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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.
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A
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nd 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
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 who 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 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, or 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, secondly) 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 two 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 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?
