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1 Samuel 3:1-20

¹ Now the boy Samuel was serving the LORD under Eli. The LORD’s word was rare at that time, and visions weren’t widely known. ² One day Eli, whose eyes had grown so weak he was unable to see, was lying down in his room. ³ God’s lamp hadn’t gone out yet, and Samuel was lying down in the LORD’s temple, where God’s chest was. ⁴ The LORD called to Samuel. “I’m here,” he said. ⁵ Samuel hurried to Eli and said, “I’m here. You called me?” “I didn’t call you,” Eli replied. “Go lie down.” So he did. ⁶ Again the LORD called Samuel, so Samuel got up, went to Eli, and said, “I’m here. You called me?” “I didn’t call, my son,” Eli replied. “Go and lie down.” ⁷ (Now Samuel didn’t yet know the LORD, and the LORD’s word hadn’t yet been revealed to him.) ⁸ A third time the LORD called Samuel. He got up, went to Eli, and said, “I’m here. You called me?” Then Eli realized that it was the LORD who was calling the boy. ⁹ So Eli said to Samuel, “Go and lie down. If he calls you, say, ‘Speak, LORD. Your servant is listening.’” So Samuel went and lay down where he’d been. ¹⁰ Then the LORD came and stood there, calling just as before, “Samuel, Samuel!” Samuel said, “Speak. Your servant is listening.” ¹¹ The LORD said to Samuel, “I am about to do something in Israel that will make the ears of all who hear it tingle! ¹² On that day, I will bring to pass against Eli everything I said about his household—every last bit of it! ¹³ I told him that I would punish his family forever because of the wrongdoing he knew about—how his sons were cursing God, but he wouldn’t stop them. ¹⁴ Because of that I swore about Eli’s household that his family’s wrongdoing will never be reconciled by sacrifice or by offering.” ¹⁵ Samuel lay there until morning, then opened the doors of the LORD’s house. Samuel was afraid to tell the vision to Eli. ¹⁶ But Eli called Samuel, saying: “Samuel, my son!” “I’m here,” Samuel said. ¹⁷ “What did he say to you?” Eli asked. “Don’t hide anything from me. May God deal harshly with you and worse still if you hide from me a single word from everything he said to you.” ¹⁸ So Samuel told him everything and hid nothing from him. “He is the LORD,” Eli said. “He will do as he pleases.” ¹⁹ So Samuel grew up, and the LORD was with him, not allowing any of his words to fail. ²⁰ All Israel from Dan to Beer-sheba knew that Samuel was trustworthy as the LORD’s prophet.

We need a prophet badly. . . . “The word of the Lord was rare in those days; visions were not widespread.” While young Samuel appears unprepared to hear from the Lord, it seems no one has heard from God lately. The challenge for young Samuel is to determine that it is God, not his mentor Eli, who is calling him. Three times the Lord calls to Samuel; each time Samuel runs to Eli. With Eli’s dulled spiritual sensitivity, he does not perceive who is calling. The third time is the charm. Eli realizes the Lord is calling Samuel. Only then does he provide the young boy with a suitable response.
Not all of us expect to hear from the Lord. We hear what we are conditioned to hear. We make mistakes at times because we fail to listen or to understand the messages we receive. Sometimes through fear or impatience we block out the messages altogether. We can recall instances of missed or garbled communications in our personal and professional lives—sometimes with painful consequences.
Though Samuel misunderstands God’s call to him, he remains responsive to the persistent voice. The elder Eli offers some sage advice to his protégé, using words to this effect: “When you hear the voice again, listen carefully and engage it.” Samuel follows the advice only to hear bad news for the house of Eli. Message received, message delivered. Eli acknowledges this word from the Lord. We too would do well to slow down, listen intently, and seek to hear what our initiating God is saying to us.

May I never forget that it is you, God, who takes the initiative. Teach me to slow down, listen more intently, and seek understanding before acting on what I think I have heard. May I be open and receptive to your calls to me. Amen.

Rece las Escrituras usando Leccionario en Audio
Leer John 1:43-51

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Leccionario Semanal

January 8–14, 2018

Resumen de la Escritura

We read the stories of Samuel and the calling of Jesus’ disciples in John, and it is easy to feel jealous. God spoke so directly into their lives that they should have had, it seems to us, full and unwavering confidence in their calling. Didn’t they have an unfair spiritual advantage over us? However, the psalmist reminds us that God knows and sees us individually just as well as God knew Samuel and Jesus knew his disciples. God has plans for us, even if they are revealed in less obvious ways. The reading from Corinthians is quite different in its message. Perhaps we can at least recognize that even if we never hear God’s audible voice, through scripture God still provides guidance for our lives.

Preguntas para la reflexión

• Read 1 Samuel 3:1-20. In what ways do you remain responsive to hearing God’s voice?
• Read Psalm 139:1-6, 13-18. What sense of God’s involvement in your everyday life do you have?
• Read 1 Corinthians 6:12-20. How do you remind yourself of the spirit–body connection?
• Read John 1:43-51. When have you allowed prejudice to affect your decision about a person’s competency?

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1 Samuel 3:1-20

John 1:43-51

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