“Sh’mu’el kept growing, Adonai was with him, and he let none of his words fall to the ground. All Israel from Dan to Beer-Sheva became aware that Sh’mu’el had been confirmed as a prophet of Adonai.”-1 Samuel 3:19-20
So Samuel tells Eli the devastating news the Lord had revealed to him about the curse that had been placed on him and his two sons.
The fate of Eli’s family had been sealed…
And there was nothing that could be done about it.
Sensing the finality of the situation, Eli responds by telling Samuel…
“It is Adonai; let him do what seems good to him.”
We can see Eli had accepted the finality of his situation and had no choice but to accept the inevitable.
Onward.
Next, in verse 19 we’re told that Samuel kept growing…
And that Adonai was with him.
This means that Samuel’s growth was not just physical…
But also spiritual.
This transformation was amazing.
The young boy who initially knew nothing about God now was on very intimate terms with the Lord.
Samuel was transforming into a prophet.
And it was apparent to all of Israel…from Dan to Beersheva we’re told.
Historically speaking, another important development was also taking place.
During the era of the Judges, the leadership of Israel was very scattered.
There was no central or national leader who all the 12 tribes looked up to.
Instead, as was repeated over and over again in the book of Judges, “every man did what was right in his eyes”.
Politically speaking, that meant Israel turned to their own tribal leaders for help when they faced trouble or oppression from the Canaanites.
However, here we now see Israel beginning to accept a nationwide leader in the form of Samuel.
This was a huge mindset shift…
And was paving the way for them to accept a king over them in the near future.
So the takeaway I’m getting for today is this.
A young boy who has an intimate relationship with the Lord…
Even that child possesses more wisdom than a man generations older than him.
All you have to do is compare Samuel with Eli to see this true.
Eli’s relationship with the Lord was severed…
When that happened all of his wisdom and knowledge of the Lord went out the window.
In contrast, as the young Samuel’s relationship with Lord grew stronger and stronger…
So did his Godly wisdom and knowledge…
Which means being filled with wisdom has nothing to do with age.
It’s being plugged into a relationship with God that counts.
CONNECTING THIS TEACHING TO THE NEW TESTAMENT
“And Yeshua grew in wisdom and stature,
and in favor with God and man.”
-Luke 2:52
NEXT TIME WE BEGIN 1 SAMUEL CHAPTER FOUR
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