The purpose of this lesson is to learn the difference between Eli and Samuel and apply those lessons to

our lives, and to the raising of our children. It makes a difference what we really are before God, not just

what we appear before men. It is more important to be right before God, as Samuel, than to fill the

position of righteousness, as Eli. God is able to work in circumstances that are completely out of our

control to reveal to all what we really are.

The Bible states that Eli was wrong in the following three points:

I Samuel 2:12 – Religion was reduced to only the external.

I Samuel 2:29 – Eli honourest his sons above God.

I Samuel 3:13 – Eli did not restrain his sons.

Events after the Ark of God was taken.

I Samuel 5 – The Philistines placed the Ark of God in the temple of __________, which god

was destroyed by the Ark of God.

I Samuel 6:1 – The ark of God, taken during the time of Eli, was in the land of the

Philistines __________ months.

I Samuel 7 – When the ark of God was returned to Israel, ______________, the son of Abinadab

was sanctified to keep the ark of the Lord. Samuel reprimanded the people of Israel for their sins.

The difference between Samuel and Eli.

Eli was a _______________, while Samuel was a ________________.

Eli was in charge of the __________________, while Samuel was in charge of declaring to Israel

the words of God.

Samuel saw firsthand what disobedience to God meant.

a. Samuel was only a __________ when God gave him the prophecy concerning

the destruction of the family of Eli.

b. Samuel lived to see the events of the day when the Ark of God was taken. Name those events:

1. _________________ died.

2. _________________ died.

3. _________________ died.

4. _________________ was born.

5. The _____ ___ ______ was taken.

c. It is possible God used those terrible events to cause Samuel to continually remember

the consequences of sin.

Samuel was a man of God, and everybody knew he was.

Give the scripture where God reprimanded Samuel for the actions of his

sons. ___________________________

I Samuel 9:6 – ________ knew Samuel was an honorable man, therefore he could go to

him for counseling.

I Samuel 16:4 – The elders of the town of __________________ trembled when Samuel

came because they were afraid of the Lord. Everybody had a certain fear of King Saul,

because nobody knew what he would do, but they also had a fear of Samuel, because

they knew he would do what God told him.

Compare I Samuel 9:13, the people refused to _______ until Samuel blessed the sacrifice,

with I Samuel 13:9-11, Saul offering the __________________ himself instead of waiting on

the blessing of Samuel.

There was much wickedness in the land of Israel, and Samuel continually rebuked that wickedness

and pointed the people to God, who is their redeemer and continual helper.

I Samuel 7:3 – ____________ commanded Israel to put away specific gods, repent and serve

God so they would have deliverance from the Philistines. In verse 12 – Samuel set a stone so

all Israel would remember how God had delivered them.

There is no record that Samuel rebuked his sons: I Samuel 8:1-5, but there is a record that Eli

rebuked his sons.

Based on this fact, doesn’t it appear Eli was more honorable than Samuel? _______

If Samuel did not rebuke his sons, was he right or wrong? ____________Was it right or wrong for

Samuel to command Israel to put away strange gods when his own sons perverted judgment and

took bribes? _________ Was Samuel a hypocrite because he commanded Israel to be right

before God when his own sons were wrong before all Israel? _____________ Define hypocrite,

and explain why Samuel is not a hypocrite. ______________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________

Give the Bible verse where Eli rebuked Israel as a nation because of

their sins. __________________________

Give the scripture where Eli told Israel they were trusting the Ark of God instead of God when they

took the Ark to battle with the Philistines. _________________

Taking the Ark of God to the battle reveals the apparent ______________ of Eli concerning where the victory really is.

I Samuel 8:1-5 – There is no record that Samuel had any sort of ambition for his sons, while Eli must had some

ambition for his sons to remain in the "ministry" because he refused to remove them from the "ministry".

a. Is it wrong to have "ambitions" for your children? __________

b. Is it wrong to push your ambitions off on your children? _________

c. How can you tell the difference between your ambitions and God’s will? _________

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I Samuel 3:18 – Eli reconciled himself to the will of God, even when it was against his own family and himself.

From I Samuel 8:1-7 give Samuel’s reaction. ______________

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Using I Samuel 7:15-17, explain Samuel’s interest in obeying God. ________________

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