Young Samuel Serving Eli in the Sanctuaryby CNSDATECH
2:181 Samuel 2:18
But Samuel ministered before the LORD, being a child, girded with a linen ephod.
Samuel ministered before the Lord while still a child, girded with a linen ephod placed on him as a token of his consecration to the work of the sanctuary, though Levites did not normally enter their appointed services until twenty-five years of age. His humble and sometimes unpleasant tabernacle duties were performed as well as he could and willingly, with more important trusts committed to him every year according to his capacity. His childhood service stood amid corruption, with Eli's sons polluting the sacred service and stripping worship of its sacred meaning, while his fitness for that setting grew from faithful maternal care that taught him to distinguish good from evil and dedicated him to God's service. The verse sets his service in contrast to Eli's failure to manage his household according to God's rules for family government, overlooking and indulging his sons' faults from childhood instead of restraining evil and executing justice upon the sinner. Parents are therefore required to restrain their children, since indulgence can bring judgment and ruin while young people who like Samuel love God and keep close to heaven can resist powerful temptation, and work prompted by love for God in every part of life is accepted by Him.
Childhood Service and Setting
Samuel ministered before the LORD while still a child, girded with a linen ephod placed upon him as a token of his consecration to the work of the sanctuary. Though Levites did not normally enter upon their appointed services until twenty-five years of age, he was an exception, with more important trusts committed to him every year according to his capacity. His early duties in the tabernacle were humble and at first very humble and not always pleasant, sometimes unpleasant, but he performed them to the best of his ability and with a willing heart.
That childhood service took place amid corruption, while Eli's sons polluted the sacred service and sin filled Israel. Their irreverence stripped the worship service of its sacred meaning and led the people to despise and neglect it. Yet surrounded by those corrupting influences Samuel remained untainted.
His fitness for that setting grew from faithful care that shaped his character in childhood. His mother kept faith with her vow by bringing him a coat each year, a loving act marked by her prayers. She had carefully taught him to distinguish good from evil and had dedicated him to God's service, and this early training prepared him to resist the evil influences in Eli's household.
The verse belongs to the history in which the Lord called Samuel in his youth and revealed to him the judgment coming on Eli's house. His early service shows that God honors and calls the young, and his growth in favor with God and people shows that God watches children and the characters they form.
Parental Contrast and Lesson
The child serving before the Lord stands in deliberate contrast to the wickedness of Eli's sons and to Eli's failure to restrain them and teach them obedience. His youth and service throw into relief a household where sacred service was polluted, and out of that contrast came the Lord's calling of Samuel and the revelation to him of judgment upon Eli's house.
Eli as priest and judge of Israel was accountable for the moral and religious standing of his people and in a special sense for the character of his sons. Yet he did not manage his household according to God's rules for family government, but followed his own judgment, overlooking and indulging the faults and sins of his sons from childhood instead of first restraining evil by mild reproof and then subduing wrong by severe justice. He could have restrained his wicked and rebellious sons but did not because he feared their displeasure, suffering them to go on in rebellion until they were a curse to Israel. His indulgence came from believing himself wiser than his Creator and following human wisdom and fond, indulgent affection instead of God's commands. He allowed the children to grow up from babyhood without restraint until forward, selfish, disagreeable ways became confirmed habits rendering them unloving and unlovable, while mistaken love and fondness also nourished pride and vanity through trimmings and dress that led them to think outward appearance makes character, leaving the heart void of Christian graces and filled with self-love, haughtiness, and uncontrolled passion.
For this he was condemned and cursed because he did not promptly and firmly restrain his sons, reprove sin, and execute justice upon the sinner. By not reproving sin and executing justice upon the sinner he incurred the Lord's displeasure and could not be depended upon to keep Israel pure. The account warns that parents are required to restrain their children and that the salvation of children depends very much upon the course pursued by their parents, since indulgence can bring judgment and harm a child's hope of salvation. That negligent, ease-loving, indulgent example brought reproach on the truth of God and extended its baleful influence to thousands of homes throughout Israel, ending in disaster and death to himself, ruin to his wicked sons, and ruin to thousands in Israel, with soul-anguish over perverse conduct for those who fail to carefully study and faithfully obey God's word.
Though surrounded by corrupting influences while sin filled Israel, Samuel remained untainted because he loved God and kept close to heaven, showing that young people can resist powerful temptation through close connection with God. His example shows that service to God includes every part of life, for work prompted by love for God and a sincere desire to do His will is accepted by Him and makes the worker His coworker whom He fits to accomplish a great work for His people. His early duties in the tabernacle were humble and sometimes unpleasant, but he did them as well as he could and willingly, carrying his religion into every duty of life and regarding himself as God's servant and his work as God's work. One who like Samuel has served God from childhood, whose childhood was not marked with grossness though having the errors of humanity, needs a very different discipline than one with a set, stubborn, selfish will and does not need agonizing conflict and trial to come to Jesus. The mournful history proves that God Himself established family relations and His word is the only safe guide in the management of children, since the Creator who bought children with His own blood best understands their needs.
Samuel ministered before the Lord while still a child, girded with a linen ephod placed on him as a token of his consecration to the work of the sanctuary, though Levites did not normally enter their appointed services until twenty-five years of age. His humble and sometimes unpleasant tabernacle duties were performed as well as he could and willingly, with more important trusts committed to him every year according to his capacity. His childhood service stood amid corruption, with Eli's sons polluting the sacred service and stripping worship of its sacred meaning, while his fitness for that setting grew from faithful maternal care that taught him to distinguish good from evil and dedicated him to God's service. The verse sets his service in contrast to Eli's failure to manage his household according to God's rules for family government, overlooking and indulging his sons' faults from childhood instead of restraining evil and executing justice upon the sinner. Parents are therefore required to restrain their children, since indulgence can bring judgment and ruin while young people who like Samuel love God and keep close to heaven can resist powerful temptation, and work prompted by love for God in every part of life is accepted by Him.
Childhood Service and Setting
Samuel ministered before the LORD while still a child, girded with a linen ephod placed upon him as a token of his consecration to the work of the sanctuary. Though Levites did not normally enter upon their appointed services until twenty-five years of age, he was an exception, with more important trusts committed to him every year according to his capacity. His early duties in the tabernacle were humble and at first very humble and not always pleasant, sometimes unpleasant, but he performed them to the best of his ability and with a willing heart.
That childhood service took place amid corruption, while Eli's sons polluted the sacred service and sin filled Israel. Their irreverence stripped the worship service of its sacred meaning and led the people to despise and neglect it. Yet surrounded by those corrupting influences Samuel remained untainted.
His fitness for that setting grew from faithful care that shaped his character in childhood. His mother kept faith with her vow by bringing him a coat each year, a loving act marked by her prayers. She had carefully taught him to distinguish good from evil and had dedicated him to God's service, and this early training prepared him to resist the evil influences in Eli's household.
The verse belongs to the history in which the Lord called Samuel in his youth and revealed to him the judgment coming on Eli's house. His early service shows that God honors and calls the young, and his growth in favor with God and people shows that God watches children and the characters they form.
Parental Contrast and Lesson
The child serving before the Lord stands in deliberate contrast to the wickedness of Eli's sons and to Eli's failure to restrain them and teach them obedience. His youth and service throw into relief a household where sacred service was polluted, and out of that contrast came the Lord's calling of Samuel and the revelation to him of judgment upon Eli's house.
Eli as priest and judge of Israel was accountable for the moral and religious standing of his people and in a special sense for the character of his sons. Yet he did not manage his household according to God's rules for family government, but followed his own judgment, overlooking and indulging the faults and sins of his sons from childhood instead of first restraining evil by mild reproof and then subduing wrong by severe justice. He could have restrained his wicked and rebellious sons but did not because he feared their displeasure, suffering them to go on in rebellion until they were a curse to Israel. His indulgence came from believing himself wiser than his Creator and following human wisdom and fond, indulgent affection instead of God's commands. He allowed the children to grow up from babyhood without restraint until forward, selfish, disagreeable ways became confirmed habits rendering them unloving and unlovable, while mistaken love and fondness also nourished pride and vanity through trimmings and dress that led them to think outward appearance makes character, leaving the heart void of Christian graces and filled with self-love, haughtiness, and uncontrolled passion.
For this he was condemned and cursed because he did not promptly and firmly restrain his sons, reprove sin, and execute justice upon the sinner. By not reproving sin and executing justice upon the sinner he incurred the Lord's displeasure and could not be depended upon to keep Israel pure. The account warns that parents are required to restrain their children and that the salvation of children depends very much upon the course pursued by their parents, since indulgence can bring judgment and harm a child's hope of salvation. That negligent, ease-loving, indulgent example brought reproach on the truth of God and extended its baleful influence to thousands of homes throughout Israel, ending in disaster and death to himself, ruin to his wicked sons, and ruin to thousands in Israel, with soul-anguish over perverse conduct for those who fail to carefully study and faithfully obey God's word.
Though surrounded by corrupting influences while sin filled Israel, Samuel remained untainted because he loved God and kept close to heaven, showing that young people can resist powerful temptation through close connection with God. His example shows that service to God includes every part of life, for work prompted by love for God and a sincere desire to do His will is accepted by Him and makes the worker His coworker whom He fits to accomplish a great work for His people. His early duties in the tabernacle were humble and sometimes unpleasant, but he did them as well as he could and willingly, carrying his religion into every duty of life and regarding himself as God's servant and his work as God's work. One who like Samuel has served God from childhood, whose childhood was not marked with grossness though having the errors of humanity, needs a very different discipline than one with a set, stubborn, selfish will and does not need agonizing conflict and trial to come to Jesus. The mournful history proves that God Himself established family relations and His word is the only safe guide in the management of children, since the Creator who bought children with His own blood best understands their needs.