Second Sunday After Epiphany - Year B

The call of Samuel (1 Samuel 3:1–21)

An attentive reader of 2:27–36 might have been puzzled by the fact that this prophecy about the priesthood had nothing to say about Samuel’s future. The prediction about a ‘faithful priest’ in 2:35 was not fulfilled by Samuel, and his descendants were not ‘firmly established’ in the priesthood. Ch. 3 supplies the answer: Samuel’s future role was not that of head of a priestly family. Instead, he was to be the great prophet of his generation. Priests needed no divine call to office, because they were born into priestly families. Prophets, on the other hand, received individual calls, direct experiences of God; and ch. 3 records the prophetic call of Samuel. The word of the LORD and visions (1) were the two types of divine gift to prophets. There are two reasons for telling us that both were rare (lit. ‘precious’) at that time. First, the statement draws attention to Israel’s serious need for prophetic guidance. Secondly, it explains in advance why Samuel and Eli were both taken by surprise when the Lord called aloud to Samuel (4). Two features of the temple are mentioned in v 3, the lamp of God and the ark of the covenant. Both were symbols of the presence of God. Lv. 24:1–4 gives careful instructions to the priests to keep a lamp burning in the sanctuary every night. When Samuel heard God’s voice, the lamp was still alight, i.e. it was just before dawn. If God did choose to speak, it would be here in the shrine that his voice was expected to be heard; that is why Samuel was lying down near the ark. The call came three times, confirming to both Samuel and Eli that it was truly a message from God.

Carson, D. A. (1994). New Bible commentary : 21st century edition (4th ed.) (1 Sa 3:1–21). Leicester, England; Downers Grove, Ill., USA: Inter-Varsity Press.

Flee Sexual Immorality (1 Corinthians 6:12-20)

Because Christ has united us with Him and with one another, immorality has no place among us. Freedom to live in Christ excludes living in opposition to Him. When we fall into sin, we can repent of the disunity we have brought. Jesus Christ will restore and renew us as His very own. • Father, be glorified in our freedom, which You grant us in Jesus. Amen.
~Lutheran Study Bible
Engelbrecht, E. A. (2009). The Lutheran Study Bible (1954). St. Louis, MO: Concordia Publishing House.

Jesus Calls Philip and Nathanael (John 1:43-51)..