Bible Passage: 1 Samuel 3:1-21

In my family, my parents taught me not to answer a call right away unless I see a person. They believed that sometimes a malevolent spirit could call people. If you respond to that call, it can have serious spiritual ramifications such as death. Once I was having coffee with my friend in Starbucks in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. I heard someone called me by my name. I did not know anyone apart from the friend that I was seeing there. I looked aside to see who it was. Everyone was busy with their own coffee drinks. So, I just ignored it thinking nobody could be calling. I heard my name again, I ignored it. Then I felt a hand on my shoulder. I turned around to find out an old friend from college was standing behind me. Sometimes, we hear someone calling our name in an unexpected time and place. Then, we instinctively ignore that call or just look around to see if someone is calling you.   

In our Bible reading today, we come to learn about a little boy named Samuel. He was serving the Lord in his presence. However, he was far from having a personal experience of hearing God or his word revealed to him. People in Israel had not heard the word of Yahweh for a while. He had rarely spoken to them through visions either. Eli was in the last stretch of his life. On this particular day, Samuel was just done with his mundane routine. His job description included waking up early morning, open the door in the temple, and help Eli perform the daily rituals and prayers.

That evening, he was tired just like any other day. As he made himself comfortable in his bed, Samuel heard his name. It was not unusual, as Eli would call him for some help every day. He was readily available anytime in his service. It made sense to respond to the call as soon as he heard it only to find out Eli never called him. He goes back to bed with drowsy eyes. As he lied down and released his exhaustion, an audible voice like of his mentor Eli called him. Again, he wrapped his cloak and ran to Eli’s room. It baffled Eli that the boy would come to his room again thinking he called him. He sent him back to his bed. This voice came to Samuel the third time for Eli to realize that was from Yahweh himself. Although Samuel had been living in the temple and serving the LORD, he lacked a personal encounter with God until that moment of his calling.

This time, Eli put on an attentive mentor’s hat and told Samuel to respond in a specific way, “Speak Yahweh, because your servant is listening” (v.9). When the enthusiastic and also frightened Samuel heard the voice for the fourth time, he answered the call of Yahweh. Probably Samuel was expecting God to reveal him the wonders of his word. Maybe he was aroused with eagerness to receive some revelation about Israel. Contrarily to his keenness, Yahweh pronounced imminent judgment on his beloved mentor, Eli and his sons. His sons’ blasphemy warranted such a harsh judgment that those ears would tingle when they hear about it. Yahweh made it clear that it could not be reversed at all. Young Samuel felt the heaviness in his chest. His breathing was getting deeper.

My neighbor, Ravi, came from a very conservative Hindu family. He became Christian when he was in college through Campus Crusade for Christ ministry. He started meeting with other mature Christian who helped him in his spiritual journey. As his graduation day was approaching, he felt a sense of calling from God to pastoral ministry. He believed it was a real deal. Much to his parents’ dismay, he went to seminary in South India right after his graduation.

In his seminary years, he longed to hear the same voice once he thought he heard. He wanted to be sure that he was not pursuing the wrong vocation. Talking with fellow seminarians and professors helped him to be in peace with his time in the seminary. Now and then, doubts did creep in his head. He was passing the classes in flying colors. He came to believe he was on the right path under the tutelage of humble and knowledgeable professors.

In the final year of his seminary, he thought he was a qualified person to take a pastoral position in his town. People talked about God talking to them through the Bible. Some would add they hear God in their prayer. He felt he had never experienced God on a personal level. Every time he heard people making such claims, he felt uncomfortable and unqualified to become a pastor. After four years of graduate school, he was not sure of his calling. He thought he did not hear God’s voice but his own in his head. He disqualified himself for the ministry. He opted out of his initial plan and chose to work in a private medical transcription company as a branch manager in the Quality Controller department.

Today in the Bible passage we read, Samuel was living in the temple. In a sense, he was raised in the temple right after weaning. He was actively involved in the temple duties. No one of his age had a privilege to be that close to the ark of God. Yahweh had not revealed his message to him at that point. Even though he was regularly partaking in the temple rituals and worship, he had not experienced intimacy with God. His role was confined to rituals. In the same manner, we come to worship God on a weekly basis in this building. I cannot tell how many of us have been attending the church regularly but have never experienced God on a personal level. It is not enough to have a church experience like young Samuel. Some of us might have heard God calling us with urgency to become a part of his missions. We might have rejected it for various reasons. Some of you might have thought that you do no measure up.

From a human perspective, the young Samuel had bare minimum qualifications to become a prophet in his age. The Jewish historian Josephus tells that Samuel was twelve years when God called him. His naivetéé was so obvious that he could not even differentiate the voice of Eli from Yahweh’s. Yet, God pursued him, not once but four times, to draw his attention. God chose to speak to a child of no prominent status. He was a defenseless and voiceless young boy in the service of Yahweh. He had no influence over daily temple affairs. He had no power to exert his opinion on anything. God chose him and qualified him to be his prophet.

When we look back at Samuel, we find him sleeping not necessarily in the Most Holy place. He was in the adjacent room next to the ark of God. He had knowledge of God but never had a prior spiritual experience with God. He was confused with his calling. With Eli’s help, Samuel waited upon Yahweh for the call. God did call him for the fourth time. Samuel’s response “Here I am; You called me” reveals his willingness to volunteer in the service of Yahweh. God not only called but He was with him to make him one of the great prophets of Israel. He elevated his called man among the Israelites. God reminded them that he cared for them. He gave them a prophet when Yahweh had rarely given them his word or visions for years.

In the meantime, Samuel did not shy away from the responsibilities of his calling. God gave him an enormous task of delivering the message of his imminent judgment on Eli’s family. He failed as a father and priest, which resulted in the blasphemy of Yahweh from his sons. So, the responsibility that came with the acceptance of the call was not easy. As a recipient of the divine message, he had no choice but to pronounce the divine judgment on Eli. We must know that responding to God’s call always comes with a great degree of challenges. The greater the role is, the greater the responsibilities are.

Like my friend Ravi, some of us might have struggled to be sure of our calling. What could give us confidence in our calling? What qualifies us for ministry callings? Ravi did not feel peace or joy even when he was doing well in his new job. He always received glaring employment performance reviews. He got recognition for being one of the best leaders and mentors in the company. He was unsatisfied with all the recognitions and benefits he was receiving from his work. He was financially stable and had a great career ahead of him. However, no one closer to him knew that he was not content inside. He felt something was missing from his life.

He took three-weeks off from his work to spend some time alone. During this time in a group Bible study, he shared he had not experienced joy and peace for some time. The group members knew that Ravi was trained to be a pastor. So, he knew how to correctly exegete the Scripture and where to find those consolatory and promise verses in the Bible. One of the oldest group members told him that there was nothing wrong with doubting the Scripture. Unbelief is what makes people stand against God and his promises.

Most of the group members told him that they had sensed a pastoral heart in him. The old man stressed that Ravi might lack skills in delivering the “perfect” sermons but what matters most in the ministry is the commitment to the gospel and the heart for God’s people, lament, and conviction for the lost. God also does not call each and everyone the same way as he called Samuel, Isaiah, Jeremiah, Peter, or Paul. The first time in years, he felt God affirmed his calling through this group of believers. He experienced peace in his heart after leaving the Bible Study.

The following week, he quit his job and accepted God’s call for the ministry. I want to remind you that God has called each one of us to belong to him as his people (1 Corinthians 7:17). If we are his people, we serve him wherever we are in whatever capacity we have. All are not called to be pastors, missionaries, or Bible teachers. He calls some for a specific task. We need to pay attention to his Spirit. We would not be going around looking for signs or voices. We are called to impact and influence our families, workplace, institutions, and everywhere we go. That is our call, in general.

In his case, God helped Ravi knowing his call through the Bible study group. When God calls us to his ministry, it is not because we are able or skilled. It is his grace alone that he chooses us to use for his purpose. If he has called us, then it is solely his job to enable us and qualify us for that particular task. When you and I sense his call, we willingly should stand on his promises in that holy moment and respond to that call just as Samuel did. How we respond to his calling makes a difference in our lives and the people around us.

Bibliography

1. Arnold, Bill T. 1 & 2 Samuel. The NIV Application Commentary. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2003.
2. Josephus, Flavius, and William Whiston. The Works of Josephus: Complete and Unabridged. Peabody: Hendrickson, 1987.