Hearing From God
This Sermon preached at St Andrew’s Wakefield 20 June 2004
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The boy Samuel ministered before the Lord under Eli. In those days the word of the Lord was rare; there were not many visions.
2 One night Eli, whose eyes were becoming so weak that he could barely see, was lying down in his usual place. 3 The lamp of God had not yet gone out, and Samuel was lying down in the house of the Lord, where the ark of God was. 4 Then the Lord called Samuel.
Samuel answered, “Here I am.” 5 And he ran to Eli and said, “Here I am; you called me.”
But Eli said, “I did not call; go back and lie down.” So he went and lay down.
6 Again the Lord called, “Samuel!” And Samuel got up and went to Eli and said, “Here I am; you called me.”
“My son,” Eli said, “I did not call; go back and lie down.”
7 Now Samuel did not yet know the Lord: The word of the Lord had not yet been revealed to him.
8 A third time the Lord called, “Samuel!” And Samuel got up and went to Eli and said, “Here I am; you called me.”
Then Eli realized that the Lord was calling the boy. 9 So Eli told Samuel, “Go and lie down, and if he calls you, say, ‘Speak, Lord, for your servant is listening.’” So Samuel went and lay down in his place.
10 The Lord came and stood there, calling as at the other times, “Samuel! Samuel!”
Then Samuel said, “Speak, for your servant is listening.”
11 And the Lord said to Samuel: “See, I am about to do something in Israel that will make the ears of everyone who hears about it tingle. 12 At that time I will carry out against Eli everything I spoke against his family—from beginning to end. 13 For I told him that I would judge his family forever because of the sin he knew about; his sons blasphemed God,[a] and he failed to restrain them. 14 Therefore I swore to the house of Eli, ‘The guilt of Eli’s house will never be atoned for by sacrifice or offering.’”
15 Samuel lay down until morning and then opened the doors of the house of the Lord. He was afraid to tell Eli the vision, 16 but Eli called him and said, “Samuel, my son.”
Samuel answered, “Here I am.”
17 “What was it he said to you?” Eli asked. “Do not hide it from me. May God deal with you, be it ever so severely, if you hide from me anything he told you.” 18 So Samuel told him everything, hiding nothing from him. Then Eli said, “He is the Lord; let him do what is good in his eyes.”
19 The Lord was with Samuel as he grew up, and he let none of Samuel’s words fall to the ground. 20 And all Israel from Dan to Beersheba recognized that Samuel was attested as a prophet of the Lord. 21 The Lord continued to appear at Shiloh, and there he revealed himself to Samuel through his word.
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Listening
Introduction
We tend to think the voice of God is so clear and distinct that it cant be confused with any other - not true. We need to be in regular contact with our Lord daily prayer time, bible readings and study notes. In worship songs through Spotify and Worship CD’s even Songs of praise still appeals to many.
Last week we heard how Samuel came to be in Shiloh. Hannah's promise. 15 mls to Shiloh. Samuel, given to God for life.
Today we learn about Samuel hearing from God. Not that God called his Name but that God gave him a message and in giving that message was announcing the boy Samuel to be a prophet.
Refer to the hymn, use the hymn in sermon, give me Samuel's ear, heart, mind.
Let us enter this passage by looking at their Hannah’s Problem, them Hannah’s Prayer and finally Hannah’s Response.
Samuel’s Ear
Samuel’s Heart
Samuel’s Mind
Samuel’s Ear
'O give me Samuel's ear the open ear O lord,
alive and quick to hear each whisper of thy word.
Like him to answer at thy call and to obey Thee first of all.'
1 Samuel 3:1,2 says that word and visions were 'rare' at that time when Eli was priest. This tells me three things:
[1] It explains why Samuel and Eli were taken by surprise when audible voice of God was heard. [Illustration: Sometimes when you get a phone call and the voice you do not recognise, even if it is a well loved friend] We think the voice of the Lord is clear, not so true in our noisy world. That's the first lesson the young prophet had to learn.
[2] Israel needed a prophet (Judges 21:25 'everyone did as he pleased')
[3] A third thing, another interpretation of the word 'rare' is precious. I am convinced we do hear from God more than we think but sometimes don't recognise his voice. Sometimes when we are reading our bibles or praying or singing praises we 'hear' from God and that experience is precious and it can guide us to make a certain decision, to hand a matter over to him, to proceed with something.
The more often we read, pray, praise and listen, the more often we will hear his voice.
Where do we start? Start with the bible, study notes, quiet space, say to the Lord in our hearts 'speak Lord I am listening.'
Whether we are young or old we need to say these words of Samuel more often, 'speak Lord I am listening.'
In praying for Samuel’s ear we will experience God’s precious word and visions to us.
'O give me Samuel's ear the open ear O lord, alive and quick to hear each whisper of thy word. Like him to answer at thy call and to obey Thee first of all.'
Samuel’s Heart
Having worked through the confusion over the 'who is calling my name’ thing…. Samuel returns to the temple room and waits.
'O give me Samuel's heart, a lowly heart that waits …. A heart that still moves at the breathing of thy will.'
World War 2 people faced many challenges. Essential food shortages, bombs falling, evacuations, families were split up, loved ones called up to serve, some were wounded, some killed and they had a saying at that time 'carry on regardless'.
Samuels heart was to ‘carry on regardless’ - separated from his mother and father at early age serving in the temple and now waiting for the voice of the Lord for the third time. His heart was saying to God 'carry on regardless.'
We have opportunities in life to give in or give it a go. [John Haywood : mum Leslie] Give in and let the situation overwhelm us or turn to the Lord, a 'help me or heal me' prayer. You find yourself in the middle of the crisis and by carrying on regardless and submitting to the Lord you allow God to bring out qualities in you that you never thought you could be capable of. By praying to God and asking him to help me or heal me we are saying 'here I am Lord, I am listening, I am determined to carry on regardless persevering and enduring for you.
I think Samuel's heart had qualities like this.
'O give me Samuel's heart, a lowly heart that waits.
Where in thy house thou art, or watches at thy gates
By day and night a heart that still
Momoves at the breathing of thy will.’
Samuel’s Mind
O give me Samuel's mind …obedient and resigned to thee…
Samuel comes across as being very trusting and respectful of Eli. To receive a prophecy that Eli's family line will be killed and then himself as part of God's judgement was a real test to the young Samuel. Would he obey and share the full prophecy or tone it down a bit?
Strangely the message wasn’t required by Eli. He had received that message in 1 Samuel 2:27-34.
In Eli's wisdom he allowed the young boy to continue, allowed to tell his first prophecy (truly bad news given to familiar friend).
When young people bring words and visions let us encourage them rather than tell them we've heard it before. Let them flourish.
NOTE: The important thing is that this is confirming Samuel's call as a prophet. This boy had no way of knowing Eli had been told the message earlier (otherwise he would not have been concerned about sharing that message to Eli). As Eli listened he was finding out that Samuel was called in that way and his reaction was to accept that his priestly leadership would pass to Samuel. I wonder do we watch out for each other's giftings and emerging giftings and ministries. It is good practice, from time to time for a church leadership team to consider the gifts of our members, making sure they will not be ignored. It is a mindset we need to keep up. We are all called. We are all given gifts and should use the gifts to serve in various ways.
From Samuel's point of view, his test was whether he would obey the Lord and speak a hard message to a dear friend. His natural reaction was to hesitate. And then he obeyed.
Let us be listening, as Samuel was after the 2nd time to God's call to you. (It may not be as spectacular as prophecy). But it will be a call for you.
I like the little bit of ordinariness before he spoke the message to old Eli. He went back to sleep! 'He lay until morning.’ Yes the Lord speaking to us will transform our lives but the ordinariness of life must go on. Sometimes we forget these great characters had to have breakfast, dinner and tea and do all the bits in between.
In the morning having hesitated, he obeyed. To obey is to accept God's word and trust that his word will guide us each step of the way.
In Narcotics Anonymous, and in all groups based on the AA Model, there is a slogan which says "Let Go - and Let God" It is quite a liberating thing to let go - and to let God, to trust God to be with us and bring us through instead of worrying about how we are going to work it all out. To decide to act on His word instead of worrying about how to do what we want to do, trying to fix everything on our own.
In praying for Samuels mind we are praying for a mind that trusts the word and is determined to be obedient.
'O give me Samuel's Mind. A sweet unmurmuring faith.
Obedient and resigned to thee in life and death.
That I may read with child like eyes truths that are hidden from the wise.'
1 Hushed was the evening hymn,
the temple courts were dark;
the lamp was burning dim
before the sacred ark;
when suddenly a Voice Divine
rang through the silence of the shrine.
2 The old man, meek and mild,
the priest of Israel, slept;
his watch the Temple child,
the little Levite, kept;
and what from Eli’s sense was sealed
the Lord to Hannah’s son revealed.
3 Oh! give me Samuel’s ear,
the open ear, O Lord,
alive and quick to hear
each whisper of thy word;
like him to answer at yhy call,
and to obey thee first of all.
4 Oh! give me Samuel’s heart,
a lowly heart, that waits
where in thy house thou art,
or watches at thy gates;
ny day and night, a heart that still
moves at the breathing of thy will.
5 Oh! give me Samuel’s mind,
a sweet unmurmuring faith,
obedient and resigned
to thee in life and death;
that I may read with child-like eyes
truths that are hidden from the wise.
© James Drummond Burns©
