RECOGNIZING GOD’S VOICE
1 Samuel 3:1-11
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. 2 One night Eli, whose eyes were becoming so weak that he could barely see, was lying down in his usual place. 3 The lamp of God had not yet gone out, and Samuel was lying down in the temple of the LORD, where the ark of God was. 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. 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. 8 The LORD called Samuel a third time, 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. 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. 10 The LORD came and stood there, calling as at the other times, "Samuel! Samuel!" Then Samuel said, "Speak, for your servant is listening." 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 of it tingle.
(NIV)
This morning, we’re going to be talking about Recognizing God’s Voice.
If you were here last, week, you’ll remember that we talked about a woman named Hannah. And Hannah was married, but had no children. And, we read where Hannah prayed for a child. And she promised God that if He would give her a son, she would give Him back to the Lord. And the Lord granted her request. And she had a son named Samuel, which means “The Lord Hears.” And as Hannah promised, she gave the Samuel to the Lord to be raised at the Tabernacle by Eli, the High Priest. And so, Samuel lived in the city of Shiloh, the place of peace and tranquility, at the Tabernacle with Eli, and his sons, Hophni and Phinehas.
1 Samuel 3:1-21
1a The boy Samuel ministered before the LORD under Eli. In those days the word of the LORD was rare; there were not many visions.
In other words, nobody was hearing from God.
They were “serving” the Lord. They were making their sacrifices. They were fulfilling their obligations. But there was no life to it.
We might say, “They were going to church. They were singing the songs. They were paying their tithe. But it wasn’t heartfelt. It didn’t mean anything to them. They were just going through the motions.
Do any of you feel like you are just going through the motions? With no reward. With seemingly no effect.
That’s the way the religious people of that day had become. They did their job, fulfilled their duty. But really, it didn’t mean much to them. It didn’t mean much to God either.
2 One night Eli, whose eyes were becoming so weak that he could barely see, was lying down in his usual place. 3 The lamp of God had not yet gone out…
What does it mean, “3 The lamp of God had not yet gone out…” ?
Well, I tell you, that verse makes for a great sermon point.
I mean, I can just hear it now.
“The light may be dim, but it hasn’t gone out yet. The fire is still burning.”
There are certain things that we, as preachers, hear and think, “Man, that’ll preach.” And this is one of those verses.
And yet, I’m not so sure God is trying to make a point with this verse, as much as He’s letting us know what time it was. You see, the “lamp of God” refers to the oil lamps that were located inside what was known as the “Holy Place” in the Tabernacle. The Holy Place was just outside the room known as the “Most Holy Place”, or, the “Holy of Holies”, which is where the Ark of the Covenant was.
Anyway, in Exodus 27:21, God told Moses,
Exodus 27:21
21 In the Tent of Meeting [that’s just another name for the Tabernacle. And, again, that’s where the Israelites went to worship God. It was their “church building.” That’s where they sacrificed. That’s where they brought their offerings. And that’s where the presence of God lived.] 21 In the Tent of Meeting, outside the curtain that is in front of the Testimony [Or, the Ark of the Covenant], Aaron and his sons are to keep the lamps burning before the LORD from evening till morning. This is to be a lasting ordinance among the Israelites for the generations to come. (NIV)
The priests were to keep these lamps burning “from evening till morning.” And so, you see, by it saying that “the lamp of God had not yet gone out,” it probably just means that it was very early in the morning.
Now, there it is again. How many references are there to God speaking “very early in the morning”? A bunch. That’s not the only time God speaks. But it is probably the most frequent.
But let’s read on.
3(cont’d) …and Samuel was lying down in the temple of the LORD, where the ark of God was.
Now, the reason Samuel was staying in the Temple, where the Ark was, was because he was in charge of making sure the light didn’t go out. There’s another sermon. But not for today. Samuel stayed close to the Ark so that he could take care of the general duties associated with being a priest.
4 Then the LORD called Samuel. Samuel answered, "Here I am." 5And he ran to Eli and said, "Here I am; you called me."
Now, why would Samuel think it was Eli? Because Eli was old, feeble, and about blind. And so, along with the priestly duties, Samuel also had the responsibility of taking care of Eli. And so, Samuel probably just thought that Eli wanted Samuel to change the channel or something.
4 (cont’d) But Eli said, "I did not call; go back and lie down." So he went and lay down… 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."
I have to give Eli a little bit of credit. I know what it’s like to be sleeping good, I’m talking about a deep sleep, and then be woke up by one of your kids. Can I say, that’s not when I’m always at my best. Usually, I say just what Eli said. “Go back to bed.” And then I roll over and drift right back off to sleep.
But Eli should have known better. Look at verse 7.
7 Now Samuel did not yet know the LORD: The word of the LORD had not yet been revealed to him.
What does that mean? “The word of the Lord had not yet been revealed to Him.” You see, Eli was the High Priest at this time. And the High Priest was in charge of overseeing all of the things associated with the worship of God in Israel. It was his job to make sure everything was taken care of. All the candles were lit, all the sacrifices were made at the right time, and that sort of thing.
But, it was also his job to train all the other priests. And one of the things he was supposed to train the other priests to do was to recognize the voice of God.
Because, you see, the priest was the mediator between God and man at that time. If you had a need, something you needed God to do, you went to the priest and talked to him about it and he went to the Lord on your behalf. If you had a decision to make, you went to the priest and told him about it and the priest would “inquire of the Lord” for you. In other words, he would talk to God about your situation and then let you know what God decided to do. The High Priest also had what was called the “Urim and the Thummim,” which were stones that the priest would use in order to find out what God’s will was, or what His answer was. It was possibly used like we would use dice. They would throw the Urim and the Thummim down and see where it landed. Maybe not.
But regardless of how it worked exactly, the main thing is, the priest was the one who heard from God and relayed the message to you.
It was extremely important, then, for the priest to be able to recognize the voice of God. And it was something they taught. It was a part of their occupation. A part of their particular calling.
And apparently, Eli had been falling down on his job. Because, here Samuel is, ministering to the Lord, and yet not able to recognize His voice. He had not yet been taught to recognize His voice.
Verse 8.
8 The LORD called Samuel a third time, 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.
Eli finally gets what’s going on. He finally realizes that it was the Lord who was speaking to Samuel. He should have known that from the beginning. But He didn’t. But now, he realizes it and he tells Samuel, in verse 9.
9 So Eli told Samuel, "Go and lie down, and if he calls you, say, ’Speak, LORD, for your servant is listening.’"
That is what Eli should have told him a long time ago. “Son, if you ever hear a voice speaking to you, just say “Speak Lord, for your servant is listening.” This was protocol. All the other priests would have known that. But Samuel.didn’t.
But, after all, the word of the Lord was rare at that time. So, there was really no need to teach them that anymore. Right? I mean, God doesn’t talk like that anymore, does He?
Let’s continue reading.
9 (cont’d) So Samuel went and lay down in his place. 10 The LORD came and stood there, calling as at the other times, "Samuel! Samuel!" Then Samuel said, "Speak, for your servant is listening."
And immediately, when Samuel does that, God begins to speak. And God gives Samuel the message that He wanted to reveal to Samuel.
And it isn’t good news. But we’re not going to focus, today, so much on the specific prophecy that God revealed to Samuel. But rather the circumstances that surrounded this prophecy.
And I want to point out just a few things that I believe that God wants us to get out of the passage we read today.
First of all,
1. THERE WILL BE DRY SEASONS.
1 In those days the word of the LORD was rare; there were not many visions.
Sometimes, dry seasons come because we as God’s people are just going through the motions.
Our worship is not heartfelt anymore. We’ve lost our passion, our drive. Actually, we’ve left our first love. Maybe not physically left Him. But emotionally. We’ve quit caring. We no longer care what He wants. We no longer care what His will is. We no longer care about Him or His will. We’ve lost our concern for our Lord. And that brings about dry times.
Sometimes, dry seasons come because we’re too distracted to hear God.
How about this. Maybe it’s not that God isn’t speaking. Maybe we just can’t hear Him over everything else that’s going on in our lives.
Or maybe, just maybe, that dry season you’re going through is God’s way of getting you where He wants you to be.
Sometimes, it’s God’s way of getting you where He wants you to be.
I want to share this passage of scripture that deals with a dry season that Elijah, the prophet went through.
1 Kings 17:2-6
2 Then the word of the LORD came to Elijah: 3 "Leave here, turn eastward and hide in the Kerith Ravine, east of the Jordan. 4 You will drink from the brook, and I have ordered the ravens to feed you there." 5 So he did what the LORD had told him. He went to the Kerith Ravine, east of the Jordan, and stayed there. 6 The ravens brought him bread and meat in the morning and bread and meat in the evening, and he drank from the brook.
Now, that may sound pretty gross to us, but for Elijah, life was not too shabby. He had the ultimate room service. But read on.
1 Kings 17:7-9
7 Some time later the brook dried up because there had been no rain in the land. 8 Then the word of the LORD came to him: 9 "Go at once to Zarephath of Sidon and stay there. I have commanded a widow in that place to supply you with food." (NIV)
Notice the timeline here. First, the brook dries up. And then, God speaks. Why? Because, most likely, if that brook had not dried up, Elijah would never have left. What were the chances of Elijah leaving a place where he was completely satisfied – a place where all his needs were met? Not too good. Why would he? But when the brook dried up, it made it a lot easier for Elijah to leave.
And for some of you, the brook has dried up. You’ve been faithful to the Lord. You still love Him. You still read His word. But the brook is dry. You’re going through a dry season. Why? Because God has a widow in Sidon that needs you. And He knew you wouldn’t change things if things didn’t change.
Friends, sometimes, a dry season is what it takes to convince you to change. Just as it was the darkest hour of the night when God spoke to Samuel, it is usually in the darkest hours of our lives that we hear the voice of the Lord speaking to us. Why? Because until then, we’re usually not ready to listen. But when things are the darkest, when we’ve done all we know to do, when we are desparate enough to listen to what God has to say, that is the time when God speaks. And He waits until we are quiet, and all distractions are gone, and then, when He has our undivided attention, God speaks.
How many times has God allowed you to get to a place of darkness so that you would reach out for the light?
And so, realize this. Dry seasons will come. And it’s up to you to figure out the root cause of it.
2. IT’S POSSIBLE THAT GOD IS SPEAKING, YOU’RE JUST NOT HEARING HIM.
Four times the Lord spoke…to Samuel. And yet, Eli never noticed. Eli was staying right next door to Samuel. And yet, Samuel heard God, and Eli didn’t.
What was it that was keeping Eli from hearing?
He had lost His desire to hear God speak. It wasn’t a priority for Him. It wasn’t important to Him. He had grown comfortable in being a priest. And yet, he lost sight of what a priest is supposed to do. He was satisfied with life as it was. Or, at least, he wasn’t dissatisfied enough to do something about it. Oh, he paid lip service to change. The Bible tells us that he rebuked his children for misusing their position. But he did nothing to stop it.
And guys, many of us have gotten that way with our salvation. We’re happy with just enjoying the benefits. But we’re not fulfilling the responsibilities. We have taken salvation for granted. And we’ve neglected the most important things in our life. We’re no longer hungry for God’s voice. We just want to rest.
But friends, just as Eli’s family, along with the entire nation of Israel, suffered because of Eli’s neglect, so do our churches and families, and even our world, suffer because of our neglect.
We must realize that we are planting seeds into our church’s life, our children’s life, and into the world. Either good seed or bad. And God is not mocked. What we sow, we will reap.
What kind of seeds are you sowing into your church? Seeds of apathy? Seeds of neglect. Seeds of dissention? Or seeds of fire. Seeds of purpose? Seeds of passion?
Friends, if God is speaking, I want to hear Him. Don’t you? But in order to do that, we have to be actively pursuing Him. You see, our relationship with God is just that…a relationship. And as in any relationship, it takes effort to make it work. I’m not saying you’re saved by works. There’s nothing we could do to deserve a relationship with God. But, there are things we can do to enhance that relationship. Things such as pray. Praise. Participate in worship services. Read His Word.
These sorts of things will enhance our relationship with God.
In anything, your deeds will show where your devotion is. Your actions will indicate your desires. If I want a closer relationship with my wife, then I’ll do things to enhance our relationship. If I don’t do things to enhance our relationship, then my relationship with my wife isn’t really important to me. Or, at least not as important than something else.
It’s the same way with our relationship with God. If we really want to be closer to Him, then we’ll do what it takes to get closer to Him. If we don’t, then He’s not as important to us as is something or someone else. We may say He is, but we’re only paying lip service to Him. It’s worthless.
It’s Possible that God is Speaking, You’re Just Not Hearing Him. But, if you sek Him, you’ll find Him.
3. IT’S POSSIBLE TO HEAR THE VOICE OF GOD, AND YET NOT RECOGNIZE THAT IT IS HIM.
7 Now Samuel did not yet know the LORD: The word of the LORD had not yet been revealed to him.
It is possible to mistake the voice of the Lord for the voice of another person, and vice versa. It’s possible to mistake the voice of the Lord for your own. How do you know the difference?
3 questions to ask.
A. Is the purpose behind it God centered or self-centered?
- My purpose on earth is to bring glory to Him. Not the other way around. So, ask
yourself, “Do I want this for my glory, or for His?”
You see, for years, Eli’s sons had been ministering before the Lord. But they had been doing so in their own way, for their own gain. They even used their role as priests to get women. And God was not happy. In fact, He was furious. And eventually, He allowed both of them to get killed. They were not concerned with what God had to say. They were merely concerned with doing what they wanted to do. Their ministry was completely self-serving.
B. Is this consistent with what God’s Word, the Bible, says?
- God will not contradict Himself or His word.
C. Do I have a Peace about it?
Now, these three are not guaranteed to keep you from messing up. But, if you ask these three questions, and you ask God to lead you as to what the truth really is, then even if you miss it, God sees your heart. And He knows what he’s doing.
And then, in closing,
4. GOD ALWAYS SPEAKS TO US THROUGH HIS WORD.
1 Samuel 3:19-21
19 The LORD was with Samuel as he grew up, and he let none of his 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. (NIV)
You see, sometimes, we want God to write it in the sky. We want to have an experience. (i.e. burning bush). However, God has chosen to reveal Himself to us primarily through His Word. That’s not to say He doesn’t lead us personally by the Holy Spirit. But His primary method of revealing Himself is through His Word. That’s why reading your Bible is so important.
And so, you want to know the voice of God? You want to know what God is saying? Here it is. This is His WORD!!! This is what He has said, what He is saying, and what He’s gonna say. It’s all in here.
Every time we approach the Word of God and read it or hear it taught we should ask ourselves what it is that God wants to say to us today.
Are you willing to get into it? Willing to work at it. Willing to dig a little bit deeper.
Let’s pray.
