I Am Listening

I am Listening

1 Samuel 3:1-21

Online Sermon: http://www.mckeesfamily.com/?page_id=3567

1 Samuel 3 tells us a story of a young boy’s first time he heard from God. Upon being weaned at age 5, Samuel’s mother dropped him off at the temple to fulfill her promise to “give him over to the Lord for all the days of his life” (1:8). This was during the time when Israel was “virtually bankrupt,” the days of the judges when everyone did what was right in their own sight (Judges 17:6, 21:25)! Even the high priest Eli’s own sons Hophni and Phinehas had a complete disregard for the Lord (2:12) as demonstrated in their coveting and eating portions of the sacrifices meant for God (2:17)! Samuel had a bedroom adjacent to that of Eli’s so that he might serve the nearly blind high priest during the night. One evening God spoke in the temple but not to Eli, his sons or the other priests but to Samuel who was yet to know and have a relationship with God. After having mistaken the voice for Eli that called out his name three times, the fourth time when he heard his name he replied to God as Eli advised him to: “your servant is listening” (3:9). The Lord told Samuel that the priesthood would soon be removed from Eli’s family. When morning came Samuel told Eli about the Lord’s coming judgement against he and his family and since it could not be atoned for (1:14) Eli merely accepted it without any mention of sorrow or the desire to confess and change. At the end of this part of the story we are told that Samuel became so close to God that his word as a prophet became synonymous with the very word of God (3:19-4:1)!

The Problem: Hearing from God is Rare

One of the most common frustrations of God’s people is the lack of “two-way” conversations with their Lord! Since He is our Creator, portion and sustainer (Genesis 1:27; Psalms 73:16; Colossians 1:16), who if they were granted even a short conversation with the rock of our Salvation (Psalms 18:2), would not have their hearts filled with unspeakable joy? We want to hear His voice so that we might know and obey His good and perfect will (Romans 12:2) but often our request for the “gentle whisper” (1 Kings 19:12) of His majestic voice either seems to have been denied or we are simply too sinful (Psalms 66:18) to hear or understand what He is saying (Matthew 13:15)! Surely those who have been grafted into the vine and cry out “Abba, Father” (Romans 8:15, 11:11-31) have been heard, so why all the silence? Since the word of the Lord is as rare today as it was in the days of the judges, silence makes sense considering this “ME generation” also does what is right in their own sight. Does this mean if by the Spirit one outright rejects the ways of this world (1 John 2:15) and draws nearer to God that He would speak to them? Most likely yes but even if God did speak to us “royal priests” (1 Peter 2:9) would we know how to begin a conversation with Him much less be like Moses and talk to Him as one friend talks to another (Exodus 33:11)? The following sermon is going to show that God still speaks today but we as His children need to know how to utilize His footprints of communication to listen and hear His gentle whisper.

God Still Speaks to Servant Hearts

He who bore our iniquities and sorrows does not hide but speaks clearly “right down into the souls” of those who genuinely seek Him! How long can a relationship last when one party does not speak to another? We all know how much damage the “silent treatment” does to our spouses or children! God loves us unconditionally as demonstrated at the cross and as our Father He always wants to have a conversation with us His children. Even though we are unworthy God will not throw us on the “world’s dust heap” and forget that we exist but instead when we recognize Him as our Master and cry out “speak Lord so that I may know You still notice and accept this broken, servant’s heart;” He will listen and call us by our name! But before we can hear the voice of our God, we must first ask Him to tear down our veils of indifference or outright defiance against Him! Like Eli our communication problem is not physical but spiritual blindness. God tends to speak to those who are willing to hear and obey what He has to say! It was not sinlessness, knowledge or spiritual maturity that were prerequisites for Samuel to hear God’s voice but his openness to obey and fulfill any role God had for him. A soul that thirsts for the living God will hear His perfect will for their lives in the footprints of communication He has left, through creation, His word, the Holy Spirit, through other believers and by listening.