Call & Response: Samuel

I Hear You, but I Don’t Like It

1 Samuel 3:1–18 NRSV

Now the boy Samuel was ministering to the Lord under Eli. The word of the Lord was rare in those days; visions were not widespread. At that time Eli, whose eyesight had begun to grow dim so that he could not see, was lying down in his room; the lamp of God had not yet gone out, and Samuel was lying down in the temple of the Lord, where the ark of God was. Then the Lord called, “Samuel! Samuel!” and he said, “Here I am!” and ran to Eli, and said, “Here I am, for you called me.” But he said, “I did not call; lie down again.” So he went and lay down. The Lord called again, “Samuel!” Samuel got up and went to Eli, and said, “Here I am, for you called me.” But he said, “I did not call, my son; lie down again.” Now Samuel did not yet know the Lord, and the word of the Lord had not yet been revealed to him. The Lord called Samuel again, a third time. And he got up and went to Eli, and said, “Here I am, for you called me.” Then Eli perceived that the Lord was calling the boy. Therefore Eli said to Samuel, “Go, lie down; and if he calls you, you shall say, ‘Speak, Lord, for your servant is listening.’ ” So Samuel went and lay down in his place. Now the Lord came and stood there, calling as before, “Samuel! Samuel!” And Samuel said, “Speak, for your servant is listening.” Then the Lord said to Samuel, “See, I am about to do something in Israel that will make both ears of anyone who hears of it tingle. On that day I will fulfill against Eli all that I have spoken concerning his house, from beginning to end. For I have told him that I am about to punish his house forever, for the iniquity that he knew, because his sons were blaspheming God, and he did not restrain them. Therefore I swear to the house of Eli that the iniquity of Eli’s house shall not be expiated by sacrifice or offering forever.” Samuel lay there until morning; then he opened the doors of the house of the Lord. Samuel was afraid to tell the vision to Eli. But Eli called Samuel and said, “Samuel, my son.” He said, “Here I am.” Eli said, “What was it that he told you? Do not hide it from me. May God do so to you and more also, if you hide anything from me of all that he told you.” So Samuel told him everything and hid nothing from him. Then he said, “It is the Lord; let him do what seems good to him.”

—> Eli (The Prophet) - bad sons,

—> Samuel —> The child of destiny, the child of Hannah’s prayer, a boy serving in the temple

—> Samuel is transitioning from servant of the temple to servant of God.

—> At this point in his life he doesn’t know God, he only knows how to serve in the church.

1 Samuel 3:7 NRSV

Now Samuel did not yet know the Lord, and the word of the Lord had not yet been revealed to him.

—> Do you know the voice of God today or are you just doing the duties of the church?

—> Are you convinced you are hearing the voice of those around you when its really God you’re hearing and you just don’t know it?

—> Find someone that will point you to God and help you understand what He is calling you to, even when its not in their best interest.

1 Samuel 3:8–9 NRSV

The Lord called Samuel again, a third time. And he got up and went to Eli, and said, “Here I am, for you called me.” Then Eli perceived that the Lord was calling the boy. Therefore Eli said to Samuel, “Go, lie down; and if he calls you, you shall say, ‘Speak, Lord, for your servant is listening.’ ” So Samuel went and lay down in his place.

Eli knows its God now. Its hard not to think after hearing what God says to Samuel that not only does he know its God but Eli also knows the message.

1 Samuel 3:10–14 NRSV

Now the Lord came and stood there, calling as before, “Samuel! Samuel!” And Samuel said, “Speak, for your servant is listening.” Then the Lord said to Samuel, “See, I am about to do something in Israel that will make both ears of anyone who hears of it tingle. On that day I will fulfill against Eli all that I have spoken concerning his house, from beginning to end. For I have told him that I am about to punish his house forever, for the iniquity that he knew, because his sons were blaspheming God, and he did not restrain them. Therefore I swear to the house of Eli that the iniquity of Eli’s house shall not be expiated by sacrifice or offering forever.”

—> This is the same message that Eli receives a chapter before in ch. 2

—> Its hard to imagine that Eli wouldn’t perceive what this conversation was about that Samuel was having.

—> Which makes what happens next so much better

1 Samuel 3:15–18 NRSV

Samuel lay there until morning; then he opened the doors of the house of the Lord. Samuel was afraid to tell the vision to Eli. But Eli called Samuel and said, “Samuel, my son.” He said, “Here I am.” Eli said, “What was it that he told you? Do not hide it from me. May God do so to you and more also, if you hide anything from me of all that he told you.” So Samuel told him everything and hid nothing from him. Then he said, “It is the Lord; let him do what seems good to him.”

—> Eli wants what is best for Samuel over what’s easiest for himself.

—> Eli knows the message, he has already heard it from God but now he is asking Samuel to deliver the hardest message possible.

—> Eli is Samuel’s family, he has raised him, taught him, he was the one that told him how to answer God.

—> In this moment Eli was also teaching Samuel what it was like to follow God and be who God was calling him to be. The prophet that the people needed.

—> Maybe you are in a season of life where you are Eli

—> How can you train up the next generation, to not just serve in the temple, but to hear the voice of God? Even if it doesn’t benefit you.

—> Maybe you are Samuel?

—> You have been doing the church things for a while now but the Voice of God is calling in a new way and you are unsure.

—> Who are the people in life that can help you to hear God and to act on what he is calling you to? Even if it is difficult.

—> Because whether you are Eli or Samuel or maybe both that answer is the same, “It is the Lord; let him do what seems good to him.”