1 Samuel 3:1-10 – He Heard God – Bible study

1Samuel 3:1-10 He Heard God If you are a church adult who attended church very much as a child, you are probably familiar with our text. The reason why is because it is the story of God calling a child into His service. The childs name is Samuel, and his calling gives a powerful example of how God can use anyone, young or old. This morning, I want to look at the account a little bit differently. I want us to also notice how God can use His people even in the bad days. Notice several thoughts, please. I. There are those days. A. What days? Some sad days. Some bad days. Some needful days. 1. The days that Samuel was born into are not that different from the days we live. 2. We live in some sad days, some bad days, some needful days as well. 3. How can we tell? a. We can tell what kind of days we live in by just looking around. b. We can tell what kind of days Samuel lived in by looking at the Bible verses. B. Notice that the Bible indicates some problems with leadership in Samuels days. 1. Eli was a good man and a godly leader over Israel, but the Bible gives us two indications that he had drifted away from the Lord. a. Eli failed God in the way he reared his children. 1Sam 3:13 For I have told him that I will judge his house for ever for the iniquity which he knoweth; because his sons made themselves vile, and he restrained them not. (1) Eli was one of those men who lived for the Lord at church but not at home. (2) That is sad, bad, and serious. b. But Elis eyes were also dimming. 1Sam 3:2 And it came to pass at that time, when Eli was laid down in his place, and his eyes began to wax dim, that he could not see; (1) It is dangerous to read too much into a verse like this, but I cant help but to wonder if this maybe more than just an account of Elis physical sight, maybe it is a reference concerning his spiritual sight as well. (a) Physically, time had been Elis enemy. It had robbed him of his sight. (b) Sadly, it seems that time was Elis spiritual enemy as well. (c) He HAD served God faithfully, but we know he deliberately disobeyed God concerning his children and rebellion does not limit itself to just one area of life. (d) Rebellions very nature causes it to spread. (2) Time does not have to be your spiritual enemy. (a) You can love God and serve Him just as faithfully after 20 years as you did after being saved for 20 minutes. (b) Things will not go well when the spiritual leaders lose their spiritual sight. 2. At least one of Elis sons was supposed to take Elis place as the high priest of Shiloh, but they were both very wicked. 1Sa 2:12 Now the sons of Eli were sons of Belial; they knew not the LORD. a. Is it surprising? If you raise your children wrong, should you really expect them to grow up to live right? b. That was another mark of a bad day, a needful day. 3. While the Bible does not say that the people of Israel in that day were evil, it does indicate they were weak in the Lord. a. Sadly, most people are. b. Most people will follow the crowd. That is tolerable if the crowd is going the right direction, but when the leaders appointed by God fail, they fall. 4. And at that time, even the best hope for Israel, Samuel, was asleep and did not know God. 1Sam 3:7 Now Samuel did not yet know the LORD, neither was the word of the LORD yet revealed unto him. a. Again, it is dangerous to read too much into that phrase because it demonstrates the condition of all people. b. We are all born lost and asleep to our spiritual condition. c. Somebody has to wake us up! d. But Samuel was in danger of sleeping right into hell! C. But the Bible also hints at the need of those days in other ways. 1. \#1\ The word from God was very precious because there were no "open visions." a. That means there was no new word from God, no spiritual refreshing. God had quit talking, at least to the whole nation. b. That is not surprising. Eli, the spiritual leader of the nation was AWOL. c. What happens when God quits talking to a people? (1) The wicked get more ungodly. (2) The godly get hungry and start looking for new ways to hear from God. (3) In our country, Gods people are very hungry for God. (4) I think one of the reasons churches are turning to so many fads is because they want a fresh moving of God. (5) But fads do not work. (6) What will? (a) Prayer and fasting (b) Repentance over any and all sin. (c) Obedience to Scriptures 2. \#3\ The lamp of God was about to go out. 1Sam 3:3 And ere the lamp of God went out in the temple of the LORD, where the ark of God was. a. That verse is saying that the Eli had laid down to sleep just before the lamp was to out. b. The problem is that lamp was NEVER supposed to go out. Exodus 27:20 And thou shalt command the children of Israel, that they bring thee pure oil olive beaten for the light, to cause the lamp to burn always. c. This was neglect, but not just building maintenance neglect. d. That lamp represented the ever-seeing presence of God in Israel. e. Letting it go out is like saying, "God is no longer present in Israel!" II. Ours is that God. A. That is the God that continues to reach out to mankind. 1. Times were as bad then as they are today, but that did not stop God from calling men or from reaching out to mankind. a. Eli had failed on God. b. Elis sons and failed and quit on God. c. Israel was weak. d. But God was still calling to Samuel and still reaching out to Israel at that time. 2. I am not sure that God ever quits calling, at least not before He sends judgment. a. I know sometimes it seems like God is not doing anything. b. To be honest, it has often seemed that way to me in Green Pond. (1) I cannot speak for the rest of the world, but we do not see God save and change many. (2) Some might say that God has given up on mankind. (3) Some would say it is Gods predetermined plan. (4) Im thinking its less Gods predestination and more mans pre-disposition that keeps God from working right now. c. One thing is for certain. God kept calling right up to the end in times past. (1) Remember Cain and Abel? Can rose up and slew his brother, but in the first directly before that account, God told Cain: Ge 4:7 If thou doest well, shalt thou not be accepted?. (a) Do you know that was? (b) That was God calling to Cain, giving him yet another opportunity to respond to Him. (2) Remember Noah and the flood? When God called Noah to build the Ark, the Scripture records: Ge 6:3 And the LORD said, My spirit shall not always strive with man, for that he also is flesh: yet his days shall be an hundred and twenty years. (a) Most of the time when we read that, we think with prejudice against God, "He was going to cut off their grace!" (b) But the fact that He was going to quit striving with mankind AFTER 120 years, means that God strove with mankind for 120 years. (c) Indeed, God strove with mankind all the way to when the flood began! (3) In our text, there is a statement that indicates that God is always present, calling to mankind, but they cannot see Him. (a) The Lord willing, I will show you that statement at the end of the message. (b) But right now, give me the benefit of the doubt and believe me when I say God continues to reach out to mankind all the way until His judgment begins. B. That is the God that continues to reach out to mankind. III. We are that child. A. In our text, God is calling a person to serve Him. 1. That person is Samuel. 2. The Bible calls Samuel a child in \#1Sam 3:1, 8\. 3. We dont know how old he was at that time, but probably between 4, maybe 5 and 13. 4. Some think God cannot call children, but He can. a. God can call them to salvation. b. God can even call them to service. c. God called the child Samuel to both at the same time. 5. God was calling Samuel to make His voice heard throughout Israel. a. Eli had lost his spiritual sight and was no longer revealing Gods word to Israel. b. Samuel was being called to take Elis place. c. God wasnt finished calling to Israel yet because He wasnt ready to judge Israel yet. 6. Because Samuel did not know God, even when he heard Gods voice, he was not sure who was calling him, so he ran to Eli several times. a. It took Eli a few minutes to realize what was going on, but eventually he figured out what God was doing. b. Once he did, he helped Samuel to hear the voice of God. B. Believe it or not, you and I are the todays Samuels. 1. We are the ones God is calling to tell His word to these needful and bad days. a. I know what some are thinking, "I am no Samuel." b. That is okay. (1) Samuel was no Samuel at that time. (2) He did not know God. (3) He had never heard God before. (4) Samuel was so green, he did not even image it was God speaking to him. c. Surely you are not saying youa saved, at least somewhat educated and mature 21st century Christian are in worse shape than this child! 2. We sometimes forget is not who we are that God is calling. It is who God wants to make us that God is calling. 3. Like Samuel, we sometimes dont know God is calling us, but He is; and like Samuel, we need someone to give us some pointers on how to hear God. 4. I think Elis counsel was pretty God and recommend that we do that. C. What did Eli tell Samuel to do? 1. Go back and listen for Him. 2. When you hear God, respond to Him. 3. I would add to that, do what He says. IV. This is where He stood. A. Once Samuel listened, responded and heard the voice of God, the Bible says: 1Sam 3:10 And the LORD came, and stood, and called as at other times. 1. God CAME, STOOD, and CALLED as He had done the other times. 2. God did not speak from heaven. He came and stood by Samuels bed. 3. But God did not do that just the last time He called. God had been coming to stand by Samuels bed all four times! B. Why couldnt Samuel see God the first three times? 1. God appears to manifest Himself first through our spiritual hearing not our spiritual seeing. a. Why? b. Because "Faith cometh by hearing and hearing by the Word of God." 2. It may be that the reason we cannot see God in our lives, in our circumstances, and in our problems is because we are not listening for Him. a. After Samuel listened and responded to God, he could see God in his life. b. Today, the God you need to see is calling you. c. Shouldnt you be listening?