1 Sam. 3:1-4
Now the boy Samuel was ministering to the Lord before Eli. And word from the Lord was rare in those days, visions were infrequent. 2 It happened at that time as Eli was lying down in his place (now his eyesight had begun to grow dim and he could not see well), and the lamp of God had not yet gone out?, and Samuel was lying down in the temple of the Lord where the ark of God was, that the Lord called Samuel; and he said, “Here I am.” NLT
The passage says the word of the Lord was rare in those days. The book of Judges can be used as a backdrop reference. After the leadership of Moses and Joshua, the Lord began to raise up judges for the people of Israel. The judges would lead the people as military conquerors and in other circumstance render justice in judicial affairs.
The people of Israel after conquering and establishing the promised land lost sight of their vision, their life purpose, and values as taught by the Lord. The LORD was no longer needed, no longer their number one. Soon they would succumb to detestable practices, ways of life they were taught to refrain from. Therefore, the Lord would not protect them as a hedge and subsequently, armies attacked them. These armies would come from other lands to attack, subdue, and take Israel’s produce and possessions. Then the Israelites would remember the Lord and cry for help. There the judge would step in and lead them into battle and overcome the enemy. So this little circumstance became commonplace:
– The people of Israel would forget the Lord
– They would allow detestable practices into their lifestyle
– The Lord would not protect them due to their choices
– An army would conquer their lands and subdue them, taking resources from them
– The people would cry out to God for help
– The Lord would raise up a Judge
– The judge would fight for and rescue the people
– Repeat
As we consider the passage in 1 Samuel, it is easy to comprehend why the word of the Lord was rare in those days. The passage mentions the lamp of the Lord had not yet gone out. The position of priest in the Old Testament was filled with responsibility beyond measure. In this small phrase, we can consider that the duties of the priest were in decline. The Old Testament specifically mentions in certain passages the importance to burn incense and keep the lamp continually burning (Leviticus 24.2-4). If we consider the Biblical narrative, void of electricity and other technologies, the importance of light is insurmountably significant.
Consider this day our grand influence as believers in Christ. We are called by Jesus to be a double influence as salt and light to the world. This 1 Samuel passage refers to the priestly role of communion and intercession before the Lord in the holy place within the tabernacle, but if we ponder the profound symbolism of light we should be astounded. Many Christians don’t keep their lamps burning. They are not as wise as the righteous bridesmaids found in Matthew 25. Instead, they are as guilty as the people of Israel during the time of Judges. Sure, they have established their kingdoms by way of land, possessions, and family, but so much is lacking in their lives. It begins with the fact that there is no need for the Lord, no cry for help or desire for communion. Sadly, the passage narrates our current state like a bad omen, the word of the Lord is rare, visions are not frequent….and the lamp has been snuffed out.
There is no greater time than now for us to turn to God and repent of our indifference and lost focus, our iniquity. God must be number one in our lives! Time is too short for us to misinterpret the Bible and be found guilty.
If we are too busy to look to the Lord as our number one, if we are too proud to cry out to him for help, if we are too indifferent to care about moving his heart it is a good indication that our lamps are off! If we believe our lifestyle is intact, there is no need for repentance, look briefly to the Decalogue.
An example is, “Do not commit adultery.” If we are free from having failed in this grievous sin, Jesus extended it to, “anyone who even looks at a woman with lust has already committed adultery with her in his heart. (Matthew 5.28 NLT). It doesn’t take much for us to recognize that we are guilty. The promise of salvation is accompanied by the command REPENT and BELIEVE. Rectifying our lives before the Lord requires a different lifestyle along with a believing heart. There is no greater time than now for us to turn to God and repent of our all our iniquities. The word of the Lord will once again be heard, visions will be frequent but we must keep our lamps burning.
Please feel free to ask any questions you may have. This was taken from a message that was shared at our Luminous service at City Light Church in Chandler, Arizona.