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Second Sunday After Epiphany
Light of Christ Anglican Church
The Rev. Mike Moffitt, January 14, 2018


It Is God’s Nature to Speak


Text: 1 Samuel 3:1–20

When you are in a relationship with someone communication is vitally important. Usually talking together is something to be desired, and sometimes good conversations can go on for hours but seem much shorter. At other times conversations are painful, and we’re glad when they are over but hopefully the problem is resolved, or the relationship is repaired. Silence can be very nerve wracking especially when you know that something is wrong. When you are married, and your spouse is giving you the silent treatment, you may choose to act like you don’t care, but it’s likely that the hollow feeling in your gut is telling you different. You probably find that you can’t truly rest until the problem is dealt with and the relationship is restored. Love is like that. You don’t want anything to interrupt the joy of the relationship. Paul wrote in Ephesians 4:26–27,

Be angry and do not sin, do not let the sun go down on your anger and give no opportunity to the devil.

In other words, you may have a reason to be angry, but you must attempt to resolve the problem so that Satan doesn’t have the opportunity to work at making the situation fester and become sin. Harmony in a relationship is vitally important and God would have us be in harmony with him and with each other.

It was God’s intention from the very beginning that we have loving harmony with him and with each other. Our God is relational and not simply a divine being who sits on a throne far away from us and would prefer to not have anything to do with the likes of us. We can clearly see from the Scriptures that God has always desired to have relationship with and communicate with his creatures. From the very beginning God spoke with Adam and Eve giving them instructions to “subdue the earth and have dominion over it” and he specifically pointed out to them all that he had created for their delight and benefit.

It was his desire to come and be with them that they might delight in him and him in them. He spoke clearly about not eating the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of Good and Evil, as this would interrupt the harmony of their relationship. Even when they disobeyed, God came and spoke to them pronouncing judgment and yet even then he wasn’t willing to call in quits but provided hope amid judgment.

God spoke to their children, even Cain when he killed Abel, God came to him and confronted him about his sin. God came and spoke to Noah, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. He spoke to Moses in the form of a burning bush and many times on Mt. Sinai. He spoke to Moses from the Tabernacle and the Tent of Meeting. He spoke orally and through visions and dreams to the prophets and other men and women who chose to follow the commands of God.

In the Old Testament God spoke clearly and plainly to those who he was calling to help in establishing his kingdom here on earth. He spoke in many ways: through clouds and smoke, the fire of a bush, through visions and dreams, through a donkey and Exodus 33:11 says that, “The Lord used to speak with Moses face to face, as a man speaks to his friend”. He revealed that he was the God who spoke, it was his desire and his nature to communicate, so if he went silent there should be cause for alarm.

In our passage from 1 Samuel 3:1–20 we see an example of this. In the previous chapter we read of an aging high priest, Eli, who had two sons, Hophni and Phinehas, who like their father were priests of the Lord at Shiloh. Even though they served as temple priests verse 12 of chapter 2 tells us, “Now the sons were worthless men. They did not know the Lord.” They would steal the meat of the sacrifice with the fat still on it which was to be set aside for the Lord. The remainder would be set aside for the priest to eat but they would take the Lord’s portion by force if necessary. Eli had also heard that they were laying with the women who were serving at the Tent of Meeting, likely revealing that the Canaanite ritual of temple prostitution had become a part of the Hebrew worship, violating the commands of Yahweh.

Eli, the high priest was responsible to see that the word of God was honored, and the worship was holy and pure, but he had become derelict in his duties and even allowed his sons to live in a scandalous way bringing shame to the High priest-their father, the priesthood and dishonor to God.

In chapter 2:27–36, a man of God came to Eli with a word from the Lord because God was so displeased that he would no longer speak with Eli directly. He told Eli that God had rejected him and his household because he had not honored God but had allowed his sons to make a mockery of God and his holy law. His sons should have been dealt with severely but God charges Eli with having more regard for his wicked sons than he did God. The result was going be that his sons were going to die, and God was going to cut off the line of Eli. There would never again be anyone from his family who would have the honor and distinction of serving the Lord in the temple worship. In verse 35 the man of God speaks the word from the Lord,

I will raise up for myself a faithful priest, who shall do according to what is in my heart and in my mind, and I will build him a sure house, and he shall go in and out before my anointed forever.

This is where our story begins in 1 Samuel 3:1,

Now the boy Samuel was ministering to the Lord in the presence of Eli, and the word of the Lord was rare in those days, there was no frequent vision.

The Book of Samuel begins with the story of Hannah, a woman who was barren. Her husband had two wives, Peninnah, who had bore sons and daughters and Hannah. Peninnah would provoke Hannah shaming her for not bearing children and so one time, when the family went to sacrifice and worship at Shiloh, Hannah bowed down and wept before the Lord making this vow in 1 Samuel 1:10,

O Lord of hosts, if you will indeed look on the affliction of your servant and remember me and not forget your servant, but will give to your servant a son, then I will give him to the Lord all the days of his life, and no razor shall touch his head.

The Lord heard her cries and gave her a son which she named Samuel. Once the boy was weaned, Hannah in faithfulness took him back to Shiloh and presented Samuel to Eli, the high priest for service for his whole life. I love the prayer of Hannah as she leaves her son with Eli, and I recommend that you read it this week from 1 Samuel 2:1–10. I want to read verses 1–2 to you today,

My heart exults in the Lord;
      my horn is exalted in the Lord.
My mouth derides my enemies,
      because I rejoice in your salvation.
There is none holy like the Lord:
      for there is none besides you;
      there is no rock like our God.

I wanted you to see the contrast between Hannah and those who served at Shiloh as priests. Here was a simple yet faithful woman who acknowledged the mercy and faithfulness of God as she kept her vow to him. Even though it meant that she was leaving behind the very one who had been the answer to her prayer, she offered up praise and adoration to the God who had come to her rescue. Hannah knew that God loved her personally and had been the one who restored her dignity within her family and within her own heart.

1 Samuel 3:1 doesn’t say that the word of the Lord was silenced but only that it was rare, and there were not many visions. Visions were one of the most common ways that God revealed himself in the Old Testament and if they were rare, then it denoted that God was rarely revealing himself due to the disobedience and the hard hearts of those who should have remembered all that he had done for them and their forefathers.

In 1 Samuel 2:27 God was speaking through a man of God but they were words of judgment. This verse should give every generation pause as they consider whether God is speaking to them or not. Let’s continue and read 1 Samuel 3:2–4,

At that time Eli, whose eyesight had begun to grow dim so that he could not see, was lying down in his own place. 3 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. 4 Then the Lord called Samuel, and he said, “Here I am!

This section is metaphorically very rich as it suggests that Eli who was very old and his eye sight was failing had also lost his spiritual eyes as he had willingly disregarded the sin that was so clearly prevalent in Shiloh and throughout Israel.

There is also the metaphor of the lamp of God growing dim indicating that it was the early morning hours. Leviticus 27:21 records that it was the responsibility of the Aaronic priesthood to keep the lamps outside the curtain of the Tent of Meeting burning from evening until morning. However, this is certainly also pointing out the spiritual darkness that had descended upon Israel but it had not yet gone out, God was not going to let it.

Eli was lying down to sleep in “his own place” but the young boy Samuel was lying down in the temple of the Lord before the Ark of the Covenant. Again, we see the metaphor of the lamp of God still burning though dim, indicating that there was a flicker of hope and I suspect it had to do with the positioning of the two that were asleep, one in the comfort of his own bed and the other in the presence of the Lord. The Bible doesn’t say how old Samuel was, but the Jewish historian Josephus wrote that the boy was around 12 years old.

I love the scene here of the young boy who was the servant of the high priest in the Tent of Meeting. He was there because his mother had been faithful to her promise to God. Whether or not Eli or his sons were being faithful doesn’t seem to be the point here. His mother’s faithfulness placed Samuel in the position of serving in the presence of the Lord, so he will be able to hear from the God that he doesn’t yet personally know. This is the perfect example of why we should seek to bring our children and grandchildren up in the presence of the Lord, both in worship at church and as we worship him in our homes. It doesn’t matter if they understand fully or even protest, we need to place them before God faithfully, in the hope that they will someday hear him call their name too.

I love the next section when God calls Samuel’s name and his response is immediate, “Here I am, for you called me”. Even though he doesn’t yet know God he is a servant willing to respond to the one that he thinks is calling for him. Perhaps he knows that Eli is old and maybe needs him, so he responds faithfully. Eli assures Samuel that he had not called him and tells him to go and lay down again. It happens a second time and again Samuel runs to Eli who assures him that he has not called him. Let’s read again verses 7–9,

Now Samuel did not yet know the Lord, and the word of the Lord had not yet been revealed to him. 8 And the Lord called Samuel again the third time. And he arose and went to Eli and said, “Here I am, for you called me.” Then Eli perceived that the Lord was calling the boy. 9 Therefore Eli said to Samuel, “Go, lie down, and if he calls you, you shall say, ‘Speak, Lord, for your servant hears.’” So Samuel went and lay down in his place.

There are three things about God that I want us to see here in this section. The first is that when God is calling you he will continue to call, because he wants to reveal the plan that he has for you. Samuel did not yet know God, but he was about to be introduced to the one who would raise him up to heights unimagined. A simple young boy who was the answer to his mother’s prayers would be a mighty prophet, the one used to anoint David the king of Israel. It began with a call from God and the servants answer, “Speak Lord, for your servant hears”. As you read the stories of the prophet Samuel you will notice that the Lord spoke clearly to him and it began in this passage with the boy who knew what it was to live in the presence of the Lord and could therefore hear him when he spoke.

Secondly, we see the heart of God for the old high priest, Eli. God was no longer willing to speak to him directly and was now speaking to him through a child, but he was still speaking. Eli had grown hard of hearing when it came to the voice of God and even when the man of God from chapter 2 came to him to pronounce judgment there is no indication that Eli took any steps to really deal with the sins of his sons and restore the rightful worship of God at Shiloh. The first two times that Samuel came to Eli in the middle of the night after hearing his name called, Eli had no sense that God was calling, but the third time Eli perceived that it was God who was calling.

I wonder if he thought back to the times that God had spoken to him personally and wished that he still did. I suspect that there was within his spirit the familiar sense that God was about to speak to Samuel and I’m thinking that Eli knew that it would be a confirmation of what the man of God had spoken. God was going to deal with Eli’s sons himself and he was putting Eli on the shelf but the God who speaks was still speaking indirectly because he had a relationship with the old man and still loved him. Eli was going pay a heavy price for his laziness, but he would not lose the love of his God. God members his relationships and holds them precious. If we walk away from God it will be our own doing.

Thirdly, God always accomplishes his holy will even though things look hopeless. God was teaching Eli and all of Israel that he could use the most unlikely to fulfill his plans and to carry out the promises he made to Adam in the Garden of Eden (Genesis 3:15) and to Abraham. He would replace the High Priest Eli with a child. When God called to Samuel the fourth time he answered God according to the instruction of Eli and God began their relationship by speaking to him directly all that was going to happen. He tells the boy in Samuel 3:11,

Behold, I am about to do a thing in Israel at which the two ears of everyone will tingle. On that day I will fulfill against Eli all that I have spoken against his house, from beginning to end.

This time there would be no atonement or sacrifice that would stay the hand of God’s judgment. Samuel lay until morning certainly pondering all the words that God had spoken to him, but I guarantee you that the biggest thing was that he had encountered the living God who ruled over all of creation. The one to whom the sacrifices, prayers, and songs of praise were made. I’m thinking that his heart was full to the point of bursting with joy but there was the dread of what this would mean for Eli, a man that Samuel had grown to love and trust. Let’s finish with verse 16–20,

But Eli called Samuel and said, “Samuel, my son.” And he said, “Here I am.” 17 And Eli said, “What was it that he told you? Do not hide it from me. May God do so to you and more also if you hide anything from me of all that he told you.” 18 So Samuel told him everything and hid nothing from him. And he said, “It is the Lord. Let him do what seems good to him.” 19 And Samuel grew, and the Lord was with him and let none of his words fall to the ground. 20 And all Israel from Dan to Beersheba knew that Samuel was established as a prophet of the Lord.

I’m wondering what it was like for Eli as he lay in his bed until morning. I’ll bet there was that hollow feeling in his gut and he did not go back to sleep because he knew things were not right between him and God. The silence of God was the proof. When questioned Samuel it was confirmed, and Eli knew that the Lord was not going to turn back from his word. The fact that he had called out to Samuel four times would be the indication that God would not relent. From that point on God groomed Samuel to be the prophet of the Lord.

I have been thinking a lot recently about the matter of God speaking. I have always loved Hebrews 1:1–2,

Long ago, at many times and in many ways, God spoke to our fathers by the prophets, 2 but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed the heir of all things, through whom also he created the world.

The most obvious way that God speaks to us is through his word, the Bible. The fact that I can quote to you Hebrews 1:1–2 or that we can consider the story of Samuel is due to the gift of God’s word. Hebrews 4:1,

For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart.

We also hear from God through his Holy Spirit and as Jesus promised in John 14:25–26,

“These things I have spoken to you while I am still with you. 26 But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you.”

Also in John 16:13,

“When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth, for he will not speak on his own authority, but whatever he hears he will speak, and he will declare to you the things that are to come.”

We have seen today that God is relational and he desires to speak to his children. It has always been true of him and is a part of his nature to be relational. He has given us his Holy Word so that he can speak to us through the written word and he has given us his Holy Spirit to indwell us as the one who reveals God and empowers us follow him faithfully. The Scripture is very clear to us on this subject of hearing from God. So, there are a few questions for us to consider this morning:

• Are you hearing from God through his word and Spirit? In other words, are your spending time studying the scriptures and in prayer and praise? If you are then God should be revealing himself to you. We are in a time of great spiritual warfare both here and abroad and God is speaking to those who are listening. What is he saying to you for yourself and for this body?

• If you are not hearing from God what do you honestly think is blocking you from hearing? In our passage from 1 Corinthians 6 Paul identifies the area of purity both sexually and other areas of morality. Are you caught up in sins that would keep the God who speaks from speaking to you, as happened in our story from 1 Samuel? God wants to set you free this morning.

• Are you asking God to speak to you or to reveal to you what is blocking your ability to hear or even to listen? I want to encourage to be curious and ask God to speak to you or to reveal why he isn’t.

God wants to speak to us this morning because he wants to set us free to know him intimately and to have the joy of being used by him for his glory. We will have prayer ministers waiting at the altar after the service if you need prayer and I am always desirous of talking and praying with you both after the service or at a time of your choosing. God is moving in our midst and wants to use us in powerful ways. We need to be set free and to know how to hear from God. Let us pray.

©2017 Rev. Mike Moffitt

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