Friday, 29 November 2019

1 Samuel 3:1-9 - Be quick to hear

The deterioration of the priesthood was largely responsible for why there was a  famine of God’s Word. Who could blame God for not speaking when the leaders who were entrusted to instruct His Word and guide His people were abusing their ministry for personal aggrandizement? They never took the ministry seriously. How could the Word of God be heard when the people responsible to instruct it could not even bother to study and be acquainted with it themselves. For if they themselves are not well acquainted with the word, how could they teach others? Hophni and Phinehas, seasoned ministers, were deplorable and did not take their role responsibly. So sadly,  chapter 3 verse 1 of 1 Samuel reads, “And word from the Lord was rare in those days, visions were infrequent.” It will also be a sad day when pastors and ministers of God stop studying and practicing the Word of God for themselves! Worst still, if they do not care if the Word of God is well-taught and understood.   

Fortunately, Israel had a faithful God. Even in the darkened time, a light was slowly emerging. Samuel, we learn was that little light. He was an intern, learning the ropes from Eli. Welcoming affirmations were said about him. In 1 Samuel 2:11, we are told: “And the boy ministered to the Lord in the presence of Eli the priest.” In 1 Samuel 2:18, we read, “Samuel was ministering before the Lord, a boy clothed with a linen ephod.” In 1 Samuel 2:21, the word said, “And the young man Samuel grew in the presence of the Lord.” Then in 1 Samuel 2:26, we are told: “Now the young man Samuel continued to grow both in stature and in favor with the Lord and also with man.” Now we find in the opening line of 1 Samuel 3 this testimony of him. It says, “Now the young man Samuel was ministering to the Lord under Eli.”

Verse 2 tells us that Eli was getting old.  His eyesight was getting dim and he could not see and was lying down and resting. The emphases of these verses are the parts that say that “vision was infrequent.” And that both Eli and Samuel were lying down. Eli was “resting in his place,” whereas Samuel “…was lying down in the temple of the Lord where the ark of God was….” The contrast became obvious when we read that God called out to Samuel, while Eli was bypassed.  The young Samuel was new in the ministry. Hence, he was not accustomed to the voice of God. So, when God called out to him, he thought that Eli was calling him. For three occasions, He mistook God’s voice to be Eli’s. The old priest on his part was also not as sharp. It was not until the third time that he discerned that God was calling out to Samuel. It was then that he taught him to respond to God by saying, ‘Speak, Lord, for Your servant is listening.”

Many things could be gleaned from these nine verses, and we will look at two critical ones. Firstly, we must be poised to listen to God’s Word. And the best place to hear it is to be like Samuel, resting before the presence of God. Secondly, we need to cultivate an ear to hear from God, a heart to respond to Him and a mind to seek Him constantly. May these following words of the poet and Presbyterian minister, James Drummond Burns be our prayer:

Oh, give me Samuel's ear! 
The open ear, O Lord, 
Alive and quick to hear
Each whisper of Thy Word; 
Like him to answer at Thy call, 
And to obey Thee, first of all.

Oh, give me Samuel's heart! 
A lowly heart that waits 
Where in Thy house Thou art, 
Or watches at Thy gates, 
By day and night, a heart that still 
Moves at the breathing of Thy will.

O give me Samuel’s mind
A sweet unmurmuring faith
Obedient and resigned
To Thee in life and death;
That I may read with childlike eyes,
Truths that are hidden from the wise.



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