March 27

1 Samuel 3:1-21, 4:1-22, 5:1-12, 6:1-13, 7:1-17

At the transition from Judges to Kings, Samuel lives at an interesting time.  The Bible records that "In those days the word of the Lord was rare; there were not many visions." [1 Sam. 3:1]  Sounds like today.  It seems to me that the Lord is scarce in times and places that man relies on his own intelligence rather than on the Lord.  But I wonder in Third World countries where they only have God to rely on if God is working in more miraculous and direct ways than He does in countries were we don't think we need his help.  Even in the Old Testament, the times when man was blessed with visions came and went.  We don't need, nor should we want, to limit what God can do in our lives and in the world around us.

Then there is this interesting verse -- "Now Samuel did not yet know the Lord:  The word of the Lord had not yet been revealed to him." [1 Sam. 3:7]  He did not yet know the Lord?  How can this be?  He worked in the Tabernacle under Eli and didn't know God?  It says something about Eli and, perhaps, why his sons turned out the way they did.  It also says something about the heart versus knowledge.  The Lord comes and calls to someone who doesn't even know Him.  but he has a good heart.

The Ark of the Covenant has always fascinated me -- and it seems I'm not the only one since the very first Indiana Jones movie was focused on the Ark.  Imagine the faith and belief the Philistine's interaction with the Israelites and their God must have produced -- even though they were at war.  They even express their faith on learning that the Ark has entered the Israelite's camp -- "'A god has come into the camp,' they said.  'We're in trouble!  Nothing like this has happened before.  Woe to us!  Who will deliver us from the hand of these mighty gods?  They are the gods who struck the Egyptians with all kinds of plagues in the desert....'" [1 Sam.  7, 8]

The Philistines believed because they witnessed directly the wonders of the Lord.  They see their Dagon, fallen on its face in the presence of the Ark.  They're afflicted with tumors and move it from city to city because of their fear of its power.  Don't you wonder how many Philistines believed in the Hebrew's God because of this?  In this case, did the enemy of God's people show more fear and awe for the Lord than His own people did?