THE CALL TO SAMUEL In the midst of the outer darkness, “Before the lamp of God went out;... in the tabernacle” (1 Samuel 3: 3), God called Samuel, to set him as a lamp amid His people, to proclaim His divine will, and to testify to His truth. 1- The call to Samuel1 – 14. 2- Samuel talk with Eli 15 – 18. 3- God supports Samuel 19 – 21. 1- THE CALL TO SAMUEL a- God probably called Samuel just before dawn, amid the outer darkness; as it is said: “And before the lamp of God went out in the tabernacle of the Lord where the ark of God was, and while Samuel was lying down to sleep” (1 Samuel 23: 3) In the books of Exodus (27: 21); and Leviticus (24: 2, 3), it was mentioned that the lamp (the lamp stand) was to be lightened from evening till morning; so, the call of God came by the end of the night, just before dawn. Beside the material darkness, there was another sort of darkness; as it is said: “The word of God was rare in those days; there was no widespread revelation” (1 Samuel 3: 1) This was expressed by the Psalmist by saying: “O God, why have you cast us forever?!....We do not see our signs; There is no longer any prophet; nor is there any among us who knows how long” (Psalm 74: 1, 9); and by the prophet Amos: “‘Behold, the days are coming’, says the Lord, ‘that I will send a famine on the land, not a famine of bread, nor a thirst for water, but of hearing the words of the Lord” (Amos 8: 11). Amid that darkness, and spiritual famine, God set a little child to minister to the temple and the tabernacle with faithfulness through whom God gives light to His people. Such was the case in every generation: God set a faithful remnant to testify and minister to Him, by Spirit and truth. When the people fell in bondage, He sent them Moses; and when the heretic Arius rebelled against the divinity of Christ, God sent St. Athanasius the apostolic; Thus God watches over His Church even if the darkness assumes its prevalence. By saying: “Before the lamp of God went out” (1 Samuel 3: 3), He means that amid the darkness, Jehovah - the Landlord Himself - was watching over His house, caring for His people1. b- The holy Book presented us with the circumstances in which God called Samuel: “While Eli was lying down in his place, and when his eyes had begun to grow so dim that he could not see..., in the tabernacle of the Lord, where the ark of God was, and while Samuel was lying down to sleep” (1 Samuel 3: 2, 3). Samuel was not lying in the tabernacle itself, in the holy or the most holy place, but in one of the annex tents; and Eli was in another annex; Why then, was it said that Samuel was lying down in the tabernacle of the Lord, where the ark of God was. while Eli was lying down “in his place”? Physically, they were both in the same complex; but, in the eyes of God, Samuel was counted as being in the temple of God before the ark of God; even while sleeping, he is saying together with the bride: “I sleep but my heart is awake” (Song 5: 2); though his body was lying outside the tabernacle, his heart was attached to it! 1 Nelson: A New Catholic Commentary, p. 309. 2 Samuel was asleep. Yet his insight was enlightened, beholding the sanctuaries; whereas Eli’s eyes had begun to grow dim, that he could not see! In him, the inner incapability of age started to be reflected; and his insight was blinded through his slothfulness toward the divine sanctities because of his two sons! c- “Now Samuel did not yet know the Lord, nor was the word of the Lord yet revealed to him” (1 Samuel 3: 7). There is a big difference between Samuel’s lack of knowledge, and that of Eli’s two sons; Samuel had not yet known the Lord through His voice nor through visions though he knew him through faith and daily experience.. Eli’s sons, on the other hand, did not know the Lord, having not enjoyed obedience, love, and the experience of fellowship with Him. In the fullness of time, we have not just heard His voice - as Samuel had - but the divine Word came incarnated, and dwelt among us, to behold, to recognize, and to abide in Him; to bring us to the bosom of His Father, and to reveal to us His divine secrets. That is the knowledge, because of which, the Lord of Glory Jesus “rejoiced in the Spirit,” as He revealed it to believers through simplicity (Luke 10: 21). St. Clement of Alexandria called the true Christian, a ‘Gnostic”; namely, one of spiritual knowledge, whose goal is to recognize and behold God (the Truth) 1; namely to pass over to the perfection of knowledge through faith, By practicing the pure life, and consistent contemplation. This knowledge is a divine gift, that we receive through the Son, by accepting Him and following His example. In other words, through the purity of heart, we behold God, and comprehend what is incomprehensible for others2. d- The Lord called Samuel - a child, according to ‘Josephus,’ of about 12 years old- who heard His voice, because the strings of his heart were sensitive to hearken God’s voice, though he thought the voice, at the first time, to be that of Eli the high priest, so, “He ran to Eli and said, ‘Here I am for you called me” (1 Samuel 3: 4) There is no doubt that Samuel saw by his own eyes the offenses and corruption of the two sons of Eli. yet, with the spirit of humility and love, when he thought he heard the voice of Eli, “he ran” to him, lest he might be in need of help or service. He was used to serve others joyfully and readily, regardless of their worthiness. That incident was repeated three times, and he ran to the old priest every single time, without complaining, though it was just before dawn. The child Samuel continued faithfully to serve the old priest, and to seek his guidance obediently. St. John Climacus says in his essay on “obedience” that, obedience, together with the feeling of sojourning, constitute two golden wings, that carry man to heaven (Psalm 55: 6); Yet, obedience has to be ‘in love of Christ,’ 3. Obedience - as a daughter of humility - is not for man to do what he wishes to do,... but it is for him to disregard his own wishes, to do those of him, to whom he wholly submitted himself; namely, to his spiritual guide St. Philoxinus4 The path of obedience is the shortest of paths, yet it is the most difficult. St. John Climacus1 1 Stromata 2: 10; 7: 10. 2 Ibid 6: 8. 3 Ladder, Step 4. . 4 الحب الرعوي، 1965 ، ص 68 3 e- Although the Lord called Samuel by his name, the blessed child could not recognize nor encounter Him, without the guidance of the priest, despite all his shortcomings of slothfulness to God with his sons. So, it is becoming of us, never to underestimate a priest, as a guide and a father, who can lead us to a personal encounter with God, our Father, and the Lord Jesus Christ, our Savior, through the holy Spirit of God. God allowed Samuel to go once and again to Eli, the old priest; He meant for him, who deserved to hearken the voice of God, to benefit from the experience of Eli, who happened to have offended God....So that, he who was called for a divine mission, would experience a life of humility, to become a role model to young people in this concern. Abbot Moses2 The book of Proverbs says that security and safety are in the abundance of counseling (See the Septuagint version)... See what the holy Book is teaching us. It confirms to us that we should not set ourselves as a center of leadership, count ourselves as highly thoughtful, or believe that we are capable of directing ourselves. Beside the grace of God, we need the help and guidance of someone else. There is nobody who could be easily trapped, like him who is not guided by a mentor on the path to God3. How can we recognize the will of God, or seek it in its perfection, if we only trust ourselves, and hold fast to our own will? Abbot Poemen used to say “Self will” is a brass wall, that separates man from God. If man seeks security for himself, he should lay bare all his hidden thoughts, and listen to the counsel of an experienced guide: Do this, and do not do that; This is right, and that is wrong; This is not the right time to do this, or this is the right time to do that. By this, the devil would not have a chance to harm or to strike him. Abbot Dorotheos of Gaza4 Whoever leans upon his own counsel, even if he is a saint, is actually deceived; and his deception is far more dangerous than that of a beginner, who surrenders his ordinance into the hands of another. St. John Chrysostom5 Whoever listens to his spiritual fathers, is listening to the Lord. St. Anthony the Great6 f- “Then the Lord came and stood and called as all other times, ‘Samuel, Samuel’ (1 Samuel 3: 10). It is as though the Lord descended from His Cherobimic throne, took off the veil, to stand in the holy sanctuary, and to call the child. What an amazing divine . 1 المرجع السابق، ص 70 2 Cassian: Conf. 2: 14. 3 Apo. Poemen 54. PG 65: 333-6. 4 On the need for Consultation. . 5 الحب الرعوي، ص 68 . 6 الحب الرعوي، ص 71 4 condescension, and what an exalted love for man! God stands to call a child to an exalted mission! g- And Samuel answered: ‘ Speak, for Your servant hears’ (1 Samuel 3: 10). This answer declares that hearing and obeying the divine voice are the essence of prophecy. Samuel was trained since his childhood on obedience, realizing that it is, far better than many sacrifices; something that king ‘Saul’ failed to realize (1 Samuel 15: 22). 2- SAMUEL TALK WITH ELI God talked to Samuel about future issues, as though they are being realized in the present (1 Samuel 3: 11), proclaiming to him that He is going to execute the horrible things He previously stated, concerning the house of Eli, saying to him: “I have sworn to the house of Eli that the iniquity of Eli’s house shall not be atoned for by sacrifices or offerings forever” (1 Samuel 3: 14) He did not go into details of those chastisements; yet His words were clear and firm; probably to give Eli and his sons a chance to repent... taking into consideration that that talk happened, about ten years prior to the realization of the events spoken of. Samuel was afraid to tell Eli his vision (1 Samuel 3: 15); not out of fear that he would bring on himself the old man’s wrath, but out of apprehension that he might hurt the feelings of such a respectable old man whom he dearly loved. But, responding to Eli’s command he told him every thing. Eli’s reaction revealed his piety, despite his weak personality before his two sons, saying: “It is the Lord; Let Him do what seems good to Him” (1 Samuel 3: 18). 3- GOD SUPPORTS SAMUEL Having called Samuel for a leading prophetical mission, God gave him the capabilities to achieve it, as follows: a- Being with God: “So Samuel grew, and the Lord was with him” (1 Samuel 3: 19). God Himself is the secret of the strength of His beloved children, accompanying them, and granting Himself and His divine capabilities to them to let them need nothing more; as what happened with Abraham (Genesis 21: 22), Jacob (Genesis 28: 15), Joseph (Genesis 39: 2), Moses (Exodus 3: 12), Joshua (Joshua 1: 5), Gideon (Judges 6: 16), and with David (1 Samuel 16: 18). The secret of the strength of the apostle Paul in his ministry, was his awareness of his enjoyment of God’s grace, which in its essence is the transfiguration of God Himself in his life; That is why he says: “..., yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me” (1 Corinthians 15: 10). God is the ‘Vinedresser’: though the work is done through prophets and apostles, God is the true Vinedresser. What are we then? We are probably laborers in His vine yard, working by His power and grace that He grants us. St. Augustine1 “Let a man so consider us, as servants of Christ and stewards of the mysteries of God” (1 Corinthians 4: 1). An honest steward follows the instructions of his employer to the best of his ability, without referring what belongs to his employer to himself... Do you want to see an example of an honest steward? Hear what Peter . 1 الحب الرعوي، ص 15 5 says: “Why look so intently at us, as though by our own power or godliness we had made this man walk” (Acts 3: 12); and to Cornelius, he also says: “Stand up, I myself am also a man” (Acts 10: 36). The apostle Paul was not less honest when he says: “I labored more abundantly than they all, yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me” (1 Corinthians 15: 10) St. John Chrysostom1 b- He let him have favor in the sight of his people: “He let none of His words fall to the ground; And all Israel from Dan to Beersheba knew that Samuel had been established as a prophet of the Lord” (1 Samuel 3: 19, 20). The expression “from Dan to Beersheba” means (from the far north to the far south); namely, all over the country (Judges 20: 1). c- God began to appear to proclaim Samuel Himself in Shiloh, by His word, to put an end to a period of darkness, during which “the word of God was rare” (1 Samuel 3: 1).
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