Ere the Lamp has gone out

Jesus Name Ministries

Ere the Lamp Has Gone Out

1Sa 3:1

¶

And the child Samuel ministered unto the LORD before Eli. And the word of the LORD was precious in those days; [there was] no open vision.

1Sa 3:2

And it came to pass at that time, when Eli [was] laid down in his place, and his eyes began to wax dim, [that] he could not see;

1Sa 3:3

And ere the lamp of God went out in the temple of the LORD, where the ark of God [was],

In verse one, it is significant to note that Eli was the high priest. He had two sons who were walking in the evil ways of Belial and contrary to God in every way. Eli knew of his sons sin and had even been warned of the Lord about allowing the iniquity to continue. Eli was responsible for the downfall of his prieshood, for the Lord said, "You honourest your sons above me." Eli was pleased to even to take their sinful gain by accepting the best sacrifices for himself.

Also note that there was one whom the Lord already had in place to be the "faithful priest" that would do according to what was in the Lord's heart and mind...His name was Samuel. Samuel was the result of the spiritual labors of his mother, Hannah, who wept bitterly before the Lord for a son. She made a covenant with God to have him only for a short twelve years and then she would give him back to the work of God. "AND SAMUEL MINISTERED TO THE LORD BEFORE ELI."

"And the Word of the Lord was precious (valuable because of its rarity) in those days; there was no open vision. "No open vision"...there was no divine communication from God to man whether by dream, vision, or the Spoken Word. Sin in the temple of the Lord causes God to withdraw Himself from that temple. Being warned, Eli and his sons persisted in the iniquity until the Lord wasn't speaking to Eli, who being the high priest was in charge of communicating with the Lord for the whole nation of Israel.

Next we see that the situation was so bad that the lamp went out in the temple of God. The Lamp that represented the Light of the world...a type and shadow of Jesus Christ. The Lamp that was to continually burn, fed with beaten olive oil supplied by the Israelite people, was extinguished. No light...no Word of God...no answers...no hope...no help. When the Lord ceases to speak because of sin, darkness invades...sin and iniquity abounds. And because iniquity abounds, the love of many waxes colder and colder.

Note that Eli did not leave the temple, he remained in the house of God. The natural priesthood was in charge of the natural temple. But the work of the Spirit was withdrawn and placed into the hands of the faithful priest, Samuel. When a church will not accept God and instead seek after their own way as Eli's sons did, the Lord will leave that place. God will not dwell where He and His Way is rejected.

John 1:1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was God, and the Word was with God.

John 1:14 And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father) full of grace and truth.

The Word was God and the Word was made flesh, therefore God was made flesh. Jesus was God manifested or revealed in the flesh.

Matthew 2:23 Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us.

Isaiah 9:6 For unto a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder. and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty Ggod, The Everlasting Father, and The Prince of Peace.

In the Old Testament, the Lord God of heaven was known by His many titles. Moses knew Him as I AM THAT I AM and Jehovah nissi, which means "the existent one" and the Lord our Banner". He was the cloud by day, the fire by night and that Rock that followed them in the wilderness, and Paul said that Rock was Christ (I Cor. 10:4). David called Him his shield and buckler, and his Rock and fortress. He is called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The Everlasting Father, and The Prince of Peace. He was the fourth man in the furnace of fire, the fire shut up in the bones of Jeremiah, Ezekiel's wheel in the middle of the wheel, and Daniel's Ancient of Days that John saw on the Isle of Patmos (Rev. 1:13-16). He is the first and the last, the beginning and the end, the Alpha and Omega, and the Bright and Morning Star. He is our Lord and Savior, and He is the Christ. He is the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost. And John said, "For there are three that bare record in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost: and these three are one" (I John 5:7). But, He has a name that has been kept secret from the foundation of the world. When Jacob wrestled with Him by the brook Jabbok, he asked Him his name and He said, "Wherefore is it that thou dost ask after my name?" And Jacob called that place Peniel because he had seen God face to face and his life was preserved. In the book of Judges, the angel of the Lord appeared to Manoah, the father of Samson. And when Manoah ask Him his name He said, "Why askest thou thus after my name, seeing it is a secret.?" and Manoah said, "We shall surely die, because we have seen God." So, that name was kept secret until the angel Gabriel spoke that secret name to Mary and said, " thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shall call his name JESUS." She was hightly favored to be the first person to ever hear the name that is above every name, that name that makes every demon flee, and the name whereby we must be saved. Jesus is the fullness of the Godhead bodily and ye are complete in Him, which means you lack nothing because He is all of these titles wrapped up in one name and that name is JESUS.

Cherie Plumley