A Study of the Books of Samuel

Sermon # 3

"God Is Speaking But Are You Listenting?"

1 Samuel 3:1-21

                I am still amazed at how God works the messages from  two separate series to coincide so perfectly on any given Sunday. This morning we looked at “Are You Ready to Listen?” from our series in Luke and tonight in our study of the life of Samuel we are by the providence of God considering, “God is Speaking But Are you Listening?”

 1. We Must Be Ready To Hear What God Wants To Say To Us.  (vv.1-8)

            Samuel moved from a godly home at Ramah in which his mother and father were scrupulous in their worship of the Lord into the priestly home of Eli in which the worship of Lord was scorned. Samuel ministered before the Lord under the guidance of Eli at a time when God was not speaking to his people very often. The writer tells us in verse one, “…  the word of the LORD was rare in those days; there was no widespread revelation.”  That pretty well describes our day don’t you think? The spiritual leaders were corrupt and God’s people were not obeying his law so why should he say anything new to them?

            “I heard once of a black preacher who went in view of a call to a new church. He preached a fine sermon that morning. When the congregation came back for the evening service he preached the same sermon again. The deacons meet and attributed the fact that he preached the same sermon to nervousness and extended a call to become the new pastor. The preacher arrived the next Sunday to preach and again he preached the same sermon. The people just shook their heads and came back that night to see what he would preach. Well he preached the same sermon again. We the deacons had had enough by this point and said among themselves, “If he preaches that sermon again we will be forced to confront him. Well Wednesday night rolled around and you guessed it he preached the same sermon again. The deacons met with the pastor after the service and said, Now preacher that is a fine sermon that you have been preaching, but when are you going to preach something new?” The preacher replied, “Well I reckon when you do what I told in that sermon we will go on to something else.” 

Well it seems that since men were not listening to God in those days he rarely bothered to speak to them.  But perhaps we should consider whether the word of the Lord is really rare today, or have we simply lost the ability to hear a word from God and recognize it as such?

            I suspect that the problem is not with God. I suspect that the problem is that we are not listening. We do not expect God to speak and we certainly don’t expect God to speak to us! God can speak at any time but we hear Him best when we remove the obstacles that may block a message from God.

            What did you really expect when you came to church tonight? Teenagers did you come expecting to hang out with your friends? Perhaps you came expecting to sing some songs? Hopefully you come expecting to hear a message from scripture. But did you come expecting, “I wonder what God wants to say to me tonight?”

            Would you know God’s voice if you heard it? Well Samuel certainly didn’t.  The scene is pretty funny if you stop to think about it, God kept waking Samuel up and Eli keeps telling him to go back to sleep.  In verse two we read, “And it came to pass at that time, while Eli was lying down in his place, and when his eyes had begun to grow so dim that he could not see, (3) and before the lamp of God went out in the tabernacle of the LORD where the ark of God was, and while Samuel was lying down, (4) that the LORD called Samuel. And he answered, "Here I am!" (5) So he ran to Eli and said, "Here I am, for you called me." And he said, "I did not call; lie down again." And he went and lay down. (6) Then the LORD called yet again, "Samuel!" So Samuel arose and went to Eli, and said, "Here I am, for you called me." He answered, "I did not call, my son; lie down again." (7) (Now Samuel did not yet know the LORD, nor was the word of the LORD yet revealed to him.) (8) And the LORD called Samuel again the third time. So he arose and went to Eli, and said, "Here I am, for you did call me." Then Eli perceived that the LORD had called the boy.”

 2. Though We Must Reap What We Have Sown, Even In The Midst Of Failure, God Has Unique Ways To Give Us A Second Chance.

God gives the old priest a chance to redeem his failure. What Eli had failed to do with his own son, he could now do for Samuel. We are told that Eli sons, were worthless sons of Beliel.” Eli had learned bitter lessons from the mistakes that he had made with his during their youth and he gave his full benefit of his lifetime with God to Samuel. Adam Clarke says, “Parents cannot do God’s work, but God will not do theirs.” [Scripture Press,  p. 19]. In our day, we should not pity the children who do not have the very latest toys and gimmicks, but rather pity the children whose parents do not have time to be parents, to teach them by their words and their walk and to express to them in many ways how much they love them. Parents that are too tired or too busy to spend time with their children will miss wonderful opportunities to guide their children.

We are told in verse one, “ Now the boy Samuel ministered to the LORD before Eli.” Samuel is referred to as just a “boy” in the original Hebrew (naar) is a term that is flexible enough to refer to someone between the infant stage and that of a young man. I believe that Samuel was either in his pre-teen or early teen years, perhaps twelve or thirteen years of age.

Although Samuel was brought into a home where he had to have contact with Eli’s evil sons, Hophni and Phinehas, the old priest must have been a protector for Samuel. Eli evidently took Samuel under his wing and carefully nurtured him in the service of the LORD.

            With Eli’s physical limitations his age and poor sight he needed someone like Samuel to help him. Samuel could help him if he should need assistance doing the night. It is only natural that Samuel would think that the voice he heard late in the night was the voice of Eli. The first two times that Samuel is called by God, he assumes that he is hearing the voice of Eli calling for Samuel assistance. He runs to Eli’s side saying, "Here I am, for you called me"(v.6).  Thinking that Samuel was probably dreaming, Eli assured the boy that he had not called him.  It is not until the third time that Eli grasps the situation and realizes that it is God who is calling to Samuel. In verse nine Eli gives Samuel courage by telling him that if he hears the voice again how he is to respond.  “Therefore Eli said to Samuel, "Go, lie down; and it shall be, if He calls you, that you must say, "Speak, LORD, for Your servant hears."' So Samuel went and lay down in his place.”

            Samuel obeyed Eli and went back and lay down and waited for the voice to come again. In verse ten we learn that this time the Lord spoke the boy’s name twice. Not only that but he came and stood near Samuel as he spoke. “Now the LORD came and stood and called as at other times, "Samuel! Samuel!" And Samuel answered, "Speak, for Your servant hears." When God called a fourth time he no doubt had Samuel’s undivided attention. But what he hears is very unsettling, verse eleven,  “Then the LORD said to Samuel: "Behold, I will do something in Israel at which both ears of everyone who hears it will tingle. (12) In that day I will perform against Eli all that I have spoken concerning his house, from beginning to end. (13) For I have told him that I will judge his house forever for the iniquity which he knows, because his sons made themselves vile, and he did not restrain them. (14) And therefore I have sworn to the house of Eli that the iniquity of Eli's house shall not be atoned for by sacrifice or offering forever."

            The message must have shocked poor Samuel. This is certainly a heavy message to give to such a young messenger.

            According to our text Samuel heard the voice of God and received the message of God but he still got up the next morning and went about his usual duties. Verse fifteen reveals, “So Samuel lay down until morning, and opened the doors of the house of the LORD. And Samuel was afraid to tell Eli the vision.” Samuel was afraid to tell Eli what God had said. Although he lay in his bed until morning I doubt that he did any more sleeping.  How could he discuss this message of doom with this elderly man who had acted as his spiritual father? It was only when Eli pressed Samuel to tell him all that God had spoken to him, Eli warned in verse sixteen that he must tell him the complete and honest truth. “Then Eli called Samuel and said, "Samuel, my son!" He answered, "Here I am." (17) And he said, "What is the word that the LORD spoke to you? Please do not hide it from me. God do so to you, and more also, if you hide anything from me of all the things that He said to you."

 3. We Must Never Allow Ourselves to Blame God Or Others For Our Failures. (vv. 18)

            In verse eighteen Samuel reluctantly tells Eli the whole message. “Then Samuel told him everything, and hid nothing from him. And he said, "It is the LORD. Let Him do what seems good to Him."

            The message given to Samuel in verse eleven through fourteen focus more on Eli’s sin than that of his sons. Specifically God indicates that he is about bring judgment on Eli and his house because he knew of his son’s sin and did not try to stop them. God judges Eli not for failing to rebuke his sons, he evidently did that, but for failing to go beyond that when they refused to listen to him. In contemporary terms we would call Eli an ‘enabler.” In verse fourteen we are told that the matter is now past repentance, they have passed the point of no return. There is a serious lesson here for us, there comes a time when there is not longer the option of repentance, it is time for judgment. God’s day of judgment may come later than people expect, but kid yourself it is coming.

            As to Eli’s response there is debate among commentators whether Eli acceptance of God’s message is demonstration of a submissive spirit or evidence of passive resignation. I believe that it is a sign of his submissive spirit.

            Eli took God’s words of judgment like a man. It seems that it is a natural tendency for people who are trapped because of their actions, not to admit it totally and take responsibility for their actions.  But Eli knew that he had failed, and he did not try to rationalize away his responsibilities. When faced with his failures, Eli does not make excuses or play the blame game by blaming his failure on someone else. Though had failed terribly as a father, he did not blame his wife, his sons, his circum-stances or God for what happened as a result. He never made anyone else the villain or himself a victim! He took full responsibility for his actions and He acknowledged God’s right to do as he pleased. “Anyone can open his hand to God’s blessing but only those who really believe that the Lord is both righteous and merciful will receive his judgment with Eli’s humility of spirit.” [Adult Teaching Guide. Bible Knowledge Series. 1 & 2 Samuel. Dec. 1993 -Feb 1994.   (Atlanta: Sunday School Growth Curriculum,1993) p. 20]

In addition we have to appreciate the attitude that Eli maintains toward young Samuel, it takes a big person to be able to help their successor.

            We do not know how long Eli served as High Priest but he lived to be 98 years old and at the time of his death he had been a judge in Israel for 40 years (4:15-18).

 (19) So Samuel grew, and the LORD was with him and let none of his words fall to the ground.”

            As Samuel grew older, God continued to speak to and through him. Whatever God said he was going to do, He brought to pass. Not one word fell to the ground unfulfilled.

              Samuel seems to have lived a life of unbroken purity, integrity and righteousness. His purpose to serve the Lord seems to have run through all of his years with no moral lapses or failures. In his old age he is able to say “I am old and grey-headed … and I have walked before you form my youth unto this day.” 

4. God Still Wants to Speak To Us Through His Word. (vv. 20-21)

“And all Israel from Dan to Beersheba knew that Samuel had been established as a prophet of the LORD. (21) Then the LORD appeared again in Shiloh. For the LORD revealed Himself to Samuel in Shiloh by the word of the LORD.”