What Can We Get From Eli, Samuel and the Flickering Lamp?

In 1 Samuel 3 we observe young Samuel being called to his prophetic ministry while he was staying with the elderly high priest, Eli, at the the Tabernacle in Shiloh where the Ark of the Covenant was located. Samuel and Eli slept under the same roof somewhere outside the Tent of Meeting (i.e. the Tabernacle). The golden lampstand in the Holy Place was filled with olive oil and lit at dusk (Exodus 30:8); it was kept burning from nightfall until first light (Exodus 27:20-21).

Just before dawn when the light was flickering the LORD called Samuel:

1The boy Samuel ministered before the Lord under Eli. In those days the word of the Lord was rare; there were not many visions.

2One night Eli, whose eyes were becoming so weak that he could barely see, was lying down in his usual place. 3The 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. 4Then the LORD called Samuel.

Samuel answered, “Here I am.” 5And 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.

6Again 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.”

7Now Samuel did not yet know the Lord: The word of the Lord had not yet been revealed to him.

1 Samuel 3:1-7

You can read the rest of the account here. The question we want to answer is how does this story relate to us today in the New Covenant era? After all, the very purpose of such Old Testament accounts is to teach us, as observed in Romans 15:4 and 1 Corinthians 10:11.

The lamp of God was flickering and about to go out, but this didn’t seem to concern the high priest. Young Samuel, however, heard something; and heard it again and again. It was the voice of the LORD. So he ran to the immediate religious authority for counsel, but the youth was readily dismissed.

Like Eli, the eyesight of some in the Church has grown dim and the elders can’t see so well, at least not spiritually. They’ve become content with the day-to-day goings-on of the ministry wherein they keep going through the motions, lighting the lamps and so forth. A personal word from the LORD and visions rarely happen, if ever.

When the Holy Spirit really does speak to someone willing to listen, they are automatically written off as unsophisticated or dreaming.
When the Creator really does appear, the elders’ eyes are too dim to see it.
When the Almighty actually does move, they are resistant to accepting it for fear of tripping over something unknown—something fresh—in their weak-eyed darkness, which would be awkward and humiliating. (“The horror, the horror”).

Sometimes today we might need to “examine ourselves” (2 Corinthians 13:5) and admit that the lamp of God is flickering and perhaps even at risk of going out. Things are not as they should be. Why isn’t the glory of God breaking out of our places of assembly and illuminating our communities and beyond?

This is just food for thought for any of us and our ministries, small and great. Let’s give credit to Eli in that he finally recognized that the LORD was speaking to Samuel and thus gave the youth proper instructions, as observed in verses 8-9, but this didn’t prevent God’s judgment from falling on him & his wicked sons as detailed here.

This article is available in book form as (part of) chapter 24 in…