Hearing from the Lord, and Then What
”And the LORD came and stood, calling as at other times, “Samuel! Samuel!” And Samuel said, “Speak, for your servant hears.” Then the LORD said to Samuel, “Behold, I am about to do a thing in Israel at which the two ears of everyone who hears it will tingle. On that day I will fulfill against Eli all that I have spoken concerning his house, from beginning to end…
Samuel lay until morning; then he opened the doors of the house of the LORD. And Samuel was afraid to tell the vision to Eli. But Eli called Samuel and said, “Samuel, my son.” And he said, “Here I am.” And Eli said, “What was it that he told you? Do not hide it from me. May God do so to you and more also if you hide anything from me of all that he told you.” So Samuel told him everything and hid nothing from him. And he said, “It is the LORD. Let him do what seems good to him.””
1 Samuel 3:10–12,15–18 Read More
How Samuel Got the News
The Lord came by night and spoke to Samuel. It took Samuel a while to figure out it was the Lord speaking. At any one time, the thoughts and voices in our heads can be our own flesh, God, or the Devil. It’s hard to sort that out. Eli was able to tell that the Lord was speaking to Samuel, and coached him to listen.
Samuel was a miracle child from the beginning. Eli knew that Samuel would hold a special place in the temple among his own family. Eli also knew that his own sons were sinning against the people, the temple, and God Himself. In the state he and the people of God were in, they were desperate to hear from the Lord, even if it was through a little (maybe even teenaged) kid.
When the Lord begins to speak, He Himself coaches Samuel to pay attention and to value God’s words. For one, it’s not just for Samuel. When God mentions other people hearing it, He is implying that this is news for everyone. Second, it’s some doom news for Eli. If Samuel hadn’t gone to Eli twice, thinking that Eli was calling him, then Eli wouldn’t be asking Samuel about it in the morning. Look at the grace and mercy of God here. He gives Eli a chance to increase his faith and confidence that this really is news from the Lord.
What Samuel Did with the News
Samuel lay there until morning wondering about it all. It’s one thing to really and truly hear the voice of the Lord – WOW – and then another level of weight to hear it is doom and judgement for Eli and his family. Eli was the high priest, his sons were priests. If God was going to do something to them, there were a lot of changes about to happen.
Samuel was also afraid to tell Eli. He didn’t come at Eli with pride and yell at him and his sin. Eli imprecates himself and demands that Samuel tell him what the LORD said. At that point, Eli knows it is from the LORD. Eli knows that God is true and that he himself is not.
God still speaks today in many different ways. As we listen, pray for discernment to know when it’s the Lord speaking and when it’s an Eli. Pray that we would each have the guts to follow through and tell others what they need to know so that God’s mercy may go forth. And no matter how evil or off track we may become, may we at least be as humble as Eli was and accept what the Lord will guide us into.
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