Bible Study: Eli's Complacency vs Samuel's Obedience

​1 Samuel 3:1-4 (KJV)
3 And the child Samuel ministered unto the Lord before Eli. And the word of the Lord was precious in those days; there was no open vision.
2 And it came to pass at that time, when Eli was laid down in his place, and his eyes began to wax dim, that he could not see;
3 And ere the lamp of God went out in the temple of the Lord, where the ark of God was, and Samuel was laid down to sleep;
4 That the Lord called Samuel: and he answered, Here am I.
 
1 Samuel 3:1-4 (ESV)
3 Now the boy Samuel was ministering to the Lord in the presence of Eli. And the word of the Lord was rare in those days; there was no frequent vision.
2 At that time Eli, whose eyesight had begun to grow dim so that he could not see, was lying down in his own place. 3 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.
4 Then the Lord called Samuel, and he said, “Here I am!”
 
I would like to emphasize the first verse in 1 Samuel Chapter 3 between these two given translations. The ESV really points out that “there was no frequent visions” and the KJV says “the word of the Lord was precious in those days”.
Samuel was clearly living in a time of moral decay and distress as we are surely in today. There was no room for God even in Israel at this time, who even though they were founded by God Himself was still blind.
Eli at this time, still had the blessing of God on his life. God had not yet left Eli, but was about to show Samuel the results of his sins of omission when allowed to reign free in God’s house.
We live in a day in time where there are many who dishonor and mock God, but also those who pose as Christians but are only Christian in culture not reality (James 1:22-23)
Cultural Christians are those who say they are Christian, but are only Christian by name or family history & not baring fruit (John 15:1-5).
 
We also live in a time where there are many who also use to live a Christ like and holy lifestyle, but now live in sin and un-righteousness before God. They claim to be true brothers and sisters who see visions, hear the voice of God, speak in tongues, and walk in Spirit; but really do not register with the true Lord Jehovah. They have checkout out the Throne Room of God and checked in with some other spirit who isn’t for good at all.  I warn you church, do not partake. This problematic spirit is of the enemy. He appears as an Angel of light, but really the prince of darkness and evil.
 
So how do we avoid becoming a cultural Christian?

We combat it by following the scripture, living a holy life, and becoming more Christ-like every day.
 
We don’t do it by:

1. Living Our Lives Full of Intentional Sin. (1 John 1:5-7, 1 Timothy 6:11) 
2. Facebooking and Facetiming, When We Ought to Be Giving Face Time to God. Time spent with our Lord, prayer, and meditation are key to our relationship with Him. Try spending as much time with your significant other as much as some of us do with God and you wouldn’t have them long. (Matthew 6:33, Joshua 1:8, 1 Samuel 1:19) Even Samuel’s parents gave time to God worshipping Him.
3. Letting Our Faith Falter. People even believe gifts of the Spirit and healing is now impossible. (Romans 10:17, Matthew 14:22-33, Acts 2:1-21)
4. We Don’t Want It and Won’t Work For It. (Mark 1:35, Revelations 2:2-5) Are we willing to rise early to get alone with God.
5. We Believe We Are God. (Philippians 1:6, 1 Samuel 2:3, Luke 18:9-14) We take matters into our own hands and believe the outcome lies in the ability of ourselves and the skills that we possess.

 
 
Instead of being a cultural Christian, I encourage us all to answer the call of God and be a disciple of God. He calls us out for His purpose and worship, not our own pleasure in life. If we live selfishly for Him, we will find the meaning and joy that we seek daily. Today I encourage us all to strap on our breastplate of righteousness, our helmets of salvation, pick up our cross, and become a soldier for the army of the Lord.

Don’t let the Spirit and blessings of God leave you behind as it did Eli and his family. Be a man of God as Samuel was and answer God with boldness and obedience.

​I pray that through this lesson you are encouraged to keep up the good fight, so that we may one day meet one another in heaven reaping the reward of our labor.
 
 
James 1:22-23 (ESV)
22 But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves.23 For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks intently at his natural face in a mirror.
 
 
John 15:1-5 (KJV)
15 I am the true vine, and my Father is the husbandman.
2 Every branch in me that beareth not fruit he taketh away: and every branch that beareth fruit, he purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit.
3 Now ye are clean through the word which I have spoken unto you.
4 Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me.
5 I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.
 
 
1 John 1:5-7 (ESV)
Walking in the Light
5 This is the message we have heard from him and proclaim to you, thatGod is light, and in him is no darkness at all. 6 If we say we have fellowship with him while we walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth. 7 But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin.
 
1 Timothy 6:11 (KJV)
11 But thou, O man of God, flee these things; and follow after righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, meekness.
 
Matthew 6:33 (KJV)
33 But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.
 
Joshua 1:8 (KJV)
8 This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success.
 
1 Samuel 1:19 (ESV)
19 They rose early in the morning and worshiped before the Lord; then they went back to their house at Ramah. And Elkanah knew Hannah his wife, and the Lord remembered her.
 
Romans 10:17 (KJV)
17 So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.
 
Matthew 14:22-33 (KJV)
22 And straightway Jesus constrained his disciples to get into a ship, and to go before him unto the other side, while he sent the multitudes away.
23 And when he had sent the multitudes away, he went up into a mountain apart to pray: and when the evening was come, he was there alone.
24 But the ship was now in the midst of the sea, tossed with waves: for the wind was contrary.
25 And in the fourth watch of the night Jesus went unto them, walking on the sea.
26 And when the disciples saw him walking on the sea, they were troubled, saying, It is a spirit; and they cried out for fear.
27 But straightway Jesus spake unto them, saying, Be of good cheer; it is I; be not afraid.
28 And Peter answered him and said, Lord, if it be thou, bid me come unto thee on the water.
29 And he said, Come. And when Peter was come down out of the ship, he walked on the water, to go to Jesus.
30 But when he saw the wind boisterous, he was afraid; and beginning to sink, he cried, saying, Lord, save me.
31 And immediately Jesus stretched forth his hand, and caught him, and said unto him, O thou of little faith, wherefore didst thou doubt?
32 And when they were come into the ship, the wind ceased.
33 Then they that were in the ship came and worshipped him, saying, Of a truth thou art the Son of God.
 
Acts 2:1-21 (KJV)
2 And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place.
2 And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting.
3 And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them.
4 And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.
5 And there were dwelling at Jerusalem Jews, devout men, out of every nation under heaven.
6 Now when this was noised abroad, the multitude came together, and were confounded, because that every man heard them speak in his own language.
7 And they were all amazed and marvelled, saying one to another, Behold, are not all these which speak Galilaeans?
8 And how hear we every man in our own tongue, wherein we were born?
9 Parthians, and Medes, and Elamites, and the dwellers in Mesopotamia, and in Judaea, and Cappadocia, in Pontus, and Asia,
10 Phrygia, and Pamphylia, in Egypt, and in the parts of Libya about Cyrene, and strangers of Rome, Jews and proselytes,
11 Cretes and Arabians, we do hear them speak in our tongues the wonderful works of God.
12 And they were all amazed, and were in doubt, saying one to another, What meaneth this?
13 Others mocking said, These men are full of new wine.
14 But Peter, standing up with the eleven, lifted up his voice, and said unto them, Ye men of Judaea, and all ye that dwell at Jerusalem, be this known unto you, and hearken to my words:
15 For these are not drunken, as ye suppose, seeing it is but the third hour of the day.
16 But this is that which was spoken by the prophet Joel;
17 And it shall come to pass in the last days, saith God, I will pour out of my Spirit upon all flesh: and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams:
18 And on my servants and on my handmaidens I will pour out in those days of my Spirit; and they shall prophesy:
19 And I will shew wonders in heaven above, and signs in the earth beneath; blood, and fire, and vapour of smoke:
20 The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before the great and notable day of the Lord come:
21 And it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saved.
 
 
 
Mark 1:35 (KJV)
35 And in the morning, rising up a great while before day, he went out, and departed into a solitary place, and there prayed.
 
Revelation 2:2-5 (ESV)
2 “‘I know your works, your toil and your patient endurance, and how you cannot bear with those who are evil, but have tested those who call themselves apostles and are not, and found them to be false. 3 I know you are enduring patiently and bearing up for my name's sake, and you have not grown weary. 4 But I have this against you, that you have abandoned the love you had at first. 5 Remember therefore from where you have fallen; repent, and do the works you did at first. If not, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place, unless you repent.
 
Philippians 1:6 (KJV)
6 Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ:
 
1 Samuel 2:3 (KJV)
3 Talk no more so exceeding proudly; let not arrogancy come out of your mouth: for the Lord is a God of knowledge, and by him actions are weighed.
 
Luke 18:9-14 (KJV)
9 And he spake this parable unto certain which trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and despised others:
10 Two men went up into the temple to pray; the one a Pharisee, and the other a publican.
11 The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, God, I thank thee, that I am not as other men are, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this publican.
12 I fast twice in the week, I give tithes of all that I possess.
13 And the publican, standing afar off, would not lift up so much as his eyes unto heaven, but smote upon his breast, saying, God be merciful to me a sinner.
14 I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other: for every one that exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted.