Chapter 57—Punishment: The Ark Taken
This chapter is based on
1 Samuel 3
to 7.
God could not communicate with the high priest and his sons.
Their sins had shut out the presence of His Holy Spirit. But the child
Samuel remained true to Heaven, and the message of condemnation to
the house of Eli was Samuel’s commission as a prophet of the Most
High.
“When Eli was laid down in his place, and his eyes began to wax
dim, that he could not see; 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; ... the Lord called Samuel.”
Supposing the voice to be that of Eli, the child hastened to the
bedside of the priest, saying, “Here am I; for thou calledst me.” The
answer was, “I called not, my son; lie down again.”
Three times Samuel was called and thrice he responded in like
manner. Then Eli was convinced that the mysterious call was the voice
of God. The Lord had passed by His chosen servant, the man of hoary
hairs, to commune with a child. This in itself was a bitter yet deserved
rebuke to Eli and his house.
No envy or jealousy was awakened in Eli’s heart. He directed
Samuel to answer, “Speak, Lord; for thy servant heareth.”
Once more the voice was heard and the child answered, “Speak;
for Thy servant heareth.”
“And the Lord said to Samuel, Behold, I will do a thing in Israel, at
which both the ears of everyone that heareth it shall tingle. In that day
I will perform against Eli all things which I have spoken concerning
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his house: when I begin, I will also make an end. For I have told him
that I will judge his house forever for the iniquity which he knoweth;
because his sons made themselves vile, and he restrained them not...
. The iniquity of Eli’s house shall not be purged with sacrifice nor
offering forever.”
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