A Verse
1 Samuel 3:1
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.
A Comment
This morning’s passage describes the sad situation that the people of Israel found themselves in during the days of Eli’s priesthood. While Samuel was faithful to minister “to the LORD” during his days in the temple, it was a ministry so unfamiliar with the voice of the LORD that once the LORD did reveal Himself to Samuel (as seen in the following verses), Eli initially did not even know what to do.
Can you imagine a sadder indictment on Israel’s priesthood? The high priest, Eli, had grown so apathetic to the problems in his own household with his sons, Hophni and Phineas, that when the LORD did reveal Himself to Samuel in the temple in Shiloh that he didn’t know how to respond.
When I read this passage, I cannot help but think of the familiar though often misunderstood and misapplied passage from Proverbs 29:18, which says, “Where there is no prophetic vision the people cast off restraint, but blessed is he who keeps the law.” This passage is sometimes translated (or at least known) as saying, “Without a vision, the people perish.” How often have I heard church leaders use this passage to justify their visions for God’s people? But this passage is not about your church’s vision statement! It’s about the dreadful situation that God’s people find themselves in when they do not hear or receive the Word of God!
Our greatest need as God’s people is not some cute or memorable saying that we have devised to help us build another building or start a new ministry. Rather, what the people of God need is the Word of God! The prophetic vision that Proverbs 29:18 refers to and the word that was the “rare” in the days of Eli’s ministry is the life-giving Word of God, which often confronts us and calls us to repentance and faith in Him.
The vision we need this morning is the vision of God’s Word. Let us therefore not be so unfamiliar with God speaking through His Word that when we hear it we cannot discern it. Let us open our Bible and reflect and mediate on what God has said, lest we perish for lack of such a vision.
A Prayer
Would you pray with me?
A Blessing
Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain.
Without a Vision, the People Perish (1 Samuel 3:1)