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Friday, October 14, 2016

Scripture & Questions for Sunday (10/16/16)

Scripture for Sunday
1 Samuel 3:1-10 (ESV)  
Now the young man Samuel was ministering to the Lord under Eli. And the word of the Lord was rare in those days; there was no frequent vision. [2] At that time Eli, whose eyesight had begun to grow dim so that he could not see, was lying down in his own place.  [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.  [4] Then the Lord called Samuel, and he said, "Here I am!"  [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. [6] And the Lord called again, "Samuel!" and Samuel arose 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."  [7] Now Samuel did not yet know the Lord, and the word of the Lord had not yet been revealed to him. [8] And the Lord called Samuel again the third time. And he arose and went to Eli and said, "Here I am, for you called me." Then Eli perceived that the Lord was calling the young man.  [9] Therefore Eli said to Samuel, "Go, lie down, and if he calls you, you shall say, 'Speak, Lord, for your servant hears.' " So Samuel went and lay down in his place. [10] And the Lord came and stood, calling as at other times, "Samuel! Samuel!" And Samuel said, "Speak, for your servant hears."  

Questions for Reflection
1. How have the relations of children to adults changed since you were a child?
2. What are some examples of a child’s refreshing naiveté about God?
3. How would you characterize Samuel’s relationship to Eli? (3:4-5)
4. What did Samuel assume about the voice he heard in the night? (3:5)
5. How did Eli instruct Samuel to react to the voice he heard? (3:9)
6. What was Israel’s relationship to God at the time of this story?
7. How would you characterize our day and age with regard to people hearing from God?
8. What characteristics of the boy Samuel made him a suitable person to hear from God?