“Hearing and Obeying the Voice of God”
1 Samuel 3
1 Samuel Book Series: Looking for a Leader
One
the marvels of modern technology is voice recognition-the ability of a machine
or program to recognize spoken words and translate them into text. Unfortunately,
there are times when the message gets garbled. The results of this failure may
be humorous, but the results can also lead to problems.
Spiritual leaders
should know what God desires and share that understanding with the people. Eli,
a priest in ancient Israel, was a faulty conduit for God’s revelation to His
people, as were his two sons. Eli was deaf to the voice of God; therefore, he
was not a faithful messenger of the divine revelation. As a priest, Eli should
have been calling the congregation of Israel to faithfulness, but he couldn’t
because of his own spiritual deficiencies.
A
study of the New Testament reveals that all Christians are priests. Peter said, "...You also,
as living stones, are being built up a spiritual house, a holy priesthood, to
offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ." (1
Pet. 2:5). Thus, all Christians are of that holy priesthood and can
offer spiritual sacrifices to God. All have the right to go directly to God
through Jesus Christ, our High Priest (Heb. 4:14-16). [1]
Peter continued, "But you are a
chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people,
that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into
His marvelous light..." (1 Pet. 2:9). Consequently, the New
Testament repeatedly teaches that all Christians are priests. When one obeys
the gospel of Christ, he is added to the body of Christ and is thereby part of
God's holy priesthood. As priests, all can offer up spiritual sacrifices and draw
nigh to God through the mediatorship of Jesus.[2]
What can get easily
lost in our familiarity with this story is the way the author has framed
everything around the emphasis on “the word” of God. The opening verse reminds
us that Samuel is serving God under Eli’s tutelage. But there is no widespread
prophetic ministry of “the word of the Lord” in those days.[3]
To
be more specific, the narrator informs us “a word from the Lord was rare in
those days, vision were infrequent.” The rarity of the prophetic word is of
particular interest to the author (who many scholars believe to be a
combination of the prophets Nathan and Gad). These authors have an appreciation
for the importance of living under the authority of God’s Word.[4]
Without such direction, the nation (or any individual) will
wander aimlessly and eventually fall into self-destructive behavior. The Word
God is necessary if Israel is to survive this dangerous time in their history.
We need the Word of God if we are to thrive in our day as well.
So,
how do we hear and obey the voice of God, and what does 1 Samuel 3 tells us
about God’s Word?
I. Prerequisites to Hearing God’s Voice
1. An attentive ear (Vv.1-9).
Samuel
was probably twelve years old when the Lord spoke to him one night as he lay in
the tabernacle “annex” where Eli was also sleeping. The “lamp of God” was the
seven-branched golden candlestick that stood in the holy place before the veil,
to the left of the golden altar of incense (Ex. 25:31-40; 27:20-21; 37:17-24).
It
was the only source of light in the holy place, and the priests were ordered to
keep it burning always and to trim the wicks when they offered the incense each
morning and evening (Ex. 30:7-8).
The lamp was a symbol
of the light of God’s truth given to the world through His people Israel. But
we know the light of God’s Word was burning dimly in those days, and God’s high
priest was barely able to see! The ark was there, containing the law of God,
but the law was not honored by God’s people.
The Lord spoke to
Samuel four times (1 Sam. 3:4, 6, 8, 10), and the first three times, Samuel
though it was Eli calling him. One of the marks of a faithful servant is an
attentive ear and an immediate response. But Samuel had never heard God’s
voice, so he did not know who was calling to him. Like Saul of
Tarsus, Samuel’s call and conversion occurred at the same time except that
Samuel’s experience was at night while Saul saw a blazing light when he heard
God’s voice (Acts 9:1-9). Eli was
discerning enough to realize that God was speaking to the boy, so he told him
how to proceed.
George
Muller was burdened about the plight of hundreds of homeless children in his
city of Bristol. It was the 19th century, and there were
insufficient social means to provide for the swelling ranks of homeless
children. The need was obvious, but Muller had no money.
Nonetheless,
he began praying about whether he should be the one to establish a home for
orphans. In his own words, here is what he did: “I have been praying every day
this week concerning the orphan house, entreating the Lord to take away every
thought of it if the matter is not of him. After repeatedly examining the
motives of my heart, I am fully convinced that it is of God.”[5]
Then
he sought counsel from godly friends.
Brother
Craik and I have talked about the orphan house. I wanted him to show me any
hidden corruption of my heart or any other scriptural reason against engaging
in it. The only reason I could doubt that it is of God for me to begin this
work is the numerous responsibilities which I have already. But if the matter
is of God, he will, in due time, send suitable individuals so that
comparatively little of my time will be taken up in this service.[6]
Three
days later Muller noted in his journal: “This Scripture came alive to me today:
‘Open thy mouth wide, and
I will fill it’ (Psalm 81:10). I was led to apply it to the orphan house
and asked the Lord for a building, one thousand pounds, and suitable
individuals to take care of the children.”[7]
The success of Muller’s orphanage is legendary.
Did
you notice anything about the process through which God spoke to George Muller?
It is the same process that God speaks to us today.
- It begins with a need.
There
would have been countless other needs around Muller. As you are aware, there
are more needs around you at any given time than you can possibly count.
However, God will speak to you about a personal burden concerning a particular
situation. That is what happened with Muller.
- It is followed by prayer.
- It is confirmed by a trusted Christian friend.
Muller
sought the counsel of a good friend who was a mature believer. In essence,
brother Craik served as his accountability partner. Muller gave his friend
complete access into his life so he could point out any potential discrepancy between
his desires and God’s Word.
- The counsel is verified through the Scriptures.
God’s
counsel to Muller was confirmed in his private devotional time through Psalm
81:10. That was when he knew for certain what he should do.
Jesus
based everything He did on God’s Word. When Satan tempted Him, He resisted by
quoting God’s Word (Matt. 4:1-11; Luke 4:1-13). When His opponents maligned
Him, He answered with Scriptures (Matt. 9:13; 12:40; 21:16). When He
encountered money changers in the temple, He was angered because they were
disregarding His Father’s Word (Matt. 21:13).[8]
Many countries today
are dangerous places because of antipersonnel land mines that were planted
during wartime. Some places harbor so many buried explosives that no one knows
where it is safe to walk anymore. Suppose you had to pass through a region
littered with land mines. You would enter the territory with dread. One false
step and you could be maimed or killed. However if a military commander gave
you an accurate map pinpointing every trap, you would be greatly liberated.
With
map in hand, you would be free to travel everywhere the map said it was safe to
do so. You could walk or run or roll across the safe fields, knowing your life
was not in peril.
However, the general
would not force you to take the map. You would be perfectly free to live on the
edge and feel your way across the land. You could decide you don’t like being
told where to walk. If you wanted to, you would exercise your freedom to travel
where you pleased. You would be within your rights. You would also be a fool,
quit possibly, a dead one. But you would be within your rights.
Gods’
Word is a map to help us avoid the land mines of sin. Sin has the potential to
tear us apart, but we have the map that accurately leads us along the safe
path. We can choose to reject God’s Word and live free from the “constraints”
of the map. We can ignore Gods’ guidance and make our own way through life as
best we can. But why would we want to do that? [9]
2. An obedient will (Vv.10-14).
Samuel obeyed Eli,
went back up to his sleeping place, and waited for the voice to come again.
This time God spoke the boy’s name twice, for the Shepherd calls His sheep by
name and gets their attention (John 10:3, 14). Not only that, the Lord came and stood near Samuel as He
spoke to him. This experience wasn’t a dream or a vision but a manifestation of
the presence of the Lord. Samuel’s response was, “Speak, for your servant is listening” (1 Samuel
3:10), and he left out the word, “Lord” (v. 7), so he could not know
whose voice it was that had spoken to him. Perhaps he was being careful not to
accept it as the voice of Jehovah when he had no way to be sure.
Because Samuel was
obedient to God and to Eli, he heard the message from the Lord and learned what
God planned to do. This was certainly a weighty message to give to a young boy,
but in so doing, perhaps God was rebuking the spiritual lethargy of the adults,
for to which of them could God give this message? When God can’t find an obedient
adult, He sometimes calls a child. God spoke judgment to Judah and Jerusalem in
Isaiah 3:4 when He said,
"I will make mere youths their officials; children will rule over
them."
Samuel
did not know the message the unknown prophet had delivered to Eli, but the
message God gave him confirmed it. The Lord would judge the house of Eli because Eli’s two sons “made
themselves vile [contemptible]” and Eli did nothing to restrain them.
Though Eli and his sons were priests, they could offer no sacrifice that would
atone for their sins! Their
sins were deliberant and defiant, and for such sins no sacrifice could be
offered (Num. 15:30). Not only had they defiled themselves but they had
also defiled the priesthood. The Lord had been long-suffering toward the house
of Eli, but they hadn’t repented and turned from their sins; now it was too
late.
Scriptural Motivation
for Obedience[10]
1. A powerful motivation for living the Christian life is gratitude to God
for saving us by His grace (Rom. 12:1,2; 2 Cor. 5:14,15; Gal. 2:20).
2. Believers should also be motivated by the knowledge that their heavenly
Father both blesses obedience and disciplines disobedience in His children (Heb.
12:3-11; Lev. 26:1-45).
3. Finally, every Christian must stand before the Judgment Seat of Christ,
not to determine his destiny in heaven or hell, but to assess the quality of
his Christian life on earth (2 Cor. 5:10; Rev. 22:12). Anticipating
either reward or loss of reward at the Judgment Seat should also motivate
believers to perseverance and to faithfulness to God's revealed will (I Cor.
3:10-17, 9:24-27; Jas. 5:8,9; 1 John 2:28).
3. A humble heart (Vv.15-18).
Samuel had heard the voice of God and received the message of
God, but he still got up early and went back to his old tasks. He opened the
doors of the sanctuary so the people could come to sacrifice, and he said
nothing to Eli about what God had told him. This shows remarkable maturity on
the part of a young boy. Most youths would have been proud of their experience
with the Lord, rushed around delivering the message, and would not have stooped
to open doors. It was only when Eli commanded him that Samuel related the
message of judgment that God had given to him.
Was
Eli’s response to the message active submission or passive resignation to
something that could not be changed? I believe it was resignation. It was the
same attitude that Hezekiah displayed when Isaiah told him his foolish actions
would one day bring ruin to the kingdom of Judah (Isa. 39). Eli was an old man
who had not been a good father or a faithful priest, and he had already been
warned that judgment was coming. His two sons would perish in one day and his
family would lose the privilege of the priesthood, so what was there to live
for? God had chosen Samuel to be judge, priest, and prophet, so the light of
truth would keep burning in Israel. All Eli could do was wait patiently for the
sword to fall.
A man received a
promotion to the position of Vice President of the company he worked for. The
promotion went to his head, and for weeks on end he bragged to anyone and
everyone that he was now VP. His bragging came to an abrupt halt when his wife,
so embarrassed by his behavior, said, “Listen Bob, it’s not that big a deal.
These days everyone’s a vice president. Why they even have a vice president of
peas down at the supermarket!”
Somewhat deflated, Bob
rang the local supermarket to find out if this was true. “Can I speak to the
Vice President of peas please?” he asked, to which the reply came: “of fresh or
frozen?”[11]
Eli had his faults, as
we all do, and we must appreciate his positive attitude toward young Samuel,
his successor as the spiritual leader in Israel. It is not every veteran
servant who can graciously lay down his tools and let a young apprentice take
over. Until the very end of his life, Eli at least had concern for the ark of
God and the future of the nation, and the news of Israel’s defeat and the
capture of the ark caused his death. If Eli had shown some of this concern when
his sons were young like Samuel, things would have been different.
M.R.
De Haan used to say, "Humility is something we should constantly pray for,
yet never thank God that we have."
4. A godly walk (vv. 19-21).
For the second time we are told that
Samuel grew (2:21; 3:19), but the affirmation is added, “the Lord was with
him.”
This statement will also be made about youthful David (16:18; 18:12, 14). The
Lord was against Eli and his sons, but His blessings were upon Samuel and his
ministry. Unlike the other judges, Samuel’s words and influence would reach the
entire nation. The people recognized that God had called Samuel to be a prophet
and declare the Word of God and the will of God. Once again, the Lord
appeared from time to time at Shiloh and revealed Himself to His prophet.
Israel was about to experience a new beginning that would lead to new
challenges and dangers as well as to new blessings and victories.
The job of the church is not to impact the church, but to impact
the world. It’s like a huddle in a football game. 85,000 people don’t pay money
for a ticket to watch the Tigers or Gamecocks huddle. What if you went to a
Clemson or South Carolina game and for 2 ½ hours you watched 11 men stand in a
circle and talk? That’s not what you pay for!! 85,000 people pay for a ticket
to see what difference the huddle makes. What they want to know is, having
called the play in secret, does it work in public? The challenge for the church
is not what we do when we call our Sunday morning huddle, but what we do when
we break our huddle and head to our Sunday morning assignment. When Satan lines
up against us, what difference does it make that we are Christians? (Source
Unknown).[12]
[1] David J. Riggs, “The Priesthood
of All Believers,” The Expository Files,
accessed 7 June 2016; available from
http://www.bible.ca/ef/expository-1-peter-2-5.htm; Internet.
[2] Ibid.
[3] Bill T. Arnold, 1 Samuel, The NIV Application Commentary
(Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2003), 80.
[4] Ibid.
[5] The Autobiography of George Muller (Springdale, PA: Whataker House,
1984), 73.
[6] Ibid., 74.
[7] Ibid., 73.
[8] Henry and Richard Blackaby, Hearing God’s Voice (Nashville: Broadman
& Holman, 2002), 105.
[9] Ibid., 107.
[10] Grace Evangelical Society
Affirmation of Belief (brochure), Grace Evangelical Society, Irving, TX.
Accessed 11 June 2016; available from
https://bible.org/illustration/motivations-obedience; Internet.
[11] Illustration taken from preaching.com; accessed 11 June 2016;
available from
http://storiesforpreaching.com/category/sermonillustrations/humility/;
Internet.
[12] Illustration taken from Family Times website; accessed 11 June
2016; available from
http://www.family-times.net/illustration/Godliness/201449/; Internet.
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