Beginning with God’s Call – Part 1– 1 Samuel 3:1-10
Tim was a mechanic who worked for the Air Force Academy. On his way in one day, a guard asked, “Mind if our new guard dog practices sniffing your truck?”
Tim obliged. The dog went to work. Almost immediately, it picked up a scent. It jumped into the truck bed & sniffed away, furiously. Tim got nervous. There were no drugs or weapons. What could the dog be after? A few minutes later, the guard approached. “Sorry,” he said sheepishly. “Our dog ate your lunch.” When it comes to how God might be calling us, are we as nervous as Tim? If we accept God’s call to serve, are we, too, afraid someone will eat our lunch?
Today’s verses tell the story of the beginning of Samuel’s ministry—his call. As we begin this New Year, these verses tell us about beginning with God’s call. It was a time of great unrest. Moses was long dead. For more than 400 years, Israelites had been free from Egyptian slavery. Joshua, too, was long dead. After Joshua led them into the Promised Land, judges led the Israelites. After Joshua, they began to disobey God. Neighboring people conquered them. They cried out to God. And God raised up a judge to free them. They followed God while that judge lived. Then they fell back into their wicked ways. Another people conquered them. They cried out to God. He raised up another judge to free them. And as soon as that judge died, again they fell back into their old wicked ways. For over 400 years, this had been their pattern.
As the book of Samuel opens, they’re in trouble again. This time they face the Philistines, whose armies are much greater. They also face another crisis. Eli is the chief priest. He’s a responsible, upright man of integrity. But he’s old & his 2 sons are scoundrels. They have no reverence for God or for the duties of a priest to the people. They stole from the people’s offerings by force & slept with the women who served at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting. The Israelites worry about what the Philistines may do to them. But God is much more concerned about them spiritually. What will happen when Eli dies & his sons lead Israel?
The Israelites only cried out to God when there was a crisis. (Remember that old joke about the pastor who asked, ‘Should we pray?’ And remember the response? ‘Oh, pastor! Has it come to that?!’ That old joke probably started with the Israelites!) That’s how it was when we meet Samuel in our verses. Samuel is the son of Hannah. Hannah had been barren. She prayed that God would bless her with a son. She promised to give him back in service to God. She gave birth to Samuel. At an early age, Samuel went to live with Eli. That’s where 1 Samuel 3:1-10 picks up. 1aThe boy Samuel ministered before the Lord under Eli. That’s why we’ll find him sleeping on the floor of the Tent of Meeting when God begins speaking to him in v. 4.
1bIn those days the word of the Lord was rare. There were not many visions. The Israelites weren’t listening much for God’s voice. There was lots of religious activity, but God wasn’t in much of it. Many Americans find things just as confusing. We’re highly religious. At the same time, we have some of the worst moral & ethical problems. Could our problem be similar? Like the Israelites, there’s no shortage of religious words. But is the Word of the Lord rare in our time, too? How often do we listen to God’s Word? How often are we able to come to worship? What about our private lives? Is the Word of the Lord rare there, too? Are we too busy for a devotional life with God? Are we too proud or self-reliant to ask for His help? God’s word to the Israelites was rare. God wasn’t reluctant to talk with the people. But they weren’t interested! They had abandoned God. As a result, God wasn’t talking much to them, either.
2One night Eli, whose eyes were becoming so weak that he could barely see, was lying down in his usual place. Eli’s aging eyes were getting weak. How different he was from Moses! Deuteronomy 34:7 says Moses’ eyes weren’t weak even at 120 YO! Eli is in his late 80s or early 90s. Already, he’s barely able to see. 1 Samuel 4:15 says that by 98 YO, he’ll be blind. How different it is for Samuel! Samuel’s eyes already see clearly—physically & spiritually!
3aThe lamp of God had not yet gone out. It was night. The sanctuary lamps burned each night until they ran out of oil the following morning. 3bSamuel was lying down in the temple [tabernacle/tent] of the Lord, where the ark of God was. 4Then the Lord called Samuel. Samuel answered, “Here I am.” 5And he ran to Eli & said, “Here I am; you called me.” But Eli said, “I did not call; go back & lie down.” So he went & lay down. 6Again the Lord called, “Samuel!” And Samuel got up & went to Eli & said, “Here I am; you called me.” “My son,” Eli said, “I did not call; go back & lie down.” Each time Samuel hears his name, he presents himself to Eli. Samuel has no clue what’s going on. Why? Samuel knew about the Lord. But look at v. 7. 7aSamuel did not yet know the Lord. The word of the Lord had not yet been revealed to him. Samuel did know about the Lord. But he hadn’t yet talked with the Lord.
8The Lord called Samuel a 3rd time. Samuel got up & went to Eli & said, “Here I am; you called me.” Then Eli realized that the Lord was calling the boy. Finally! Eli’s spiritual vision isn’t much better than his eyesight! Why? They’re sleeping in the Tabernacle—the Tent of Meeting. That’s where God spoke to Moses. But it’s almost as if Eli can’t imagine God speaking in church! 9aSo Eli told Samuel, “Go & lie down. If he calls you, say, ‘Speak, Lord, for your servant is listening.’ ” So Samuel went & lay down in his place.
God did call him again. 10 The Lord came & stood there, calling as at the other times, “Samuel! Samuel!” Then Samuel said, “Speak, for your servant is listening.” This time, the Lord came & stood there. Does that mean Samuel can see him standing there? Regardless, Samuel answers & listens. Yet, notice that Eli told him to say, “Speak, Lord.” What Samuel said was, “Speak, …” Apparently, he’s still not too sure it’s the Lord. Even so, it’s enough. God speaks. V. 11-14 say He’ll punish Eli’s house because of his sons’ behavior & Eli’s inability to control them. No sacrifice or offering will ever make it right. Their punishment will be forever. (Wow! There comes a point of no turning back, spiritually! I don’t ever want to find it!)
In vv. 15-18, Samuel listened & took it all in. But he lay there until morning. He was afraid to tell Eli what God said. When he did, Eli insisted that Samuel tell it all. Can you imagine? Samuel was probably 10 YO. He has to tell his mentor, the chief priest, that God is going to make a permanent judgment against Eli’s whole family. When Eli insists, Samuel tells him of God’s coming judgment. But listen to Eli’s response in v. 18. “It is the Lord. Let him do what seems good to him.” It was a crushing judgment. But Eli acknowledged that God’s will had priority over his own. He would not oppose God or stand in the way.
Samuel’s call is an amazing story. It holds several important truths for us. The 1st is that God’s call, voice, & direction don’t always come when we’re expecting it. Samuel wasn’t expecting God’s call. It didn’t come at a convenient time. Nor is God’s call always what we want to do. Samuel didn’t want to tell Eli what was going to happen to his family! And, God spoke in the whirlwind. It was a time of national uncertainty & spiritual disobedience. There was chaos! But God often presents our most exciting possibilities in chaotic times. Too often, we allow the chaos to crush us. We let the chaos interfere with our ability to hear God & seek His direction. Like Samuel, we must learn to tune in to God, to listen to Him, & to obey Him—even in chaos.
In the 11th Century, King Henry III of Bavaria got tired of court life & the pressures of being king. He went to Prior Richard at a local monastery. He asked to become a monk. He wanted to spend the rest of his life in the monastery. “Your Majesty,” said Prior Richard. “Do you understand that to live here you’ll have to pledge obedience? That will be hard for you. You’re a king.” “I understand,” said Henry. “The rest of my life I will be obedient to you, as Christ leads you.” “Then I will tell you what to do,” said Prior Richard. “Go back to your throne. Serve faithfully in the place where God put you.” When King Henry died, someone wrote these words. “The King learned to rule by being obedient.”
Are we growing tired of our roles & responsibilities? Does it seem as if we can’t keep our head above water? Does our task seem impossible? Remember. God planted us where we are precisely for such a time as this. God expected King Henry III to be a good king. Just so, God expects us to be good oil workers, retirees, mothers, & fathers. Christ expects us to be faithful where we are, in both our vocation (our job) & in our service to His church.
God’s call will also challenge us spiritually. The spiritual challenge will transform us. That in turn allows us to transform our world. In Samuel’s day, God’s word was rare. A spiritual transformation had to take place in Samuel for him to become a channel for God’s prophetic word. But God chose & transformed him. Soon there’d be a transformation in Israel, too. Samuel would reverse the absence of God’s word. So he has to prepare himself & respond to the spiritual challenge of being a channel for God’s word. Why? He’ll lead the social transformation in Israel that’s about to take place. Scripture says we all have a calling. God’s call on our life will spiritually challenge us. It’ll be different for each of us. But God’s call is all about responding to our challenge so He can equip us to bring about transformation in our community.
As Christians, God gave each of us a spiritual gift. We’re to use it to further God’s kingdom—to bring about transformation. Remember what Dale had on our sign early this week. “If we bury our gift, we do a grave mistake.” Our task may not be on the scale of Samuel’s—transforming Israel. But spiritual challenge & transformation lie at the heart of God’s call. Too often, people think God calls only those who enter full-time ministry. Not true. God calls all of us. Hopefully our job is our calling. And, I hope the ministries we’re involved with here at FPC are a calling. Each of us needs to be asking, “What am I being called to do?”
Discerning God’s call is important. Just as important is how we respond. Samuel is our model. He was attentive. His demeanor & relationship with God was such that he heard his name being called. He was tuned in. Now, he didn’t immediately know that it was God. He assumed it was Eli. So Samuel went to him. It took Eli a few times, but once he understood God was calling Samuel, he told him how to answer. This is the kind of call many of us can identify with. We didn’t stand before a burning bush, like Moses. Nor did we have a vision in the temple, like Isaiah. But maybe we heard God when we were little & had help from wise friends in understanding Him.
We can learn 3 things from Samuel. 1st, Do what’s necessary to hear God’s calling. Be attentive. Study our Bible. Pray. Fellowship with other Christians. Have regular quiet time.
Like Samuel, even sleep in the sanctuary if we have to. We have an amazing privilege. We can get to know our Creator-God. We don’t have to do anything difficult. All we have to do is listen. As we get to know God, we’ll hear His call more & more clearly.
2nd, when we feel God’s call (an urging or a nudge), think of who might be able to help us understand what’s going on. Seek someone we trust who will give us godly counsel. Samuel went to Eli. When I began to sense my call, I talked to Bonnie, our pastor, & a godly friend. They couldn’t tell me what to do. But they could listen, be a sounding board, & affirm what they were hearing from God.
3rd, be obedient. Samuel heard what God was going to do to Eli & his family. His training in obedience began when Eli told him to tell it all. He was afraid. But he did it anyway. His obedience training continued throughout his ministry. Whatever God told him to say, he said. No matter how hard it was. Immediately. A young boy’s room was always a mess. His parents would ask him to clean up. He’d agree. But he never did it. After high school, he joined the Marines. After basic training, his father asked what he’d learned. He said, “Dad, I know what “now” means.” Samuel understood that obedience means now.
So did Eli. He’d been high priest for years. By all accounts, he’d been a good priest. Now, his name & house were going to be ripped away. Eli was mature & obedient enough to see that not only was this God’s will, but it was in the best interest of Israel. He put aside his personal feelings & agenda for the good of the nation.
Many Christians & many churches get stuck when they’re unwilling to put aside personal feelings & agendas for the betterment of the body. Eli did. Instead of mourning his loss & his place of service, he grabbed onto what God was birthing.
Through his response to God’s call, Samuel became known as a trustworthy prophet. He also became the last Israelite judge before Saul, their first king. This young boy who heard God’s call & obediently obeyed proved pivotal to the Israelite story. He paved the way for Saul, who eventually gave way to King David. This is more than the story of a “religious” boy.
For the sake of God’s call, we need to be attentive & obedient. We never know where it might lead—for us or for those we minister with & for. As we begin this New Year, how can we do better than beginning with God’s call?