Sermon Audio: LINK

I. Introduction: The Rarity of God’s Word (v. 1)  

1 Samuel 3 opens by informing us that, “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” (1 Samuel 3:1, ESV). Do not rush past that. God’s Word was rare. Not often spoken. Seldom heard. Almost absent. Why would God fall silent? What does it mean when His voice disappears?

Samuel is reintroduced. He is a boy, still learning, serving in the tabernacle. Likely tending the lamp, opening the doors, assisting Eli. He is in God’s house, yet unfamiliar with God’s voice. That silence had a reason. Israel was in spiritual decline. The rituals continued. Sacrifices were made. But the heart of the people had grown cold. Eli, the high priest, was aging. His sons, Hophni and Phinehas, were corrupt and vile. They defiled the offerings, exploited worshipers, and abused their position. Eli failed to stop them.

In this context, the Word of the Lord was rare. The word “rare” can also mean “precious” or “uncommon.” God had not lost His voice. The people had stopped listening. When truth is ignored, God may choose silence. When sin hardens the heart, heaven may withhold its voice.

The prophet Amos later described this kind of silence as a spiritual famine:

“Behold, the days are coming,” declares the Lord GOD, “when I will send a famine on the land—not a famine of bread, nor a thirst for water, but of hearing the words of the LORD. They shall wander from sea to sea, and from north to east; they shall run to and fro, to seek the word of the LORD, but they shall not find it” (Amos 8:11–12, ESV). 

No famine is more severe.

Today, we have Bibles in every home. Sermons, books, podcasts, study guides. More access than any generation before. But is the Word of the Lord still rare among us? Do we read with reverence? Do we hear with repentance? Do we speak Scripture, but remain unchanged?

In Samuel’s day, God’s Word was present but neglected. The book was there, but gathering dust. So God raised a boy. When the priests failed, He chose a servant. When the elders stopped listening, He gave a child ears to hear.

This teaches us something essential. God speaks to those who are ready to listen. Not to the powerful, but to the humble. Not to those with titles, but to those who are available. Samuel was not perfect. He did not even recognize God’s voice. But he was near. He was willing. And that made him ready.

II. A Night of Calling: God Breaks the Silence (1 Samuel 3:2–10)  

Verse 2 reads, “At that time Eli, whose eyesight had begun to grow dim so that he could not see, was lying down in his own place” (1 Samuel 3:2, ESV). Eli, Israel’s high priest, was going blind. Not only physically, but spiritually. The judgment spoken against him in the previous chapter was closing in. The priest could not see, and the nation stumbled with him.

Verse 3 continues, “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.” According to Exodus 27, priests were to keep the lamp burning through the night. The fact that the lamp still burned hints at hope. The light had not gone out. God’s presence, represented by the ark, was still there. Most did not perceive it, but it remained.

Take note of where Samuel is when the voice comes. He is lying down near the ark. The text doesn’t explain why, but it draws a clear line: Samuel is close to the presence of God in a way that sets him apart for something greater.

Then in verse 4: “Then the LORD called Samuel, and he said, ‘Here I am!’ and ran to Eli and said, ‘Here I am, for you called me.’ But he said, ‘I did not call; lie down again.’ So he went and lay down” (1 Samuel 3:4–5, ESV). This happens again. A second call. Samuel rises and runs to Eli. Again, he is sent back. On the third call, something clicks. Verse 8 says, “Then Eli perceived that the LORD was calling the boy” (1 Samuel 3:8, ESV). The old priest finally understands. He had heard God’s voice before, and now something awakens in him. 

Eli gives Samuel the words that would shape his life: “Go, lie down, and if he calls you, you shall say, ‘Speak, LORD, for your servant hears’” (1 Samuel 3:9, ESV). This response is humble, ready, and taught by a flawed man to a faithful servant.

God calls, but even prophets must learn to listen. Samuel was chosen, yes. He was near, yes. But he did not yet know the Lord in the way a prophet must. Verse 7 explains, “Now Samuel did not yet know the LORD, and the word of the LORD had not yet been revealed to him” (1 Samuel 3:7, ESV). This is not unbelief. It is divine timing. Samuel served God, but he had not yet heard God. He was obedient but still learning. So the voice was unfamiliar until Eli helped him understand.

Here is a lesson the modern church must recover. Even those with calling need community. Even the chosen need guidance. Even those marked by God need to be taught to recognize His voice. Samuel had a calling, but he needed to learn how to listen. God used Eli to teach him, not because Eli was perfect, but because God often works through imperfect people to prepare the next generation.

When God calls again in verse 10, something changes: “And the LORD came and stood, calling as at other times, ‘Samuel! Samuel!’ And Samuel said, ‘Speak, for your servant hears’” (1 Samuel 3:10, ESV). The phrase “the Lord came and stood” echoes past moments of covenant calling like Abraham in Genesis 22 and Moses in Exodus 3. This is how God summons His servants when He is about to reveal something that changes everything. Now Samuel is ready. He hears. He responds.

Do not miss this. God’s call is often repeated before it is recognized. He is patient. He shapes us through the waiting, the silence, the repetition. Are we listening? Have we turned down the noise? The German theologian Johann Arndt once wrote that “no sweet music can be heard in a heart filled with the world’s clamor.” I believe that is true. If we do not quiet the storm within, we will not hear the knock at the door.

And more than that, are we teaching others how to listen? Are we willing, like Eli, to pass on what little wisdom we have? There is no shame in being flawed if we are still faithful. I believe God honors that kind of humility.

III. A Word of Judgment (1 Samuel 3:10–14)

Samuel responds exactly as Eli instructed: “Speak, for your servant hears” (1 Samuel 3:10, ESV). The words are simple, but the posture is right. Samuel is ready to receive whatever God will say.

Then God speaks: “Behold, I am about to do a thing in Israel at which the two ears of everyone who hears it will tingle”(1 Samuel 3:11, ESV). That phrase, “will tingle,” does not translate well into english. It does not note excitement, but rather dread. In 2 Kings 21:12 and Jeremiah 19:3, it signals judgment so shocking it shakes the nation. Here too, it is a warning.

God continues: “On that day I will fulfill against Eli all that I have spoken concerning his house, from beginning to end”(1 Samuel 3:12, ESV). This is not a new word. It is the confirmation of the judgment already delivered in chapter 2. Nothing will be withheld. Nothing softened. The warning is now becoming reality.

Verse 13 reveals the heart of the judgment: “I declare to him that I am about to punish his house forever, for the iniquity that he knew, because his sons were blaspheming God, and he did not restrain them” (1 Samuel 3:13, ESV). The condemnation is not only for Hophni and Phinehas. Eli is judged for knowing and doing nothing. He confronted them gently, but he let their sin continue. He allowed sacred things to be defiled and prioritized his sons over God’s holiness. Basil the Great called this kind of tolerance a “mistaken kindness.” Mercy that permits evil is not love. It is complicity.

God declares, “The iniquity of Eli’s house shall not be atoned for by sacrifice or offering forever” (1 Samuel 3:14, ESV). These are some of the heaviest words in Scripture. No sacrifice will cover this. The judgment is final. But we should be clear. This is not a statement about eternal damnation. The text does not tell us the eternal fate of Eli or his sons. The judgment is about their priestly role. Their family line will be cut off. The office will be stripped away. This is a generational consequence, not an eternal one. It is devastating, but deliberate.

God is holy. He will not allow His sanctuary to be desecrated or His name to be mocked. He will not let leaders overlook sin under the pretense of compassion. Eli had served faithfully in many ways, but he failed to protect what was sacred. He honored his sons more than he feared the Lord, and judgment followed.

This should cause us to examine ourselves. Do we excuse sin in our homes or churches under the label of kindness? Do we confuse grace with leniency? When God convicts us, do we respond with repentance, or do we defend what we should confront?

Leadership comes with responsibility. Influence requires vigilance. When we tolerate sin where we’ve been given authority, we risk falling into Eli’s error. This is not a cruel word. It is a holy one. God’s judgment is never rash. It is just. It is purposeful. As Lancelot Andrewes once preached, the faithful do not resist God’s discipline. They receive it.

And we must not forget: God’s judgment is real, but so is His mercy. He does not delight in condemnation. He longs for repentance. The door of grace is open to those who return in humility. But it will not stay open forever. The Word of the Lord will not always wait.

IV. A Difficult Message (1 Samuel 3:15–18)  

Verse 15 says, “Samuel lay until morning; then he opened the doors of the house of the LORD. And Samuel was afraid to tell the vision to Eli” (1 Samuel 3:15, ESV).

Samuel was right to be afraid. He had to deliver a word of judgment to the man who had raised him, taught him, prayed for him, and just hours earlier, guided him to hear God’s voice. It is one thing to receive God’s Word. It is another to speak it, especially when it wounds someone you care about.

Then Eli calls to him, “Samuel, my son.” And he said, “Here I am” (1 Samuel 3:16, ESV). There is tenderness in Eli’s voice, but also urgency. He presses further: “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” (1 Samuel 3:17, ESV). Eli is not asking for interpretation or comfort. He wants the truth. The full Word of the Lord, without edits or filters.

And Samuel obeys. “So Samuel told him everything and hid nothing from him” (1 Samuel 3:18, ESV). Despite his youth and fear, Samuel speaks every word. He passes his first test as a prophet. He does not hold back. He does not soften the message. He is faithful. Paul would later echo this posture in Acts 20:27: “For I did not shrink from declaring to you the whole counsel of God”(ESV). Samuel, even as a boy, does the same.

Then Eli responds: “It is the LORD. Let him do what seems good to him” (1 Samuel 3:18, ESV). These words reveal a man resigned to God’s justice. Eli does not argue. He does not blame the messenger. He receives the word as coming from God. Though Eli’s failures remain, his final response is striking. He surrenders. He does not deny what he knows to be true. He bows before the judgment of God. This is the posture of someone who understands that God’s justice is right, even when it is painful.

So we must ask ourselves: Are we willing to speak the truth, even when it costs us? When God gives us a word of correction or warning, will we deliver it with courage, love, and honesty? And just as important, can we receive truth with humility? Can we say, like Eli, “It is the LORD”? The real test of faith is not how we respond to comfort, but how we respond to correction.

There will be moments when God’s Word puts you in a hard position. You may need to confront, confess, or speak what others do not want to hear. In those moments, remember this story. Be faithful like Samuel, willing to speak the whole word. Be humble like Eli, willing to receive it. We need both the courage to speak and the humility to listen.

Conclusion:

As we come to the end of our passage this moring we read that “Samuel grew, and the LORD was with him and let none of his words fall to the ground” (1 Samuel 3:19). The silence of verse 1 is now broken. God appears again. Revelation, once rare, is now restored. But more than that, it is personal, “The LORD revealed himself to Samuel by the word of the LORD”  (v. 21). Samuel does not merely deliver information; he embodies communion with God. His life becomes a vessel of ongoing revelation.

But the story of Samuel doesn’t stop with Samuel. It points forward. Hebrews 1:1–2 tells us that though God once spoke through prophets, “in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son.” While Samuel announced God’s Word. Jesus is the Word. Samuel stood in contrast to corrupt priests. Jesus is the perfect High Priest.  Where Samuel feared to deliver judgment, Jesus bore judgement for us. Where Samuel ministered near the ark, Jesus is our mercy seat. He is the Prophet we have been waiting for, the Word made flesh, full of grace and truth.

So now, the question turns to us: Do we still hunger for the voice of God? Do we treasure the Word in our homes, our pulpits, our hearts? God still speaks. Not through dreams in the night, but through Scripture, through the Spirit, through His church. Like Samuel, we are called to listen. To obey. To speak truth with courage and to live with integrity.

Let us echo Samuel’s words, not just with our mouths, but with our lives: “Speak, Lord, for your servant hears.” And may the Word of God never be rare among us. Because the silence is over. And the Word has come. His name is Jesus. Will you hear Him and obey?

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Daily Devotionals:

Monday: When God’s Word Is Rare

Scripture: 

“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.” 1 Samuel 3:1

Devotional:

In Samuel’s day, the Word of the Lord had become rare. It wasn’t that God had changed or lost His voice. It was that people had stopped listening. The rituals of religion continued, but the relationship had grown cold. The priests were corrupt, and spiritual blindness had crept in from the top down. In that silence, God began again with a boy, not a priest. This tells us something crucial: God speaks to those who are ready to hear.

Our culture is flooded with noise: social media, endless news, opinion overload. We have Scripture at our fingertips, yet for many, God’s voice still feels distant. Perhaps we need to ask: are we listening? Or have we become like Israel, busy with religious routine but deaf to divine instruction?

God’s Word is still alive. Still powerful. Still speaking. But it demands our attention and our humility. Samuel was near, willing, and teachable. That is what God used. And that is what He is still looking for today.

Reflection Questions:

1. When was the last time you truly listened for God’s voice?

2. How can you guard against spiritual routine becoming empty habit?

3. What might God be saying that you have been too distracted to hear?

Prayer:

Lord, help me not to take Your Word for granted. Give me ears to hear, a heart to respond, and the courage to act. Where I have ignored Your voice, forgive me. Make me teachable again. Speak, Lord. Your servant is listening. Amen.

Tuesday: Learning to Listen

Scripture: 

“At that time Eli, whose eyesight had begun to grow dim so that he could not see, was lying down in his own place. 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. Then the Lord called Samuel, and he said, ‘Here I am!’ and ran to Eli and said, ‘Here I am, for you called me.’ But he said, ‘I did not call; lie down again.’ So he went and lay down. And the Lord called again, ‘Samuel!’ and Samuel arose and went to Eli and said, ‘Here I am, for you called me.’ But he said, ‘I did not call, my son; lie down again.’ Now Samuel did not yet know the Lord, and the word of the Lord had not yet been revealed to him. 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. 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. And the Lord came and stood, calling as at other times, ‘Samuel! Samuel!’ And Samuel said, ‘Speak, for your servant hears.'” – 1 Samuel 3:2-10

Devotional:

Samuel heard the voice of God, but he didn’t recognize it at first. He mistook it for Eli’s voice, not once, but three times. It took the insight of an aging priest to help a young servant recognize God’s call. That exchange says something timeless: even the called need help learning to listen.

Many of us are eager to follow God’s will but unsure of how to discern His voice. We mistake it for our own thoughts or for someone else’s opinion. That doesn’t mean we’re unfaithful. It means we’re growing. God is patient with us in the process. He speaks again and again until we learn to hear.

And for those of us further along, like Eli, there is a calling too: to guide others into recognition. You don’t have to be perfect to help someone else hear God. You just have to be willing. Samuel needed Eli. Your wisdom might be the key someone else needs to unlock their calling.

Reflection Questions:

1. Have you ever mistaken God’s voice for something else?

2. Who has helped you discern God’s leading in your life?

3. Who might God be asking you to guide in their journey?

Prayer:

Father, teach me to hear You clearly. When I am confused, surround me with wise voices. When I am sure, keep me humble. Help me guide others gently, and never stop speaking until I respond. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Wednesday: A Shocking Word

Scripture: 

“Then the Lord said to Samuel, ‘Behold, I am about to do a thing in Israel at which the two ears of everyone who hears it will tingle. On that day I will fulfill against Eli all that I have spoken concerning his house, from beginning to end. And I declare to him that I am about to punish his house forever, for the iniquity that he knew, because his sons were blaspheming God, and he did not restrain them. Therefore I swear to the house of Eli that the iniquity of Eli’s house shall not be atoned for by sacrifice or offering forever.'” – 1 Samuel 3:11-14

Devotional:

When Samuel finally hears God’s message, it isn’t comforting. It’s a word of judgment against the house of Eli. The ears of the nation would tingle not from joy but from horror. God was acting because sin had gone unrestrained, even by those meant to uphold holiness.

This kind of word is difficult. We want God to speak blessing, not rebuke. But when sin spreads unchecked, silence becomes complicity. Eli knew what his sons were doing, and though he warned them, he failed to stop them. The result? God judged the entire household.

It reminds us that holiness matters. Leadership matters. Our choices affect more than just ourselves. God is merciful, but He is also just. He will not allow His name or His people to be dishonored forever. So the question is: what are we tolerating that we should confront?

Reflection Questions:

1. Are there areas in your life or leadership where sin is being tolerated?

2. How do you distinguish between mercy and enabling?

3. What does this passage teach you about the weight of responsibility?

Prayer:

Holy God, search my heart. Show me where I have been silent when I should have spoken, passive when I should have acted. Let Your justice wake me up, but let Your mercy draw me close. Keep me faithful, even in hard truths. Amen.

Thursday: The Courage to Speak

Scripture: 

“Samuel lay until morning; then he opened the doors of the house of the Lord. And Samuel was afraid to tell the vision to Eli. But Eli called Samuel and said, ‘Samuel, my son.’ And he said, ‘Here I am.’ 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.’ 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.'” – 1 Samuel 3:15-18

Devotional:

Samuel was afraid to deliver God’s message. Can you blame him? Eli was his mentor, maybe like a father. And now he had to tell him that judgment was coming. But Samuel obeyed. He spoke every word. No edits. No avoidance. That is what faithfulness looks like.

It takes courage to speak hard truth. Especially to those we love or respect. But if God gives us a word, silence is not an option. Samuel passed his first prophetic test not by being eloquent, but by being obedient. And Eli, to his credit, received the word without resentment.

Sometimes we are Samuel, called to speak. Sometimes we are Eli, called to listen. In both cases, humility is essential. God honors truth spoken in love and truth received in surrender. This is how growth happens. This is how the church stays holy.

Reflection Questions:

1. When have you had to speak a hard truth?

2. Are you more often in the role of Samuel or Eli?

3. What helps you receive correction with humility?

Prayer:

God, give me the courage to speak what You say, even when it’s hard. And give me the grace to receive correction when I need it. Let both truth and love guide my words and my responses. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Friday: A Life That Speaks

Scripture:

“And Samuel grew, and the Lord was with him and let none of his words fall to the ground.” –  1 Samuel 3:19

Devotional:

The silence is broken. God is speaking again. And Samuel is the one He chooses. Verse 19 says, “The Lord was with him and let none of his words fall to the ground.” That is the mark of a prophet: not just receiving words, but living them out with integrity.

Samuel’s life became a vessel for God’s presence. What he said mattered because who he was matched what he spoke. His words had weight, not because of eloquence, but because of alignment. When you walk closely with God, your voice carries authority.

The world doesn’t need more noise. It needs voices of truth that reflect a life of faithfulness. Let your words be shaped by time in God’s presence. Let your life back up what you say. Like Samuel, may none of your words fall to the ground.

Reflection Questions:

1. What makes a person’s words trustworthy?

2. How can you grow in integrity between your words and actions?

3. Who in your life lives like Samuel: faithful, steady, honest?

Prayer:

Lord, I want my life and my words to match. Let Your Spirit shape me so that what I say reflects who You are. Keep me faithful, even in small things. Let my words be few, but full of truth. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Saturday: The Word Became Flesh

Scripture: 

“Long ago, at many times and in many ways, God spoke to our fathers by the prophets, 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.” – Hebrews 1:1-2

Devotional:

Samuel was a prophet who spoke God’s Word. But Jesus is the Word made flesh. Hebrews reminds us that while God once spoke through prophets, now He has spoken through His Son. Jesus is not just the messenger. He is the message.

Samuel served near the ark. Jesus is our mercy seat. Samuel announced judgment. Jesus bore it. Samuel heard the Word. Jesus is the Word. Everything Samuel foreshadowed, Jesus fulfilled. If Samuel teaches us how to listen, Jesus teaches us whom to listen to.

So the invitation is not just to hear, but to follow. Not just to read the Word, but to be shaped by the One who embodies it. The silence is over. The Word has come. His name is Jesus. Will you hear Him and obey?

Reflection Questions:

1. What does it mean that Jesus is the Word of God?

2. How do you hear Him today: through Scripture, Spirit, and community?

3. What step of obedience is God calling you to take?

Prayer:

Jesus, You are the living Word. Teach me to know You, to hear You, and to follow You. Let my life be shaped by Your truth and filled with Your grace. I surrender to Your voice. Speak, Lord. I am listening. Amen.