Here are three questions that I want to answer in this message: 1) Does God really speak to people? 2) If so, how do we know that it is God Who is talking? And finally, 3) How do we position ourselves to better hear the voice of God? In order to answer these questions, we’re going to look at Samuel and Eli’s experience in the Old Testament Lesson.
When this story occurred, Samuel was about 12 or 13 years of age. He was the servant of the priest Eli, who was by now a very old man. Now both of them had turned in for the night. Young Samuel, the lesson tells us was asleep in the temple, close to where the ark of God was kept. During the night God called out to Samuel. Samuel, thinking that it was Eli who had called him, rushes out to Eli and says, “Here I am. You called me?” The old priest says, “No my boy, I didn’t call you – go back to bed.” So Samuel goes back to bed.
Again God calls out to the boy, and again young Samuel goes to Eli. “Here I am. You called me?” The old priest again says, “No my boy, I didn’t call you – go back to bed.” When this happened the third time, Eli finally realizes that it must be God calling out to the boy Samuel.
Now, I want to ask you a question. Why did it take Eli – the priest – and Samuel the young boy - three times to finally figure out that it was God who was calling? In the case of Samuel, the answer is relatively simple. He hadn’t yet been instructed on how to recognize God’s voice. He was a young boy who was an apprentice – still learning the ropes.
But Eli – the priest – now there is a different story. You see, Eli had allowed himself to wander from God’s grace. Eli had permitted corruption to permeate the ministry that God had charged him to oversee. You see, Eli’s two sons were also priests – but they treated the ministry with utter contempt. These religious leaders didn’t honor God. They robbed God by putting themselves first – they took the best of the offerings up front. They lived immoral and impure lives. They extorted God’s people by threatening to use force to get the best of the offerings.
In short, they were arrogant, self-important bullies. And Eli, their dad, could do nothing to control them. In referring to this situation, the Scriptures say: “Eli’s sons were wicked men; they had no regard for the LORD… This sin of the young men was very great in the LORD’S sight, for they were treating the LORD’S offering with contempt.” (1 Samuel 2:12, 17)
Did you notice the problem mentioned in the very first verse of our lesson? You see, God wasn’t talking to Eli and to Eli’s sons anymore. The verse tells us that prophecy and visions from God had all but stopped. Our very first verse says: “…In those days a prophecy from the Lord was rare; visions were infrequent.” (1 Samuel 3:1) God had just pulled away – removed Himself - from the ministry that Eli and his sons exercised. His voice had become scarce; He didn’t want to be around these guys. Is it any wonder that Eli failed to recognize God’s call. So now, in talking to the boy Samuel, God was demonstrating that the time of repentance for Eli’s sons had long past.
Now I want to tell you, beloved, that God still struggles to talk to people. He still desires to come to us to draw us close. But the very reality is that we remove ourselves from Him. We do this by grieving the Spirit through our own sinfulness. When we do those things that offend God – we can’t hear or understand his voice. We can’t hear or understand his voice when we avoid his temple. We can’t hear God’s voice when we – for whatever excuse that we concoct – fail to worship Him or revere his Word.
We do to ourselves what Eli did – put ourselves in a position to miss God when He is speaking to us. That is one reason that St. Paul writes in our New Testament Lesson: “Everything is permissible for me” - but not everything is beneficial.” (1 Corinthians 6:12) Indeed – anything that separates us from God is not beneficial. And the scary thing is that if we persist in grieving God with a sinful life – He will turn away from us and we will no longer be able to hear Him. God speaks, but we hear only when we are tuned to his voice. That happens only as we live lives empowered by the Holy Spirit.
Here’s the second question: How do we know that it is God Who is talking? Here’s the first test: What does the voice that we hear tell us about Jesus Christ? You see, God will never point us to a false hope. When God directs us, it is always to Christ – always to his Cross and Resurrection – always to his forgiveness – always to his promises. The Apostle John tells us: “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. This is how you can recognize the Spirit of God: Every spirit that acknowledges that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God, but every spirit that does not acknowledge Jesus is not from God.” (1 John 4:1-3a) This is absolutely fundamental.
The second test: God will never ask us to do that which He has prohibited in his Word. If the voice that you hear tells you to do wrong – it cannot be from God. God won’t entice you to sin or to commit adultery or to steal or to say things that hurt your brothers and sisters in Christ. God’s voice always encourages us in our walk of faith. In fact, Jesus was very clear about this - He said, “My mother and brothers are those who hear God’s word and put it into practice.” (Luke 8:21)
And the third test: When God speaks to us, it is always consistent with his Word. God will not add or take away from what He has revealed to us. Jesus tells us: “I warn everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book: If anyone adds anything to them, God will add to him the plagues described in this book. And if anyone takes words away from this book of prophecy, God will take away from him his share in the tree of life and in the holy city, which are described in this book. (Revelation 22:18-19) To do this, we need to have a clear understanding of God’s Word and to check every message that we hear and compare it with Christ’s teachings.
All right: Up to now we’ve looked at the questions: “Does God really speak to people?” We said that He did, but that we needed to know that living a life committed to sin - like Eli’s sons - can cause to God away from us. We also considered the question: “How do we know that it is God Who is talking?” We looked at three tests: What does the voice say about Christ; Does the voice entice us to evil; Is what we hear consistent with God’s Word.
Now here’s the final question: How do we position ourselves to better hear the voice of God? Some years ago there was a popular song named, “Looking for Love in All the Wrong Places.” If we look for God in all the wrong places – we won’t find God. If we are looking in the wrong places and think that we hear God’s voice – look out! You see, God promises not to be: in horoscopes, tarot cards, fortune cookies, aliens from outer space who claim that we are clones of them. We might be hearing a voice if we are looking for God in these things – but I can guarantee you that it isn’t God’s voice.
So where do we look? Consider where Samuel was when God called to him. He was in the temple. He was where God promised to be. Samuel received God’s Word in a manner that was consistent with how God had previously revealed Himself. Samuel needed to be receptive to God’s voice: “Speak, oh Lord, your servant listens.” And God come to his servant.
Today, we can hear God’s voice in the temple. It comes to us in the wonderful sacraments: in Baptism, in the Lord’s Table. It comes to us through the proclamation of the cross and the resurrection. It comes to us in the forgiveness that we receive when we confess our sins. It comes to us when we hear and study his Word. It comes to us where God has promised to speak with us - in the temple – here. Sometimes we just need to be quiet. We just need to be still and know that God IS.
I have a confession to make to you: I was very discouraged for much of last year. It was a very, very difficult year for me. I found myself spending more time worrying and fretting about the issues of this ministry than listening to God. And then a wonderful brother told me to just chill. He said, “Spend time with God. Read his Word, pray, listen for his guidance.” Get away – make some time to just read his Word and pray. And as I’ve yielded myself to God – his Word has come. It’s been a wonderful reunion to find God just where He said He would be. Peace and joy have returned. God had never wandered – He’d been speaking to me all along – I just wasn’t listening.
And do you know what, beloved, God is seeking you out too. Just as Jesus called for Nathaniel in our Gospel Lesson – He is looking for you too. He is speaking to you. Why? Because God desires full communion – heart to heart with you. Why else would Jesus pay the price of the Cross? So, do you need to find joy and communion with God? Chill out - make time for God and his Word - and He’ll be there. In the name of Jesus. Amen!
