First Baptist Church Ottawa

Our Online Church School Lesson - January 14, 2024

God Calls Samuel - 1 Samuel 3:1-20

Today’s Scripture: 1 Samuel 3:1-20

Today’s Theme: God Calls Samuel

Opening Prayer: Dear God, thank you for allowing us to gather here today to learn more about Jesus. Please help our ears to listen, our minds to learn, and our hearts to love as we hear the stories of His work. Amen.

Today’s Lesson: Last week, we talked about Paul’s attempts to strengthen new churches in the decades following the death of Jesus. Today, we are going to go back a thousand years before Paul, back to the Old Testament book of 1 Samuel. During this time period, God’s people had judges that were leaders of the Israelites.  Can you remember any judges that we have learned about? Deborah was one of these judges…do you remember her story? Upon receiving instructions from God, Deborah called Barak, an Israelite warrior, to bring 10,000 troops up Mount Tabor to attack Sisera, Jabin’s commander of troops. It started to rain, causing Sisera’s army to get stuck in the mud, and Sisera fled, eventually finding shelter in the tent of a woman named Jael, who killed him with a tent peg.

Let’s get back to today’s story. Like Deborah, Samuel was a prophet and a judge. In fact, he was the last judge of the Israelites. It was under Samuel’s leadership that the first kings of Israel came about - first Saul and then King David. As you can see, Samuel was an important figure in the Biblical history of Israel. How did Samuel’s story begin?

1 Samuel tells us that a man named Elkanah had two wives, Hannah and Peninnah.  It was common practice in these days for men to have more than one wife. Elkanah was devoted to worshiping the Lord and each year he took his family to the tabernacle in Shiloh to offer sacrifices.  Elkanah would prepare the sacrifice offerings and give meat to his wives.  He would give Hannah a double portion because he loved her and she had no children.

Every year that Elkanah’s family traveled to Shiloh, Peninnah would mock and ridicule Hannah because she had no children.  Every year she would irritate Hannah and make Hannah cry. She would be so upset that she couldn’t eat. After everyone had finished eating Hannah stayed and began to pray in her heart to the Lord.  She was weeping and moving her mouth in prayer to God. 

Eli, who was the priest at the tabernacle, saw Hannah and was so accustomed to wicked things taking place at this place of worship that he accused her of being drunk.  Hannah assured Eli that she was not drunk but was pouring out her heart to the Lord. Eli blessed Hannah and told her to “Go in peace and may the God of Israel grant you what you have asked of Him.”

Hannah went home with her family and later became pregnant.  She gave birth to a boy and named him Samuel which means ‘asked of the Lord’.  Hannah kept her vow to the Lord and when Samuel was old enough, she took him to the tabernacle to live there with Eli. Every year, she made a robe for Samuel, and when her family came to offer sacrifices she gave Samuel the new robe she made.

Priests were God’s instruments to point people to God.  They were to obey God’s laws regarding worship and sacrifices at the tabernacle. Levites were men who served God by serving at the tabernacle and helping the priests.  They were given instructions on how to properly worship the Lord and how to do their work.

The priest Eli had two sons, Hophni and Phinehas. These sons were wicked men who did not follow God’s rules. According to God, when priests put meat on the fire to serve as an offering, they were to burn the fat and take the breast and thigh of the animal to eat. Hophni and Phinehas did not follow God’s instructions regarding the meat offerings. They wanted the meat with the fat still on it.  If people didn’t willingly give them the meat before burning the fat they threatened the worshipers to take the meat by force.

God sent a prophet with a message for Eli.  Eli knew God’s instructions for proper worship and he knew that his sons were not obeying.  Eli did not discipline his sons or remove them from their positions at the tabernacle.  God’s message to Eli was that He was going to punish his family for their wickedness.

Now, young Samuel served the Lord by helping Eli at the tabernacle. One night Samuel was lying in his bed and he heard a voice say “Samuel”.  Samuel jumped out of bed and went to Eli’s room and said, “Here I am; you called me.”  Eli sent Samuel back to bed because he had not called him. Samuel went back to bed.  A second time a voice said, “Samuel”.  Again, Samuel went to see what Eli needed.  Eli sent him back to bed because it was not him who had called his name.

A third time Samuel heard someone say, “Samuel” and he went back to Eli’s room and said, “Here I am; you called me.” At this point, Eli realized that it was the Lord that was speaking to Samuel. Eli told Samuel to return to his room; when he heard his name called again, he should answer, “Speak, Lord, for your servant is listening.”

Samuel followed Eli’s instructions and went back to bed. God spoke to Samuel and gave him as special message to give to Eli. The next day, Samuel was afraid to tell Eli the message God had given him because it was not good news for Eli. After Eli told Samuel to tell him everything, however, Samuel decided to tell Eli everything that God had said.

Let’s read today’s lesson now:

1 Samuel 3:1-10, (11-20)
3:1 Now the boy Samuel was ministering to the LORD under Eli. The word of the LORD was rare in those days; visions were not widespread.

3:2 At that time Eli, whose eyesight had begun to grow dim so that he could not see, was lying down in his room;

3:3 the lamp of God had not yet gone out, and Samuel was lying down in the temple of the LORD, where the ark of God was.

3:4 Then the LORD called, "Samuel! Samuel!" and he said, "Here I am!"

3:5 and ran to Eli, and said, "Here I am, for you called me." But he said, "I did not call; lie down again." So he went and lay down.

3:6 The LORD called again, "Samuel!" Samuel got up and went to Eli, and said, "Here I am, for you called me." But he said, "I did not call, my son; lie down again."

3:7 Now Samuel did not yet know the LORD, and the word of the LORD had not yet been revealed to him.

3:8 The LORD called Samuel again, a third time. And he got up and went to Eli, and said, "Here I am, for you called me." Then Eli perceived that the LORD was calling the boy.

3:9 Therefore Eli said to Samuel, "Go, lie down; and if he calls you, you shall say, 'Speak, LORD, for your servant is listening.'" So Samuel went and lay down in his place.

3:10 Now the LORD came and stood there, calling as before, "Samuel! Samuel!" And Samuel said, "Speak, for your servant is listening."

3:11 Then the LORD said to Samuel, "See, I am about to do something in Israel that will make both ears of anyone who hears of it tingle.

3:12 On that day I will fulfill against Eli all that I have spoken concerning his house, from beginning to end.

3:13 For I have told him that I am about to punish his house forever, for the iniquity that he knew, because his sons were blaspheming God, and he did not restrain them.

3:14 Therefore I swear to the house of Eli that the iniquity of Eli's house shall not be expiated by sacrifice or offering forever."

3:15 Samuel lay there until morning; then he opened the doors of the house of the LORD. Samuel was afraid to tell the vision to Eli.

3:16 But Eli called Samuel and said, "Samuel, my son." He said, "Here I am."

3:17 Eli said, "What was it that he told you? Do not hide it from me. May God do so to you and more also, if you hide anything from me of all that he told you."

3:18 So Samuel told him everything and hid nothing from him. Then he said, "It is the LORD; let him do what seems good to him."

3:19 As Samuel grew up, the LORD was with him and let none of his words fall to the ground.

3:20 And all Israel from Dan to Beer-sheba knew that Samuel was a trustworthy prophet of the LORD.

God answered Hannah’s prayer and gave her a son named Samuel.  How did God use Samuel? God used Samuel share His plan with His people the Israelites. Every one of us here today has been created with a purpose - to honor God and point others to Him. It is impossible to truly glorify God when we are walking in darkness, like the sons of Eli. And so, God sent Jesus to rescue us from the darkness of sin.  When you become a believer, God uses you to share His plan of salvation with others in your life.

Review Questions:

  1. What were Elkanah’s wives names? (Peninnah and Hannah)

  2. Why did Peninnah irritate and mock Hannah? (She had no children)

  3. What did Hannah promise the Lord when she prayed? (If He gave her a son she would give him to the Lord to serve all his days)

  4. Why did Eli think Hannah was drunk? (She was weeping and moving her mouth)

  5. Who were Hophni and Phinehas?  (Eli’s sons) Were they righteous or evil? (Evil)

  6. What did the prophet tell Eli God was going to do? (Punish him and his family for his son’s wickedness)

  7. How many times did Samuel run to Eli’s room thinking he called his name? (3)

  8. What did Eli tell Samuel to say the next time he heard his name called? (Speak, Lord, for your servant is listening)

  9. Personal-Would others say your life reflects light/dark because you are obedient/disobedient to God?  What are you doing to point others to Jesus so they can be saved?   The more you obey God the brighter His light shines through you.

Some people think that God only calls grown-ups. But Samuel was just a young boy when God called him. God knows your name just as He knew the name of Samuel and God still calls boys and girls today saying, "Come, follow me." So, listen for God's call and answer just as Samuel did, "Here I am!"

Closing Prayer - Dear God, today we are listening for Your call. Perhaps You have something special for us to do. When You call, we will answer, "Here I am." In Jesus’ name, amen.

Today’s Craft - The Many Robes of Samuel - Hannah really loved her son, Samuel. So much was her love that she made him a new robe each year when she came to visit him at the temple. Today’s craft shows these robes in an interesting and colourful way. To make this craft, you will need paper in a large number of patterns and colours, markers, glue, scissors and a large piece of paper for your background.

  1. To start, in upper case letters, write “Samuel” at the top of your background paper. If you want, use foam letters to create the word, Samuel.

  2. At the bottom of the sheet, write “And the boy Samuel continued to grow in stature and in favor with the Lord and with people.” -1 Samuel 2:26.

  3. Next, cut out a large shirt shape to be your base shirt. Glue it on the page, in the middle. Then cut out four more shirts, each a little smaller than the last. These will be glued, one by one from largest to smallest, on top of the base shirt. Let your craft dry and enjoy!

Crafts, colouring, puzzles and fun!

Choose from the resources posted below to add a little creativity to this week’s lesson.