1. Samuel 3,1-10. Exaudi

1. Samuel 3,1-10   2823

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21. Mai 2023 

1. ℣ Hear, O Yahweh, when I cry with my voice. Hallelujah!: 

℟ Be merciful and hear me (Psalm 27,7). 

O God, Thou reignest over the nations; daily provide for us, so that we know that You will not forsake us but will draw near to us with Your providence.  Amen. (Psalm 47,8; John 14,18 Versicles). 

2. »Now the boy Samuel was ministering to Yahweh in the presence of Eli. And the word of Yahweh was rare in those days; there was no frequent vision. At that time Eli, whose eyesight had begun to grow dim so that he could not see, was lying down in his own place. The lamp of god had not yet gone out, and Samuel was lying down in the temple of Yahweh, where the ark of God was. Then Yahweh called Samuel, and he said: „Here I am!“ and ran to Eli and said: „Here I am, for you called me.“ But he said: „I did not call; lie down again.“ So he went and lay down. And Yahweh called again: „Samuel!“ and Samuel arose and went to Eli and said: „Here I am, for you called me.“ But he said: „I did not call, my son; lie down again.“ Now Samuel did not yet know Yahweh, and the word of Yahweh had not yet been revealed to him. And Yahweh called Samuel again the third time. And he arose and went to Eli and said: „Here I am, for you called me.“ Then Eli perceived that Yahweh was calling the boy. Therefore Eli said to Samuel: „Go, lie down, and if He calls you, then you shall say: ‘Speak, Yahweh, for Your servant hears.’“ So Samuel went and lay down in his place. And Yahweh came and stood, calling as at other times: „Samuel! Samuel!„ And Samuel said: „Speak, for Your servant hears.“« (1. Samuel 3,1-10). 

3. There are times throughout history when God’s word is rare. The era between the time of Israel’s judges, and their first king is one era of God’s rarity. God then calls Samuel to be His prophet. Another time is the intertestamental period that spans from the death of the Prophet Malachi in 400 bc to the preaching of John the Baptizer circa ad 29. For over four centuries there was no prophet in Israel until John began preaching repentance and baptizing people. 

4. Samuel prepared the people for kings Saul and David; John prepared the people for Christ Jesus. Although there were no prophets during these two eras, there was the written Word. The people still had the Torah, the five books of Moses, that they heard read every Sabbath and committed to memory. Between the time of Malachi and John there were the deuterocanonical/apocryphal books written in Greek between 250 to 50 bc: Tobit, Judith, Wisdom of Solomon, Sirach/Ecclesiasticus, Baruch, 1. and 2. Maccabees, additions to Esther and additions to Daniel (the prayer of Azariah, Susanna and Bel and the Dragon). Other apocryphal books from 200 bc to 400 ad: 1. and 2. Esdras, Prayer of Manasseh, Psalm 151,  3. and 4. Maccabees and Odes. At the birth of John the Baptizer, the entire Old Testament canon had been composed, so the people had the written Law and the Prophets.

5. The Scriptures do not indicate why the word of Yahweh was rare when Samuel was a boy circa 1105 bc. It is possible that this rarity was a judgment on the high priest Eli’s two sons, Hophni and Phineas, who were wicked priests; they refused to heed Yahweh, and did not repent, so Yahweh struck them down. When Eli died, Phineas’ son, Ahitub, Eli’s grandson, became the high priest. Israel at this time was not a unified nation. Each of the 12 tribes ruled themselves; the one thing that unified them was the Levite priesthood that descended from Moses’ brother, Aaron, and the worship that revolved around the tabernacle and the ark of the covenant. At the time of 1. Samuel the tabernacle in the ark resided at Shiloh, 31 km/19.26 miles north of Jerusalem. 

6. The contrast presented in the books of Ruth and 1. Samuel are those who listen to Yahweh and those who do not. The events of Ruth occur about 50 years before 1. Samuel 3. Ruth gives a brief history and genealogy of David, informing us that Ruth and Boaz are the great-grandparents of David. The contrast is that the priests Hophni and Phineas don’t heed Yahweh, but Ruth, Boaz, Eli, Samuel and David do. Through Samuel, Saul and David, Yahweh united the independent tribes into a unified kingdom with its capital in Jerusalem; Solomon then build the temple and the ark would reside in Jerusalem. 

7. 21. century humanity is no different from 10. century bc Israel. Yahweh calls sinners to repent; those who do receive the merciful steadfast love of Yahweh’s forgiveness and other blessings. In spite of Eli’s sons’ wickedness, the priesthood, the tabernacle and the ark still remained the centerpiece of the Sinai covenant where sacrifices are done to bring forgiveness to individuals and the tribes. Worship and prayer revolved around the tabernacle; the people soon base their daily devotions around the sacrifices and prayers performed each morning and afternoon at Shiloh and, later, Jerusalem.

8. Yahweh spoke through Samuel who anointed both Saul, then David, as king of Israel. He gave each king Godly advice. David was quick to repent when his actions had gone awry from Yahweh’s will. 

9. David wrote some of the most beloved Psalms. Psalm 51’s verses are often found on our lips when we repent and seek forgiveness. »Have mercy on me, O God, according to Your merciful steadfast love; according to Your abundant mercy blot out my transgressions. Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin!« (Psalm 51:1-2) » Yahweh is my shepherd; I shall not want. He makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside still waters. He restores my soul. He leads me in paths of righteousness for His Name’s sake« (Psalm 23,1-3). »Yahweh says to my Lord: „Sit at My right hand, until I make Your enemies Your footstool.“« (Psalm 110,1). Psalm 110 is a Messianic psalm. David wrote 7 of the 11 Messianic psalms (2, 20, 21, 22, 45, 72, 89, 101, 110, 132, 144). 

10. In his Gospel, John tells us: »And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen His glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.« (John 1,14). While the Word may have been rare in the days of Samuel, the Word now dwells with us daily. Jesus is the Word of Yahweh and He promises that when we gather in His Name He is among us. Where the Word is preached and the Sacraments administered, Jesus is present bringing forgiveness and salvation. For the Word of Yahweh is valuable and excellent. He shed His precious blood to redeem us, rose from His grave to save us and ascended to the right hand of His Father to be exalted as the King of kings and Lord of lords. »Praise Yahweh! Praise God in His sanctuary! Praise Him for His mighty deeds; praise Him according to his excellent greatness! (Psalm 150,1-2). Alleluia, alleluia! Christ ascended on high, alleluia. He led captivity captive, alleluia! 

11. I build on this foundation,

That Jesus and his blood

Alone or my salvation, 

My true, eternal, good.

Without him all that pleases

Is valueless on earth;

The gifts I have from Jesus

Alone have priceless worth. (Ist Gott für mich elkg  2021 Paul Gerhardt 1607-76). 

This is most certainly true. 

12. The peace of God, which surpasses all understanding keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus (Philippians 4,7).  Amen. 

13. Let us pray. O Lord, long-suffering and merciful, who didst show Thyself after Thy resurrection to unbelieving Thomas, have mercy upon me believing, and increase my faith, that I may obtain that blessing which Thou hast promised to them that have not seen and yet have believed; for Thy merits’ sake.  Amen. (Exaudi, Vespers Collect 2. The Daily Office.)

To God alone be the Glory 

Gode ealdore sy se cyneþrymm

✠

 

All Scriptural quotations are translations done by The Rev. Peter A. Bauernfeind using the Biblia Hebraica Stuttgartensia, 4. Edition © 1990 Deutsche Bibelgesellschaft, Stuttgart, Septuaginta, Vol. I and II 2. Revised Edition © 2006 Deutsche Bibelgesellschaft, Stuttgart and the Novum Testamentum Graece, Nestle-Aland 28. Revised Edition © 2012 Deutsch Bibelgesellschaft, Stuttgart. 

Evangelisch-Lutherisches Kirchengesangbuch. Copyright © 2021 Selbständige Evangelisch-Lutherische Kirche, Hannover. 

The Daily Office. Copyright © 1965 Concordia Publishing House. 

3368. יָקָר from 3365; valuable (obj. or subj.): brightness, clear, costly, excellent, fat, honorable women, precious, reputation (Strong’s). 

Dodson: τίμιος of great price, precious, honored.

Strong’s: τίμιος, including the comparative τιμιώτερος, and the superlative τιμιώτατος valuable, i.e. (objectively) costly, or (subjectively) honored, esteemed, or (figuratively) beloved. Derivation: from G5092;

διαστέλλουσα : distinct, clearly evident. The connection between these two words is that they both convey the idea that the word of Yahweh was not common or easily accessible during the time described in 1. Samuel 3,1.