1 Samuel 3:1–21
Many years ago, before the telephone was invented, in the days when the fastest method of communication was the telegraph, which used Morse code, a young man applied for a job as a telegraph operator. Having read the advertisement in the newspaper, he went to the address given. When he arrived, he stepped into a huge office that was buzzing with activity, noise, and work in full swing. Against the background of all the noise and commotion, the sound of a telegraph could also be heard.
On the secretary’s desk there was a note instructing the applicants to fill out the appropriate form and wait until they were called into the inner office. The young man filled out his application and sat down to wait his turn for the interview, along with seven other candidates for the job.
After a few minutes, however, he suddenly stood up, crossed the main office, and walked straight and confidently into the boss’s room.
The other applicants naturally stared wide-eyed, wondering what was going on. They began to grumble and complain among themselves, since they had not yet heard any invitation, and it looked as though this last man had jumped ahead of them. Confusion spread, but in the end they decided that the young man who had so brazenly, as they saw it, entered the boss’s room had surely made some absurd blunder and would be disqualified.
After a few minutes, however, the employer came out of the room and said to the remaining candidates: “Gentlemen, thank you for responding to our advertisement, but the position has just been filled.”
The other applicants began to murmur among themselves, and one of them said openly: “Wait a moment, I don’t understand. He came last, and we weren’t even interviewed — we weren’t even given a chance to show what we can do. And that last candidate suddenly, most brazenly, cut ahead of us all, barged into your office, and got the job. That’s not fair!”
To this the employer replied: “I’m sorry, but the whole time you were sitting here, the following message was being sent over the telegraph in Morse code: ‘If you understand this message, then come straight in. The job is yours.’ Unfortunately none of you heard it or understood it… except this young man. That is why the job is his.”
We live in a world that is filled with tension, noise, and clamor. People are distracted and cannot hear the still, small voice with which God speaks to them. What about you? Are you tuned in to hear God’s voice? Do you hear his message for your life?
HOW GOD SPOKE TO SAMUEL
1 The boy Samuel ministered before the Lord under Eli. In those days the word of the Lord was rare; there were not many visions. (1 Samuel 3:1)
In those days God had stopped speaking to his people, because they were rebellious and there was no one to listen to his word. This verse also shows us that we cannot force God to speak to us. When he chooses, he speaks. And he does so to those who are ready to listen to his word and to carry it out. Even if there are none such, when God decides, he raises up faithful servants for himself to accomplish his plan.
2 One night Eli, whose eyes were becoming so weak that he could barely see, was lying down in his usual place. (1 Samuel 3:2)
Clearly, unlike Samuel, whose spiritual senses were being sharpened, Eli — alongside the loss of his physical sight, and unlike Moses in his old age — was also losing his spiritual sensitivity.
3 The lamp of God had not yet gone out, and Samuel was lying down in the house of the Lord, where the ark of God was. (1 Samuel 3:3)
The author of the book explicitly notes that the lamp of God had not yet gone out. This seems to hint to us that God had not stopped thinking about his people, and that, despite the darkness of their sin, the hope of their change had not been extinguished.
The fact that the lamp had not yet gone out also indicated that it was perhaps around three or four o’clock in the night — just before sunrise — because according to God’s law the lamp was to burn until morning came (Exodus 27:20–21).
God can speak to us at any time, but especially when we are alone and in the quiet.
4 Then the Lord called Samuel. Samuel answered, “Here I am.” 5 And he ran to Eli and said, “Here I am; you called me.” But Eli said, “I did not call; go back and lie down.” So he went and lay down. (1 Samuel 3:4–5)
Notice how obedient Samuel was. Hearing a voice that he thought belonged to his mentor, he responded at once. For God to be able to use us, there is one thing that is of the utmost importance, and that is to be obedient in character.
6 Again the Lord called, “Samuel!” And Samuel got up and went to Eli and said, “Here I am; you called me.” “My son,” Eli said, “I did not call; go back and lie down.” 7 Now Samuel did not yet know the Lord: The word of the Lord had not yet been revealed to him. (1 Samuel 3:6–7)
Isn’t it interesting in our story that, even though both Eli and Samuel were very busy working in the tabernacle, in God’s house, constantly doing religious things, verse 7 tells us that “Samuel did not yet know the Lord: The word of the Lord had not yet been revealed to him.” What a paradox — to serve the Lord continually and yet not know his voice or have communion with him! God was unknown to Samuel. But isn’t it the same for many of us — God is a stranger to us. We do not know his voice. We do not follow him. We do not live according to the perfection of his specific will.
8 A third time the Lord called, “Samuel!” And Samuel got up and went to Eli and said, “Here I am; you called me.” Then Eli realized that the Lord was calling the boy. (1 Samuel 3:8)
On the third occasion it dawned on Eli that perhaps God was calling Samuel.
9 So Eli told Samuel, “Go and lie down, and if he calls you, say, ‘Speak, Lord, for your servant is listening.’” So Samuel went and lay down in his place. (1 Samuel 3:9)
The remarkable thing in this text is that God will not begin to speak to us until he is sure that we know very well who is speaking to us, and that we are ready to listen to him and to give him all the attention that he deserves! In Ecclesiastes 5:1 it says:
1 Guard your steps when you go to the house of God. Go near to listen rather than to offer the sacrifice of fools, who do not know that they do wrong. (Ecclesiastes 5:1)
Sacrifices cannot take the place of a God-oriented life. God cannot be bribed with formal acts of worship! Therefore it is better for us to be attentive to his word and to be obedient.
10 The Lord came and stood there, calling as at the other times, “Samuel! Samuel!” (1 Samuel 3:10)
The fact that this time God called Samuel’s name twice creates a sense of urgency and underscores the importance of the moment.
Then Samuel said, “Speak, for your servant is listening.” (1 Samuel 3:10)
HOW GOD SPEAKS TO US
Though he does not always speak audibly, as he did to Samuel, God still speaks today. He has much to say to those who are willing to listen to him!
Unfortunately, our prayers are often one-way — we only talk (like some chatty woman who never lets another get a word in). We need to pay attention to God and to what he wants to say to us when we pray. If we do this, we will discover how we can become partners with him. He will guide us, and we will be able to be participants in his work.
God can speak to us through nature, through circumstances, through his word, through the fivefold ministry, through the Holy Spirit within us, through our conscience, through the person and actions of Jesus Christ. So the likelihood of hearing God’s voice in one way or another is very great. Yet the question still remains: “Are we tuned in to listen to his voice?” In Isaiah 30:21 it says:
21 Whether you turn to the right or to the left, your ears will hear a voice behind you, saying, “This is the way; walk in it.” (Isaiah 30:21)
When you talk to God about something, expect him to speak to you as well. Listen for his answer. Pay special attention to the first thoughts that come into your mind after you have spoken to God about a given matter. Often these thoughts are from the Lord. They may be words from some Bible verse, and an insight may come to you as to how to apply these words to your situation. Or you may feel a deep peace about the problem you have been praying about. In this way God assures you that he has heard your prayer and has begun to act to resolve that problem.
THE HIGHEST TEST
Of course, we ought to understand well that not every thought that comes into our mind during prayer is the voice of God. Some of these thoughts may simply be our own thoughts. Nor is every dream or vision from God. Most dreams are a mixture of the many impressions gathered in our subconscious. In Ecclesiastes 5:3 it says that “A dream comes when there are many cares” (Ecclesiastes 5:3), and in Jeremiah 29:8 the prophet warns his people with the words, “Do not listen to the dreams you encourage them to have” (Jeremiah 29:8). Nevertheless, God undoubtedly does sometimes speak to us through dreams and thoughts that are from his Spirit.
So that we do not become confused, we must check all our thoughts and dreams against God’s word, recorded in the Bible. It is our highest and final authority. God will never tell us anything that contradicts the written word. And so, everything that we regard as a voice from God must be tested and weighed in the light of biblical teaching. This will help us to discern the difference between our own thoughts and those that God gives us.
BRIEF, PRECISE, AND CONSISTENT
11 And the Lord said to Samuel: “See, I am about to do something in Israel that will make the ears of everyone who hears about it tingle. (1 Samuel 3:11)
God’s word is not always pleasant and agreeable to us. When God speaks to us, we will perhaps often hear things that we would not want to hear! But it is always just. Eli was going to be punished because, when his sons defiled the Lord’s sacrifices and committed immorality with the women who served at the entrance of the tabernacle, he dealt too gently with them and did not restrain them. This act of Eli’s testified that he honored his sons more than God (1 Samuel 2:29). And God is not to be mocked!
12 At that time I will carry out against Eli everything I spoke against his family — from beginning to end. 13 For I told him that I would judge his family forever because of the sin he knew about; his sons blasphemed God, and he failed to restrain them. 14 Therefore I swore to the house of Eli, ‘The guilt of Eli’s house will never be atoned for by sacrifice or offering.’ (1 Samuel 3:12–14)
These words were in agreement with the message of the anonymous man of God from the previous chapter (1 Samuel 2:27–36). This reminds us that God usually confirms his word rather than speaking to us in fragmentary pieces.
Notice also how brief God’s word to Eli was. It was a short notice about a very specific matter.
The Bible gives us general directions about what to do, and the Holy Spirit shows us how to apply these general instructions to our specific circumstances. Sometimes these special directions can be: “Be patient and trust me. I will give you a way out.” Or the words of some song: “I will carry you in my arms. I love you as a father loves a child.” Or: “Forgive and forget the harsh words of your husband. Show him in deed that you love him by cooking that dish he loves most.” Or: “Remember the quarrel you had with your neighbor. I want you to go to him and apologize.”
WE MUST MAINTAIN THE RIGHT ATTITUDE
15 Samuel lay down until morning and then opened the doors of the house of the Lord. He was afraid to tell Eli the vision, (1 Samuel 3:15)
Even though he had heard God’s voice, Samuel did not become proud — he went on serving and carrying out his duties. What a difference from some of us, who, when we have a manifestation of some spiritual gift, exalt ourselves to the point where it seems we no longer walk on the ground!
16 but Eli called him and said, “Samuel, my son.” Samuel answered, “Here I am.” 17 “What was it he said to you?” Eli asked. “Do not hide it from me. May God deal with you, be it ever so severely, if you hide from me anything he told you.” 18 So Samuel told him everything, hiding nothing from him. Then Eli said, “He is the Lord; let him do what is good in his eyes.” (1 Samuel 3:16–18)
If we want to be truly God’s prophets, then we must not only hear God’s word but also have the courage to speak it openly before those to whom it pertains! Although he was afraid at first, Samuel still hid nothing of God’s word to Eli. One of the reasons we have so little manifestation of the gift of prophecy in the church is that, when the Holy Spirit places a word for the congregation in someone’s heart, that person only hears it but does not say it. This “quenches” the Holy Spirit, and he ceases to manifest himself in this way in the life of that believer. How sad, isn’t it? Because of our fear of whether we will be understood, or of how people will look at us afterward (out of vanity), we lose God’s blessing.
19 The Lord was with Samuel as he grew up, and he let none of Samuel’s words fall to the ground. 20 And all Israel from Dan to Beersheba recognized that Samuel was attested as a prophet of the Lord. 21 The Lord continued to appear at Shiloh, and there he revealed himself to Samuel through his word. (1 Samuel 3:19–21)
When we are obedient to God, he will go on using us for his glory. But in order to be established, we must not only hear God’s word but also be obedient to it. In Luke 6:46 we hear the exclamation of Jesus:
46 “Why do you call me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ and do not do what I say? (Luke 6:46)
EACH ONE IN HIS PLACE
In the eleventh century, King Henry III of Bavaria grew weary of court life and the strain of governing the country. So he turned to the abbot of a local monastery, a man named Richard, with a request to be received as a novice and to spend the rest of his life in the monastery.
“Your Highness,” said Richard, “do you understand that the vow you must take in order to join us is a vow of obedience? This will be very hard for you, since until now you have been a king and are accustomed not to obey but to be obeyed.”
“I understand,” Henry answered. “I promise that for the rest of my life I will be obedient to you, just as Christ leads you.”
“Then I will tell you what to do,” said Abbot Richard. “Go back to your throne and serve faithfully in the place where God has put you.” When King Henry died, someone wrote these words about him: “Being obedient, the king learned to rule.”
Sometimes, when we grow weary of our duties and responsibilities and it seems as though we cannot come up out of the water to catch a breath of air; when it begins to seem impossible for us to handle all that is required of us, it would help us to remember that God has planted us in a particular place for a particular reason, and, as with King Henry III, he expects us to be good workers, parents, and servants. Christ expects us to be faithful where we are, both in our work and in our service in the church.
We need courage and humility in order to learn to act according to what God tells us. But when we follow his directions, our life becomes a series of exciting events, and we become witnesses to the great things that the Lord does in answer to our prayers.