God Calls Samuel

The young Samuel serves the LORD at Shiloh under the old priest Eli, whose eyesight is failing. In those days, the word of the LORD is rare. One night, before the lamp of God has gone out, Samuel, lying down in the temple where the ark is, hears someone call him. He runs to Eli: “Here am I; for thou didst call me.” Eli sends him back to bed. This happens three times; Eli then realizes it is the LORD and tells him how to answer. When the call comes again, “Samuel, Samuel!”, the boy says, “Speak; for thy servant heareth.” God tells him of the judgment coming on Eli’s house, because his sons made themselves vile and Eli did not restrain them. In the morning, Samuel is afraid to speak, but Eli insists on hearing everything and bows to it: “It is the LORD.” From then on, from Dan to Beersheba, all Israel knows that Samuel is a prophet of the LORD.