1 Samuel 3

1 Samuel 3

As 21st century Christians, most of us would consider it pretty rare for someone to directly hear from God in an audible voice. Most people reading this have probably never heard God speak to them audibly; I know I have not ever heard Him. God speaks to us differently. Although an audible calling is not out of the question, and He could just as likely talk someone audibly today, most of us would consider that rare. In the Old Testament it was still fairly rare for someone to hear the voice of the Lord in this manner, but there were many all throughout Scripture who received a personal message from God (spoken either by Him or one of His angels). Nevertheless, the author of 1 Samuel in 1 Samuel 3 says that this was a rare occurrence in the time of Samuel.


Therefore, when God did call out to Samuel in an audible voice, Samuel did not immediately recognize Him to be God. He assumed that Eli was calling him from another room. Although he had been brought up in the ways of God, since before his birth, he did not personally know who God was yet. So it is understandable that he was confused when this unknown voice was calling out to him. Eli, however, who had served the Lord for years, finally picked up on what was going on. He recognized the Lord’s calling and instructed Samuel to respond next time.

When God called out to him the 4th time, Samuel responded and asked God to continue. Now remember the contrast the author laid out in 1 Samuel 2 between Eli’s sons and Samuel. They were priests under Eli and were brought up to serve God, and yet they had been found disobeying God in their service. Samuel, on the other hand, had not yet come to a full recognition of who God was, but he remained obedient to whatever he was commanded to do and served God faithfully. Now God has chosen to use Samuel to pronounce the judgment that would fall on Eli and his sons. Eli already knew that destruction was coming, for God had previously revealed that to him, but Samuel had been given some of the specifics of what was to come.

Now think about where Samuel stood in this situation. The man who had taught him everything he knew, Eli, was probably like a father to Samuel, and yet he had to bring this sorrowful news to him. On the other hand, he knew that he had to be obedient to God, so he had to deliver the message to Eli, even if it was hard. Eli understood his predicament but also knew the importance of Samuel obeying God’s commands, so he encouraged Samuel to tell him what God had said. So Samuel told him. That set Samuel up as a prophet in the land of Israel. Because of his obedience in this situation, the Lord continued to speak with Samuel, and he became known throughout all of Israel as a prophet.

Following God’s voice can be hard enough sometimes, but even before that, we must be sure that we recognize His voice. How many times do we miss God working in our lives because we were not listening for Him? It is so easy to get caught up in the daily chores of life that we neglect to listen for God. The first step in following God is listening for His instructions. That might include making sure we spend time in His word or spending time in prayer for some. For others it may mean getting back in Church or joining a small group where we can live life with fellow believers. Before we can ever be in a situation like Samuel (even if we hear God in a different form and not audibly), we must first make sure that we are living as He would have us live. Then, when He speaks, whether audibly, through His word, or through others, we must be careful to listen and do as He would have us to do. Only when we are willing to listen to God and obey His commands will He be able to use us.

Matt