3:11 耶和華對撒母耳說:「我在以色列中必行一件事,叫聽見的人都必耳鳴。
3:12 我指著以利家所說的話,到了時候,我必始終應驗在以利身上。
3:13 我曾告訴他必永遠降罰與他的家,因他知道兒子作孽,自招咒詛,卻不禁止他們。
3:14 所以我向以利家起誓說:『以利家的罪孽,雖獻祭奉禮物,永不能得贖去。』」
3:15 撒母耳睡到天亮,就開了耶和華的殿門,不敢將默示告訴以利。
3:16 以利呼喚撒母耳說:「我兒撒母耳啊!」撒母耳回答說:「我在這裡!」
3:17 以利說:「耶和華對你說甚麼,你不要向我隱瞞;你若將上帝對你所說的隱瞞一句,願他重重地降罰與你。」
3:18 撒母耳就把一切話都告訴了以利,並沒有隱瞞。以利說:「這是出於耶和華,願他憑自己的意旨而行。」
3:19 撒母耳長大了,耶和華與他同在,使他所說的話一句都不落空。
3:20 從但到別是巴所有的以色列人都知道耶和華立撒母耳為先知。
3:21 耶和華又在示羅顯現;因為耶和華將自己的話默示撒母耳,撒母耳就把這話傳遍以色列地。
11 And the Lord said to Samuel: “See, I am about to do something in Israel that will make the ears of everyone who hears about it tingle. 12 At that time I will carry out against Eli everything I spoke against his family—from beginning to end. 13 For I told him that I would judge his family forever because of the sin he knew about; his sons blasphemed God,[a] and he failed to restrain them. 14 Therefore I swore to the house of Eli, ‘The guilt of Eli’s house will never be atoned for by sacrifice or offering.’”
15 Samuel lay down until morning and then opened the doors of the house of the Lord. He was afraid to tell Eli the vision, 16 but Eli called him and said, “Samuel, my son.”
Samuel answered, “Here I am.”
17 “What was it he said to you?” Eli asked. “Do not hide it from me. May God deal with you, be it ever so severely, if you hide from me anything he told you.” 18 So Samuel told him everything, hiding nothing from him. Then Eli said, “He is the Lord; let him do what is good in his eyes.”
19 The Lord was with Samuel as he grew up, and he let none of Samuel’s words fall to the ground. 20 And all Israel from Dan to Beersheba recognized that Samuel was attested as a prophet of the Lord. 21 The Lord continued to appear at Shiloh, and there he revealed himself to Samuel through his word.
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撒母耳雖然領受了上帝的話語,卻帶給他很大的困擾,因為上帝將懲罰以利家的信息賜給撒母耳,以至於隔天撒母耳睡到天亮,就開了耶和華的殿門,不敢將默示告訴以利。
小小的童子撒母耳卻要面對先知所要面對的困境,還好以利明白這事故意向他說:「耶和華對你說甚麼,你不要向我隱瞞;你若將上帝對你所說的隱瞞一句,願他重重地降罰與你。」
撒母耳就把一切話都告訴了以利,並沒有隱瞞。以利說:「這是出於耶和華,願他憑自己的意旨而行。」
可見以利事清楚自己家裡的狀態,卻是十分無奈!
這事之後,上帝開始高舉撒母耳,正如經文所說:「撒母耳長大了,耶和華與他同在,使他所說的話一句都不落空。從但到別是巴所有的以色列人都知道耶和華立撒母耳為先知。耶和華又在示羅顯現;因為耶和華將自己的話默示撒母耳,撒母耳就把這話傳遍以色列地。」
從撒母耳的身上看見先知不是靠學歷,而是來自上帝的作為。是上帝高舉人,不是人高舉自己。
可是這樣說要成為傳道人就不用學習神學了?非也!恰好相反,因為那時啟示還在進行中,而現今啟示已經完成了,所以我們要好好學習聖經和神學,才能完整認識上帝的啟示,不可以再靠甚麼靈感了,因為上帝的話語不可加增,也不可以減少,要好好的學習才可以宣講上帝的話!