When the Word of the Lord Was Rare

First Samuel 3 verse 1 says, "The boy Samuel was ministering to the Lord in the presence of Eli. And the word of the Lord was rare in those days; there was no frequent vision." These words describe the dark days of the judges, which came to an end when God raised up the first prophet, Samuel, to give people the Word of God. Israel was brought out of darkness by the light of God's Word. This delivered Israel from the situation in Judges 2, verse 10 that took them away from God 3.5 centuries earlier: "There arose another generation after them who did not know the Lord or the work that he had done for Israel."
Lesson 1: Israel moved from victory to defeat because they did:
(NOTE: parts one through three are from the previous sermon)
• (part 1) not know the Lord.
• (part 2) not remember what the Lord has done.
• (part 3) not remain holy.
• (part 4) what was right in __________ ______ ________.
Lesson 2: vision should come from __________ _______.
Lesson 3: God's word __________________ ____.
Family Worship Guide
Memory verse: Proverbs 29:18
Directions: Read the verses and then answer the questions:
Day 1: Judges 17:6, 18:1, 19:1, 21:25 cf. 1 Sam. 8:7, Jer. 17:9, Matt. 6:22-23, 15:19, Eccl. 9:3, Gen. 6:5, 8:21, Prov. 14:12, 16:25. Why was Joshua's death such a pivotal moment for the nation of Israel? Who were they supposed to start following at that moment? Who, or
what, did they end up following instead? What does the Bible tell us about our hearts?
Day 2:1 Sam. 3:1, Ez. 7:26, Prov. 29:18. Sam. is a transitional figure between what two offices? What is the relationship between vision and God's word? Why were the days of the judges so spiritually dark based on 1 Samuel 3:1?