“HEAR I AM”
1 SAMUEL 3:1-21
INTRODUCTION… http://dailyjokes.co/index.php?cat=21
“Four guys are driving cross-country together — one from Idaho, one from Nebraska, one from Florida, and the last one is from New York. A bit down the road the man from Idaho starts to pull potatoes from his bag and throws them out the window. The man from Iowa turns to him and asks, “What are you doing?”
The man from Idaho says, “Man, we have so many of these things in Idaho they’re laying around on the ground-I’m sick of looking at them!” A few miles down the road, the man from Nebraska begins pulling husks of corn from his bag and throwing them out the window. The man from Florida asks “What are you doing that for?”
The Nebraskan replies, “Man, we have so many of these things in Nebraska I’m sick of looking at them!” Inspired by the others, the man from Florida opens the car door and pushes the New Yorker out.”
SITUATION
NARRATIVE & BACKGROUND FROM 1 SAMUEL 3:1-3
“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.”
The passage starts out with quite a sad note in that we find that God was not speaking to His people on a regular basis and in fact the word “rare” is used to indicate how often He was speaking. Prophets were not around or they were around and had nothing to say. The place where this story takes place is in the sanctuary of the Lord in a town called Shiloh. Here it is referred to as “the temple of the Lord” which probably means that the Tabernacle tent we learn about in Exodus and Numbers has been made into some kind of more permanent structure for the people of God to worship. The setting is late in the evening and throughout the night. The three people/characters we see in this passage is the High Priest Eli, who is a very elderly man and Samuel who is a young boy. The third? God Himself.
I want you to notice in the whole tent of meeting where Samuel chose to sleep. He could have slept where Eli was, but Samuel chose to sleep where the ark of God was which symbolized the presence of God amongst the Israelites. I heard a sermon once that said “Samuel wanted to sleep as close to God as he could get.” I find that to be an interesting thought.
NARRATIVE & BACKGROUND FROM 1 SAMUEL 3:4-6
“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."
The events in the passage begin with everyone sleeping. One commentary I read called what happens in this chapter an “auditory message dream theophany” (Word Biblical Commentary, Klein, 1 Samuel, pg 31). What does that mean? That means God actually spoke out loud to Samuel in a dream. When verse 4 says to us, “the Lord called Samuel,” it means that He really did audibly call out to him.
Samuel hears the voice and it wakes him from his dream. I believe the voice was both in his dream and audible in the room. Samuel assumed that it was the aging Eli who was calling out for help. I love how it says in verse 5 that Samuel “ran” to Eli… he wanted to help his mentor as fast as possible. Eli sends Samuel back to bed. Verse 6 tells us that the Lord again called Samuel’s name aloud. Samuel again went to Eli and again was sent back to bed. Odd night.
NARRATIVE & BACKGROUND FROM 1 SAMUEL 3:7-10
“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."
Verse 7 might seem strange, but not when you compare it to verse 21 in this passage which we have yet to read. Samuel is simply a young boy and does not yet have the special relationship with God that he would enjoy in the future. God would certainly reveal himself to Samuel in the future and use him in mighty ways as a prophet and the last judge of Israel, but this passage is at the beginning.
I have no idea what Samuel was thinking or muttering the third time he was walking to Eli’s bed after hearing his name called. Perhaps Samuel thought Eli was losing his mind or it was a test to see if he would come or maybe a dirty trick. In any case, in verse 8 God calls Samuel again. He comes to Eli. It is now apparent to Eli that something is going on because he is not calling Samuel and Samuel is not one for fanciful things (I am making that assumption).
Eli instructs Samuel in a liturgical and proper way to speak to God. He tells him to say, “'Speak, LORD, for your servant is listening” (verse 9). This response is based on three thoughts. First, it acknowledges that it is God who is speaking and calling out to him. Second, the response rightly confesses that Samuel is the servant of the Lord. Third, it confesses the attitude that Samuel has to listen to what God has to say. None of these are a given… when God calls out… Samuel must acknowledge that it is God, humble himself, and be willing to listen.
As we look at this passage, I think we have to acknowledge that there are many voices out there in the world that want to talk to us. I am speaking metaphorically in that TV, movies, and music are a voice in our lives which tell us what to do, what to buy, how we should look, etc. Music is quite sinister in that we can adopt a world view while we sing along and don’t even realize it. Those voices are certainly there. There are also voices from teachers and coaches and friends and even the parents of friends. Voices exist in the world apart from God’s. 1 John 4:1 says, “Dear friends, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world.” Satan peddles a lot of garbage and false ideals in our world. We need to be careful. For Samuel, the High Priest confirms that God is speaking to him and so he trusts the message.
NARRATIVE & BACKGROUND FROM 1 SAMUEL 3:11-14
“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. 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 made themselves contemptible, 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.'’
God’s message to Samuel is one that is not happy. Eli has led Israel well, but his biological sons are contemptible and sinful men who are maligning God by their sinful actions as priests. Eli neither stopped them nor confronted them and so the judgment of God will come upon Eli and his two sons. In the end, Eli and his sons are leading the people away from God rather than towards God.
Judgment from God exists. We know that God is the ultimate judge. Deuteronomy 1:17 reminds us, “Do not be afraid of any man, for judgment belongs to God.” Ecclesiastes 12:14 further tells us, “For God will bring every deed into judgment, including every hidden thing, whether it is good or evil.” Part of our understanding of who God is includes that He is the ultimate judge of our actions, of motivations, of how each of us has spent our lives upon the Earth.
When it comes to God’s judgment, people who are not believers in Jesus Christ are right to be fearful and afraid. Someone who has kept God at a distance their whole lives should be petrified to die. When it comes to God’s judgment, as a believer, this is nothing to fear because we have a God who judges rightly. Genesis 18:25 rhetorically asks, “Will not the Judge of all the earth do right?” In John 8:16, Jesus Christ says, “But if I do judge, my decisions are right, because I am not alone. I stand with the Father, who sent me.” Romans 2:2 says, “Now we know that God's judgment against those who do such things is based on truth.” God’s judgment is right and true and based on His holy character.
NARRATIVE & BACKGROUND FROM 1 SAMUEL 3:15-21
“Samuel lay down until morning and then opened the doors of the house of the LORD. He was afraid to tell Eli the vision, 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." 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.”
Once morning came, Samuel got up and started to do his chores. As Eli was old and blind and his two sons were horrible scoundrels, it makes sense that getting the worship area ready for people to come would fall to Samuel. I find it almost comical that in verse 16 Eli is actually calling Samuel. They’d spent all night with the whole “I didn’t call you” exchange and now first thing in the morning… Eli calls. Eli calls and adds a term of endearment (“my son”) probably knowing that what Samuel heard from the Lord was difficult. Samuel answers the same way that he did all the other times: “Here I am,” but I can imagine that he dreads going to see Eli because the Word that he received from God was not a good one, but one that shed bad light on Eli and his family.
We see much of the character of Samuel and Eli in verses 17-18. Samuel receives a Word from the Lord and it is his job to share it and explain it. This is no easy task. Samuel must not hide the Word of God and he tells Eli everything God told him. He hid nothing. We see Samuel being an obedient honest servant of God. We see Samuel being courageous. Of the two of them, I am most surprised by the high priest Eli whose character shows through even though he has made ghastly mistakes with his corrupt sinful boys. Eli teaches Samuel not to hide the Word from God but to share it plainly and completely. Eli also expresses right thinking (verse 18) about God when he says, “He is the LORD; let him do what is good in his eyes.” Eli understands that God is Sovereign and submits himself to the will of God.
The last part of this passage informs us that Samuel grew up in the Lord and developed a deep relationship with God, he became a tested true prophet of God, and he grew in knowledge with the Scriptures of God.
COMPLICATION
The Bible presents God as a God who indeed communicates and speaks. Genesis 1:3, in the beginning, God is speaking. Even in Genesis 1:28 God is speaking directly to the human beings He created. Our God is a communicator. Our God is a God who speaks to us and does so even after sin separates us and Him. After sin separated us and God, God chose several ways to speak to His people.
First, God chose to speak to His people through Holy Scriptures. Psalm 119:151-152 reminds us, “Yet you are near, O LORD, and all your commands are true. 152 Long ago I learned from your statutes that you established them to last forever.” In the pages of the Bible we have the written Word of God which is God’s eternal principles for living this life. They are recorded there for us and they are the definitive way God speaks to us. Romans 15:4 says, “For everything that was written in the past was written to teach us, so that through endurance and the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope.”
Second, God chose to speak through prophets and then through His Son. Hebrews 1:1-2 teaches us, “In the past God spoke to our forefathers through the prophets at many times and in various ways, 2 but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, and through whom he made the universe.” Hebrews 1 shares that we are in the days where God no longer speaks through prophets, but has spoken once and for all through Jesus Christ whose words are recorded without error in the Bible. Thus, God speaks to us through the life, teachings, ministry, death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ.
Third, God has chosen to speak through His Holy Spirit. Jesus knew that He would die and return to Heaven. He promised He would not leave us alone (John 14:18). In John 14:25-26 Jesus says, “All this I have spoken while still with you. 26 But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you.” The third way in which God communicates to His people is through the Holy Spirit in our lives. The Holy Spirit, for those who have accepted Jesus as their Lord and Savior, is a constant companion that connects us to God and intercedes for us. Romans 8:26-27 says, “In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express. 27 And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints in accordance with God's will.”
This passage in 1 Samuel 3 is all about God communicating to the boy Samuel about the house of Eli. This chapter is Samuel’s introduction and entrance into the prophetic life. We know that. We also know that God does speak and communicate with us. We believe that. In 1 Samuel 3, I believe we are presented with a problem that deserves our attention and it is the source of the whole night of back and forth and back and forth between Eli and Samuel. Samuel heard a voice. He had no idea that the voice he was hearing was from God. How was Samuel supposed to know that it was God speaking to him? How was Samuel supposed to know that God was not only speaking to him in a dream, but also audibly talking to him? He had no clue. That was Samuel’s problem.
I happen to think that we face a similar problem. We live in a time when God does not audibly speak to us. We live in a time when God no longer speaks through prophets. We live in an age when God speaks through His Word and through the Holy Spirit in our hearts.
How are we supposed to know when God is speaking to us?
How are we supposed to read the Bible so that God will speak to us?
How do we know when we are hearing from God or it is an idea from our own brain?
How are we to distinguish the prompting of the Holy Spirit from other desires and influences?
I hope we realize how important this issue is and what a danger this presents! If we assume God is speaking to us and indeed He is not, we will be off track in our lives. If we ascribe divine meaning to something that is not divine, we are in error. If we hear God’s voice when in fact it is our own desires, we are living for ourselves and not for God. The dangers of ascribing God’s voice to things that are not His voice abound.
RESOLUTION
I believe 1 Samuel 3 has four essential truths of guidance for us in answering this very important topic of hearing God’s voice.
I. You have to be close to Him.
I can’t get over the fact that in the passage Samuel was sleeping close to the Ark of the Covenant. I love that picture. The Ark of the Covenant was the symbol of God’s presence to the Israelites (1 Samuel 4:22). Samuel chose to be close to God. God did not choose to speak to Eli or his two sons or someone else, but chose to speak to Samuel. In the Scriptures, nearness to God indicates the ability to hear Him and communicate with Him. Nearness to God indicates a good relationship with Him. Distance from God indicates a poor relationship with Him.
* Deuteronomy 4:7 “What other nation is so great as to have their gods near them the way the LORD our God is near us whenever we pray to him?”
* Zephaniah 3:1-2 “Woe to the city of oppressors, rebellious and defiled! 2 She obeys no one, she accepts no correction. She does not trust in the LORD, she does not draw near to her God.”
* Hebrews 10:22-23 “Let us draw near to God with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and having our bodies washed with pure water. 23 Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful.”
* James 4:7-8 “Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. 8 Come near to God and he will come near to you. Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded.”
If you want to hear the voice of God, you must have a good relationship with Him. You must draw near to God. You must be a person of constant prayer. You must be someone who studies the Bible regularly. You must be someone who has a pattern of worship in their life. These things draw us close to God and enable us to hear His voice in the first place. If you don’t have a close relationship with God, we should not expect Him to speak to us. In addition, having a close relationship with God and knowing God’s Word will enable us to recognize God’s voice when we hear it and distinguish it from other voices and our own ideas.
II. In order to hear God, obedient faith in God is required.
The picture we get of Samuel is someone who is young, but also someone who was obedient in faith to God. In God’s message to Eli, Samuel was not included as someone who had turned away from God. God’s message said Eli’s two sons had turned away from God wickedly and that Eli had allowed them to do so. Samuel was seen as obedient. In addition, Samuel was charged with caring for Eli and he got up every single time he thought he was called. When Samuel was instructed on how to answer the Lord God, he answered properly. When morning came, he obediently fulfilled his duties in God’s house even though his heart was heavy from the message he had received. The end of the passage describes Samuel growing in the Lord as an obedient prophet who rightly handles God’s Scriptures and His prophetic word.
* Exodus 19:5 “Now if you obey me fully and keep my covenant, then out of all nations you will be my treasured possession.”
* Luke 11:28 “He replied, "Blessed rather are those who hear the word of God and obey it."
* John 14:15 "If you love me, you will obey what I command.”
* John 14:23-24 “Jesus replied, "If anyone loves me, he will obey my teaching. My Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him. 24 He who does not love me will not obey my teaching. These words you hear are not my own; they belong to the Father who sent me.”
If we want to hear the voice of God, we must be people who are obedient to God and living the life that Jesus commands in the Gospels. We should not expect to hear God’s voice when we are living our lives selfishly and doing what we want when we want how we want. God spoke to obedient Samuel and not to anyone else. Sin breaks our relationship with Him. Sin blocks hearing His voice. Sin breaks down communication between us and God. If we are living our lives the way we want and only think about God every so often, we should not expect God to speak to us. He will not.
III. In order to hear God, humility is required.
Samuel’s words to God once he is called are ones of complete humility. He rightly calls himself a servant. Humility is the key for hearing God’s voice and figuring out if it is His will or our own ideas that we are considering. Humility means we put to death our ideas and allow God to direct our thoughts. Humility means we give up our desires and let His will direct us. Humility means we are willing to change and learn and adapt to what God tell us.
* Psalm 25:9 “He guides the humble in what is right and teaches them his way.”
* Psalm 149:4 “For the LORD takes delight in his people; he crowns the humble with salvation.”
* Isaiah 66:2 "This is the one I esteem: he who is humble and contrite in spirit, and trembles at my word.” declares the LORD.”
* 1 Peter 5:6 “Humble yourselves, therefore, under God's mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time.”
If we want to hear the voice of God, we must place ourselves humbly before God in actions, spirit, worship, attitudes, and everything in our lives. Humbleness before God must permeate every aspect of our lives. If pride is something that we deal with in our lives, we should not expect God to speak to us. Such things usually only puff up our pride even greater. People who are prideful don’t want to listen anyway and the pride will get in the way of hearing God’s voice and then obeying what is heard.
IV. Confirmation is required.
This last essential truth is perhaps the most practical and so I believe the most helpful. Please note that in the passage with Samuel, Eli confirmed that Samuel was hearing the voice of God. Eli also confirmed by his response that what Samuel received was consistent with God and His character… even though it was not favorable towards Him. What also confirmed this was a Word from God is that in 1 Samuel 4 everything that Samuel heard from God came to pass. In hearing God’s voice, I believe that God will confirm His message to us.
God confirms messages to us in two very important ways:
First, the message you hear from God must exactly fall in line with the Scriptures. God will not tell you one thing in prayer, but His divine inerrant Word says something else. Here is why being close to God and knowing His Word is so important. God is consistent and holy and is not fickle. You must match what you feel in your heart to the unchanging Word of God. If what you feel in your heart God is telling you does not match His word, then it is not from God. Period.
Second, I believe God will have someone in your life who will confirm that it is a message from God. Notice I am not saying circumstances! I am saying people. Eli confirmed for Samuel God was calling Him. Who do you have that can help with this? Pastors. Elders. Christian family members. Friends who are believers. Please go to someone who will not just tell you what you want to hear (2 Timothy 4:3), but rather is close to God, obedient in faith, and humble so that they will tell you truthfully. It does no good to listen to someone about God who has no clue what they are saying or doesn’t know the Word of God themselves.
CONCLUSION
