How The Lord Secures The Ministry Of His Word

1 Samuel 3.

1 Samuel 3.

1 Samuel 3.

1 Samuel 3.

1 Samuel 3.

1 Samuel 3.

1 Samuel 3.

1 Samuel 3.

1 Samuel 3.

1 Samuel 3.

1 Samuel 3.

1 Samuel 3.

1 Samuel 3.

1 Samuel 3.

1 Samuel 3.

1 Samuel 3.

1 Samuel 3.

1 Samuel 3.

1 Samuel 3.

1 Samuel 3.

1 Samuel 3.

1 Samuel 3.

1 Samuel 3.

1 Samuel 3.

1 Samuel 3.

1 Samuel 3.

but the word of the Lord stands forever.

Isaiah 40.

And no word from God

shall be void of power.

Luke 1.

Would you pray with me?

Lord, we ask

that by the Holy Spirit

that is with your people gathered in your name,

you will reveal yourself,

reveal the word of God,

God the Son, Jesus Christ,

the glory of the triune God

through the scripture that you've given us today.

Amen.

Well, if we love something,

we secure all that it needs to thrive.

Think of something you love

and all you've done to secure everything

that we'll need in order for that thing to thrive

under your care.

We discover this wonderful little invention

called a watering bulb

and it's a bulb made out of glass

with a little tip that goes in

and what you do is you fill it up with water

and you stick it in the soil of a potted plant

and then you can leave for a few weeks

if you need to travel

and you've secured the water

that that plant will need to thrive.

What a great invention

and why did it take us this long

to come up with that.

If you love your plant,

you'll secure for it what it needs to thrive,

water.

Well, the Lord loves you and me.

He loves his people

and what we need to thrive is his word.

Psalm 119 declares this,

sustain me by your word

that I may live.

If I don't have your word,

I die.

The Lord loves you

and he has secured for us

the ministry of his word.

He's done this throughout every generation.

So beloved congregation of our Lord Jesus,

my prayer this week in preparing

is that you will be able to see

through this passage,

1 Samuel chapter 3,

1 Samuel 3 · chapter mention

how the Lord secures

the ministry of his word.

how the Lord secures the ministry

of his word for his people

whom he loves.

First, let's see the portrait

of a wordless minister.

Here's a man

meant to be a minister,

but he's serving without

the word of God.

It's a wordless ministry.

1 Samuel chapter 3, verse 1 says,

1 Samuel 3:1

Now the boy Samuel ministered

to the Lord before Eli.

So still in focus right now

is Eli as the high priest.

We're told in those days

or under Eli's ministry,

the word of the Lord was rare

or scarce.

There was no widespread revelation.

Visions were seldom

under Eli's ministry.

Verse 1 makes a direct link

between the word of Yahweh

and Yahweh manifesting

his glorious presence

to his people.

You see that simple connection?

It's a statement of fact.

Like, in those days,

rain was rare,

therefore there were

few green plants.

The Hebrew word

for word,

the word of the Lord,

it's used eight times

in our little passage.

Eight times,

so it's the clear theme

of 1 Samuel chapter 3.

1 Samuel 3 · chapter mention

We're told the word

of the Lord

was not breaching forth.

A word-for-word translation

of verse 1 would be this.

The vision

of God's word

was not

breaking through.

God's word

in the spiritual realm

is ever-present,

ready,

awaiting the divine decree

to be sent forth

to breach

or break through

into the created realm.

We're told in

1 Samuel chapter 7

1 Samuel 7:3

verses 3 and 4

that in this time,

all Israel

was told to put away

their idols

and to serve the Lord

only with their whole heart.

See,

the word of God

was ready

to break through,

to be breaching forth

unto them,

but instead

their hearts

were divided

and given to idols

in this time.

One commentator observed,

God had withdrawn

the light of his word

and allowed his people

to wander

in the darkness

that they apparently

preferred.

This is the portrait

of a wordless ministry.

This principle

remains true today

that where the

word of the Lord

is rare

or seldom,

seldom used.

We should not expect

to see God's glory

breaking through.

Now,

would you look at

chapter 3 verse 21

to see the end

of this little passage,

the other bookend,

with those same two

truths connected

to one another

but in the positive.

So,

1 Samuel chapter 3

1 Samuel 3:21

verse 21,

it links the two

positively.

The Lord revealed

himself to Samuel

at Shiloh.

How?

By the word

of the Lord.

Same connection.

So,

really,

this chapter

is a transition.

It's showing

how do we go

from days of darkness

under Eli

into days of light

under Samuel's

ministry of God's word.

How did God do it?

Well,

we read in verse 2

that it came to pass.

In other words,

here's how we go

from the end

where the word

of the Lord

is spread among

the whole nation

and how we got there

from verse 1

where it's rare.

And here's the story.

Now,

it doesn't get straight

to what God did.

It actually sets up

the setting

as if painting

a picture with words

to describe Eli,

the minister

under whose regime

Israel was wordless

without the word of God.

Look at verse 2.

Here's how it's painted.

Eli,

was lying down

in his place.

His eyes had begun

to grow so dim

he could not see.

Verse 3,

before the lamp of God

went out

in the tabernacle

of the Lord

where the ark

of God was.

How is Eli portrayed?

A blind priest

laying in his own place

as darkness

creeps over

the people of God.

But God's light,

it still burns

in the place

where he is,

where he meets them.

The instructions

for God's people

were very clear.

One example is

Deuteronomy 4, 9.

Teach God's word

to your children

and to their children

after them.

Deuteronomy 11, 19.

Lay up these words

of mine,

God said,

in your heart

and in your soul.

Well, Eli had not

restrained his sons

and not only

in his own household

was there darkness

and sin ruling.

Sadly,

the nation of Israel

was characterized

by that same darkness.

God's word is the lamp

unto our feet.

Psalm 119, 105.

So a wordless life

must be as dark

as a fireless candle.

God's word is quick

and powerful,

sharper than any

two-edged sword,

Hebrews 4, 12.

But a wordless church,

it will fail

to cut out the sins

of our lives.

A wordless ministry

has to be as nourishing

as a foodless plate.

To our visitors

and to those

who might be listening

to this later,

if you and I

put ourselves

under a wordless ministry

or if Reformed Heritage Church

stops being about

the ministry

of God's word,

we will starve

spiritually.

But we're told

that the one

who eats every word

that comes from

the mouth of God

shall live,

Matthew 4, 4.

If we neglect

to minister God's word

to ourselves,

to our families

within this church,

God will raise up

others who will do that.

He will raise up

other faithful churches.

He secures the ministry

of His word.

May we be part of that.

Do we desire

for God's glory

to breach forth,

to break through

among us?

That's what we're here

for every week, right?

We want to see

God's glory.

Then we can't let

His word be rare

among us.

We see the portrait

in Eli

of a wordless ministry.

But here's the contrast.

We see how the word

of God did come

and minister.

The setting in verse 3

is a contrast

to how Eli was painted.

Look at verse 3.

Before the lamp of God

went out

in the tabernacle

of the Lord

where the ark

of God was,

there,

Samuel was lying down.

The word of the Lord

called Samuel.

See, Eli slept

in his own place,

but we're told

Samuel was lying down

in the tent of meeting

in the presence of God

near the ark.

The ark was a visible

reminder

of God's covenant.

Just like the Lord's table

is a visible reminder

to us that God

is with us

and His covenant

endures.

We're told Eli's vision

was dim.

He was going blind.

But in describing Samuel,

we're told that

the lamp of God

had not yet gone out.

The ark of the covenant

was still visible to him.

The ark of God's presence.

Samuel

had been lost in darkness

under Eli's ministry

like most of the nation.

Look at verse 7.

We're told Samuel

did not yet know

the Lord.

Why?

Here's that connection

once more in verse 7.

Because the word of the Lord

was not yet revealed

to him.

He didn't yet know

God's voice.

Can you think back

to those dark days

in your life

when you did not yet know

the voice

of the Lord?

And it makes sense

without knowing

the voice of the Lord

that when he hears

his name called

Samuel,

Samuel,

this youth

stands up

and goes running

to Eli.

He only knew

of God

and God

was always

mediated to

Samuel

through the priest.

Never directly.

Notice how this

is repeated

a few times.

In 1 Samuel

1 Samuel 2:11

chapter 2

verse 11

we're told

the child ministered

to the Lord

before Eli

the priest.

Eli's always right there

associated.

And in 3.1

the boy Samuel

ministered

to the Lord

before Eli.

Not direct

knowledge

or relationship

with Yahweh

himself.

Maybe there are

some of you here

like Samuel

as a youth.

The word youth

is the same word

to describe

the age David was

when he

killed Goliath.

He was a youth

most likely

middle school age.

It's the same age

Mary was

when the Lord

revealed himself

to her.

And maybe there are

some of our youth

who only know

the Lord

through someone else.

You know

of the Lord.

Maybe you only

know of him

through dad

or mom

or grandparents

like Samuel

through Eli.

But do you

know the Lord?

Has he revealed

himself to you

through his word?

You notice

how the Lord

calls Samuel.

Samuel goes

to Eli.

Eli.

The Lord

does it again.

Samuel,

Samuel.

He goes

to Eli again.

Isn't it wonderful

what this reveals

to us about God?

God's not

in a hurry.

God will secure

the ministry

of his word.

God is so

patient

and so kind.

God gives us

time

to learn

his voice.

He gives us

time to

receive him

and understand

a bit more

of him

by faith.

How does

the Lord

then

secure

Samuel

as a faithful

minister

of his word?

How does

God do it?

Look at

verse 10.

the Lord

the third

time

came

and stood

and called.

You see

the setting.

It's the

menorah

like a tree

with seven

branches

and a light

on each

one of them

and there's

the visible

covenant.

it.

This represents

the presence

of God

with sinful

people

by blood

sacrifice.

And it's

the Lord

himself

Yahweh

who comes

and stands

and ministers

his word.

The Lord

made his glory

break into

the realm

of experience.

Yahweh

stood

inside

the tent

of meeting

and he

called this

young one

by name.

The word

of the Lord

came

and revealed

the Lord

to Samuel.

Another

translation

for verse

1

1 Samuel

3

1

is this.

God's

word was

rare

or it could

be translated

God's word

was precious.

I'm learning

by the experts

this is the

beauty of

the Hebrew

language.

It's poetic

and mysterious

in that sense

that it can

have so many

different meanings

depending on

the light

shed upon it.

In other words

God's word

was not

completely gone

but rare.

Remember the

light had not

quite gone out

in the tabernacle

symbolically.

There was still

an anonymous

man of God

that stood

and preached

to Eli

in the previous

chapter.

And the word

of the Lord

was still rare.

It was still

precious.

The word

of the Lord

he became

precious.

to those

few

who received

him by

faith.

Those few

to whom

he revealed

himself.

Is the word

of the Lord

precious to

you?

As it

became to

Samuel

on that

night

in the

tent of

meeting

Dale

Ralph Davis

commented

when God's

word has

free reign

among God's

people

this is a

sign of

God's

grace to

them.

Not a

building

not programs

but if the

ministry of

the word

stands at

the heart

of the

church's

life

then they

are rich

in the

grace of

God.

The word

of God

becomes

precious to

us.

Romans 10

how will

they believe

in him

in whom

they have

not heard

faith comes

by hearing

and hearing

by the

word of

God.

Has the

word of

God become

precious to

you?

Precious to

your faith?

can you

see the

light of

God?

John 8

12

Jesus said

I am

the light

of the

world.

He who

follows me

shall not

walk in

darkness

but have

the light

of life.

The Lord

secures

his word

among true

Christians by

making himself

precious to

them and

making his

word sweet.

the Lord

came and

ministered.

I want you

to see next

how the

Lord

ministers

his word

to powerful

effect.

See the

power of

God's word

in its

effects.

We can

measure the

force of

air by

rotations

it affects

on windmills.

If you drive

across the

plains where

it's flat

and the

wind comes

really strong

you see all

those huge

white

windmills.

You can

measure the

amount of

wind in

an area by

the rotations

each one of

those is

spinning at.

So the

wind is the

cause and

the spinning

is the

effect.

Now notice

these causes

and effects

of how

powerfully

God

ministers

his word.

We see

in verse

10

the Lord

came

stood

and

called.

What's

the effect

in verse

10?

Samuel

answered

speak

for your

servant

hears.

The

Lord

reveals

himself

with

his

word

and the

Holy

Spirit

causes

you

to hear

his

own

voice

and see

his

revelation

by faith

and to

know

him.

Psalm

19

7

says

the

word

of

Yahweh

is

perfect.

What's

the

effect?

Converting

the

soul.

John

6

44

No

one

can

come

to

me

unless

the

father

who

sent

me

draws

him.

Michael

Horton's

comment is

this

God's

word

does

not

merely

impart

information

it

actually

creates

life.

It's

not only

descriptive

it's

effective

to

it's

God

speaking

and when

God

speaks

God

is

acting.

God

effectually

called

Samuel

God

drew

Samuel

to

know

him.

In

John

10

3

Jesus

declares

I

am

the

good

shepherd

and

the

good

shepherd

calls

his

own

sheep

by

name

his

sheep

hear

his

voice.

God

calls

you

by

name

do

you

hear

his

voice?

If

you

hear

his

voice

you

follow

the

good

shepherd.

For

Samuel

this

meant

taking

a

very

hard

step

of

obedience

next.

We're

told

the

Lord

gave

Samuel

his

message

and

this

was

a

message

that

any

preacher

would

tremble

to

deliver.

Look

at

verse

14.

Eli's

house

shall

not be

atoned

for

by

sacrifice

or

offering

forever.

We're

told in

verse

15

that

Samuel

lay

down

until

morning

and

opened

the

doors

of

the

house

of

the

Lord

pulled

back

the

curtains

of

the

tent

and

Samuel

was

afraid

to

tell

Eli

the

vision.

We're

told by

the end

of this

chapter

that

this

youth

had

become

a

prophet

over

all

of

Israel.

What

does it

mean to

be a

prophet?

It

means to

speak

for

another.

In

Exodus

7

1

Aaron

is

called

a

prophet

for

Moses.

So now

this

youth

Samuel

is

being

a

prophet

of

Yahweh.

He's

the

one

who's

supposed

to

speak

on

behalf

of

Yahweh

and

deliver

this

difficult

message.

Not only

was the

message

difficult,

the audience

was extremely

hard.

This

was

Eli

who

had

essentially

raised

him

as

his

dad.

This

was

the

high

priest

over

all

of

Israel.

In

verse

16,

Eli

called

Samuel

my

son.

Well then

maybe this

was God's

grace.

Eli

threatens

Samuel

with a

curse

and then

he does

it.

Think

about that

curse

even.

What if

every

preacher

who had

to preach

the gospel

had that

curse

back on

them?

By

God's

grace

we

don't.

May

all the

curses

you're

about

to

preach

be

on

you

if

you

don't

give

it

all.

One

commentator

said

we'd

be

more

brave

too

if

we

were

threatened

with

a

curse

before

being

asked

to

preach.

We

can be

encouraged

though

like

Samuel

was

at

the

ministry

of

the

Lord

in

the

words

of

R.C.

Sproul

as a

reminder

God

has

entrusted

to

us

the

ministry

of

the

word

not

its

results.

So

what

is

the

power

of

God

what's

the

change

it

affects?

So

Samuel

preached

his

first

sermon

in

verse

18

we're

told

Samuel

told

Eli

all

of

God's

words

and

hid

nothing

from

him

because

Eli

and his

sons

had not

stored up

God's

word

in their

hearts

they

had

sinned

grievously

!

against

God

but

God

secured

the

ministry

of

his

word

through

a

youth

Samuel

stood

and

preached

the

wrath

of

the

holy

God

against

sin

what

did

it

affect?

By

the

power

of

God

ministering

through

the

Holy

Spirit

and

his

word

we're

told

in

verse

18

the

reaction

Eli

says

it

is

Yahweh

let

him

do

what

seems

good

to

him

the

word

of

God

is

powerful

we

can

see

the

power

by

the

effects

you

remember

that

refrain

the

end

of

judges

there's

no

king

in

the

land

let

everyone

do

what

seems

good

to

them

Elkanah

tells

Hannah

that

go

do

whatever

seems

good

to

you

Eli

tells

her

that

about

her

prayer

may

you

get

whatever

you

prayed

for

you

see

the

reversal

now

this

is

the

powerful

effect

of

the

!

It is

Yahweh

Eli

says

in

verse

18

let

Yahweh

do

what

seems

good

to

him

it's

the

powerful

ministry

of

the

word

being

applied

with

power

to

have

a

great

effect

a

reversal

I

think

in

Eli

this

is

a

gracious

recognition

Yahweh

must

be

king

Charles

Spurgeon

boiled down

the contrast

we see

in difficult

passage

like this

of God's

word

where it's

wrath

upon

Hophni

and Phinehas

these wicked

sons of

Eli

but grace

to

Samuel

and to

those who

will heed

God's

word

Spurgeon

said

from the

word of

God

I

gather

that

damnation

is all

of man

from top

to bottom

and salvation

is all

of grace

from first

to last

he that

perishes

chooses

to perish

but he

that is

saved

is saved

because God

has chosen

to save

him

amen

verse 19

the Lord

was with

Samuel

that's what

his ministry

was defined

by

the Lord

was with

him

and what's

the effect

of Samuel

having the

Lord with

him

God

let none

of his

words

fall to

the ground

God

only gave

him to

preach

what was

from God's

word

from God

himself

and it

ministered

powerfully

and he

only preached

what God

had given

him

and the

result is

none

of the

words

returned

void

or were

void

of power

nothing

fell

to the

ground

psalm

Psalms 19:8

19

verse 8

the

commandment

of

Yahweh

is

pure

enlightening

the

eyes

as the

word of

God

goes out

over

all of

Israel

we move

from

darkness

to light

the

Lord

secured

the

ministry

of his

word

in the

effect

look at

verse 1

of the

very next

chapter

1

1 Samuel 4:1

Samuel

chapter 4

verse 1

the word

of God

through

Samuel

came to

all Israel

from

north

to south

how is it

that the

Lord rules

over his

people

it's by

his word

this is

always

how the

Lord

has done

it

this is

how he

does it

still

he rules

over his

people

by his

word

Jesus

said in

John 10

4

the good

shepherd

goes before

them

and the

sheep

follow him

for they

know his

voice

if you

know the

voice of

Jesus

you follow

him

and you

love his

words

Psalm 119

Psalms 119:10

verse 10

more to be

desired are

they than

gold

yea than

much fine

gold

sweeter also

than honey

and the

honeycomb

the Lord

secures the

ministry of

his word

in power

over his

people

by making

himself

precious

and his

word

the word

of grace

foiled

against the

wrath of

God

sweet

and precious

to his

people

well fourth

and finally

for today

let's see how

God's word

still ministers

to his

people

let's see how

God's word

still ministers

to his

people

today

how many

verses do

you see in

chapter 3

1st Samuel

chapter 3

21 verses

and then if

we include the

first part of

the very next

verse which

I think goes

with this

theme

4

1

we got

21 to

22 verses

even in our

English copy

the way that

the verses

were given

so what would

be the

midpoint

of 21 or

22 verses

we're at

verse 10

or 11

and this is a

significant statement

I believe right at

the center

of this passage

in verse 11

the Lord said

behold I am

doing or I am

enacting

to use this

word it can

it can take

to be this

I am

committing

or I am

keeping

or I am

offering

a word

in all

Israel

at which

both the

ears

of everyone

who hear it

will tingle

God is saying

that I am

doing something

right now

and the tense

in the original

language is

not that I'm

about to do

and it's over

but I am

continuously

enacting

keeping

promising

committing

offering

a word

I judge

now

and you'll

see my

wrath

but I will

secure

a ministry

to you

of grace

forever

how does

God do

this

he's

keeping

his

covenant

and offering

grace

to his

people

he's

showing

them

how this

promise

he made

way back

that there

will be

a seed

from Eve

and a

seed

through

Abraham

he says

I am

committing

my word

again

to my

people

I am

enacting

redemption

through the

king

that I

promised

to Abraham

and to

Moses

I am

offering

myself

my word

to become

flesh

to

tabernacle

to dwell

among my

people

forever

that's the

thing I am

doing

in all of

this glorious

history

in John

1 14

the word

the word

became

flesh

and made

his dwelling

among us

we have

seen his

glory

the glory

of the

one

and the

only

son

from the

father

full of

grace

and truth

Hebrews

1 3

the radiance

of the glory

of God

the exact

imprint

of his

nature

is Jesus

Christ

the word

in a

body

Jesus

Christ

became

the

great

king

that his

people have

always needed

and always

lacked

and it

was the

ministry of

Jesus to

bring the

word of

God to

make it

break

through

into the

created

realm

as the

king

the great

fulfillment

Jesus

Christ

loved

God's

word

I believe

Jesus

Christ

meditated

on God's

word

day and

night

he thought

about God's

word

pondered

it in

his

heart