The third chapter of 1 Samuel opens by telling us that, when Samuel was a boy, revelation from God was a rare thing. So it is not surprising that when God spoke to Samuel, the boy did not recognize Him, and assumed that it was Eli who spoke. It is not surprising, but it is funny – especially since it happened three times before Eli figured out what was going on!
One of the many precious things about this passage is that it reminds us that God has a sense of humor. Sometimes we forget that God created us with the ability to laugh, and He wants us to exercise it.
To be sure, the Bible does place an emphasis on sober living (e.g. Titus 2:11-13). However, it is not so much that Christians are more serious than others. On the contrary, it would be difficult to find a group of people who are happier or who enjoy life more than dedicated Christians. What sets Christians apart is not how serious they are, but rather what they take seriously.
For example, most people take it seriously if they lose their job. And Christians are not an exception here; they would take this very seriously, because they recognize their responsibility to work and provide for their own families as well as those who are in need (e.g. Ephesians 4:28). However, the Christian’s feelings are tempered by his faith that God will provide for his needs. A person without this confidence may be more inclined to feel worry and stress at such a time.
Some people also take it very seriously when they feel that they have been treated unfairly. By contrast, the Christian is often able to shrug this off, because he remembers the example that Jesus set when He was treated unfairly ( 1 Peter 2:21-25 ).
On the other hand, the Christian takes it very seriously when he sins (or at least he should – 1 Peter 1:17-19). By contrast, many people shrug off sins as “mistakes” and just move on without giving them a second thought. After all, they may say, we all know that no one is perfect.
So what do you take most seriously? Are you primarily concerned with physical and material things? Are you focused on the affairs of this very brief life on earth? Or, are you more concerned about spiritual things that have an eternal significance? How seriously do you take the fact that Someone died so that you might live?
As we read the entirety of 1 Samuel 3, we find that this was Eli’s error. He regarded his sons’ sins seriously, but not seriously enough to take decisive action. And God provides us an object lesson in the consequences that Eli and his family suffered for their lax attitude toward sin.
Eli lived over a thousand years before Jesus was born of Mary, yet God expected him to take sin seriously. How much more should we take sin seriously, when we know the terrible sacrifice that was required to pay for it?
Therefore we must give the more earnest heed to the things we have heard, lest we drift away. For if the word spoken through angels proved steadfast, and every transgression and disobedience received a just reward, how shall we escape if we neglect so great a salvation, which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord, and was confirmed to us by those who heard Him, God also bearing witness both with signs and wonders, with various miracles, and gifts of the Holy Spirit, according to His own will?
- Hebrews 2:1-4
that’s a good reminder
By: Davis on April 7, 2009
at 2:30 pm