Second
Sunday after Trinity.
The
Collect.
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O
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LORD, who never failest to help and govern those whom thou dost bring
up in thy stedfast fear and love; Keep us, we beseech thee, under the
protection of thy good providence, and make us to have a perpetual fear and
love of thy holy Name; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
The First Lesson (Third Set of Propers)
1 And the child Samuel ministered unto
the LORD before Eli. And the word of the LORD was precious in those days; there
was no open vision. 2 And it came to pass at that time, when Eli was laid
down in his place, and his eyes began to wax dim, that he could not see; 3 And
ere the lamp of God went out in the temple of the LORD, where the ark of God
was, and Samuel was laid down to sleep; 4 That the LORD called Samuel: and
he answered, Here am I. 5 And he ran unto Eli, and said, Here am I; for
thou calledst me. And he said, I called not; lie down again. And he went and
lay down. 6 And the LORD called yet again, Samuel. And Samuel arose and
went to Eli, and said, Here am I; for thou didst call me. And he answered, I
called not, my son; lie down again. 7 Now Samuel did not yet know the
LORD, neither was the word of the LORD yet revealed unto him. 8 And the
LORD called Samuel again the third time. And he arose and went to Eli, and
said, Here am I; for thou didst call me. And Eli perceived that the LORD had
called the child. 9 Therefore Eli said unto Samuel, Go, lie down: and it
shall be, if he call thee, that thou shalt say, Speak, LORD; for thy servant
heareth. So Samuel went and lay down in his place. 10 And the LORD came,
and stood, and called as at other times, Samuel, Samuel. Then Samuel answered,
Speak; for thy servant heareth.
11 And the LORD said to Samuel, Behold, I will do a thing in Israel, at which both the ears of every one that heareth it shall tingle. 12 In that day I will perform against Eli all things which I have spoken concerning his house: when I begin, I will also make an end. 13 For I have told him that I will judge his house for ever for the iniquity which he knoweth; because his sons made themselves vile, and he restrained them not. 14 And therefore I have sworn unto the house of Eli, that the iniquity of Eli's house shall not be purged with sacrifice nor offering for ever. 15 And Samuel lay until the morning, and opened the doors of the house of the LORD. And Samuel feared to shew Eli the vision. 16 Then Eli called Samuel, and said, Samuel, my son. And he answered, Here am I. 17 And he said, What is the thing that the LORD hath said unto thee? I pray thee hide it not from me: God do so to thee, and more also, if thou hide any thing from me of all the things that he said unto thee. 18 And Samuel told him every whit, and hid nothing from him. And he said, It is the LORD: let him do what seemeth him good. (I Samuel 3:1-18)
Samuel was a child
that came by way of the direct miracle of God just as Adam had come to be….just
as Isaac was born to Sarah long past child-bearing years….and John the Baptist
by the same means…..and even like unto that greatest of all miracles of birth –
Jesus Christ by means of a young virgin. It is heart-breaking to read of the
sorrows of Hannah and the humiliation she experienced from Peninnah (1 Sam 1:2)
the fruitful wife of Hannah’s husband, Elkanah. Though to man, it was not
possible for Hannah to bear a child, yet she took her burden before the Lord in
grief and longing and He granted her conception (just as He grants to every
mother of children common to mankind).
Of course, the gift of conception was not without obligation – and
neither is the birth of any child given without obligation. Even at the instant
of conception, God is forming, not that which will BECOME a boy or girl baby,
but a boy or girl that He has already created though conception – it is purely
and wholly a human life – make no mistake about it. In the case of Hannah, her
obligation was a particular one based upon her promise to the Lord: And
she vowed a vow, and said, O LORD of hosts, if thou wilt indeed look on the
affliction of thine handmaid, and remember me, and not forget thine handmaid,
but wilt give unto thine handmaid a man child, then I will give him unto the
LORD all the days of his life, and there shall no razor come upon his head.
(1 Sam 1:11) Not all mothers are bound by such a particular vow, but they are
definitely bound by the natural law of God to nurture the child physically,
emotionally, and spiritually. We, in the Anglican Church, even provide a backup
in fulfilling that role of the mother and father in the provision of Godparents
who vow to do all possible to see to the child’s spiritual nurturing.
Today’s narrative
begins with a curious introduction: “And the word of the LORD was precious in
those days; there was no open vision. May I point out from the start that the Word of the Lord is
always precious, but the value of a precious stone is always increased by its
rarity! The true and untarnished (by modern translation manipulations) is
enhanced in value for our day due to its growing rarity. 11 Behold, the days come,
saith the Lord GOD, that I will send a famine in the land, not a famine of
bread, nor a thirst for water, but of hearing the words of the LORD: 12 And
they shall wander from sea to sea, and from the north even to the east, they
shall run to and fro to seek the word of the LORD, and shall not find it.
(Amos 8:11-12)
When we observe the
moral ruins of our modern landscape, particularly in America, we are forced to
admit that there is no open vision for the things of God, or even a high regard
for His Holy Word (even in most churches). The comparative states of modern
America and Israel of that day enjoy many parallels. Just as America, having
escaped the bondage of Europe, came into being through the Beneficence and
Providence of God through the labors of our Godly Founding Fathers, so did
Israel come out of Egypt into the Promised Land after experiencing the
challenges of the Wilderness Journey. Having crossed Jordan Waters into the
Land of Promise, they had only God to be their Ruler, and they were most
blessed among all nations of the earth.
The same was true of the Founding documents of America which appealed to
God for protection and guidance. But, as disobedience to God’s Law grew out of
a complacent regard for the Holiness of God, Israel was given judges to divide
and interpret the laws of society. Israel began to reject God as her King and
choose, rather, the fashions and customs of those ungodly nations over which
God had given them the preeminence. The descent into the dark abyss is never
partial, but is expedited by the powerful draw of the central maelstrom toward
which they have drawn nearer and nearer. Judges, though begun in earnest
intent, will always lead to the errors of man if unrestrained by the biblical
constitution. The rule of the Judges led to a chaotic society in which every
man did according to whatever he could get advantage in doing. There will
forever be a king over a people whether of God, or of faulty men: In
those days there was no king
in Israel: every man did that
which was right in his own eyes. (Judges 21:25) If God is not
our King, we will presume to be our own king. When god is not our Ruler,
lawlessness and a failure of honor will always result. Wake up, America!
Now, God has a
means of providing an “open vision” for Israel just as He did for America at
our own founding. He will raise up a man through whom He may provide that
vision – the prophet Samuel! Long before Hannah ever made her first
journey with Elkanah up to Shiloh to worship, God had called Samuel from the
misty dawn of Eternity Past to be a Prophet in Israel for such a time as this.
God had, and used, a means whereby Hannah would be drawn to dedicate her
first-born, Samuel, to the service of the Lord. It was not Hannah’s real
decision, but one which God caused her to see and do. Are we, who call
ourselves by the Name ‘Christian’ following that will of God as He rules in our
lives, our do we judge for ourselves the things that seem “right in (our) own
eyes.”
Need I tell you
that all men do not equally hear the Voice and summons of the Lord – even
those to whom is given the authority of Holy Orders by the Church! Eli was a priest, however, he had not
raised up his own sons in the godly admonition of the Lord (a sin) and was not
worthy of the same level of revelation received by the fair young child,
Samuel. (see 1 Samuel 2:11-18).
Please observe the manner in which God calls Samuel – the keen ears of
Samuel in hearing god’s call, and the dull ears of Eli to hear the same Voice!
Read carefully the following passage: ; 3 And ere the lamp of God went out
in the temple of the LORD, where the ark of God was, and Samuel was laid down
to sleep; 4 That the LORD called Samuel: and he answered, Here am I. 5 And
he ran unto Eli, and said, Here am I; for thou calledst me. And he said, I
called not; lie down again. And he went and lay down. 6 And the LORD
called yet again, Samuel. And Samuel arose and went to Eli, and said, Here am
I; for thou didst call me. And he answered, I called not, my son; lie down
again. 7 Now Samuel did not yet know the LORD, neither was the word of the
LORD yet revealed unto him. 8 And the LORD called Samuel again the third
time. And he arose and went to Eli, and said, Here am I; for thou didst call
me. And Eli perceived that the LORD had called the child. 9 Therefore Eli
said unto Samuel, Go, lie down: and it shall be, if he call thee, that thou
shalt say, Speak, LORD; for thy servant heareth. So Samuel went and lay down in
his place. 10 And the LORD came, and stood, and called as at other times,
Samuel, Samuel. Then Samuel answered, Speak; for thy servant heareth.
Noteworthy is the
fact that Samuel, even before he knew the Lord, heard that Voice calling from
the dark shadows of the Temple; but the priest of the Lord who presumably knew
Him, could not hear. Aren’t the works and mysteries of the Lord in His ways
beyond our finding out? Another important observation in the calling of Samuel
is the fact that God does not relent in calling His chosen vessel. If the Call
is not comprehended at first, God will (as the Hound of Heaven) continue
calling until the message is received and acted upon. It may also be observed that the called of God continue to
need counsel from others. There are no Know-It-Alls in the Kingdom of Heaven
except the All-Knowing Triune God. Samuel sought confirmation continually from
his elder in the Temple. I hope and pray that we, as the servants of the Lord
(every Christian), will hear and respond to the Voice of the Lord in all our
ways.
There is a
sharp-edged warning to parents in America, and all places, in the words of the
Lord rendered against Eli for failing to: 1st) raise up his sons in
the nurture and truth of God’s Law, and, 2ndly) for not restraining his sons
for doing evil. The parents of our nation face a great judgment of God for our
failure to raise our children under the Godly model. Read what God says to
Samuel: 11 And the LORD said to Samuel, Behold, I will do a thing in
Israel, at which both the ears of every one that heareth it shall tingle. 12 In
that day I will perform against Eli all things which I have spoken concerning
his house: when I begin, I will also make an end. 13 For I have told him
that I will judge his house for ever for the iniquity which he knoweth; because
his sons made themselves vile, and he restrained them not. 14 And
therefore I have sworn unto the house of Eli, that the iniquity of Eli's house
shall not be purged with sacrifice nor offering for ever. When God brings judgment, He often
brings the final condemnation with it. It is interesting to note that Eli died
of a broken neck following the loss of the Ark in battle to the Philistines.
Beware the judgment of God when it comes, for it brings with it the suffering
of the innocent along with the guilty. Israel was roundly defeated by the
avenger – the Philistines because of their own sins, and particularly the sins
of their priesthood. What of the sins of the modern clergy of churches who call
good, evil, and evil, good? They have been complicit with the enemies of God
and shall be the means by which a great and Godly nation has fallen.
Moral cowardice and
greed are the tow prongs of the modern ministry that has led America down the
primrose path to moral depravity and materialism. Such devices may lead us individually down the same path as
well. It is not enough to hear and know the Voice of the Lord, we must have the
courage to proclaim it – even to those who hold the sway of power over us: 15 And
Samuel lay until the morning, and opened the doors of the house of the LORD.
And Samuel feared to shew Eli the vision. 16 Then Eli called Samuel, and
said, Samuel, my son. And he answered, Here am I. 17 And he said, What is
the thing that the LORD hath said unto thee? I pray thee hide it not from me:
God do so to thee, and more also, if thou hide any thing from me of all the
things that he said unto thee. 18 And Samuel told him every whit, and hid
nothing from him. And he said, It is the LORD: let him do what seemeth him good. Even the weak and wavering Eli
recognize the authority and intent of god once spoken to him by Samuel, the
young prophet recently called of God. Are we, fellow Christians, fearful of
showing the vision of God to others, particularly those in government? Or do we
allow the deleterious will of Satan to go unchecked in the name of governmental
authority. There is no division or separation of church and state in the US
Constitution, but there is a protection of the Church FROM state. “Congress shall make NO law respecting the establishment of religion, or PROHIBITING the FREE EXERCISE thereof.” How much
plainer could this clause be? If the Congress has made NO law respecting the
establishment of religion, which law is it that the US Supreme Court is ruling
upon that forbids the free expression and exercise of religion at all times and
at all places?
I believe America
is entering into a judgment of god that has been preceded by innumerable
warnings and amazing acts of God. Like Eli, we have not heard God’s Voice in
the earthquake, the destroying winds, and the vulnerability of our tall towers
to the wicked intent of the enemy.
America has lost her vision (there was no open vision in Israel). We
have turned “as the dog to his vomit, and as the sow to wallowing in the mud.” But
it is happened unto them according to the true proverb, The dog is turned to his own vomit again; and
the sow that was washed to her wallowing in the mire. (2 Peter 2:22) We
have even been encouraged to do so by the modern church. Israel grew weary of
having God as their King and petitioned, later, to Samuel to give them a king ‘like
all the other nations.” This broke Samuel’s heart, but God told Samuel to give
them a king according to their desires – such a king would rob and steal all of
their substance including their sons and daughters. Do we not see the same in
our own day? This warning of God applies to nations as well as individuals: Be
not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he
also reap. (Gal 6:7) The window for repentance of the nation draws
narrow. Shall we hear the Voice and repent in time to forego that horrible
judgment that is surely coming to our fair shores? Shall we again have God as
our King, or shall we prefer Mammon?
