Spiritual Drowsiness

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Eli's lack of discernment is also noted. He did not recognize that God was speaking to the child. Yet the call was thrice repeated. Poor Eli blundered quite as seriously in his dealings with Hannah. He supposed her to be drunken, when in reality she was a sorrowful woman pouring out her heart to her God (1 Sam. 1:13-1613Now Hannah, she spake in her heart; only her lips moved, but her voice was not heard: therefore Eli thought she had been drunken. 14And Eli said unto her, How long wilt thou be drunken? put away thy wine from thee. 15And Hannah answered and said, No, my lord, I am a woman of a sorrowful spirit: I have drunk neither wine nor strong drink, but have poured out my soul before the Lord. 16Count not thine handmaid for a daughter of Belial: for out of the abundance of my complaint and grief have I spoken hitherto. (1 Samuel 1:13‑16)). Nearness to God was intended to give the priests good judgment concerning holy and unholy, unclean and clean, so that they might instruct the people (Lev. 10:9-119Do not drink wine nor strong drink, thou, nor thy sons with thee, when ye go into the tabernacle of the congregation, lest ye die: it shall be a statute for ever throughout your generations: 10And that ye may put difference between holy and unholy, and between unclean and clean; 11And that ye may teach the children of Israel all the statutes which the Lord hath spoken unto them by the hand of Moses. (Leviticus 10:9‑11)). The divine arraignment of the priesthood in the closing book of the Old Testament might well be studied here with profit: “The priest's lips should keep knowledge, and they should seek the law at his mouth; for he is the messenger of the Lord of hosts. But ye are departed out of the way; ye have caused many to stumble at the law” (Mal. 2:7-87For the priest's lips should keep knowledge, and they should seek the law at his mouth: for he is the messenger of the Lord of hosts. 8But ye are departed out of the way; ye have caused many to stumble at the law; ye have corrupted the covenant of Levi, saith the Lord of hosts. (Malachi 2:7‑8)). How is it with us? Grace has put every believer into the priestly place, but are we in the power of it? Are we spiritually discerning?
Doubtless that which happened in Shiloh that night was altogether without precedent. Indeed, there had been no divine manifestations of any kind for some time in Israel, as this chapter tells us in its opening verse. But, had Eli been spiritually alert, he would have recognized the act of God sooner than he did. The poor old man was sleepy and could only say repeatedly, “Lie down again.” “Let us not sleep as do others,” says the Apostle, “but let us watch and be sober” (1 Thess. 5:66Therefore let us not sleep, as do others; but let us watch and be sober. (1 Thessalonians 5:6)). Nothing is easier than to develop a drowsy spiritual condition. To all who are in that condition, the voice sounds like a trumpet-call, “Awake thou that sleepest, and arise from among the dead, and Christ shall shine upon thee” (Eph. 5:1414Wherefore he saith, Awake thou that sleepest, and arise from the dead, and Christ shall give thee light. (Ephesians 5:14)). The Lord in His infinite mercy preserve us from that deplorable state which would lead us drowsily to quiet others who are awake. God forbid that we should ever say to one to whom He is speaking, “Lie down again.”