Advancing the Light

Read 1 Samuel 3-7
 
1 Samuel 3:1 The boy Samuel ministered before the Lord under Eli. In those days the word of the Lord was rare; there were not many visions…3 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…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 of it tingle”…18 So Samuel told Eli 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 his words fall to the ground. 20 And all Israel from Dan to Beersheba recognized that Samuel was attested as a prophet of the Lord.
 
SAMUEL is the next person in God’s Love Story to expand God’s revelation to the world. As with others such as Noah, Abram and Moses, Samuel first had to learn God’s voice. Then he listened with a faithful heart to God’s messages. Then he began to  speak the complete truth to Israel. In this moment, Samuel became the next prophet in Israel, speaking only what the LORD told him.
   His first message is judgment against Eli’s family and Israel. Samuel heard his lesson well. From that day on, Samuel grew into his purpose as a righteous prophet, priest and judge to guide Israel toward God’s Word even as they changed from a theocracy to a monarchy.
   This is your history as a Christian. Even as it seems Israel’s faith was diminishing, God’s plan to save you took a big step forward here. Out of a dim light in Israel would come more prophets, kings and leaders to shine the bright glow of God’s glory to the nations.
   How about you today? Might you feel God’s light is dim in the world? Are you listening with a servant’s heart to discover his voice? Are you speaking God’s truth? Are you revealing God’s righteous judgment and gracious salvation to a new generation?
 
Samuel’s Victory Stone
 
1 Samuel 7:5 Then Samuel said, “Assemble all Israel at Mizpah and I will intercede with the Lord for you.” …10 But that day the LORD thundered with loud thunder against the Philistines and threw them into such a panic that they were routed before the Israelites…12 Then Samuel took a stone and set it up between Mizpah and Shen. He named it Ebenezer, saying, “Thus far has the Lord helped us.”
 
GOD favored the Philistines, Israel’s enemies! Israel’s leaders and priests had committed sacrifice and sexual sins against God’s law. Several times in Israel’s history, the LORD used pagan empires as his judgment sword on Israel.
   Then Samuel became Israel’s judge. He urged them to call on the true God. Israel listened and acted. They exhorted Samuel to pray for them! Through God’s power display among the Philistines, the ark of the covenant returned to Israel. Then Israel removed the pagan enemy from the Promised Land.
   In victory and praise, Samuel raised a stone he named Ebenezer – the “stone of help”. As other judges and leaders, Samuel made a physical marker to remember the LORD Almighty’s victory. It is very important to note the stone wasn’t worshiped. It was another memory of God’s great work for his people.
   I wonder, do we now consider the cross as our Ebenezer? Is it our remembrance of victory?