THE LORD CALLS SAMUEL

1 Samuel 2:12-4:1a

Key Verse: 3:10

• THE BOY SAMUEL AND ELI’S WICKED SONS (2:12-36)

1. What was the root cause of Eli’s son’s wickedness? (2:12b) B. How did they abuse their priestly office? (13-17; cf. Lev7:31) C. Why was their sin so great in God’s sight? (2:17)

2. On the other hand, what was Samuel doing? (2:18) B. How did Hannah support him? (2:19) C. How did God bless that family? (2:20-21)

3. What did Eli hear about his sons and how did he deal with this? (2:22-25a) B. How did his sons respond to him and why? (2:25b) C. In this environment, how did God bless the boy Samuel? (2:26)

4. Of what privileges did a man of God remind Eli? (2:27-28) B. For what did he rebuke him? (2:29) C. What judgment did God pronounce upon his family and his sons? (2:30-34, 36) D. What kind of priest would God raise in their place? (2:35) E. Read 2:30b. What can we learn here about God in his dealing with this problem?

• THE LORD CALLS SAMUEL AS HIS PROPHET (3:1-4:1a)

5. How are those days described? (3:1) B. What was the main problem? C. In 3:2-3 how is the setting described? D. How did the Lord intervene? (3:4a) E. How did Samuel respond? (3:4b-6) F. Why? (3:7) G. When did Eli figure out what was going on, and how did he instruct Samuel? (3:8-9)

6. Read 3:10. What can we learn about God who persistently called Samuel by name? B. Describe Samuel’s response to God’s calling (3:10b). C. How does this reveal his attitude of readiness? D. Think about the importance of listening to God.

7. What message did the Lord give Samuel? (3:11-14) B. Why would this be difficult for him to hear and even more difficult to tell? (3:15) C. How could he say everything to Eli, hiding nothing? (3:16-18) D. What spiritual lesson did Samuel learn through this experience? E. How did God establish him as a prophet of his word? (3:19-4:1a)