A boy lay sleeping in the house of God when a voice called his name in the night. He woke and raced to find the old priest who had been watching over him, thinking that he had summoned him. But the old man had not called. He sent the boy back to bed, and the same thing happened again. And again. Three times during the night a young child was awakened by the voice of God.
That boy was Samuel, and the voice was God's. He would grow up to be one of the most important prophets in Israel and anoint the first two kings of the nation. Everything began when a small boy simply listened.
A Mother's Prayer
Samuel's story starts long before he answered God's call. It began with his mother Hannah. Desperate to have a child she prayed to God, promising to give him a son if her prayers were answered. Hannah's husband Elkanah loved her, but she was made to feel very small by his other wife, one who had children but treated Hannah cruelly. Hannah prayed to God in a temple, but the old priest Eli accused her of being drunk, thinking that her tears were due to drunkenness.
However, Hannah explained to Eli that she was sorrowful because her prayers had not been heard. Eli blessed her and told her to go, and Hannah soon had a son and named him Samuel, signifying that she had asked the Lord for him.
Hannah wept and prayed so silently and intensely that the priest Eli mistook her grief for drunkenness. Her prayer for a child would be answered — and the child's life would change Israel.
Left with God
Samuel's mother did not forget her promise, and so, when her son was old enough, she took him to Eli in the house of God and told him that she had kept her vow and that he would look after the child. Hannah said that she gave Samuel to the Lord for as long as he lived.
This was not as easy as it sounds. Hannah had to leave her beloved Samuel, whom she had longed for and raised to be old enough to wean. However, she had great faith in God and so shepherded him to Eli and asked that he be lent to him for as long as he lived. Hannah sang a song to God and praised him for answering her prayers. Her song is similar to one which would be sung centuries later by Jesus' mother, Mary. Samuel was raised in the house of God and served there, wearing a little garment that Hannah made him and brought to him every year when his parents came up to the house of God. So Samuel grew up, serving God with all his heart.
Sad Times for Israel
The times were not easy for Israel or for Samuel. The Bible tells us that the word of the Lord was rare and that there were not many visions. There is some sadness in these words, for it seems that God was far away from his people.
Eli's sons, who served as priests, were wicked men and abused their positions. This does not seem to have upset Eli, despite the fact that he served as their father and should have tried to stop them. It seems that Israel needed a new kind of faith. Perhaps this is why God chose to speak through a small boy. Perhaps God wanted to create something special and new and chose Samuel and his simple faith to begin again.
Talking to God in the Night
Samuel was sleeping in the house of the Lord one night when he heard a voice calling him. He went to find Eli, thinking that it was him who had called, but the old priest told him to return to his bed. Samuel did this, but the voice soon returned. This happened a second time, and Samuel came again but Eli sent him back. The third time this happened, Eli realized that it was the Lord who was calling Samuel and warned him.
Eli told Samuel to go and lie down and if the Lord called again to say, "Speak, Lord, for your servant is listening." Samuel did as he was told and lay down. The Lord spoke to Samuel that night and told him that he would bring judgment upon Eli's family because of what his sons had done. Samuel had never spoken to Eli about his family before and so was surprised when the Lord gave him this message. It must have been strange for the young boy to have such a message, but he told Eli what the Lord had said when morning came. Eli accepted this and told Samuel to speak, for he knew it was the Lord. Samuel learned a great lesson that night and from then on was known to be a true prophet of God, for he spoke to people of the things that the Lord said to him.
Three times the voice of God called Samuel's name in the night. Three times he ran to Eli. The third time, Eli understood, and Samuel lay down and answered: 'Speak, Lord, for your servant is listening.'
A Great Prophet
From then on, Samuel grew up, and God was with him. The Bible tells us that the Lord was with Samuel as he grew up, and he did not disappoint the Lord, for none of his words fell to the ground. This means that whatever Samuel said to the people always came true, so they knew he was a true prophet of God. The whole of Israel knew of this young prophet and believed in him. He became an important figure in Israel and helped to rule the country. Israel needed a new kind of faith, and Samuel provided it. He was one of the most important prophets of the Lord and helped anoint the first kings of Israel. He would go on to be a judge of Israel.
A Sad End for Eli
The sad news that Samuel delivered to Eli was not long in coming. Israel and the Philistines were waging war, and Israel took the Ark of the Lord into battle. Unfortunately, it was not successful, for the Philistines defeated Israel and took the Ark of God. They also killed Eli's sons, Hophni and Phinehas, on the same day.
When word arrived in Shiloh, where Eli was waiting, he fell backwards onto his chair and died. When his daughter-in-law, the wife of Samuel, heard the sad news, she went into labor and had a son. She called him Ichabod, saying that the glory had left Israel because the Ark of God had been taken and Eli and her husband had died. This was a sad time for Israel and Samuel, but it marked the end of one era and the beginning of another. Samuel became the trusted judge and prophet of Israel, guiding the country and helping it to find faith again.
In a single day Israel lost the battle, Eli's sons died, and the Ark of God was captured. When Eli heard the news in Shiloh, he fell from his seat and died. The era of one judge ended, and Samuel's began.
What Can We Learn from Samuel?
The story of Samuel teaches us several important lessons. It teaches us that the Lord can use anyone he chooses, even small boys. Samuel was a boy when God spoke to him, and he became a great prophet. He told the Israelites of the things the Lord said to him, helping the nation to find faith. He delivered messages to great men such as Saul, Israel's first king, and helped anoint David, Israel's most famous king. These things could not have happened if Samuel had not responded to God when he called him. We can learn from Samuel's example that we should obey the Lord and respond to him when he speaks to us. God has a message for all of us, and like Samuel, we should say, "Speak, Lord, for your servant is listening."
Samuel's story also teaches us about listening to the Lord. Samuel lived in an age when the Lord seemed far from his people, but he obeyed and followed his commands, being faithful and serving the Lord despite the discouraging times. Samuel taught Israel the importance of being faithful and served the Lord with all his heart. In the end, it was Samuel who guided Israel through a troubled period in its history and helped it to find a new faith.
