Learning to Listen
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Intro:
1 Now the boy Samuel ministered to the Lord before Eli. And the word of the Lord was rare in those days; there was no widespread revelation.
Today, as we continue to study prayer throughout scripture, I want to look at a pivotal event in Samuel’s life. The title of my message is, [Learning to Listen].
On the surface, hearing and listening might appear to have similar meanings. Some might even choose to use the two words interchangeably.
However, there is a difference between the two. I remember as a child telling my mom, “I heard you.” To which she might reply, “But you are not listening!”
The difference between hearing and listening comes down to concentration and action.
Hearing is an involuntary, automatic, and easy (if we still have our hearing or, like my dad, wear hearing aids). Hearing involves the ears only.
Listening, on the other hand, requires practice, effort, and attention. Listening begins in the ears, but connects to the mind and body.
Let me give an example:
I want EVERYONE to say your name out loud on the count of three.
Now, I want everyone to tell us what you will have for dinner on the count of three.
I heard EACH of you say something, but it was impossible to listen to each of you at the same time.
Now, I will try it, my name is Daniel Tidmore and we will have beef roast for dinner.
Not only did you hear me, but I assume you listened because I just the mention of beef roast can get our attention!
Listening requires work and action. Bekah might say, I need your help today, will you go by the store and get some ice cream and pickles before you come home.
If I say, sure thing, but come home empty handed, I might have heard her, but I didn’t listen to her!
How does this connect to pray?
The word pray, prayer, prayed, or praying is found 545 times in scripture. God showed time and time again that He listens when people pray.
Therefore, He wants to act on our behalf and answer our prayers, but we have to learn to LISTEN to His word, both in scripture and when He speaks to us.
When we pray, we must remember prayer is about communication, it is a two-way street.
We speak to God and He listens
God speaks to us and we listen
Last week we looked at the condition of Israel. They had heard God’s commandments over and over, but very few people cared enough to listen.
Backsliding and spiritual disinterest took a grip on society from the peasant all the way to the priest. However, out of the many who heard God, but did not listen, there was one who listened.
Hannah believed that God would listen to her prayer. She took a sacrifice to the priest Eli who offered it to God then she went to the Tabernacle to pray.
She informed God of her personal anguish. She promised God if He would give her a son she would give him back to the Lord.
God listened and Hannah had a son named Samuel, the first prophet in Israel. Samuel grew in wisdom, faith, and favor with people.
When the timing was right, God wanted to speak to him. However, it took him some time to learn how to listen to God’s voice.
Who wants hear God’s voice?
Who desires to listen when we hear Him?
Learning to listen does not happen the moment we say, I want to listen. I want to look at a three-fold process of learning to listen, which includes, [Living for God], [Learning from God], and [Listening to God].
1. Living for God
1. Living for God
1 Now the boy Samuel ministered to the Lord before Eli. And the word of the Lord was rare in those days; there was no widespread revelation.
2 And it came to pass at that time, while Eli was lying down in his place, and when his eyes had begun to grow so dim that he could not see,
3 and before the lamp of God went out in the tabernacle of the Lord where the ark of God was, and while Samuel was lying down,
4 that the Lord called Samuel. And he answered, “Here I am!”
Israel was in sad state of affairs. They governmental structure included God’s direct involvement in their society. He planned it that He would be their head of state.
He wanted to be the one who would instruct them and give them the plans to solve their problems. However, they had a problem. The majority of Israel did not live for God.
The results of their spiritual disinterest was that the word of God was rare.
In the Old Testament, God disclosed Himself and His purpose through a word of the Lord. He would speak to someone, who would share from God.
However, revelation, visions, and messages from God became a rarity.
Why?
How could the same people who crossed the Red Sea, shout the walls of Jericho down, and inhabit the Promised Land get so far from God?
They stopped listening to Him. They had little time to God, which lead to immorality and idolatry.
Their deep problems did not happen overnight though. They did not wake up one morning and begin to worship false gods and have idols in their home.
No, it began when they thought God would share first place. I want to explain this, God NEVER shares FIRST PLACE in our lives.
He will never share first place with our extracurricular activities, relationships, jobs, or responsibilities!
And we will find, when something competes with God for our time and we allow that thing to win, God will not share first place and overtime we will find that He has become last place.
When God is last place, we no longer have a desire to live for Him like we once did. This happened in the life of Eli and his sons.
They were in the Tabernacle, it was time for bed, and notice Eli was almost blind. His physical disability mirrored his spiritual condition.
The lamp of God had started to go out, and the Tabernacle was dark and Samuel laid near the Ark of the Covenant.
That by itself shows us something important. Eli was in the comfort of his bed, but Samuel slept by the Ark.
What does the Ark represent?
God’s presence. Samuel lived near God’s presence. And it was in that place he heard a voice, Samuel!
He would have never heard this voice had he not dedicated himself to live for God. Next, we see Samuel...
2. Learning from God
2. Learning from God
5 So he ran to Eli and said, “Here I am, for you called me.” And he said, “I did not call; lie down again.” And he went and lay down.
6 Then the Lord called yet again, “Samuel!” So Samuel arose and went to Eli, and said, “Here I am, for you called me.” He answered, “I did not call, my son; lie down again.”
Samuel leaves the Ark and goes to Eli’s room and answers, Her I am, did you call me?
I do not know Eli personally, but I have idea how he felt. He was elderly, nearly blind, already asleep and this kid walks in and wants to know what he wants.
I know what he wanted. He wanted to sleep! So Eli told him, I did not call you, go back to bed.
Samuel returned to his pallet by the Ark and hears his name again. The scene repeats itself. He goes to Eli who tells him to go to bed. In fact, it happened three times.
Each time Samuel went to bed, he heard his name, Samuel. We know it was God calling to him, but Samuel did not know that for he was learning to listen.
This was the first time he heard God’s voice. Was Samuel wrong in going to Eli? No. Who was the one who should have known it was God? Eli.
However, in Eli’s spiritual condition, he was not spiritually sharp to realize God wanted to speak to Samuel. After three interruptions to his sleep, something finally dawned on Eli, God has spoken to Samuel.
He helped Samuel learn what to do.
9 Therefore Eli said to Samuel, “Go, lie down; and it shall be, if He calls you, that you must say, ‘Speak, Lord, for Your servant hears.’ ” So Samuel went and lay down in his place.
10 Now the Lord came and stood and called as at other times, “Samuel! Samuel!” And Samuel answered, “Speak, for Your servant hears.”
He told him, go back to bed and if you hear your name called again, answer, speak, your servant is listening.
I wonder what Samuel thought. Eli began to realize God was speaking, but Samuel never heard God’s voice.
But the Lord spoke, and this time, He called, Samuel! Samuel!
He joined the ranks of Abraham, Jacob, and Moses, as people who God called by name twice.
I guess they did not have middle names. If I ever heard DANIEL RYAN, I knew, I better listen.
So God called, Samuel, Samuel, and he answered, speak Lord, I am listening.
God was patient with because He wanted to develop a relationship with Samuel where he would learn to identify when God spoke to Him.
As we live for God, we will pray. Prayer makes us sensitive to the Holy Spirit. Therefore a life of prayer will include learning to discern and hear from God.
He speaks in a variety of ways:
His word
to our hearts
through other people
The key is to learn to identify when God speaks.
If we become like Eli, spiritually blinded by our circumstances, then we will enter a season where the word of God is rare.
But if we will live like Samuel, staying close to God’s presence, we will hear the calling— Daniel, Daniel. If we will answer, I am listening, God will speak!
Learning to listen includes— living for God, learning from God, and...
3. Listening to God
3. Listening to God
11 Then the Lord said to Samuel: “Behold, I will do something in Israel at which both ears of everyone who hears it will tingle.
12 In that day I will perform against Eli all that I have spoken concerning his house, from beginning to end.
The first time God spoke to Samuel, the message might have been hard to take. He informed Samuel:
I will do something shocking in Israel
I will carry out my threats against Eli’s family
He has been warned to discipline his sons and he has not
The sins of Eli and his sons will never be forgiven
Was this the first time God wanted Eli to hear this. No, remember an unnamed prophet came to Eli in 1 Samuel 2 with a similar message.
He told Eli because of the sins of his family, his sons will die on the same day and God will raise up a priest for Himself, one that will serve Him forever!
God knew what He told Eli and Eli knew what God told him through the unnamed prophet, but all of this was news to Samuel.
He laid there all night thinking about the word of the Lord. He was afraid to say anything to Samuel, but God would not have given him this word if he did not want him to tell Eli.
Samuel had to be obedient to God. He had to listen.
16 Then Eli called Samuel and said, “Samuel, my son!” He answered, “Here I am.”
17 And he said, “What is the word that the Lord spoke to you? Please do not hide it from me. God do so to you, and more also, if you hide anything from me of all the things that He said to you.”
18 Then Samuel told him everything, and hid nothing from him. And he said, “It is the Lord. Let Him do what seems good to Him.”
19 So Samuel grew, and the Lord was with him and let none of his words fall to the ground.
20 And all Israel from Dan to Beersheba knew that Samuel had been established as a prophet of the Lord.
Remember, hearing is involuntary, but listening requires action.
Samuel heard what God said, but he had to listen to God and pass along the message. Had he refused to tell Eli what God said, he would have heard God, but not listened to him.
Notice who he told first! He went to Eli. Had Samuel called his mom, dad, or brothers and told them what God said, he would not have listened to God.
He could not say, well they are family, and God will understand. No, he would not. He had to go to the source and share with ELI, what God said.
Eli could tell he was nervous, but he commanded, tell me EVERYTHING, and if you don’t, I will ask God to do what He promised to you, only worse.
Isn’t interesting that Eli knew it was not good news. He knew judgment was impending. How? The unnamed prophet already told him, and Samuel merely confirmed the word of God.
Samuel passed on God’s word and from there the Lord found someone who learned to listen. Everything he said was reliable and none of his words fell to the ground.
Because Samuel learned to listen, everyone around knew there was a prophet in Israel. A true man of God who would not just hear God, but listen and act on God’s word.
How did God fulfill this prophecy?
Soon after, the Philistines went to battle with Israel. They killed 4,000 Israelites and went into the camp and found the Ark of the Covenant.
11 Also the ark of God was captured; and the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, died.
Someone ran from the battle and went to Eli. He could tell something bad happened and he wanted to know what took place.
He was 98 years old and almost blind, and he told Eli, both your sons are dead and the Philistines took the Ark. Eli expected that God had finally judged Hophni and Phineas, but the news about the Ark was too much.
18 Then it happened, when he made mention of the ark of God, that Eli fell off the seat backward by the side of the gate; and his neck was broken and he died, for the man was old and heavy. And he had judged Israel forty years.
After the death of Eli, Phineas’ wife gave birth to a baby. When he was born and they wanted to know his name, she answered:
21 Then she named the child Ichabod, saying, “The glory has departed from Israel!” because the ark of God had been captured and because of her father-in-law and her husband.
What a sad state of affairs. The one’s responsible for the spiritual welfare of Israel, the priests, had died and the ark was in the Philistine camp, and the glory of God was gone from Israel.
Close:
In closing, that might seem like the saddest ending to the life of someone in scripture. But the truth is, the lowest point in Israel at that time was not the end.
For God had someone who had learned to listen. The Prophet Samuel would be the one God would use to help restore order to Israel and get God’s glory back!
The presence of God would return soon because Samuel helped lead the nation to listen to God once again.
The circumstances of our nation are similar to Israel. We live in a day of spiritual disinterest. We live in a time where living for God has become outdated and old-fashioned.
Living biblically and scripturally is considered hate speech by many. The world seems be offended by notion of Christianity. True, biblical Christianity!
And in many places and even churches, they could replace their name with Ichabod, for the glory of the Lord has departed for there is a religious system of people who have become content:
NOT living for God
NOT learning from God
and NOT listening to God
It reminds me of the words of the Prophet Jeremiah:
16 Thus says the Lord: “Stand in the ways and see, And ask for the old paths, where the good way is, And walk in it; Then you will find rest for your souls. But they said, ‘We will not walk in it.’
God is calling EVERYONE to live by the tried and true message that:
Jesus Saves
Prayer Works
The Holy Spirit is Real
And Jesus is Coming Soon!
But it seems that our world plunges deeper into spiritual disinterest and hostility!
But REMEMBER, the focus is not on the MANY. It is on the ONE who prays and seeks God.
The emphasis of 2 Samuel 3-4 is not that Eli had become spiritually distant or that his sons died or that the Ark was stolen or that the glory departed from Israel.
No, it is about the fact that God had a prophet who learned to LISTEN!
And what happens when we learn to listen to God?
What will take place when we commit to pray, listen, and act on God’s instructions?
Jesus explained it this way to the disciples of John the Baptist:
4 Jesus answered and said to them, “Go and tell John the things which you hear and see:
5 The blind see and the lame walk; the lepers are cleansed and the deaf hear; the dead are raised up and the poor have the gospel preached to them.
6 And blessed is he who is not offended because of Me.”
God partners with those who will LISTEN to Him! And notice verse six, blessed are those who are not OFFENDED.
That word offended literally means to fall away or stumble. When we commit ourselves to Jesus, the enemy will try to cause us to stumble, but HE will never succeed as we continue to LISTEN to God!
24 Now to Him who is able to keep you from stumbling, And to present you faultless Before the presence of His glory with exceeding joy,
25 To God our Savior, Who alone is wise, Be glory and majesty, Dominion and power, Both now and forever. Amen.
So we have to decide, which group will we join?
We will hear the message, ask for the old paths— the commitment to righteousness and prayer, and not listen?
Or will we declare what we hear and see— I talk to God and He listens, He talks to me and I listen!
For there are MANY who have heard:
Jesus saved, but those who’ve listened are the ones who are saved
Jesus heals, but those who’ve listened are the ones who are healed
Jesus baptizes in the Holy Spirit, but those who’ve listened walk in God’s supernatural power
Jesus is coming soon, but those who’ve listened will meet Him in the air!
Will we become like Eli, religious in nature, but distant in relationship.
Or
Will we become like Samuel, SPEAK LORD, I AM LISTENING!
Our journey of listening to God can begin today when we commit to LIVE for Jesus. He will NEVER share first place, so we must SEEK Him FIRST!
If we will live for Him, we can learn from Him. He will teach us how to pray and how to live for Him.
Then, when He speaks, we will have learned His voice and we will listen to what He says to do.
Listening includes:
forgiving those we don’t want to forgive
praying for those we think are too far gone
believing for God to help us even when we think we’re past help
trusting God even when the circumstances seem unbearable
committing to God even when the enemy will try to consume our schedule, eventually creating idols that pull us from God
Learning to listen is a process, but when my life is over, I want to meet Jesus and know Him well for I have walked with Him and communicated with Him every day of my life!