9th.: Samuel first hears the Lord
To keep her promise to God,
Hannah left her son, Samuel, at the tabernacle on loan to the Lord.
There, “the child Samuel ministered unto the Lord, before Eli [the high priest, and Samuel’s new guardian]” (1st Sam. 3:1a).
One night,
“... Samuel was laid down to sleep, that the Lord called Samuel. And he answered, ‘Here am I.’ and he ran unto Eli, and said, ‘Here am I’ for thou called me.” (1st Sam. 3:3c-5a).
Samuel heard a voice calling him. He ran to Eli.
Samuel had not recognized the Lord’s voice.
“And the Lord called yet again, ‘Samuel’. And Samuel arose, and went to Eli, and said, ‘Here am I, for thou did call me.’”. (1st Sam. 3:6a-b).
Samuel still did not recognize God’s voice.
“And the Lord called Samuel again the third time. And he arose, and went to Eli, and said, ‘Here am I, for thou did call me.
And Eli perceived that the Lord had called the child. 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 hears.’” (1st Sam. 4:8-9).
“And the Lord came, and stood, and called as at other times, ‘Samuel, Samuel’. Then Samuel answered, ‘Speak for thy servant hears.’” (1st Sam. 3:10).
Eli simply told Samuel to stay where he was, when he was called, and say that he was ready to listen.
Likewise, we must learn to recognize the Lord’s voice, and be ready to listen, when the Lord speaks to us.
Out of heaven he made thee to hear his voice. (Deut. 4:36a)