Samuel Bible Study

The Lord Calls Samuel

Christianity Oasis provides the Lord Calls Samuel Bible study on the Life of Samuel in the Bible story. We'll look into that and all aspects of the Bible seeking truth and understanding.


Daily Bread Devotional Bible Study
The First Book of Samuel
Chapter 3


The Lord Calls Samuel Bible Study

The Life of Samuel in the Bible Event

Welcome to our Christianity Oasis Daily Bread study program. This is the Lord Calls Samuel Bible study taking a look into the Life of Samuel in the Bible story and how the very interesting the Lord Calls Samuel Bible study message affects your be-YOU-tiful Christian walk.

The Lord Calls Samuel Bible Study
The Life of Samuel in the Bible Event

It's wonderful to have you back again to share more Daily Bread. Reviewing what happened last time we shared, Eli was sent a message from God that because he neglected to do something about his sons defiling the office of the priesthood, Eli's posterity would never live to be old, but would die at a young age.

Apparently, even after this warning, Eli failed to defend the integrity of the priesthood, and as you'll see, God's messenger wasn't just full of empty words.

Don't forget now, in the meantime, Samuel is just a child, and Eli is teaching him to serve the Lord (righteously) as a priest. At that particular time, it was rare that anyone received the Word of the Lord. There was no open vision (a vision that takes place when one is conscious, like falling into a trance, but with the eyes open).

But one night, the Lord called to Samuel, and having never heard the Word of the Lord before, Samuel thought it was Eli calling him, so he went to Eli and said, Here I am. Eli told Samuel to go on back to lie down because he hadn't called him. This happened three times, and then Eli realized it was the Lord calling Samuel, so he instructed him to go lie back down, but if he (Samuel) heard the voice again, to answer: Speak Lord, your servant is listening.

The Lord Calls Samuel Bible Study Lesson
The Life of Samuel in the Bible Story

So the Lord did call again, saying, Samuel, Samuel. Then Samuel answered as he was told by Eli, and the Lord talked to him about Eli. He told Samuel that He would do something in Israel, and anyone who heard of it.

Their ears would tingle. Perhaps this is like what we refer to today as, a chill up the spine. At any rate, God was going to do something that would grab attention. He said that He would do all the things that He had spoken (through the man of God) concerning the family of Eli because of the sins of his sons, and that he (Eli) didn't stop them. So God promised that the sins of Eli's family would not be forgiven with sacrifice nor offering, forever.

The next morning, Samuel was afraid to tell Eli about the vision, but Eli called Samuel to him and asked what the Lord revealed to him, adding, May God do the same to you and more if you hide anything from me that He told you. So Samuel told Eli all of it, and Eli responded, He is the Lord: let Him do what He thinks is good.

Now, if Eli had been truly repentant and had taken action with his sons to stop their evil ways when the man of God warned Eli of the things that would happen because of their transgressions, perhaps things may have turned out differently, but as you can see, Eli seems to have sort of a "whatever will be, will be" attitude, and the ministry of the priesthood.

The Lord Calls Samuel Bible Study Teaching
The Life of Samuel in the Bible Saga

Especially the high priest and heirs, deserves the utmost reverence, of which the Lord saw that Eli and his sons didn't care to exercise, so we'll see what happens to them as a consequence to their ways a little later on in the next chapter.

Meanwhile, Samuel grew closer and closer to the Lord, and all of Israel recognized that he was chosen to be a Prophet of the Lord. You may remember that at the beginning of our study of 1 Samuel, we said that Samuel was the last judge.

Some believe that Samuel was the first "recognized" Prophet. Well, we certainly don't want to split hairs about who was considered the first Prophet, but there are a few scriptures that are interesting about this topic. First of all, Peter said:

Acts 3:24

Yea, and all the Prophets from Samuel and those that follow after, as many as have spoken, have likewise foretold of these days.

The Lord Calls Samuel Bible Explanation
The Life of Samuel in the Bible Truth

And Paul said:

Acts 13:20

And after that He gave unto them judges about the space of four hundred and fifty years, until Samuel the Prophet.

But the Lord Himself referred to Abraham as a Prophet, too:

Genesis 20:7

Now therefore restore the man his wife; for he is a Prophet, and he shall pray for thee, and thou shalt live: and if thou restore her not, know thou that thou shalt surely die, thou, and all that are thine.

And the Lord also said that He sent prophets since the day that Israel came out of slavery in Egypt:

The Lord Calls Samuel Bible Message
The Life of Samuel in the Bible Facts

Jeremiah 7:25

Since the day that your fathers came forth out of the land of Egypt unto this day I have even sent unto you all my servants the Prophets, daily rising up early and sending them ...

Of course there was Enoch, Noah, Moses, Aaron, Miriam, Balaam and Deborah who are noted as being Prophets as well, so we're not going to say that Peter was wrong, or Paul was wrong, or anything of that nature. Let's just say that during the time period when the judges ruled, there weren't any Prophets around until Samuel.

Don't forget, people will always want to challenge Christianity by asking you tricky questions that have absolutely nothing to do with your faith. Obviously, in a perfect world, they would realize that it doesn't matter who was the first prophet, and that living a life that represents Jesus is all that really matters, so never let trivia, debate, or provocation shake you.

The Lord Calls Samuel Bible Summary
The Life of Samuel in the Bible Conclusion

Just always ask the Holy Spirit to guide you in sharing Truth with others, and be at peace within yourself that you do your best to share the Word of the Lord and the Gospel as purely as you possibly can.

Can't wait for you to return so we can continue our study of the book of 1 Samuel, right here together at Daily Bread.