Samuel - Listening To God Series

I am afraid that we are rapidly approaching a similar situation in our culture today. Although many people claim that they want to hear God speak, the truth is that most of them are self-absorbed and want to live life on their own terms so they really aren’t interested in hearing God speak because to listen to God would require them to change the way they live. The one thing that is different today is that we’re no longer dependent on prophets or some miraculous appearance of God, like His appearance to Moses in the burning bush, in order to find out what God wants to say to us. Today we have His revelation in written form in the Bible and we also have some other ways to hear from God that I’ll talk about a bit later. But the main idea here in 1 Samuel 3 is still true for us today:

If I want to hear God speak

I must learn to listen

This chapter is all about how Samuel learned to listen to God so we’re going to see what we can learn from his example.

Samuel was helping out Eli with his priestly duties in the tabernacle. Late one evening or early one morning when the lamps that had been lit before going to bed were still burning, Samuel heard a voice and assumed that it was Eli calling him. But Eli told Samuel that he hadn’t called him and sent him back to bed. The same thing happened a second time and Eli once again sent Samuel back to bed.

In verse 7, we’re given an important piece of information that is a key to what we’ll learn this morning. We find that even though Samuel had been serving God in the tabernacle, he did not yet “know the Lord”. That is why he could not discern that it was the Lord speaking when he heard the voice.

So one of the first things we learn here is that if we don’t know God, we aren’t going to recognize His voice, even if we’re busy doing ministry in His name. Not surprisingly, Jesus revealed this same truth to His followers:

Whoever is of God hears the words of God. The reason why you do not hear them is that you are not of God.”

(John 8:47 ESV)

Jesus makes it clear hear that those who don’t know God can’t hear Him. But just a short time later, he also encourages His disciples by explaining that for those who do know Him, they will recognize His voice and follow Him.

I am the good shepherd. I know my own and my own know me…My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me.

(John 10:14, 27) ESV)

Samuel is about to learn this lesson firsthand. The third time that God speaks to Samuel, Eli finally figures out that it is God speaking and he tells Samuel to go back to bed, but the next time he hears a voice, he is to respond and say, “Speak, Lord, for your servant hears”. And that is exactly what Samuel does when God calls out to him again.

And the very first thing that God reveals is some really bad news for Eli and his sons. Because Eli had failed to restrain his sons from blaspheming God, God was going to do what He had revealed to Eli earlier and take away the priesthood and those two wicked sons were going to die.

It’s pretty easy to understand why Samuel is reluctant to tell Eli what God had revealed to him. It’s never an easy thing to give bad news to someone. I’m sure that Gerald and Amanda have had that experience when they have to convey bad news to a patient. And as a pastor I can certainly understand that, too. Sometimes, in my role of communicating God’s Word to you, I have to share some things that might be uncomfortable or hard for you to hear. But I wouldn’t be obedient to God if I failed to share with you what God has put on my heart.