seekeroftruth
Well-Known Member
1 Samuel 3:10 The Lord came and stood there, calling as at the other times, “Samuel! Samuel!”
Then Samuel said, “Speak, for your servant is listening.”
11 And the Lord said to Samuel: “See, I am about to do something in Israel that will make the ears of everyone who hears about it tingle. 12 At that time I will carry out against Eli everything I spoke against his family—from beginning to end. 13 For I told him that I would judge his family forever because of the sin he knew about; his sons blasphemed God,[a] and he failed to restrain them. 14 Therefore I swore to the house of Eli, ‘The guilt of Eli’s house will never be atoned for by sacrifice or offering.’”
15 Samuel lay down until morning and then opened the doors of the house of the Lord. He was afraid to tell Eli the vision, 16 but Eli called him and said, “Samuel, my son.”
Samuel answered, “Here I am.”
17 “What was it he said to you?” Eli asked. “Do not hide it from me. May God deal with you, be it ever so severely, if you hide from me anything he told you.” 18 So Samuel told him everything, hiding nothing from him. Then Eli said, “He is the Lord; let him do what is good in his eyes.”
19 The Lord was with Samuel as he grew up, and he let none of Samuel’s words fall to the ground. 20 And all Israel from Dan to Beersheba recognized that Samuel was attested as a prophet of the Lord. 21 The Lord continued to appear at Shiloh, and there he revealed himself to Samuel through his word.
Then Samuel said, “Speak, for your servant is listening.”
11 And the Lord said to Samuel: “See, I am about to do something in Israel that will make the ears of everyone who hears about it tingle. 12 At that time I will carry out against Eli everything I spoke against his family—from beginning to end. 13 For I told him that I would judge his family forever because of the sin he knew about; his sons blasphemed God,[a] and he failed to restrain them. 14 Therefore I swore to the house of Eli, ‘The guilt of Eli’s house will never be atoned for by sacrifice or offering.’”
15 Samuel lay down until morning and then opened the doors of the house of the Lord. He was afraid to tell Eli the vision, 16 but Eli called him and said, “Samuel, my son.”
Samuel answered, “Here I am.”
17 “What was it he said to you?” Eli asked. “Do not hide it from me. May God deal with you, be it ever so severely, if you hide from me anything he told you.” 18 So Samuel told him everything, hiding nothing from him. Then Eli said, “He is the Lord; let him do what is good in his eyes.”
19 The Lord was with Samuel as he grew up, and he let none of Samuel’s words fall to the ground. 20 And all Israel from Dan to Beersheba recognized that Samuel was attested as a prophet of the Lord. 21 The Lord continued to appear at Shiloh, and there he revealed himself to Samuel through his word.
a. 1 Samuel 3:13 An ancient Hebrew scribal tradition (see also Septuagint); Masoretic Text sons made themselves contemptible
This is from the easy English site.
Samuel obeyed Eli. Samuel heard the Lord and saw him too. The Lord spoke to the boy Samuel who gave the message to the priest. It was a very serious message for a young boy to give to an old priest. In chapter 2, God had warned Eli about what he was going to do. But Eli did not act on God’s warning. Eli did not confess his sin and obey God. So God could not forgive him. Verse 14 is a very serious verse. ‘I will never forgive you’. All through the Bible, God forgives people. In the New Testament, Jesus died on the cross. Now he forgives everyone who confesses his or her wicked ways. But God said that he would never forgive Eli and his family. They would always be guilty, even when they died. God punished them.
Samuel was afraid to tell Eli but he did not hide from him. Eli gave a strong warning to Samuel so that he told the truth. The Lord is a judge. He decides what is right and wrong. He is holy and fair. Eli had sinned. He accepted the Lord’s judgement without complaining.
Everyone in the country of Israel knew about Samuel. People recognised him as a true prophet from the Lord. Everything that Samuel said came true. In Deuteronomy 18:21-22, this is the test for a true prophet. Verse 1 said that it was rare for the Lord to speak directly to people. Now the Lord knew that Samuel would obey him. So the Lord ‘showed himself’ to Samuel. He showed Samuel what he was like. So, Samuel knew God more and understood him better.
Samuel was afraid to tell Eli but he did not hide from him. Eli gave a strong warning to Samuel so that he told the truth. The Lord is a judge. He decides what is right and wrong. He is holy and fair. Eli had sinned. He accepted the Lord’s judgement without complaining.
Everyone in the country of Israel knew about Samuel. People recognised him as a true prophet from the Lord. Everything that Samuel said came true. In Deuteronomy 18:21-22, this is the test for a true prophet. Verse 1 said that it was rare for the Lord to speak directly to people. Now the Lord knew that Samuel would obey him. So the Lord ‘showed himself’ to Samuel. He showed Samuel what he was like. So, Samuel knew God more and understood him better.
Oh, I see now. Hannah went to the Temple and prayed so earnestly that Eli thought she was on a blithering drunk. He dismissed her as a blithering drunk while his sons were stealing the offerings from God's people. Hannah offered her first son in service to God in the Temple. God used Hannah's son to warn Eli about what was going to happen to him.
Look again at verses 13 and 14. God said he's never going to forgive Eli or his family.
