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Israel was fading into spiritual darkness at this time. It was a time of moral darkness and rebellion. The word of the Lord was rare and there was no widespread revelation. The sons of Eli were corrupt and did not know the Lord. They looked at the priestly office as gain for themselves. Eli was very old and incapable of controlling his own sons. Samuel was young and immature, but he was sincere. Eli could barely physically and spiritually see anymore and the lamp of God was going out in the tabernacle. One night while Eli and Samuel were lying down in the court of the tabernacle the Lord called Samuel. The young boy ran to Eli on three separate occasions because he did not yet know the Lord and the word of the Lord was not yet revealed to him. Samuel confused the call of the Lord with the call of Eli. He confused the call of the Lord with the call of another. It was not yet personal to him, it was wrapped up in someone else. He could not go the rest of his ministry being dependent upon Eli\\u2019s knowledge of the Lord and the revelation of the word of the Lord to Eli. Finally the third time Eli taught him to seek the word of the Lord and not the word of another. The word the Lord reveals to Samuel is a word of sorrow, calamity and destruction against the house of Eli! Samuel sees that to receive the word from the Lord is a burden and a heavy responsibility. Samuel speaks the word to Eli and moves away from his dependency upon him. Samuel becomes a prophet to all of Israel. We must lay aside the ephod and the little robe and mature from a place of dependency upon another. We must respond as individuals to God\\u2019s call and answer, \\u201cSpeak, for Your servant hears.\\u201d


Click here to listen: Before the Lamp of God Went Out'