Charles Spurgeon Commentary 1 Samuel 3

And the child Samuel ministered unto the LORD before Eli (1 Samuel 3:1).

Samuel was only a child, yet he was a faithful servant of God according to the light he had received. The grown-up sons of Eli were rebelling against God, but the child Samuel ministered unto the LORD. It greatly aggravates sin for ungodly men to persist in it when even little children rebuke them by their careful conduct and manner of life; it made the sin of Eli's sons all the worse because the child Samuel ministered unto the LORD before ELI.

And the word of the Lord was precious in those days; there was no open vision.

God spoke with very few, and his speech to them was private: There was no open vision. What was spoken was very rich and rare, but there was little of it. The Lord, in anger at the sin of Eli's sons, took away the spirit of prophecy from the land.

And it came to pass at that time, when Eli was laid down in his place, and his eyes began to wax dim, that he could not see;

He was a good old man, but he was almost worn out, and he had been unfaithful to God in not keeping his family right. He must have found some comfort in having such a sweet and dear companion and servant as little Samuel was.

And before the lamp of God went out in the temple of the LORD, where the ark of God was, and Samuel was laid down to sleep; that the LORD called Samuel: and he answered, Here am I. And he ran unto Eli, and said, Here am I; for you called me. And he said, I called not; lie down again. And he went and lay down.

Servants and children are to be attentive and obedient to the calls they hear, but masters must also be gentle, and kind, and considerate to them. Eli did not call the child a fool, or speak harshly to him; he knew that Samuel had a good intention, and even if he had been mistaken, and no one had called him, yet it was a good thing on the part of the child to act as if he had been spoken to; and Eli quietly and gently said, "I called not; lie down again. And he went and lay down."

And the LORD called yet again, Samuel. And Samuel arose and went to Eli, and said, Here am I; for you did call me.

He felt sure of it, confident that he had not been mistaken.

And the child Samuel ministered unto the LORD before Eli.

And the word of the LORD was precious in those days; there was no open vision. And it came to pass at that time, when Eli was laid down in his place, and his eyes began to wax dim, that he could not see; and ere the lamp of God went out in the temple of the LORD, where the ark of God was, and Samuel was laid down to sleep; that the LORD called Samuel: and he answered, Here am I. And he ran unto Eli, and said, Here am I; for thou calledst me. And he said, I called not; lie down again. And he went and lay down. And the LORD called yet again, Samuel. And Samuel arose and went to Eli, and said, Here am I; for thou didst call me. And he answered, I called not, my son; lie down again. Now Samuel did not yet know the LORD, neither was the word of the LORD yet revealed unto him. And the LORD called Samuel again the third time. And he arose and went to Eli, and said, Here am I; for thou didst call me.

And Eli perceived that the LORD had called the child. Therefore Eli said unto Samuel, Go, lie down: and it shall be, if he call thee, that thou shalt say, Speak, LORD; for thy servant heareth. So Samuel went and lay down in his place. And the LORD came, and stood, and called as at other times, Samuel, Samuel. Then Samuel answered, Speak; for thy servant heareth. And the LORD said to Samuel, Behold, I will do a thing in Israel, at which both the ears of every one that heareth it shall tingle. In that day I will perform against Eli all things which I have spoken concerning his house: when I begin, I will also make an end. For I have told him that I will judge his house for ever for the iniquity which he knoweth; because his sons made themselves vile, and he restrained them not.

Take warning, fathers and mothers, by this experience of old Eli.