(15) And Samuel lay until the morning, and opened the doors of the house of the LORD. And Samuel feared to show Eli the vision. (16) Then Eli called Samuel, and said, Samuel, my son. And he answered, Here am I. (17) And he said, What is the thing that the LORD hath said unto thee? I pray thee hide it not from me: God do so to thee, and more also, if thou hide anything from me of all the things that he said unto thee. (18) And Samuel told him every whit, and hid nothing from him. And he said, It is the LORD: let him do what seemeth him good.
These verses are very interesting. Let us admire the modesty of Samuel, who, though the Lord had thus began to manifest his revelations, it did not prompt him to be lifted up above the ordinary office of a door-opener. No! Divine favors always tend to induce humbleness of soul. Whenever the Lord exalts a soul, depend upon it, that soul, will be lower in the dust before God. See Abraham's conduct in this particular: Genesis 17:3. The pious resignation of Eli deserves also to be noticed. Though this tremendous judgment was thus pronounced upon him and his household, yet he bends before it. It is the Lord that hath said it, and that is enough. Eli hath nothing more to say. Perhaps Eli viewed it as a temporal judgment: and therefore, the more readily bowed down before it; hoping that it would act as a correction, according to that sweet promise: if then their uncircumcised hearts he humbled, and they accept the punishment of their iniquity; then will I remember my Covenant. Leviticus 26:41. See another similar example in the case of Aaron's sons, when the Lord consumed them. Aaron held his peace. See Leviticus 10:1-3.