God Calls Samuel

Samuel was serving Yahweh while Eli was there. In those days, messages from Yahweh were rare, and there were not many visions. One night Eli was lying down, and Samuel was lying in Yahweh’s house where the ark of God was. God’s lamp had not yet gone out.

Yahweh called, “Samuel!” Samuel went to Eli, thinking Eli had called him. But Eli said he had not called, so Samuel lay down again. The same thing happened a second time. Samuel did not yet know Yahweh, because Yahweh’s word had not yet been revealed to him.

When Yahweh called a third time, Samuel went to Eli again. Then Eli understood that Yahweh was calling the child. He told Samuel to lie down, and if he was called again, to answer that Yahweh’s servant was hearing. So Samuel went back and lay down in his place.

Yahweh came and stood there, calling as before, “Samuel! Samuel!” Samuel answered that his servant was hearing. Then Yahweh told Samuel he was going to bring judgment on Eli’s house. Eli had known about his sons’ wrongdoing and had not restrained them, and this guilt would not be removed by sacrifice or offering.

Samuel lay there until morning and opened the doors of Yahweh’s house. He was afraid to tell Eli about the vision. But Eli called him and told him not to hide anything. So Samuel told him everything. Eli replied that Yahweh should do what seemed good to him.

As Samuel grew, Yahweh was with him and did not let any of Samuel’s words fall to the ground. All Israel, from Dan to Beersheba, knew that Samuel had been established as Yahweh’s prophet. Yahweh continued to appear in Shiloh and reveal himself to Samuel by his word.