Do you ever wonder why you can’t (or don’t) hear God’s voice? Does it feel like you are searching for Him, but He remains silent?
The struggle to know, hear and find God’s word is by no means a modern one, and as we see in 1 Samuel 3, the problem is not necessarily God’s absence, but rather our own position to hear Him.
This is exactly what we see, beginning in 1 Samuel 3:1: “In those days, the word of the Lord was rare; there were no frequent visions.”
Yes, there were prophets in ancient Israel. Yes, there were priests too. Both of whom should have not only been communing with God, but also speaking His word to the people. But both prophet and priest were corrupt; their hearts were not turned toward God; and, in return, God did not speak to them.
That is all about to change, though, because God is about to speak to young Samuel.
The hint is found in verse three, which states, “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.” On a literal level, this verse tells us that Samuel is sleeping on the floor of the tabernacle near the ark and that there is a lamp still burning – lamps were burned throughout the night, so we know that the hour is still early morning, before the sun has risen.
However, on a deeper level, “the lamp of God” is also be a reference to the word of God itself, the “visible glory”, or Shekinah, of God.
Now, why does God speak and reveal this glory to Samuel as opposed to Eli, the priest?
Let us turn to verse 2 and, once again, consider the double meaning at work in the description of Eli: “at that time Eli, whose eyesight had begun to grow dim so that he could not see, was lying down in his own place.” Eli is not just a priest in the tabernacle, but also Samuel’s foster father and mentor, and here we see him described as an old, blind man, sleeping on the ground. It doesn’t sound too controversial, right?
But God does not speak to Eli exactly because his eyesight has grown dim. You see, there is a spiritual meaning behind this description in that Eli’s eyes do not look toward God (nor have they for a long time).
Eli is an important figure for us to consider in 1 Samuel 3 because we are much like him. Yes, he is a spiritual leader of his day. He even is full of great knowledge (think of, for example, his immediate recognition of God’s activity in verse 7).
However, neither Eli’s age, experience or position within the tabernacle guarantee that God will speak to him, and the same is true for us.
Samuel has none of Eli’s qualifications, but he does have something special: he has positioned himself as close to God as he can.
As we read in 1 Samuel 1-2, Samuel has a godly upbringing. His mother, Hannah, loves the Lord, and she has instructed her son to follow Him with his whole heart too. And we see the fruits of this godly child-raising in Samuel’s own sleeping position that night: he is lying right next to “the ark of God” (verse 3).
Closeness and receptivity mark Samuel’s heart and faith in God, and it is this that God rewards.
If we learn anything from the story of God’s calling in 1 Samuel 3, it is that we should follow the example of Samuel, and keep drawing close to God. Let us position ourselves in such a way that we may hear God speak.
Now, certainly, that doesn’t exactly mean the same thing today as it did in ancient Israel. Just because you are inside a church (like Samuel in the tabernacle) doesn’t mean you will hear God speak. Rather, today, it means that you seek out God in His word and in prayer, daily and regularly, with a heart that is sincere and humble.
