The Book of SamuelSample

God’s Responses Faithful and Unfaithful Service: 1 Samuel 2:27-3:21

Following these differing evaluations, our author contrasted God’s responses to Eli and his family’s unfaithful service with his response to Samuel’s faithful service in 2:27-4:1.

On the one side, our author dealt with Eli in 2:27-36. He explained that God sent an unnamed prophet, “a man of God,” who pointed out how Eli and his sons had corrupted Israel’s worship. Through this prophet, God threatened curses against Eli’s family, saying in verse 31, “I will cut off your strength and the strength of your father’s house.” God had rejected Eli’s family and was removing them from His service.

On the other side, our author reported God’s contrasting response to Samuel in 3:1-4:1. He first noted that the Lord rarely spoke through His prophets at this time to indicate how remarkable it was that God was about to speak directly to Samuel. Then, after waking Samuel several times in the night, God revealed in verse 11 that He was about to do something so shocking that the “ears of everyone who hears it will tingle.” He told Samuel that He would no longer tolerate the sins of Eli’s house but would punish them forever for their wickedness. In the morning, Samuel told Eli about God’s threat of curses against his family. Ironically, Eli himself conceded that God was in charge and would do what was right. 

Our author then closed out this contrast, in 1 Samuel 3:19-20, with these words:

Samuel grew, and the Lord was with him and let none of his words fall to the ground. And all Israel from Dan to Beersheba knew that Samuel was established as a prophet of the Lord.

Notice here that our author expanded on his approval of Samuel from 2:21 and 2:26. As Samuel grew even more, “the Lord was with him.” And because Samuel served God faithfully at the Tabernacle, God blessed him and raised him up as His prophet in the eyes of all Israel.