Your Servant Hears 1 Samuel 3:1-10

Grace, mercy, and peace …

Today we’re going to talk about opening up our hearts and minds to hear God speaking to us in His Word.

Does anyone have a tendency to ignore your spouse or children or parents when they’re speaking to you? Maybe the TV is on, or you’re reading, or doing something on your computer, or on your cell phone, and you kind of tune out what others are saying to you.

Paying attention to others is a way of respecting them. Listening to them is a way of showing that you care about what they have to say.

Paying attention to God, and hearing what He has to say, shows that He matters to you, and that you’re serious about following Him. It’s in His Word that we hear what God has to say to us.

In our Gospel today, Jesus speaks to Philip, and Philip hears. Jesus says, “Follow me” and Philip does. Philip then finds Nathanael, and invites him to come and see Jesus for himself, whether he, too, might follow Him.

Nathanael was a godly man, but not without his flaws. He showed some prejudice when he said, “Can anything good come out of Nazareth?... that hick town?

Jesus didn’t hold that slight against him, but still called Nathanael to follow Him.

And it seems there was some kind of miracle or sign involved, because Jesus told Nathanael that he saw him when he was under the fig tree; and in response, Nathanael called Jesus “the Son of God”. We don’t know the exact circumstances, but Nathanael realized that only God could have known that about him.

God knows everything about us, the good and the bad; things other people don’t know about us, God knows. Things we don’t even know about ourselves, God knows. And yet he calls us to follow Him, that he might forgive us, and change us to be like Him. The more he makes us like Himself, the more we love we have to share with others.

In our Epistle, God helps us realize that when we believe in Christ, our bodies become His personal temple, a dwelling place for His Spirit. That means we have a responsibility for what we do with our bodies.

When we involve ourselves in acts of sexual immorality, what we’re doing is slowly destroying this place for God for to dwell. But this is true of all sin.

We wouldn’t take a hammer and intentionally destroy God’s house, breaking these beautiful windows, or the statue of Jesus, or the organ we praise God with (which is done, by the way… China, large church demolished).

Then let us not destroy ourselves, his temple, by taking on the values of a sexually permissive and hedonistic culture, or a greedy, materialistic culture, or a culture than values serving self over serving God and others.

Instead, let us hear God’s voice, and answer His call to repent of these things, and be forgiven. Let us receive the power to honor His Spirit, and treat our body, and the bodies of others, with respect, according to His commandments.     

In our Old Testament lesson, we have the story of God calling Samuel to be the leader of His people. It took a few tries, but he finally answered God’s call.

Our text says that the “word of the Lord was rare in those days; there were no frequent visions.” Not that they didn’t have the Bible, which at that time was only the first five books, they did; but God was not often speaking to them personally, revealing himself person.

Possibly because they were drifting away from God, and becoming more worldly, and perhaps because there was a lull before God was about to do something great for them.

One night, young Samuel laid down to sleep in the Tabernacle near the ark of the covenant, where God had a special presence. From that special place, God called out to him.

Assuming it was his master, Eli, calling, Samuel went to him and asked what he wanted.

It says that Eli was old and in poor health so Samuel might have been concerned that he was alright. Eli said, “You’re imagining things; go back to sleep.”.

He went back to the tabernacle and laid down, and God called out to him again. Again Samuel ran to see if Eli was okay. And again Eli said, “I’m fine; go back to sleep.”

Samuel did, and God called to him a third time. Then Eli figured it out. He said, “Go back and lay down, and when you hear that voice again, say, “Speak Lord, for your servant hears.”

Samuel did what Eli told him, and this time, it says, “The Lord came and stood, (personally) and called out, Samuel, Samuel.” And Samuel said, “Speak Lord for your servant hears.” And the rest is history.

Samuel went on to become a great prophet and the last great Judge of Israel. He cleared up the corruption that was happening around the Tabernacle by Eli’s sons, and directed the people back to God.

Finally, he ushered in the era of the kings; he anointed the first two kings of Israel, Saul, and then the greatest king of Israel, David.

 “Speak Lord for your servant hears.”

Those are wise words to live by. When we’re hearing God every day, and truly listening to him, then we’re headed in the right direction; living in the right way, and headed toward the right place.

Three things we learn from the story of God calling Samuel.

1) It’s important for us to stay close to God’s Word.

Samuel was in the tabernacle close to the ark of God when all this happened. So it’s important for us to be in those places where God’s Word is heard, and His Sacraments are celebrated -- like where we are now, here in worship; and next hour in Sunday School and Bible Study.

2) Second, we need to hear the voice of God calling to us over and over again, like Samuel did, because over and over again, we hear voices calling us away from God. There are more voices in the world calling us to ignore God, than calling us to hear Him.

So it’s helpful to remember our Baptism every day in our prayers, and to find ways to surround ourselves with God’s Word every day. It might be something on the wall or on a table in our home that reminds us of the Gospel; or listening to Christian music on the radio; or devotions or prayers, or reading the Bible, or listening to the Bible as it’s been recorded by others; or listening to Biblically true, grace-centered messages or devotions online, or reflecting on what you heard on Sunday.  

Or it might be sharing the message of God’s love with others. As we speak the gospel to others, we hear it again for ourselves. We’re reminded of it, and strengthened in it. As we extend God’s call to others, His call is re-extended to us.

3) We all need a helper, or helpers; other people who also hear God through His Word, and who don’t think we’re misguided or foolish to believe and follow it.

First, we need the Holy Spirit to be our greatest helper. But we also need a person, or people, to help us.

Samuel needed Eli to direct him, and help him understand that it was God calling. Nathanael needed Philip to tell him about Jesus and invite him to come and see.

We need each other; we need that fellowship that is intentionally about Christ. We need others to provide an example for us, and with the help of God, for us to be an example to follow.

Thanks be to God that He has nor hid His voice to us; He calls us by name because he cares for us. We answer him by name because we love him back.

May you always hear God speaking to you through His Word, and may you always follow in His ways. As you follow, may His peace, which passes understanding, guard your heart and mind, in Christ Jesus our Lord. Amen.