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A little boy alone in a temple dedicated to God full-time and mentored by an older priest. That’s the setting in which God first spoke to Samuel. He grew into a mighty prophet of the Lord, so powerful that none of his words fell to the ground. The meaning behind that is probably because he had an ear that was tuned to God’s voice, everything he spoke was given to him by God so there was no scope for those words to be useless or ineffective. Isn’t that amazing? Samuel’s work wasn’t easy because he ministered to a people who were wayward in heart. They eventually told him that they wanted a king. What they didn’t say but fully intended was that they no longer wanted the word of God from Samuel’s mouth for instruction and guidance. They wanted someone who would lead them in battle and rule over them like all the surrounding nations. They wanted to be like others when God wanted them set apart.
God assures Samuel even as he walked through that rejection, that they were rejecting Him and not Samuel. Samuel goes on to do as God instructs and anoints Saul as Israel’s first king but not without first giving them statutory warning of what a king would require of them. Samuel had honed his listening skills over his whole life and so he was never out of touch with the Spirit of God.
The LORD came and stood there, calling as at the other times, “Samuel! Samuel!” Then Samuel said, “Speak, for your servant is listening.” And the LORD said to Samuel: “See, I am about to do something in Israel that will make the ears of everyone who hears about 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 blasphemed God, 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 was with Samuel as he grew up, and he let none of Samuel’s words fall to the ground.
But when they said, “Give us a king to lead us,” this displeased Samuel; so he prayed to the LORD. And the LORD told him: “Listen to all that the people are saying to you; it is not you they have rejected, but they have rejected me as their king. As they have done from the day I brought them up out of Egypt until this day, forsaking me and serving other gods, so they are doing to you.
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3 Responses
I spend every morning trying to tune into the Holy Spirit. Through my 40 days of seeking, a
The Bible in a year and the verse of the day. I pray for God guidance and make time to hear from Him throughout the day. All this helps me to lay aside my selfishness and opens me up to the love of God, which enables me to think of others and how I can help meet their needs. I hear from God through His word, Through his children as well as from the music I listen to.
“They wanted to be like others when God wanted them set apart.“ This sentence broke my heart for God. He loves us so much and gave the ultimate sacrifice for us, yet we strive to bend towards the ways of the world and not towards God.
Lord, hone my listening skills; incline them to the Voice of the Holy Spirit. Help me to “be still” enough to hear You. Psalm 46:10