Somebody Wake Up Eli!!!

Toussaint Williams
Sep 8, 2018 · 6 min read


“A third time the Lord called, “Samuel!” And Samuel got up and went to Eli and said, “Here I am; you called me.” Then Eli realized that the Lord was calling the boy. So Eli told Samuel, “Go and lie down, and if he calls you, say, ‘Speak, Lord, for your servant is listening.’ ” So Samuel went and lay down in his place. The Lord came and stood there, calling as at the other times, “Samuel! Samuel!” Then Samuel said, “Speak, for your servant is listening.”” ‭‭1 Samuel‬ ‭3:8–10‬ ‭

We are clear that this story takes place after a long day’s work. You’ve had one of those days where you made a date with your bed with no interruptions. The blanket hugs you, the pillow embraces your head the mattress surrounds your body like an isotoner glove. The house is quiet. The ringer is off. The kids are asleep. The spouse is not snoring… You begin to doze. The reMs are kicking in high gear. A little slobber escapes the corners of your mouth. You are sleeping so hard that you are dreaming about sleep.bible.com/111/1sa.3.8-10.niv

Then it happens. A dog outside begins to bark. A kid cries. An ambulance siren blares in the distance. A teenager comes in late and slams the door. You suppress the words you would not want angels to repeat and try to go back to sleep. But you know… you will never go back to that good sleep again.

I can imagine what Eli felt when he was knocking out. The Bible says that his eyes began to dim. Lights were going out, both figuratively and literally. He was almost blind, but the eyes of his soul had been closed for some time now.

It was bedtime. Doors locked. Candles are blown out. They lay down in their respective rooms. And the Bible does not tell us when, but you know the phone never rings when you have nothing to do or nowhere to go. His found the cool side of the pillow and at that critical moment, he hears the young apprentice’s faint knock. “Eli? Eli? He whispered. “Did you call me?” I hear him mumbling in his head, “GO BACK TO SLEEP!!” Remembering he was just a little one, he raises his tone much more gentle than he would like and replied, “I didn’t you Samuel. Get some rest.”

If it were just sleep Eli was missing out on, I doubt this story would be in the Bible.

Earlier in the story of 1 Samuel, the Bible outlines the decline of God’s people and their connection to their God. God’s word, verse one records, was precious in those days. There was no open vision. No audible communication. The only “Bible” they had was oral tradition and the Pentateuch (1st five books of the Bible). God wasn’t even speaking to the leaders of the church.

Enter Samuel. He came to the temple with baggage (don’t we all!). He came from a family with two mommies and one daddy. His mom, who agonized with God to have a son, put him out of the house in to keep him close to the Lord. Hannah left him in Eli’s care, believing that her elementary age child would do better there than out in the world. There was bickering and fighting at home, but at least he could go to the school of the prophets and be exposed to God’s power and provision.

The only challenge was, the church was just as bad, if not worse, than his home life.

Eli’s sons, the leaders of the church, the elders of the people were sleeping with the women and stealing from the offering. They encouraged people to sin so they would have to bring larger offerings!!! Eli knew of their misdeeds and never punished them. It was under this influence, Hannah trusted God to raise her firstborn child.

It was in this tumultuous environment that Eli taught young Samuel about the unseen God. Samuel must have learned a lot because we find that he was sleeping at the foot of the Ark of the Covenant. Picture this… God hasn’t spoken in a long time, yet young Samuel has made a permanent residence near the place where God promised to dwell. (Let me throw this in here — if you are looking for a Word from God, Go where He might show up! You may have not seen Him act in a long time, but you don’t want to miss it when He does.

And that’s exactly what happened to our sleepy priest. Eli was aroused out of sleep not once or twice but three times because Samuel thought Eli called him. What troubles me is not telling Samuel he did not call, but that he knew God was speaking and went back to sleep. There’s a danger of being so accustomed to spiritual things that you take them for granted. You can teach others how God moves. You have an approximate location of where He will act. You even can sense His presence when He does move, but you are comfortable so you go back to sleep.

Think about it. If God only wanted to talk to Samuel, He could have shared what He wanted to give the young lad and left. The call of the future prophet and the current priest was an opportunity for both generations to experience the power and presence of God together.

Somebody wake up Eli!

How could he go back to bed? Eli was either too preoccupied with slumber or he was unaware of his spiritual condition. He was sleeping while God was speaking.

A little boy, a young man Eli was supposed to mentor, hears God’s voice and has never be exposed to his power. How do you go back to bed? What goes through his mind that he excludes himself from the conversation? If he didn’t want to go in, at least come near the room. Sit outside the door and put a cup to your ear. Walk around in the hallway near the entrance and act like you forgot something in the room. ANYTHING BUT GO BACK TO SLEEP!!!

Despite the fact that Eli slept, there is grace in this story: 1) God still speaks. Even when the church is messed up, the spiritual leaders are comatose and the country wants little to do with their Creator. God speaks! He makes an intentional effort to connect with His creatures and speak to them in a way they would understand and receive. In spite of how the nation was responding, God was still willing to save them.

2) God is serious about using the next generation. He will bypass us and speak to kids with jacked up families to get the gospel out. He will use rocks if His chosen spokesmen/women chose to abdicate their responsibilities. Samuel, while stationed near the Ark of God, answered the call to serve…. A child not even big enough to ride in the front seat was chosen to be the spokesperson for the Savior.

3) Just because Eli slept doesn’t mean you have to! Eli had three warnings that God wanted to get his attention. Three opportunities to be in the presence of God and each time he rolled over and went back to sleep. I’m not sure how many opportunities you will have. I wish I could tell you I will write a three-part series on this text. The reality is, you may not get another opportunity or you may get one hundred more. I admonish you to take advantage of the one you have right now. Pause and ask God to speak to you. Be intentional about God’s pattern of activity in your life. Seek out opportunities to be in His presence and when you do hear Him move! He will move, and when He does, don’t go back to sleep!

Believe that He wants to speak to you (and through you)… One Day at a Time.

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