SPEAK, FOR YOUR SERVANT IS LISTENING

1 Samuel 3:1-4:1a
Key Verse: 3:10

The LORD came and stood there, calling as at the other times, “Samuel! Samuel!” Then Samuel said, “Speak, for your servant is listening.”

The 14-year-old Pakistani girl named Malala who was shot in the head about a month ago simply because she wants an education as a girl has become an international symbol of defiance against the Taliban. In 2009, the Taliban issued an edict that all girls in her region be banned from schools. But she raised her voice despite Taliban’s constant threats: "I have the right of education." This passage shows a similar aged teenager boy, Sam who becomes a very significant person in terms of fighting for, not a human right per se but a spiritual trend(apathy) of a chosen people those days. Let’s pray to see the clear work of God in and through a young boy. Through this lesson, like Samuel may the Lord help each of us to say, “Speak, for your servant is listening!” For the next 30 minutes I believe God would like to speak to you in person. So, please make sure to turn off your cellphones and listen to Him well.

Part 1. The word of God was rare(1-3)

Last week we learned Eli’s two sons failed to honor God. They were supposed to set an example for others. Instead they were literally temple gangsters.  So God said in 2:35,“I will raise up for myself a faithful priest, who will do according to what is in my heart and mind. I will firmly establish his house, and he will minister before my anointed one always.” To begin this process God calls Samuel when he was just a boy in the house of the Lord. Look at v 1a. The boy Samuel ministered before the LORD under Eli. Serving under Eli, he could have been poorly influenced at such a tender and very sensitive age. But he grew up in the presence of God. He was ministering before the Lord, wearing a priestly garment. What did he do to serve the Lord? Most likely he first ran errands for Eli. He was always ready to serve the priest. Specifically he did things like opening the doors of the house of God every morning (3:15) and keeping the lamp of God burning in the temple (3:3). So Samuel had to constantly watch the level of oil for all the lamps so that it would not run out. Samuel was only a boy, but he did not sleep in until late morning. He was spiritually alert. 2:26 summarizes his life in the house of God. And the boy Samuel continued to grow in stature and in favor with the Lord and with men. This reminds of the boy Jesus in Luke 2:52. Despite the terrible influence of the sons of Eli, the boy Samuel was with God and God was with him. Hannah must have prayed a lot for Samuel as she made a robe for him each year. With her prayer support, Samuel grew up in the presence of the Lord (21). As a boy, he must’ve felt homesickness and wondered why he had to do all these things when other boys played outside. How could Samuel endure his loneliness? He must have remembered his mother’s words about her vow and God’s answer. Once a year when she brought a new robe, perhaps he never wanted to take it off for it reminded him of her vow and his identity before God.

Look at verse 1b. In those days the word of the Lord was rare. It was an indication of the spiritual condition of Israel. People did whatever they wanted. They took on the practices of the nations around them. Even their priests were corrupt and unfaithful. It was a pretty hopeless time with very little direct revelation from God. During the time of Exodus, Moses frequently talked with God. He delivered the word of God to his people. The Lord had told the Israelites to memorize the word of God on a daily basis and obey the word. They were instructed to write down the word of God on their foreheads and on the doors of their houses (Dt 6:7-9). But in Eli’s time, there was no one who preached the word of God. The word of God was rare. No one studied the word of God seriously. The young and old only paid attention to the things of the world, neglecting the word of God. Sadly this is happening in our generation as well. We see moral and spiritual pluralism and chaos. People say, “Well, if that works for you, good. But it doesn’t necessarily work for me.” Without absolutes, people get confused with a liberal thought that is nothing to do with the word of God. They are not even sure if they should be a man or a woman. Even our president Barack Obama known for a Christian is in favor of gay marriage for the first time among presidents. The only absolute people seem to have today is an insistence on absolute human freedom no matter how dangerous it might be down the road. Today, young people say, “Truth? There is no truth. I am just fine!” But the dreadful and undeniable truth is human beings actually need absolute truth and standards. Shannon Wilsey was a pornography star who went by the name Savannah. The 23 year old woman made a lot of movies and a lot of money, but she put a gun to her head and killed her self. Shannon bragged about doing crazy things, yet she told a close friend that she wished her mother would have stopped her. The friend said, "She felt bad because her mother didn't say anything about her being in the business." After her suicide, one of her unmailed letters was found where she talked about what she wished her dad would have done. "Where were you when I was dating a rock star who was twenty-five years older than me? Where were you when I was on drug? Where were you when I stared doing porno movies?" Her dad said he would have been there had she only asked. It is one of heart breaking stories happened in Burbank, CA. Again God created us to be in need of absolute standard. Where then can we find such absolute truths? We find them only in the word of God. God himself gave us his words so that we know the absolute truth and live by it.

On the surface though we seem to have an abundance of God’s word for there are many Bibles up to 294 versions and 144 languages. We also have an easy access to the Scriptures via the Web, cell phones and tablets. Still, the living word of God seems to be rare today. Many people neglect to listen to God by studying the word of God prayerfully. They would rather pay attention to wise men and women and their books and interviews. So many preachers are delivering partial truth that is based on material wellbeing and worldly success. Studying his word and responding to his word is important for our relationship with God. It is because to have a real relationship with another person, we need to talk to him, listen to him and respond to him. This is especially true with our real relationship with God. For instance Samuel’s times people lived according to their own ideas and carnal desires. “Everyone did as he saw fit.” Eli’s sons were an example of this. They had a professional title, so called, priest, but they ignored the word of God. Eli was very old and his eyes were weak. So most of the time, he was sitting on the chair by the doorpost of God’s house, doing nothing or lying down in his usual place instead of meditating God’s words and praying to God. Then his sons were not properly educated with the words of God. As a result they had no absolute truths in their hearts. They had no clear visions as young men. They cast off their restraints. So they were busy with pleasure seeking life-style. There were many problems in Eli’s time such as homeland security or lack of king. But the most serious problem was no living word of God. It’s mainly because Eli and his sons who should have first studied God’s words and shared them to people neglected the words of God. Where there is no words of God, there is no vision.

But on top of bad examples, there are still plenty of good examples in that the word of God gives us a new and heavenly vision. Nicodemus who had been wandering in the physical world where everything was bound to perish saw God’s vision and his eternal kingdom when God’s word came into his heart through Jesus, “You must be born again.” A Samaritan woman who had been searching for romantic human love with five husbands that was supposed to never quench her thirst met the Messiah through Jesus who humbly started conversation “Will you give me a drink?” and finally decalared himself to her by saying, “I who speak to you am He.” A fisherman Peter who had worked hard to eat three meals a day and to sustain his life on earth saw God’s vision to live for God and to have a meaningful life when God’s word was spoken to him through Jesus, “Put out into deep water, and let down the nets for a catch.” A young man who had lived a life without meaning and purpose saw God’s clear vision when God spoke to him through Genesis 12:2, “You will be a blessing!” and become God’s servant sharing God’s words of vision with young people. In short true vision comes from the words of God. 

Look at v 2-3. In this situation, God preserved a ray of hope for his people. Again one night Eli, whose eyes were becoming so weak that he could barely see, was lying down in his usual place. It seems that his spiritual eyes were getting dim as well. The lamp of God had not yet gone out, because Samuel was lying down in the temple of the Lord and was keeping the lamp of God burning. He was also lying down near the ark of God. The ark of God contained the word of God. Samuel wanted to be close to God and His word. His heart was in the right place. God’s work start from a right heart and mind with God.

Part 2. “Speak, for your servant is listening” (4-10)

Look at v 4-6. Then the Lord called Samuel. Samuel answered, “Here I am.” 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. 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.” Likewise each time, Samuel thought Eli was calling him. By this time, Samuel must have been a teenager. But he was obedient. He was ready to serve the priest any time. He got up repeatedly in the middle of night to respond and to serve. It wasn’t easy at all. But it is possible in God. Also in our church thankfully we have many spiritual sons and daughters. In my case whenever I helped my son, Hope to wake up early in the morning to go to a daily bread, he got up at once. Even he asked me to wake up before going sleep. I am thankful for his spiritual desire in a similar age like Sam to love God first. That’s why his name is “Hope.” In fact when I had hard time getting a green card and only I had a part time job with a chicken feed, m. Isaac named him Hope before he’s born so that we may live by hope in God.

Look at v 7, “Now Samuel did not yet know the Lord: The word of the Lord had not yet been revealed to him.” Why did Samuel go to Eli each time without knowing it was God who was calling him? It’s because Samuel had no personal relationship with God yet. He was a faithful assistant to Eli, the priest. But he had not met God personally. Without knowing God, he couldn’t but remain focused on pleasing people. So God called him personally in order to train him and use him preciously for his purpose. Look at verses 8-9. The Lord called Samuel a third time, and Samuel got up and went to Eli and said, “Here I am; you really called me.” Then finally Eli realized that the Lord was calling the boy. 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. Let’s read key v 10 all together. The Lord came and stood there, calling as at the other times, “Samuel! Samuel!” Then Samuel said, “Speak, for your servant is listening.” By this fourth time, God himself came and stood there and called him as if he knew him as a long term friend or parent. It indicates that God meant business to have a personal connection with a young boy, Samuel. Instead of a just sending him junk-mail, addressed to “occupant”, marketing 800 callings, or a cold, lifeless e-mail, he wants to come right into the middle of his life. Also this time, God called his name twice. Samuel! Samuel! Why did God called the young boy Sam so urgently twice? It was because Eli was very old, and the lamp of God was about to go out. It reveals God’s heart. God has a great shepherd’s heart for his people. God was looking for someone who can learn his heart and deliver his message to his people. So far Samuel had been fully devoted to listening to and obeying Eli. Now he is fully devoted to listening to and obeying God. He was ready to receive God’s calling. This personal calling of God became the foundation of Samuel’s spiritual and mission life. In more than a decade Sam obeyed what Eli had taught him. He now directed his attention to the Lord’s voice for the first time in his life. To become a spiritual leader for God’s people, it is essential to have a personal calling from God. It was not enough that Sam had a believing mom who knew how to pray. It was not enough that he hung around God’s house from his infant and served there. Rather he had to have a very personal calling from God himself. It is not the call of a group or an organization, but of the living God himself.

Also here for a moment let us think about how God speaks to us practically. On top of his audible voice like today’s special case there are many different ways God might speak to us. He might speak to us through the wise counsel of a Bible teacher, or through a life changing event, or even a thought that pops into our head. But the primary and safe and sound way is that God speaks to his people in and through his Word in the Bible. 2 Peter 3:2 says, “I want you to recall the words spoken in the past God spoke to our forefathers by the holy prophets and the command given by our Lord and Savior through your apostles.” 2 Peter 1:19-21 read, “And we have the word of the prophets made more certain, and you will do well to pay attention to it, as to a light shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts. Above all, you must understand that no prophecy of Scripture came about by the prophet’s own interpretation. For prophecy never had its origin in the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.” The Bible is the most reliable and trustworthy means of hearing God’s voice for the Holy Spirit will never lead us in a direction that is contrary to the teachings of God’s eternal words.

But some of you here may wonder, “If the Bible is the primary means by which we listen to God, how is it personal since everybody can read the same thing?” “How can I know God’s personal calling and speaking through the scripture?” I think that these are good questions. It’s true that the Bible speaks to us generally. It tells us that we are all sinners, and by putting our faith in Jesus we will be saved. But the Word of God also speaks specifically to each person. God’s Word through the Holy Spirit speaks to each person in different ways. Isn’t it interesting that in a passage a certain verse will jump out and convict you while a completely different verse will convict the person next to you? And the next time you read that same passage a different verse might jump out at you. The Bible is truly living and active. It penetrates to the heart of each person in different ways. It is truly amazing that God’s word speaks to me as if it was prepared just for me. So we must make well tune in His word always for God speaks to you and me.

Again our God is not a physical being. He is Spirit. So in order to listen to God, we must have and develop our own spiritual ears. So Jesus often said, “Whoever has ears let them hear” (Mt 11:15; 13:9, Mk 4:23, Lk 8:8). The boy Sam didn’t know God was speaking to him three times. He thought that Eli was calling him. Finally Samuel realized that God was speaking to him and gave his ears to God. And then God could speak the message. So listening is an essential component of a healthy relationship. Supposed your friend only talked all the time, and never let you say anything. That relationship would not last long. It wouldn’t be a healthy relationship. Sadly, our prayers often are totally about me, and very rarely make room for God to speak to us. But God really wants to share his heart with us.

So Samuel set a good example in this regard. Look at v. 10 again, Samuel first says, “Speak.” Samuel probably knew in his heart that God would speak to him about something very special, and he probably knew that his life would never be the same afterward. But instead of being afraid, he said, “Speak.” He had a sincere desire to hear what God had to say. Imagine Sam was about 12 years old. Do you know how many times you have to call the average 12 year old before he/she will respond? I’m guessing it’s in at least two, but probably more. For those who have pre-teen or teenagers, how many times has your son or daughter responded by saying, “Speak?” Probably never. Why is that? Most of the time it’s because they know you’re going to ask them to do something that they do not want to do. Samuel’s response may seem like a small thing but it’s not. I have heard many times people rejecting invitations to Bible study, or refusing to even acknowledge God because they know that they will be convicted to turn from their shameful sins to God. So they just block God’s voice out, or ignore it without a learning mind. If you really want to hear God’s voice, ask God to speak to you and be ready for God’s word to move you and really change your life.

Samuel also says, “Your servant is listening.” Samuel has attitude as a servant although he was young. And this time take notice a word, “listening.” Do you know the difference between listening and hearing? Someone said, “Listening is wanting to hear!” It was a good answer. To the Israelites, listening refers to move the hair away and let one’s ear be exposed. To listen to God we must want to hear him. That is why God perhaps designed and created two ears and one mouth. But today people are misusing their ears and they are being bombarded with many different kinds of voices. Cellphone, TV, internet, movie consume their time and attention. And they have no intention and no time to listen to God. But to hear God’s voice, we must listen to God prayerfully and attentively.  

All listening is not same though. There are three kinds of listening mode: competitive, passive, and active. These can be applied to our spiritual listening too. In the competitive listening, we’re not really listening. We’re just looking for opportunities to speak. We only hear what we want to hear and make it fit our point of view. In passive listening we listen but we do not act on it. So active or reflective listening is the single most useful and important listening. In active listening we listen and we act upon it. We are also genuinely interested in understanding what the other person is thinking, feeling, wanting or what the message really means. Sam was an active listener. Samuel said, “Speak, for your servant is listening.” Samuel was ready to listen to God when he was trained to listen Eli. In contrast, Eli’s sons did not listen to God’s word. So they failed to listen to their father as well. Even Jesus’ disciples had a hard time listening to the Lord. Jesus taught them his upcoming suffering, death and resurrection again and again, but his word went in one ear and out the other. On the mount of transfiguration, God appeared to them and said, “Listen to him!”  In the same way without listening to his word, we may not be able to hear God’s living Word. Much less we cannot have God’s vision if we fail to listen to him. May God help us to listen to him well. May the Lord help us to be his faithful listeners like Samuel.   

Part 3.  He let none of his words fall to the ground (11-4:1a)

What message did the Lord give Samuel? Look at v 11-14. And the Lord said to Samuel: “See, I am about to do something in Israel that will make the ears of everyone who hears of it tingle. At that time I will carry out against Eli everything I spoke against his family from beginning to end. For I told him that I would judge his family forever because of the sin he knew about; his sons made themselves contemptible, and he failed to restrain them. Therefore, I swore to the house of Eli, ‘The guilt of Eli’s house will never be atoned for by sacrifice or offering.’”  The Lord shared with Samuel his plan to judge Eli and his family. This was terrible news for Eli. It was difficult for the young Samuel to hear the news and even more difficult to tell it to Eli who was his spiritual father. Look at v 15-18. Samuel lay down until morning but most likely he could not go a sleep due to God’s message. In the morning, Samuel opened the doors of the house of God. He was afraid to tell the vision to the priest. Eli sensed this and said to Samuel: “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.” 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.” I am puzzled by Eli’s response here. I thought he would cry out to God for his mercy and forgiveness for his family. But Eli seemed to have given up any hope for him and his sons. Nevertheless, Samuel learned a spiritual lesson that he had to obey in telling the truth of God no matter how difficult it was to the listeners. Samuel was a faithful Bible student and a good Bible teacher from the beginning. He meditated on God’s word, and then when the time came he spoke God’s word to Eli, and later to all Israel. He took the time to digest what God had told him and then confirmed the truth of God’s word by speaking it to the people. Look at v 19. “The LORD was with Samuel as he grew up, and he let none of his words fall to the ground.” He spoke the truth of God’s word that does not fall to the ground. This is a lesson for all of us. Samuel did not become a great servant of God through one miraculous experience with God and then peter out. It was a sustained study and obedience of God’s word that allowed him to do great things for the Lord. Sometimes, we are excited to have a heart-moving experience at a Bible conference or revival meeting. This is not bad but it is not enough. We need persistent Bible studies to be a great servant of God. You can expect to be in good health by eating a sumptuous meal once and then have ramen all the time. We need spiritual substance on a daily basis. This is what Samuel did. And all Israelites from Dan to Beersheba recognized him as a prophet of the Lord (20). The Lord continued to appear at Shiloh, and there he revealed himself to Samuel through his word (21). God firmly established Samuel as a prophet and a Bible teacher by revealing himself to Samuel through his word. And 4:1 says: And Samuel’s word came to all Israel. This verse is a sharp contrast to 3:1b which says, “In those days the word of the Lord was rare; there were not many visions.” Let us study the word of God faithfully so that God may reveal himself to us through his word and we may be used preciously by God.

In conclusion, God called Samuel as his servant although he was just a young boy. God is looking for young people who can learn his heart and deliver his message faithfully to his people. Regardless of who you are voting for, or what the result of the election is in a couple of days, we may first listen to God more personally and fulfill his own eternal salvation purpose in our generation and beyond.   

One word: Speak, for your servant is listening!

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