3:1 童子撒母耳在以利面前事奉耶和華。當那些日子,耶和華的言語稀少,不常有默示。
3:2 一日,以利睡臥在自己的地方;他眼目昏花,看不分明。
3:3 上帝的燈在上帝耶和華殿內約櫃那裡,還沒有熄滅,撒母耳已經睡了。
3:4 耶和華呼喚撒母耳。撒母耳說:「我在這裡!」
3:5 就跑到以利那裡,說:「你呼喚我?我在這裡。」以利回答說:「我沒有呼喚你,你去睡吧。」他就去睡了。
3:6 耶和華又呼喚撒母耳。撒母耳起來,到以利那裡,說:「你呼喚我?我在這裡。」以利回答說:「我的兒,我沒有呼喚你,你去睡吧。」
3:7 那時撒母耳還未認識耶和華,也未得耶和華的默示。
3:8 耶和華第三次呼喚撒母耳。撒母耳起來,到以利那裡,說:「你又呼喚我?我在這裡。」以利才明白是耶和華呼喚童子。
3:9 因此以利對撒母耳說:「你仍去睡吧;若再呼喚你,你就說:『耶和華啊,請說,僕人敬聽!』」撒母耳就去,仍睡在原處。
3:10 耶和華又來站著,像前三次呼喚說:「撒母耳啊!撒母耳啊!」撒母耳回答說:「請說,僕人敬聽!」
The boy Samuel ministered before the Lord under Eli. In those days the word of the Lord was rare; there were not many visions.
2 One night Eli, whose eyes were becoming so weak that he could barely see, was lying down in his usual place. 3 The lamp of God had not yet gone out, and Samuel was lying down in the house of the Lord, where the ark of God was. 4 Then the Lord called Samuel.
Samuel answered, “Here I am.” 5 And he ran to Eli and said, “Here I am; you called me.”
But Eli said, “I did not call; go back and lie down.” So he went and lay down.
6 Again the Lord called, “Samuel!” And Samuel got up and went to Eli and said, “Here I am; you called me.”
“My son,” Eli said, “I did not call; go back and lie down.”
7 Now Samuel did not yet know the Lord: The word of the Lord had not yet been revealed to him.
8 A third time the Lord called, “Samuel!” And Samuel got up and went to Eli and said, “Here I am; you called me.”
Then Eli realized that the Lord was calling the boy. 9 So Eli told Samuel, “Go and lie down, and if he calls you, say, ‘Speak, Lord, for your servant is listening.’” So Samuel went and lay down in his place.
10 The Lord came and stood there, calling as at the other times, “Samuel! Samuel!”
Then Samuel said, “Speak, for your servant is listening.”
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撒母耳在還是孩童的時候就在會幕裡事奉上帝,但是上帝真的要用他,所以是上帝主動啟示給這個小孩子,不是這個小孩子有什麼可取之處。正如上帝揀選人成為祂的兒女,是沒有條件的!這要讓人知道,一切都是出於上帝,祂有主權做祂要做的事,因為唯有上帝是完全自主的,不受任何限制。
當然上帝揀選童子撒母耳成為先知,有其特別的作為,就是在夜晚的時候,還特別說到以利睡臥在自己的地方;他眼目昏花,看不清楚。上帝的燈在上帝耶和華殿內約櫃那裡,還沒有熄滅,撒母耳已經睡了。這時候上帝呼叫撒母耳,撒母耳看不到別人,以為以利叫他,然而以利卻向撒母耳明說自己沒有叫他,接連三次之後,以利才警覺是上帝呼叫撒母耳,可見以利並不完全失去他的靈明,他就教撒母耳要回應上帝:「耶和華啊,請說,僕人敬聽!」
所以上帝在第四次呼叫撒母耳時,撒母耳趕快回應上帝:「請說,僕人敬聽!」
從撒母耳的事蹟,我很想對那些說「命定」的人說,撒母耳從來就不會想到上帝會主動來找他,上帝也從來沒有說要讓他做先知,這不是他揣摩來的,是上帝主動成就奇事在他的身上!
同樣一個人的信主,也不是環境造成的,是上帝主動介入人的生命,有許多基督徒的出身是來自不信的家庭,是上帝將他們從其中呼召出來,甚至還產生家庭革命,但是上帝終必保守,成就美事,正如上帝呼召撒母耳!
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