撒母耳記上3:1-10

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！