to physical light in the Temple, not spiritual light, for it is probable the Temple lamps were extinguished before the rising of the sun.
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Spurgeon - There was the Beginning of the work of grace in his heart, he was well-intentioned; but as yet God had not revealed himself to him: “Samuel did not yet know the Lord,” We do not blame Samuel, for he was but a child, and spiritual understanding had not yet fully come to him; but what shall I say of some to whom God has spoken for years till their hair is grey, and yet they have not understood the voice of the Lord even to this hour? I pray God that he may call them yet again The Lord did not disdain to call Samuel four times, for when he means effectually to call, if one call is not sufficient, he will call again and again and again: “The Lord called Samuel again the third time.” Revealed (01540)(galah) means to uncover (sadly the first use = Noah uncovering himself after becoming drunk! - Ge 9:21, cp Lev 18:6 prohibiting "uncover nakedness" ~ sexual relations), to reveal (God revealed Himself to Jacob at Bethel, and thus the name El-Bethel - Ge 35:7. 2Sa 2:27), expose (Ex 20:26), open (God opened the eyes of Balaam to see the Angel of the LORD - Nu 22:31), reveal (Dt 29:29). Galah is used of not yet revealing the Word of the LORD to Samuel (1Sa 3:7) and of revealing Himself to Samuel (1Sa 3:21). Moses uses galah to describe the opening of Balaam's eyes to spiritual realities! = "Then the LORD opened (galah; Lxx = apokalupto) the eyes of Balaam, and he saw the Angel of the LORD standing in the way with his drawn sword in his hand; and he bowed all the way to the ground." (Nu 22:31+) While I would not advocate following most of Balaam's example, his bowing down when the truth was revealed (I think he saw the pre-incarnate Christ - Angel of the LORD) is a good practice for God's children to imitate. We don't worship the word revealed but we do bow down to the God Who is the Word (Jn 1:1-3+)! Galah in 1 Samuel-2 Chronicles - 1 Sam. 2:27; 1 Sam. 3:7; 1 Sam. 3:21; 1 Sam. 4:21; 1 Sam. 4:22; 1 Sam. 9:15; 1 Sam. 14:8; 1 Sam. 14:11; 1 Sam. 20:2; 1 Sam. 20:12; 1 Sam. 20:13; 1 Sam. 22:8; 1 Sam. 22:17; 2 Sam. 6:20; 2 Sam. 7:27; 2 Sam. 15:19; 2 Sam. 22:16; 2 Ki. 15:29; 2 Ki. 16:9; 2 Ki. 17:6; 2 Ki. 17:11; 2 Ki. 17:23; 2 Ki. 17:26; 2 Ki. 17:27; 2 Ki. 17:28; 2 Ki. 17:33; 2 Ki. 18:11; 2 Ki. 24:14; 2 Ki. 24:15; 2 Ki. 25:11; 2 Ki. 25:21; 1 Chr. 5:6; 1 Chr. 5:26; 1 Chr. 6:15; 1 Chr. 8:6; 1 Chr. 8:7; 1 Chr. 9:1; 1 Chr. 17:25; 2 Chr. 36:20; Henry Blackaby - Learning to Hear from God Now Samuel did not yet know the LORD: The word of the LORD had not yet been revealed to him. The LORD called Samuel a third time, and Samuel got up and went to Eli and said, “Here I am; you called me.” Then Eli realized that the LORD was calling the boy. 1 Samuel 3:7–8 Samuel grew into one of the greatest spiritual leaders the Israelites ever had. He was a fearless spokesman for God. When the people needed direction, Samuel brought a word from God. When the king needed to hear from God, Samuel was his man. Samuel walked so closely with God that he never had to wonder what God wanted him to do; God gave him clear guidance every step of the way. Perhaps you know a man or woman who, like Samuel, seems to have an inside track with God. Do you wish you knew God like that? The Christian life is such that everyone begins at the same place. Think of the most godly Christians you know. They started out just like everyone else—as strangers to God. Every Christian starts out completely disoriented to God. Samuel was no exception. When God first called out to him, Samuel didn’t even recognize who was speaking! He assumed it was the priest Eli. Samuel had to learn how to recognize God’s voice and to understand what God was saying to him, just like everyone else. After years of spending time with God, Samuel came to recognize his voice instantly. There is no other way to learn how to identify God’s voice than to spend time talking with him. The exciting thing is that you have the same opportunity as the greatest spiritual giants you know. God will speak to you just as he speaks to them. Samuel took advantage of every opportunity he had to get to know God. As a result, God did great things through Samuel’s life. You may not always recognize God’s voice now, but continue spending time with him. The day will come when you won’t have to wonder if it’s God speaking. You’ll know who it is. (Borrow The experience : a devotional and journal : day by day with God) 1 Samuel 3:8 So the LORD called Samuel again for the third time. And he arose and went to Eli and said, "Here I am, for you called me." Then Eli discerned that the LORD was calling the boy. the third: Job 33:14,15 Although Samuel did not apprehend the way in which God reveals himself to his servants the prophets--by the "still small voice"- (1Ki 19:12)-yet when this direct communication from the Almighty was made the third time, in a way altogether new and strange to him. 1 Samuel 3 Resources - multiple sermons and commentaries THE THIRD TIME IS THE CHARM The third time is the charm is an English idiom which is used to say that two efforts at something have already failed but perhaps the third will be successful. Of course, God could have revealed Himself the first time had He chosen to do so. Perhaps part of the reason for the repetition was to demonstrate to old Eli that the "baton was being passed" to young Samuel! So the LORD called Samuel again for the third time - If Samuel had been playing baseball, we would have said "Three strikes and you're out," but he was playing "prophet in preparation," and so we soon discover that it's "Three strikes and you're IN" (IN the Spirit as God's prophet)! And he arose and went to Eli and said, "Here I am, for you called me." - Once again see young Samuel's obedient heart, a truth he would echo later to disobedient Saul declaring "Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to heed than the fat of rams." (1Sa 15:22+). It would have been easy for Samuel to ignore this third call, to roll over and fall back asleep. Not so with Samuel whose actions and words to Eli indicated his persistently willing, obedient spirit. Then Eli discerned (bin/biyn) that the LORD was calling the boy - Note Samuel is still referred to as a boy, indicating he was relatively young when the call of God first came on his life. Another notable example of the powerful call of God was God's call to a boy named C H Spurgeon at age 15 (Read Spurgeon's own description of this "providential" event!), a call which led him to burn brightly for the next 43 years (died at age 58) as the greatest preacher in the English language! Then is a time sensitive word as it marks progression, in this case progression in the insight of Eli. Eli was old and clearly had some spiritual weaknesses (especially failure to properly discipline his sons, the spiritual leaders of Israel), he was spiritually astute enough that he discerned (bin/biyn) this was Yahweh speaking to young Samuel. Obviously the Spirit of God also opened Eli's understanding to this truth, for in his natural state he could still not have perceived this was the voice of Yahweh. Notice he does not "guess" that it was Yahweh, but clearly understood it was Yahweh, indicating it had been spiritually revealed to him (cf comments on "revealed" in 1Sa 3:7). And so we must give Eli some credit, because he did tell young Samuel to go back to sleep, or tell him something like "You must have eaten a bad batch of matzoh bread causing you indigestion and making you think you are hearing things." Discerned (bin/biyn) is translated in the Septuagint with the verb sophizo (used in 2Ti 3:15 = "give wisdom") which means to make one wise and here in the middle voice means to reason out something. Old Eli reasoned it out - the third time was the charm! David
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Spurgeon - It was a chastisement to Eli that God did not speak directly to him, but sent him a message by another; and it must have been very humiliating to the aged man of God that God should select a little child to be his messenger to him. Yet, as Eli had not been faithful, it was great mercy on God’s part to speak to him at all; and no doubt the old man did not resent the fact that God, instead of speaking to one of his sons, or to himself, spoke by this little child. Eli loved Samuel, and finding that the Lord intended to use this child, he did not grow jealous and angry, and begin to damp the child’s spirit; but he gave him wise directions how to act in case God should speak to him again. Eli's instructions are significant. First, he encourages Samuel to seek the LORD to speak to him, where the verb speak is a command, not in the sense of demanding God speak, but expressive of such a willingness to hear that he uses the imperative mood. It would be something like "Please speak LORD, because I need to hear Your voice and know Your will." Second, Eli tells Samuel to identify himself as Yahweh's servant, something undoubtedly Samuel had evidenced to Eli as he faithfully served in the Temple. This is something Eli could never have told his sons, so there must have been some bittersweet joy that he could confidently say this to Samuel. Thirdly, Eli says to tell Yahweh that he was listening. At first glance, listening does not sound that significant, for in fact Samuel had already heard Yahweh voice three times. But Eli is clearly indicating a different type of listening than when one simply hears audible sounds. This is the picture of hearing with an open, receptive heart that is ready and willing to obey what Yahweh says. Listening conveys the sense of "I am ready to obey what I hear You say." Eli speaks something to young Samuel he could never have spoken with any positive effect to his disobedient sons. David
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Spurgeon - Come, Lord, my God. My soul invites you earnestly and waits for you eagerly. Come to me, Jesus, my Well Beloved, and plant fresh flowers in my garden such as I see blooming in such perfection in Your matchless character! Come, my Father, who is the Husbandman, and deal with me in your tenderness and prudence! Come, Holy Spirit, and bedew my whole nature, as the herbs are now moistened with the evening dews. Oh, that God would speak to me! “Speak, LORD; for thy servant heareth” (1 Sam. 3:9). Oh, that He would walk with me; I am ready to give up my whole heart and mind to Him. I am only asking what He delights to give. (Daily Help) Hearing Aid It shall be, if He calls you, that you must say, “Speak, LORD, for Your servant hears.” — 1 Samuel 3:9 Today's Scripture: 1 Samuel 3:1-10 Joshua, a precocious 2-year-old, watched his mother baking cookies. “Please, may I have one?” he asked hopefully. “Not before supper,” his mother replied. Joshua ran tearfully to his room, then reappeared with this message: “Jesus just told me it’s okay to have a cookie now.” “Jesus didn’t tell me,” his mother retorted. Joshua replied, “You must not have been listening!” Joshua’s motivation was wrong, but he was absolutely right about two things: God longs to speak to us, and we need to listen. In 1 Samuel 3, another young boy learned those same ageless principles. When Samuel followed Eli’s counsel and prayed, “Speak, LORD, for Your servant hears,” he was open to receiving God’s powerful message (v.9). Like Samuel, we long to hear God speaking to us but often fail to discern His voice. Adjusting Your Hearing Aid Set a specific time to read God’s Word each day. Meditate on what you have read. Make prayer a priority throughout the day. God speaks through His Word—take time to listen. 1 Samuel 3:10 Then the LORD came and stood and called as at other times, "Samuel! Samuel!" And Samuel said, "Speak, for Your servant is listening." the Lord came: This seems to imply a visible appearance, as well as an audible voice. as at other: 1Sa 3:4-6,8 1 Samuel 3:10 Speak Lord - Spurgeon 1 Samuel 3 Resources - multiple sermons and commentaries THE VOICE OF THE LORD REVEALED TO THE MAN OF GOD Then - Marks progression in the narrative. The LORD came and stood and called as at other times, "Samuel! Samuel!" - Note the time phrase as at other times. Which times? Surely the 3 previous occasions of calling out to young Samuel. This fourth time was like the other times and here we learn Yahweh came and stood. This implies Yahweh's personal presence, even as the Angel of the LORD had stood before other Old Testament saints. If that is the case, then why did Samuel not see Him as well as hear Him. We can only surmise that he was supernaturally prevented from seeing Him, if in fact Yahweh was visibly present the 3 previous occasions. Note also the repetition of his name which in Scripture always indicates a message of special importance. Study these other examples: Abraham (Ge 22:11); Moses (Ex 3:4); Jerusalem (Mt 23:37) Martha (Lu 10:41) Simon (Lu 22:31), Saul (Acts 9:4 Actus 22:7 Acts 26:14) And Samuel said, "Speak, for Your servant is listening." - It is interesting that Samuel did not say Speak Lord, and yet for Samuel to call himself Your servant clearly implies he recognized and accepted the Speaker as His Lord and Master. As noted above the Hebrew word listening means "to hear with a view to obeying." Samuel was listening to God's Word and was determined to obey it.
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Spurgeon - From which we learn that there was some hind of appearance to Samuel such as that which was manifested to others. Some spiritual being was before him, though he could not make out the form thereof: “Jehovah came, and stood,” — This time the child’s name was spoken twice, as though God would say to him, “I have called thee by thy name; thou art mine? It was no doubt to make a deeper impression upon the child’s mind that his name was twice called by the Lord. You observe that he did not say, “Lord;” perhaps he hardly dared to take that sacred name upon his lips. He was impressed with such solemn awe at the name of God, that he said, “Speak; for thy servant heareth.” I wish that some Christian men of my acquaintance would leave out the Lord’s name a little in their prayers, for we may take the name of the Lord in vain even in our supplications. When the heathen are addressing their gods, they are accustomed to repeat their names over and over again. “O Baal, hear us! O Baal, hear us!” or, as the Hindoos do when they cry, “Ram! Ram! Ram! Ram! “repeating the name of their god; but as for us, when we think of the infinitely-glorious One, we dare not needlessly repeat his name. Do you ever get alone and sit still and say, as Samuel did, in the dead of night, "Speak, Lord, for thy servant heareth"? If you never do that, the little child Samuel may well rebuke you. He was willing that God should speak to him. But, oh, we are so busy! So busy! So sadly busy! Samuel was asleep, yet he heard God's voice. But I know some people who are awake, yet have not heard it. The devotion of hearing - Oswald Chambers Speak; for Thy servant heareth. 1 Samuel 3:10. Because I have listened definitely to one thing from God, it does not follow that I will listen to everything He says. The way in which I show God that I neither love nor respect Him is by the obtuseness of my heart and mind towards what He says. If I love my friend, I intuitively detect what he wants, and Jesus says, “Ye are My friends.” Have I disobeyed some command of my Lord’s this week? If I had realized that it was a command of Jesus, I would not consciously have disobeyed it; but most of us show such disrespect to God that we do not even hear what He says, He might never have spoken. The destiny of my spiritual life is such identification with Jesus Christ that I always hear God, and I know that God always hears me (John 11:41). If I am united with Jesus Christ, I hear God by the devotion of hearing all the time. A lily, or a tree, or a servant of God, may convey God’s message to me. What hinders me from hearing is that I am taken up with other things. It is not that I will not hear God, but that I am not devoted in the right place. I am devoted to things, to service, to convictions, and God may say what He likes but I do not hear Him. The child attitude is always “Speak, Lord, for Thy servant heareth.” If I have not cultivated this devotion of hearing, I can only hear God’s voice at certain times; at other times I am taken up with things—things which I say I must do, and I become deaf to Him, I am not living the life of a child. Have I heard God’s voice to-day? (Borrow My utmost for His Highest : selections for the year : the golden book of Oswald Chambers) A W Tozer - ANSWERING GOD'S CALL The Lord…called as at other times, Samuel, Samuel. Then Samuel answered, Speak; for thy servant heareth. 1 Samuel 3:10 When will men and women realize that when God calls us out, He is completely faithful to call us into something better? In his faith Abraham was against idolatry and idol making, but that was not his crusade. Because of his faith, God led him into a promised land, into possessions and into the lineage that brought forth the Messiah. The call of God is always to something better—keep that in mind! God calls us into the joys and reality of eternal life. He calls us into purity of life and spirit, so that we may acceptably walk with Him. He calls us into a life of service and usefulness that brings glory to Himself as God. He calls us into the sweetest fellowship possible on this earth—the fellowship of the family of God! If God takes away from us the old, wrinkled, beat-up dollar bill we clutch so desperately, it is only because He wants to exchange it for the whole federal mint, the entire treasury! He is saying, “I have in store for you all the resources of heaven. Help yourself!” R C
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Spurgeon reminds us that "Behold is a word of wonder; it is intended to excite admiration. Wherever you see it hung out in Scripture, it is like an ancient sign-board, signifying that there are rich wares within, or like the hands which solid readers have observed in the margin of the older Puritanic books, drawing attention to something particularly worthy of observation." I would add, behold is like a divine highlighter, a divine underlining of an especially striking or important text. It says in effect "Listen up, all ye who would be wise in the ways of Jehovah!" I am about to do a thing in Israel at which both ears of everyone who hears it will tingle (tsalal) - As a physician I would encounter folks with tinnitus, ringing of the ears. This is far worse, for it is a case of "divine tinnitus." Samuel's first test as a prophet was to bring an ear-tingling message of doom to Eli. The Hebrew word tingle (tsalal) gives rise to Hebrew word for "cymbal", a good "picture" of what might transpire in the ears of those who heard these words of divine judgment. Imagine someone clanging a cymbal in your ears! Woe! That would shake you up, which is what God's acts would do to Israel and to Eli when he hears the prophecy against his house! As discussed in the definition of "tingle" below messages that tingled ears usually predicted an especially severe judgment. Spurgeon - “The Lord sends him a word of threatening by a child; for God has many messengers.”
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Spurgeon - What a striking expression,-” the iniquity which he knew.” There is a good deal of iniquity about us which we do not know; that is a sin of ignorance. But deep down in his heart Eli knew that he had been afraid to speak to his sons about their sins, and that, when he had spoken, it had been in such lenient terms that they made light of them. Possibly, he had never chastened them when they were young, and he had not spoken to them sharply when they were older. Remember that he was a judge, he washing priest, and he ought not to have allowed his sons to remain priests is all if they were behaving themselves filthily at the door of the tabernacle. He ought to have dealt with them as he would have dealt with anybody else; he did not, so God said, “I trove told him, that I will judge his house for ever for the iniquity which he knoweth;”- Because (Term of explanation) his sons brought a curse (qalal) on themselves and he did not rebuke (Lxx = noutheteo = admonish, warn, counsel to avoid or cease improper conduct - imperfect tense indicates over and over he missed his opportunity) them - Note God did not proactively curse them. The curse they would experience was self-wrought and fully deserved. They sowed iniquity and now would reap not just corruption but a curse! The family had no one to blame for the coming judgment. They had made themselves a curse. Eli, although aged, nevertheless contributed to the curse, because he shirked his duty and responsibility as the head priest (and father) and thus blew his only chance to hold back God's wrath when he failed to rebuke his worthless sons and punish them. If he had followed the letter of the Law of Moses, it certainly seems like what should have happened is that they be stoned to death (executed) as described in Deuteronomy 21:18-21+ instructed... “If any man has a stubborn and rebellious son who will not obey his father (ELI HAD 2 OF THEM!) or his mother, and when they chastise him, he will not even listen to them (PERFECT DESCRIPTION OF HOPHNI AND PHINEHAS in 1Sa 2:25), 19 then (THIS NOTES PROGRESSION - WHAT THEORETICALLY SHOULD HAVE HAPPENED TO HOPHNI AND PHINEHAS!) his father and mother shall seize him, and bring him out to the elders of his city at the gateway of his hometown (PRESUMABLY THIS WOULD BE SHILOH). 20 “They shall say to the elders of his city, ‘This son of ours is stubborn and rebellious, he will not obey us, he is a glutton (CERTAINLY TRUE OF THESE TWO SONS!) and a drunkard.’ 21 “Then (AGAIN THIS NOTES PROGRESSION - WHAT SHOULD HAVE OCCURRED NEXT) all the men of his city shall stone him to death; so you shall remove the evil from your midst, and all Israel will hear of it and fear. Had Eli acted according to the instruction from Moses, (1) evil would have been removed from the land (these corrupt priest as spiritual leaders were polluting the entire land of Israel!) and (2) the secondary result is that Israel would hear and fear Yahweh and realize that He was serious about sins (regardless of their high position as priests) and holds people accountable. Repeatedly Scripture clearly gives us the principle that a holy fear (reverential yes, but also including a little shaking and dread of His righteous punishment for sin) is a powerful antidote impeding or holding back wanton, willful sin and evil. For example in Job 1:1 we read "There was a man in the land of Uz whose name was Job; and that man was blameless, upright, fearing God and turning away from evil." Note the juxtaposition of fear and turning from evil. That is not accidental but by divine design! Ponder this timeless principle in these passages - Pr 8:13, Pr 14:27 Pr 16:16, Ne 5:15 Job 28:28 Ps 34:11-14 Eccl 12:13 2Co 7:1). THOUGHT - This truth of fear of the LORD (see in depth discussion of this all too often neglected Biblical truth! When was the last time you heard a sermon on the fear of the Lord?) prompting one to turn away from evil begs the simple question -- Do you have a reverential (with a little element of "shaking") fear of Jehovah? When you commit sin willfully, do you have a renewed sense of the fear that He might discipline you with scourging (which He may in fact carry out, "FOR THOSE WHOM THE LORD LOVES HE DISCIPLINES, AND HE SCOURGES (present tense - mastigoo = whips, flogs, beats with a lash, figuratively = punishes severely - I can personally attest that this is not fun and is a strong impediment to not willfully sin against Yahweh!) EVERY SON WHOM HE RECEIVES.” (Heb 12:6+) Great God in Heaven, by Thy Holy Spirit and Thy Holy Word so work in our (my) hearts that we (I) would not be numbered among those in Pr 1:29 who hated knowledge and did not choose the fear of the LORD. For Thy glory and possible in the Redeemer's Name. Amen. Henry
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Spurgeon - I wonder whether he went to sleep; I should think not. After such visitation and revelation, it is a marvel that the child could lie still. One wonders that he did not go at once to Eli, but then the message was so heavy that he could not be in a hurry to deliver it: “And Samuel lay until the morning,” — Dear child! There are some of as who, if God had spoken to us as he had spoken to Samuel, would feel a deal too big to go and open doors any more. If God were to come, and speak to some who are poor, they would run away from their trade. If God were to speak to some who are young, they would give themselves mighty sirs. But Samuel meekly accepted the high honor God had conferred upon him; and when he rose in the morning, he went about his usual duties: “He opened the doors of the house of the Lord.” The old man must have felt that it was nothing very pleasant; still, he wanted to know the Lord’s messages. I hope he was in such a frame of mind that he could say, “Lord, show me the worst of my case! Let me know all thy mind about it, and let me not go on with my eyes bandaged, in ignorance of thy will concerning me.” Samuel loved his foster father, and for him to mention the tremendous doom pronounced on Eli's house must have caused him great grief of spirit. But he bravely repeated the dread words of the Most High. There are certain truths in God's Word which we tremble to think on. Do you dream that we have any pleasure in the doctrine of eternal punishment? We speak of the wrath to come with fear and trembling, but we speak of it because we cannot escape from the conviction that it is taught in the Word of God. As Samuel was compelled to tell Eli of the unalterable curse that God had pronounced on his household, so must God's faithful servants speak of the doom of the wicked and never flinch from warning them. We must speak all the gospel, or else the blood of souls will stain our skirts at the last great day. However painful a duty it may be, it is nonetheless binding on us. Then - This time sensitive word marks progression in the narrative. He opened the doors (deleth) of the house of the LORD - Even after the incredible encounter Samuel remained faithful to carry out his usual tasks! This action indicates Samuel had attained a position of some responsibility and trust. You wouldn't trust just anyone with the "keys" to the holy dwelling of the LORD!. This description would also support the assumption by many writers that the structure of the Temple was more than just a tent as it was in the wilderness Tabernacle because this Hebrew word for doors (deleth) is not used in the description of the "doorway" (pethach) of the Tabernacle in Exodus. On the other hand for completeness we must note that the Septuagint uses the same Greek word (thura = door) here in 1Sa 3:15 and multiple times in Exodus in the description of the doorway of the Tabernacle. In short, we will have to wait until we get to Heaven to find out if the Shiloh Temple was more substantial than a tent! Wiersbe on he opened the doors points out that "Samuel would have a ministry of “opening doors” for others. He opened the doors of kingship to Saul, who failed to use it for God’s glory, and also to David, who used his position to serve God and the people. Samuel established a school of the prophets and opened doors of ministry to the men God sent to him. He opened the doors to a new beginning for the nation of Israel that was at low ebb both spiritually and politically."...(That he still opened the doors) shows remarkable maturity on the part of a young boy. Most youths would have been proud of their experience with the Lord, rushed around delivering the message, and would not have stooped to open doors. (From Bible Exposition Commentary - Old Testament) But Samuel was afraid (yare) to tell the vision (marah; Lxx = horasis) to Eli - While Samuel now would seem to officially be a prophet ("mouthpiece") of Jehovah, he is reluctant to pass on this devastating prophecy to aged Eli, who undoubtedly had been like father and a mentor to him and had been kind to him in his matriculation as a Temple servant of Yahweh. It is notable that Yahweh did not command Samuel to speak this prophecy to Eli. The use of the word vision (marah; Lxx = horasis) does not mean Samuel did not see Yahweh standing before him, but just emphasizes the supernatural aspect of the encounter. Not only did he not want to tell Eli, he clearly did not go broadcasting this to the townsfolk of Shiloh - "Guess what happened to me? I heard prophetic words from Jehovah! I had a mystical experience with Him!" Samuel herein reveals his modesty and self-effacing, humble demeanor, a God honoring trait and example for saints of all ages. THOUGHT - Have you had an unusual encounter with God? I am not speaking of raising someone from the dead, but of a special time of communion with Him that left no doubt He was speaking to you through His Spirit and His Word? And it was so special that you were tempted to tell someone? Samuel sets the standard. The bar is high, for none of us will hear direct revelation such as Samuel heard. And in spite of this experience with the LORD Himself, he retained his composure and a humble spirit! The principle is that our times of special, secret communion with God need to remain secret and not be proclaimed from the house-tops! Amen? Amen! I am preaching to myself beloved, as there have been times when I did not follow this principle but proclaimed it from the house-top! Why? It made me look spiritual! And what is that all about? The old root sin that took Satan down, pride with a capital "I" (prIde) Door (01817)(deleth) is a masculine noun designating a door and also a gate. It is used figuratively in the Psalms to refer to the door of the psalmist's lips (Ps. 141:3). Deteth does not seem to describe the "doorway" of the wilderness Tabernacle (that hebrew word is pethach which means opening, doorway, entrance). One gets a sense of the difference between deleth and pethach in Genesis 19:6 where both words are used "But Lot went out to them at the doorway (pethach), and shut the door (deleth) behind him." In this passage the former describes the "opening" and the latter the "door" to close the opening. In 1 Samuel 3:15 the verb for opened is pathach, which obviously is related to the noun pethach (doorway). The point of this detail is that the use of deleth in describing the Temple at Shiloh supports the premise that it was an edifice of some substance (it had "doors") and not simply a tent (like the wilderness tabernacle). Victor Hamilton - Deleth is used eighty-six times in the OT and in all but one passage it refers to the door on a house, a room of the house, a temple, or the gates of a city. Sometimes it is used metaphorically (Song 8:9; Job 3:10; Job 38:8; Job 41:14 [H 6]; Psalm 78:23). In one passage, Jeremiah 36:23, it seems to describe some kind of tablet on which Baruch took dictation from Jeremiah. This latter meaning of delet is now confirmed by evidence from Ugaritic and Phoenician in which ḍlt may mean both "door" and "tablet." Also in the: Lachish letters (in Hebrew, sixth century b.c.), letter no. 4, line 3, is the phrase ktbty ʿl hdlt "l have written upon the tablet." One can also compare the Greek word deltos writing tablet." Doors in biblical times were made of strips or planks of wood bounded by metal strips, usually bronze or iron. Actually the door was an assemblage including beside the door itself the following: two doorposts (mezûzâ) which are the door's vertical sides; a lintel (mashqôp), the door's upper horizontal side; and a sill or a threshold (sap), the door's lower horizontal side. Wider doorways such as those used in city gates or large buildings had a third vertical column on which two doorleaves, one attached to each of the doorposts, converged when shut. This is implied by the number of times delet is used in the dual in the Bible. The door, which usually opened inward, did not have hinges like ours. The butt edge of the door consisted of an upright post which swung in sockets. The lower socket was usually a hollowed stone. The upper socket consisted of a metal frame or a hollow made in the lintel. Deleth is to be differentiated from other words of approximately the same meaning. In relation to shaʿar gate," delet represents only the swinging door, while shaʿar denotes the entire structure of the gate (Neh. 3:1, 6, 13-15). In relation to petaḥ "door, entrance," petaḥ is the entrance to the house. delet is a device for closing and opening the entrance. Also, delet is used only in connection with a built house. Thus compare God's word to Cain, "Sin is crouching at the door (petaḥ," Genesis 4:7). "And the Lord appeared to Abraham . . . as he sat by the door (petaḥ) of his tent" (Genesis 18:1). One will recall that God told his people, just before the exodus from Egypt, to smear the doorposts (mezûzâ) and the lintel (mashqôp), but not the door itself, with blood (Exodus 12:7). The death angel would pass over those houses in which such steps had been taken. In Deut. 6:4ff. and Deut. 11:20 there is a reference to the ancient and still prevailing custom of hanging the mezûzâ to the doorpost. In contemporary Judaism the mezûzâ refers not to the doorpost itself but to the parchment scroll which is affixed to the doorpost. On one side of the scroll is the appropriate words from Deuteronomy. On the back of the parchment is the Hebrew word shadday, which is not only a name for God, "Almighty," but is also an acronym for shômēr daltôt yiśrāʾēl Guardian of the doors of Israel." How appropriate it is then in the NT for Jesus to say, "I am the door of the sheep" (John 10:7). (See TWOT online) Deleth - 76v - columns(1), door(21), door and leaves(1), doors(45), doors had leaves(1), gates(11), gateway(1), leaves(1), lid(1), opening(1). Gen. 19:6; Gen. 19:9; Gen. 19:10; Exod. 21:6; Deut. 3:5; Deut. 15:17; Jos. 2:19; Jos. 6:26; Jdg. 3:23; Jdg. 3:24; Jdg. 3:25; Jdg. 11:31; Jdg. 16:3; Jdg. 19:22; Jdg. 19:27; 1 Sam. 3:15; 1 Sam. 21:13; 1 Sam. 23:7; 2 Sam. 13:17; 2 Sam. 13:18; 1 Ki. 6:31; 1 Ki. 6:32; 1 Ki. 6:34; 1 Ki. 7:50; 1 Ki. 16:34; 2 Ki. 4:4; 2 Ki. 4:5; 2 Ki. 4:33; 2 Ki. 6:32; 2 Ki. 9:3; 2 Ki. 9:10; 2 Ki. 12:9; 2 Ki. 18:16; 1 Chr. 22:3; 2 Chr. 3:7; 2 Chr. 4:9; 2 Chr. 4:22; 2 Chr. 8:5; 2 Chr. 14:7; 2 Chr. 28:24; 2 Chr. 29:3; 2 Chr. 29:7; Neh. 3:1; Neh. 3:3; Neh. 3:6; Neh. 3:13; Neh. 3:14; Neh. 3:15; Neh. 6:1; Neh. 6:10; Neh. 7:1; Neh. 7:3; Neh. 13:19; Job 3:10; Job 31:32; Job 38:8; Job 38:10; Job 41:14; Ps. 78:23; Ps. 107:16; Prov. 8:34; Prov. 26:14; Eccl. 12:4; Cant. 8:9; Isa. 45:1; Isa. 45:2; Isa. 57:8; Jer. 36:23; Jer. 49:31; Ezek. 26:2; Ezek. 38:11; Ezek. 41:23; Ezek. 41:24; Ezek. 41:25; Zech. 11:1; Mal. 1:10 Vision (04759)(marah from raah = to see) describes a a supernatural vision as the means of divine revelation (Ge 46:2, Nu 12:6). One use in Ex 38:8 means "mirror." Marah - Gen. 46:2; Num. 12:6; 1Sa 3:15; Ezek. 1:1; Ezek. 8:3; Ezek. 40:2; Ezek. 43:3; Dan. 10:7; Dan. 10:8; Dan. 10:16 Genesis 46:2 God spoke to Israel (JACOB) in visions of the night and said, “Jacob, Jacob.” And he said, “Here I am.” Numbers 12:6 He said, “Hear now My words: If there is a prophet among you, I, the LORD, shall make Myself known to him in a vision. I shall speak with him in a dream. QUESTION - How did God use dreams and visions in the Bible? ANSWER - God used dreams and visions (visions are “waking dreams”; see Numbers 24:4) several times in the Bible to communicate with people. Visions seem to have been common enough that their lack was sorely noted. An absence of visions was due at times to a dearth of prophets (1 Samuel 3:1) and other times due to the disobedience of God’s people (1 Samuel 28:6). Old Testament Dreams and Visions God used visions in the Old Testament to reveal His plan, to further His plan, and to put His people in places of influence. Abraham (Genesis 15:1): God used a vision to restate the Abrahamic Covenant, reminding Abram that he would have a son and be the father of many nations. Abimelech (Genesis 20:1-7): Abraham’s wife, Sarah, was beautiful—so beautiful that when Abraham came into a new area he occasionally feared that the local ruler would kill him and take Sarah for himself. Abraham told Abimelech king of Gerar that Sarah was his sister (she was his half-sister). Abimelech took Sarah into his harem, but God sent him a dream telling him not to touch Sarah because she was Abraham’s wife. The king returned Sarah to her husband the next morning; the dream had protected Sarah and safeguarded God’s plan for Sarah to be the mother of His chosen people. Jacob (Genesis 28:10-17): Jacob, with his mother’s help, stole Esau’s firstborn inheritance. Jacob then fled Esau’s anger, and on his journey he had his famous dream of a ladder reaching to heaven on which angels ascended and descended. In this dream Jacob received God’s promise that Abraham’s blessing would be carried on through him. Joseph (Genesis 37:1-11): Joseph is one of the most famous dreamers, and one of the most famous dream-interpreters, in the Bible. His first recorded dreams are found in Genesis 37. They showed through easily deciphered symbols that Joseph’s family would one day bow to him in respect. His brothers didn’t appreciate the dream and in their hatred sold Joseph into slavery. Eventually, Joseph ended up in prison in Egypt. Pharaoh’s cupbearer and baker (Genesis 40): While in prison Joseph interpreted some dreams of Pharaoh’s cupbearer and baker. With God’s guidance, he explained that the cupbearer would return to Pharaoh’s service, but the baker would be killed. Pharaoh (Genesis 41): Two years later, Pharaoh himself had a dream which Joseph interpreted. God’s purpose was to raise Joseph to second-in-command over Egypt and to save the Egyptians and the Israelites from a horrible famine. Samuel (1 Samuel 3): Samuel had his first vision as a young boy. God told him that judgment was coming upon the sons of Samuel’s mentor, Eli. The young Samuel was faithful to relay the information, and God continued to speak to Samuel through the rest of his life. The Midianite and Amalekite armies (Judges 7:12-15): The pagan enemies of Israel had a divinely inspired dream. God told Gideon to sneak into the enemy camp at night, and there in the outposts of the camp, Gideon overheard an enemy soldier relate a dream he had just had. The interpretation, from another enemy soldier, mentioned Gideon by name and predicted that Israel would win the battle. Gideon was greatly encouraged by this revelation. Solomon (1 Kings 3:5): It was in a dream that God gave Solomon the famous offer: "Ask what you wish Me to give you." Solomon chose wisdom. Daniel (Daniel 2; 4): As He had done for Joseph, God placed Daniel in a position of power and influence by allowing him to interpret a foreign ruler’s dream. This is consistent with God’s propensity to use miracles to identify His messengers. Daniel himself had many dreams and visions, mostly related to future kingdoms of the world and the nation of Israel. New Testament Dreams and Visions Visions in the New Testament also served to provide information that was unavailable elsewhere. Specifically, God used visions and dreams to identify Jesus and to establish His church. Zacharias (Luke 1:5-23): God used a vision to tell Zacharias, an old priest, that he would soon have an important son. Not long after, Zacharias and his wife, Elizabeth, had John the Baptist. Joseph (Matthew 1:20; 2:13): Joseph would have divorced Mary when he found out she was pregnant, but God sent an angel to him in a dream, convincing him that the pregnancy was of God. Joseph went ahead with the marriage. After Jesus was born, God sent two more dreams, one to tell Joseph to take his family to Egypt so Herod could not kill Jesus and another to tell him Herod was dead and that he could return home. Pilate’s wife (Matthew 27:19): During Jesus’ trial, Pilate’s wife sent an urgent message to the governor encouraging him to free Jesus. Her message was prompted by a dream she had—a nightmare, really—that convinced her that Jesus was innocent and that Pilate should have nothing to do with His case. Ananias (Acts 9:10): It would have taken nothing less than a vision from God to convince Ananias, a Christian in Damascus, to visit Paul, the persecutor of Christians. But because Ananias was obedient to God’s leading, Paul regained his sight and found the truth about those he was trying to kill. Cornelius (Acts 10:1-6): God spoke to an Italian centurion named Cornelius who feared the God of the Jews. In his vision, Cornelius saw an angel who told him where to find Simon Peter and to send for him and listen to his message. Cornelius obeyed the vision, Peter came and preached, and Cornelius and his household full of Gentiles were saved by the grace of God. Peter (Acts 10:9-15): While Peter was praying on the rooftop of a house in Joppa, God gave him a vision of animals lowered in something like a sheet. A voice from heaven told Peter to kill the animals (some of which were unclean) and eat them. The vision served to show that Christians are not bound by kosher law and that God had pronounced Gentiles “clean”; that is, heaven is open to all who follow Jesus. Paul: Paul had several visions in his missionary career. One sent him to preach in Macedonia (Acts 16:9-10). Another encouraged him to keep preaching in Corinth (Acts 18:9-11). God also gave him a vision of heaven (2 Corinthians 12:1-6). John (Revelation): Nearly the entire book of Revelation is a vision John had while exiled on the island of Patmos. John’s vision explains in more detail some of the events that God had shown Daniel. Today’s Dreams and Visions With the completion of the Bible, God does not have to use dreams and visions as much as He did before. That is not to say that He cannot or does not; God can communicate with us however He chooses. But when we have a decision to make, our first stop should always be the Bible, not a dream. (SEE Does God still give visions to people today?) GotQuestions.org INTERNATIONAL STANDARD BIBLE ENCYCLOPEDIA - VISION (Nave's concordance has a long list of visions) VISION - vizh'-un (chazon, chizzayon, mar'ah; horama, optasia): Psychologists find that man is prevailingly and persistently "eye-minded." That is, in his waking life he is likely to think, imagine and remember in terms of vision. Naturally then, his dreaming is predominantly visual; so strongly visual, we are told, that it is not rare to find dreams defined as "trains of fantastic images." Whether man was made this way in order that God might communicate with him through dreams and visions is hardly worth debating; if the records of human life, in the Bible and out of it, are to be trusted at all, there is nothing better certified than that God has communicated with man in this way (Ps 89:19; Prov 29:18; compare Am 8:11,12; Hos 12:10). If one is disposed to regard the method as suited only to primitive peoples and superstitious natures, it still remains true that the experience is one associated with lives and characters of the most saintly and exalted kind (1 Sam 3:1; Jer 1:11; Ezek 1:1; Dan 2:19; Acts 9:10; 10:3; 16:9). The vision may come in one's waking moments (Dan 10:7; Acts 9:7); by day (Cornelius, Acts 10:3; Peter, Acts 10:9 ff; compare Nu 24:4,16) or night (Jacob, Gen 46:2); but commonly under conditions of dreaming (Nu 12:6; Job 4:13; Dan 4:9). The objects of vision, diverse and in some instances strange as they are, have usually their points of contact with experiences of the daily life. Thus Isaiah's vision of the seraphim (Isa 6:2) was doubtless suggested by familiar figures used in the decoration of the temple at Jerusalem; Paul's "man of Macedonia" (Acts 16:9) had its origin in some poor helot whom Paul had seen on the streets of Troas and who embodied for him the pitiful misery of the regions across the sea; and "Jacob's ladder" (Gen 28:12) was but a fanciful development of the terraced land which he saw sun-glorified before him as he went to sleep. Among the recurring objects of vision are natural objects--rivers, mountains, trees, animals--with which man has daily and hourly association. The character of the revelation through vision has a double aspect in the Biblical narrative. In one aspect it proposes a revelation for immediate direction, as in the ease of Abram (Gen 15:2 and frequently); Lot (Gen 19:15); Balaam (Nu 22:22), and Peter (Acts 12:7). In another aspect it deals with the development of the Kingdom of God as conditioned by the moral ideals of the people; such are the prophetic visions of Isaiah, Ezekiel, Hosea, and Micah, and the apocalypses of Daniel and John. The revelation for immediate direction has many correspondences in the life of the devout in all ages; the prophetic vision, dealing in a penetrating way with the sources of national growth and decay, has its nearest approach in the deliverances of publicists and statesmen who are persuaded that the laws of God, as expressed in self-control, truth, justice, and brotherly love, are supreme, and that the nations which disregard them are marked for ultimate and speedy extinction. From the nature of the vision as an instrument of divine communication, the seeing of visions is naturally associated with revivals of religion (Ezek 12:21-25; Joel 2:28; compare Acts 2:17), and the absence of visions with spiritual decline (Isa 29:11,12; Lam 2:9; Ezek 7:26; Mic 3:6). One may see visions without being visionary in the bad sense of that word. The outstanding characters to whom visions were vouchsafed in the history of Israel--Abraham, Moses, Jacob, David, Isaiah, Jesus and Paul--were all men of action as well as sentiment, and it is manifest from any fair reading of their lives that their work was helped and not hindered by this aspect of their fellowship with God. For always the vision emphasizes the play of a spiritual world; the response of a man's spirit to the appeal of that world; and the ordering of both worlds by an "intelligent and compelling Power able to communicate Himself to man and apparently supremely interested in the welfare of man. Charles M. Stuart Dictionary of Biblical Imagery (free for use online - an outstanding resource!) - DREAMS, VISIONS Dreams and their uses and images are an integral part of the oldest stories both within the Bible and without. The ancients recognized both dreams and visions but frequently used the terms interchangeably. Scripture mentions night visions (Dan 2:19; 7:2, 7, 13; Micah 3:6; Acts 18:9) and visions of the night (Gen 46:2; Job 4:13; 20:8; 33:15; Is 29:7). Just as with visions, so also the text often specifies that dreams happen at night (Gen 20:3; 31:24; 40:5; 41:11; 1 Kings 3:5). In poetic passages especially, dreams occur parallel to visions (Job 33:15; Is 29:7; Dan 7:1–2). Given this usage it would be unwise to attempt any distinction, other than the obvious, that visions are usually daytime events while dreams seem confined to the night. God breaks into the human experience through both dreams and visions. Dreams as the Voice of God in the Night. The frequency and significance of dreams mentioned in Scripture stems from their import as divine revelation to a particular individual. All dreams in antiquity were not necessarily considered divine, but with few exceptions (see below) ordinary dreams and nightmares play little or no part in the plot of most biblical narratives. The text repeatedly mentions dreams as one of the common means of “inquiring of the Lord” (a technical term for seeking an oracle), raising the possibility that dream seeking is the method of inquiry when no method is specified, especially when the word of the Lord comes by night (1 Sam 3, esp. v. 15; 2 Sam 7:4, 17). At times divine messages receive indirect mention (i.e., cryptic to us as foreigners) when the context or situation imply the medium of a dream. The “word of the Lord” need not be overtly labeled a dream to be one. The text sometimes mentions such revelatory encounters without using the word dream. Perhaps many more “inquirings of God” actually refer to dreams even without directly mentioning them. The word of the Lord comes at night to Nathan (2 Sam 7:4, 17 par. 1 Chron 17:3, 15) and to Gideon (Judges 6:25; 7:9). Isaiah says, “My soul yearns for you in the night, my spirit within me earnestly seeks you” (Is 26:9 NRSV). Hosea observes that prophets in particular stumble by night (Hos 4:4). Micah describes the absence of revelation as a night without a vision (Micah 3:6). When the word of the Lord came to Zechariah, he relates, “In the night I saw …” (Zech 1:8 NRSV). Night is the expected time to hear the voice of God or witness his revelation. Even so the OT also sets the precedent for even daytime visions accompanied by deep sleep (Gen 15:12), and the NT follows (Acts 10:10; 22:17). Dreams as Transparent or Obscure. In some dreams the narrative is streamlined or God speaks directly (Gen 31:24); others are symbolic, yet still obvious. Joseph’s brothers need no interpreter to understand the standard symbolism in his dreams (Gen 37:8). Even his doting father wearies of their transparent meanings. The dream of Gideon’s enemy needs no explanation (Judg 7:13). Other dreams couch their truth in metaphor so obscure that a skilled wise man (such as Joseph or Daniel) is required to render them intelligible. Pharaoh’s cows do require explanation (Gen 41), and so do the baker’s and the butler’s dreams (Gen 40:5–19). (Pharaoh’s dream is given twice to mark it as sure; Peter’s vision [Acts 10:16] occurs three times to p 218 mark its significance, but he doesn’t understand it until later [v. 17].) Nebuchadnezzar’s dream ups the ante, requiring not only interpretation but recall as well (Dan 2). Some dream revelations are so difficult for humanity to understand that to do so is like trying to read a sealed scroll (Is 29:11). In his allusion to Isaiah’s metaphor, John observes that humanity is unworthy to open the scroll (Rev 5:1–2), implying that if revelatory dreams are obscure, it is because God has no people worth talking to. Dreams as Oracles (Answers Sought from God). The very common OT phrase “inquired of the Lord” indicates consultation of the divine oracle, often by dreams. In most ancient societies, people sought out divine oracles by sleeping in sacred precincts that would inspire a dream, so called incubation dreams. The pharaohs record that they slept in temples seeking dreams, as did the royalty at Ugarit. The Assyrian monarch, as chief of the oracle priests, received dreams at night in the temple. Greek suppliants learned how to be cured through dreams given in the temple of Asclepius. The Bible mentions that pagan deities communicated in this way (Is 65:4), but some of the OT heroes seem to have contacted God in a similar fashion. Jacob, because of a dream, anoints his stone pillow and gives it the name Beth-El, “sanctuary” or “god-house” (Gen 28). Samuel, when the word of the Lord and visions had become infrequent, slept not in his own quarters as did his mentor Eli, but in the sanctuary instead (1 Sam 3:1–3), probably seeking his initial oracular dream (1 Sam 3:7). The vividness of the voice in his dream vision (1 Sam 3:15) seems to have awakened Samuel, disrupted the oracle and astonished him; but it did not astonish the experienced Eli. (The career of Samuel as God’s mouthpiece is bracketed by the voice incident of 1 Sam 3:1, which establishes him as prophet [1 Sam 3:20], and the Endor incident of 1 Sam 28:14, marking his final oracular insight into the future. In each case once for his predecessor and once for his replacement, the oracle forebodes ominous consequences.) Solomon slept at the great high place in Gibeon for his dream from God (1 Kings 3:4, 5). When this expected channel is shut down, Saul complains that God no longer answers him by dreams (1 Sam 28:15). Like the technique of incubation dreams in the OT, in the NT visions come to those who pray: Zechariah (Lk 1:10–11), Jesus at the Transfiguration (Lk 9:29), Cornelius (Acts 10:2–3), Peter (Acts 10:9–10; 11:5), Paul (Acts 9:11–12; 22:17; 23:11). God uses dreams to reveal his message; however, some forms of oracular inquiry are off limits. Necromancy (consulting the spirits of the departed) is strictly prohibited as an abomination (Lev 19:31; 20:6; Deut 18:11), yet the lure of predictions from the dead kept the practice alive. Passages in Isaiah refer to incubation dreams in tombs to obtain revelations from nether-world deities and spirits (Is 8:19–20; 28:15–22; 65:4). In the ancient world the belief was prevalent that spirits of the departed could impart their dim understanding of the future to those in this world through dreams. As in other cases (see ORACLES) it is not the oracular technique that is unacceptable, but service to any spirit other than God (Ex 20:5). Dreams as Oracles. Dreams, then, are clearly a large subset of oracles. Just as oracles from God can come through pagan prophets (Balaam), so too the dreams of the enemy can be omens from God (Judg 7:13–15). God does not hesitate to send dreams to non-Israelites (Gen 20:3; Mt 27:19). In response to Jacob’s financial concerns, God sends a dream to Jacob in order to inform him that his attempts at animal husbandry had nothing to do with the amazing increase of the flocks for which he had contracted with Laban as his wages (Gen 31:10–12). This God-given insight to Jacob, the supplanter (his Hebrew name means “Heel” or “Crook”), parallels the figure of wily Odysseus and his divine gift of craftiness. Dreams as Spirits or Angels: Angels as Dreams. Underlying the use of dreams as revelation is the tacit belief that spirits bring the dream. Such a view is nearly universal in cultures which value dreams. The OT states both that the Lord and the angel of the Lord appears or speaks in dreams: “God said in a dream” (Gen 20:6), “God came in a dream by night and said” (Gen 31:24), but also “the angel of God said in a dream” (Gen 31:11). Angels debate and explain Daniel’s vision (Dan 8:13–16). The Hebrew and Greek words translated “angel” mean “messenger.” Angels naturally accompany the dream messages they carry. Based on such OT precedents all the angel appearances that Matthew narrates occur “during a dream” (Mt 1:20, 24; 2:12, 13, 19, 22). In fact, visions and angels coincided so often that the appearance of an angel suggests to Peter an “unreal” state of mind (Acts 12:9). An angel brings John’s apocalyptic vision (Rev 1:1). As a dark parallel to God’s use of dreams, God’s enemies also manipulate humanity’s thoughts. The people of antiquity reasoned that if angels were the messengers that brought God’s message in dream form, bad angels, messengers of Satan, could bring bad dreams. For Job, as for his contemporaries in Mesopotamia and Greece, the dream “amid visions of the night” is carried by a “spirit,” an “indiscernible form” and a “voice” that “glides past the face,” producing “chills,” uttering “a stealthy word” that “the ear receives as a whisper” (Job 4:12–16). Outside of Scripture the phrase “terrors of the night” designates nightmares, and it appears in a list of spiritual evils in Psalm 91:5. The amulets and incantations (see MAGIC) written by contemporary exorcists focused on preventing nightmares by adjuring demons not to return. Sexual dreams were viewed as demonic rape (cf. Tobit 6:14). Texts such as Psalm 91 and 121 provide comfort and allay such very real fears by assuring God’s sleepless protection. Dreams as Deception from Evil Sources. Some dreams are not merely benign. Some scare and terrify (Job 7:14). When a prophet misinterpreted his vision, it came from a lying spirit (1 Kings 22:22–23) p 219 or was faked (Jer 23:16, 27, 32). “The teraphim utter nonsense, the diviners see lies, the dreamers tell false dreams” (Zech 10:2 NRSV). Against this background, dreaming indicates self-delusion (Jude 8). Dreams as Unreal, Nothing or Ephemeral. While God may speak through dreams, not all dreams are from God. Many are simply an annoying distraction. The people of the Bible did not insist on shoehorning all dreams into a supernatural category. Their metaphors equating dreams with phantoms and nothing betray such an understanding. Joseph’s brothers mock “the dreamer” and attempt to short circuit his dreams, suspecting they are the product of Joseph’s ego (Gen 37:19–20). Israel’s enemies are not to be feared; they are like dreams (Is 29:7). The restoration of Zion made the people feel like “those who dream” (Ps 126:1). After envying the prosperity of the wicked, the psalmist comes to see that their transitory success ending in sudden ruin makes them as insubstantial “as a dream when one awakes” and “as fantasies” (Ps 73:20). Sirach disparages dreams: Divinations and omens and dreams are folly; and like a woman in travail, the mind has fancies (Sir 24:5). Dreams as the Human Condition. There are hints in the Bible of dreams much more like those of today. Isaiah’s metaphor, “As when the hungry dream of eating and awake unsatisfied” alludes to recurrent nightmares or Sisyphean dreams (Is 29:8). In the apocrypha, Sirach mentions one “troubled by the visions of his mind like one who has escaped from the battle front” (posttraumatic stress disorder, Sir 40:6). In his pragmatism the Preacher expresses his frustration with dreams as unreliable and difficult to interpret: “A dream comes with much business” (Eccles 5:3 RSV). His observation that “when dreams increase, empty words grow many” (Eccles 5:7 RSV) also suggests a surfeit of dream interpretations. For Job, who has become the Almighty’s target, even sleep provides no comfort because “then thou dost scare me with dreams and terrify me with visions” (Job 7:14 RSV). Yet even these most human of dreams could provide counsel (Ps 16:7). Dreams as Spiritual Health. The observation that “the word of the LORD was rare in those days; there was no frequent vision” comments on the moral decay of Israel (1 Sam 3:1 RSV). Sin in the camp prevents the dream oracle from functioning (1 Sam 14:37–38). The loss of oracles and dreams signifies abandonment by God (Mic 3:6–7). The country’s spiritual ruin becomes real ruin as “her prophets obtain no vision from the LORD” (Lam 2:9 RSV). The Lord promises to replace Ezekiel’s proverb, “Every vision comes to nought,” with the “fulfillment of every vision” (Ezek 12:22, 23 RSV). The prophecy that dreams and visions will return assumes as a prerequisite the purifying of the nation and a pouring out of God’s spirit (Joel 2:28; Acts 2:17). See also ANGEL; APOCALYPSE, GENRE OF; CHEAT THE ORACLE; DANIEL, BOOK OF; JOSEPH THE PATRIARCH; ORACLE; PROPHECY, GENRE OF; PROPHET, PROPHETESS. R C