1 Samuel 3:19 And Samuel grew, and the LORD was with him, and did let none of his words fall to the ground. 1. Let us reflect, first, upon this description as applying to the ancient seer of Israel. "And Samuel grew." It was a saying of the poet Southey that, live as long as we may, the first twenty years are the longest half of our life. Why is this? There is a physiological and there is a moral reason for it. The physiological cause lies in the more vivid sensibility of youth — the soft wax is not yet set, the tender branch is not yet hardened. The moral cause lies in the greater variety of influences to which we are subject before life's choice is made, and ere we have definitely cast in oar lot either with the good or the bad. And both these are gathered into one statement if we say that the first twenty years are the longest half of life because they are the period of vigorous and determining growth; that being the analysis of the growing process — vigour of life and determination of life. Hence the significance of the clause, "And Samuel grew." There was the vigour of the lad's life; wherefore the young limbs lengthened and the supple frame waxed strong, and he developed into a magnificent man. And there was the determination of the lad's life towards wise and pure conduct; wherefore he eschewed the evil example of Eli's sons, and set himself to walk in the good and right way. This persistent emphasis upon the growth of the prophet is intended to teach that the secret of his even and consistent life is to be found in his early piety. The visitations of God's grace were upon him like the dews of the morning; he grew, and when he was old and grey-headed, he remained like a tree rooted in its place. Occasionally a wild, ungodly youth is followed by a consecrated manhood, for the grace of God can work miracles; and this ham been seen in such lives as Augustine's, Ignatius Loyola's, John Bunyan's, and John Newton's. But the law is that "whatsoever a man soweth that shall he also reap; be that soweth to the flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; he that soweth to the spirit shall of the spirit reap life everlasting." And even those apparent exceptions to which I refer do really confirm the rule, since, as the greatest of ecclesiastical historians has pointed out, the men who are converted after a lawless and reckless youth usually become Christians of an ill-wrought and inharmonious type. Always the Christliest saints are those of whom it can be said, as of the first prophet, "And Samuel grew." 2. The text goes on to speak of a second characteristic. "And the Lord was with him." Alone, he would have fallen. Alone, his spiritual nature would have sickened in the atmosphere of unclearness; he would have learned to tolerate the crimes of his neighbours — it may have been to outdo them. 3. Once more the text tells us that "the Lord did let none of his words fall to the ground." This was the natural and appropriate result. (W. J. Woods, B. A.) Parallel Verses KJV: And Samuel grew, and the LORD was with him, and did let none of his words fall to the ground.WEB: Samuel grew, and Yahweh was with him, and let none of his words fall to the ground. |
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