Reading for February 17th

Read 1 Samuel 3.1-4.1a
In 3.1-4.1a: Samuel's call.
In verse 1; Word of the Lord ... visions are means of prophetic revelation.
In verse 3; The lamp in the temple was to burn at night (Ex 27.21).
Since the lamp of God had not yet gone out, it must have been just before dawn.
Samuel's bed was in the temple near the inner sanctuary where the ark of God was kept.
In verse 7: Samuel did not yet know the Lord: Samuel's role as prophet had not yet been established since the word of the Lord had not yet been revealed to him.
That he would "know" the Lord provides a further contrast to Eli's sons, who did not regard or "know" the Lord (2.12).
In verse 14: Eli's sons are guilty of profaning the sacrifices that might otherwise have atoned for their sins.
In verse 17: May God do so to you and more also is a typical oath formula.
Eli adjures Samuel, forcing him to reveal his conversation with the Lord.
In verses 19-21: All of Samuel's prophecies come true (none fall to the ground), and this is known from Dan to Beer-sheba, the traditional northern and southern boundaries of Israel.
All Israel recognizes Samuel as a reliable prophet of the Lord.
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