Sermon Central
-
Hearing The Voice Of The Lord
Contributed by Joe Rowland on Oct 5, 2009 (message contributor)
Summary: Just as Samuel needed to learn how to apply what he had heard, we need teachers to rise up and teach the young people how to hear and apply His message to them.
Hearing the Voice Of The Lord
19 And Samuel grew, and the LORD was with him, and did let none of his words fall to the ground.
20 And all Israel from Dan even to Beersheba knew that Samuel was established to be a prophet of the LORD.
21 And the LORD appeared again in Shiloh: for the LORD revealed himself to Samuel in Shiloh by the word of the LORD.
Samuel, from the time he was a young lad knew how to hear the voice of the Lord.
In the day that we live in, God is raising up people who know how to hear and apply the message He gives.
Samuel had a Godly mother who was going to keep her vow, what she told the Lord she would do she did.
There was committment to keep her child in the house of God.
Samuel, from the time of his childhood, had been taught to listen and apply.
1 And the child Samuel ministered unto the LORD before Eli. And the word of the LORD was precious in those days; there was no open vision.
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;
3 And ere the lamp of God went out in the temple of the LORD, where the ark of God was, and Samuel was laid down to sleep;
4 That the LORD called Samuel: and he answered, Here am I.
5 And he ran unto Eli, and said, Here am I; for thou calledst me. And he said, I called not; lie down again. And he went and lay down.
6 And the LORD called yet again, Samuel. And Samuel arose and went to Eli, and said, Here am I; for thou didst call me. And he answered, I called not, my son; lie down again.
7 Now Samuel did not yet know the LORD, neither was the word of the LORD yet revealed unto him.
8 And the LORD called Samuel again the third time. And he arose and went to Eli, and said, Here am I; for thou didst call me. And Eli perceived that the LORD had called the child.
9 Therefore Eli said unto Samuel, Go, lie down: and it shall be, if he call thee, that thou shalt say, Speak, LORD; for thy servant heareth. So Samuel went and lay down in his place.
10 And the LORD came, and stood, and called as at other times, Samuel, Samuel. Then Samuel answered, Speak; for thy servant heareth.
11 And the LORD said to Samuel, Behold, I will do a thing in Israel, at which both the ears of every one that heareth it shall tingle.
Samuel, from the time of his youth served in the temple.
The Word of the Lord, during this time, was precious (rare) and there was no open vision.
If you look in the last chapter, you will see there were Prophetic utterances that were given, God was getting ready to establish the office of the Prophet.
There were Prophets, but God was setting up a government on how to train those whom He had called into this office.
The Priesthood, during this time, was corrupt and the nation was without spiritual leadership.
It says in 1 Samuel verse three, “And ere the lamp of God went out in the temple of the LORD, where the ark of God was, and Samuel was laid down to sleep;”
This means that the golden lampstand, which had to be resupplied with oil morning and night, had been neglected.
We could take this as not to let our oil run out of our lamps as Christians.
When we do, we will not be able to see clearly.
The Lord called Samuel in verse 4, “That the LORD called Samuel: and he answered, Here am I.”
The Lord called Samuel three times and Eli told him if He called the fourth time, he told him what to say:
9 Therefore Eli said unto Samuel, Go, lie down: and it shall be, if he call thee, that thou shalt say, Speak, LORD; for thy servant heareth. So Samuel went and lay down in his place.
10 And the LORD came, and stood, and called as at other times, Samuel, Samuel. Then Samuel answered, Speak; for thy servant heareth.
We need teachers to rise up and tell the generation coming up how to apply what the Lord speaks.
Ho 4:6 My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge: because thou hast rejected knowledge, I will also reject thee, that thou shalt be no priest to me: seeing thou hast forgotten the law of thy God, I will also forget thy children.
