awoke from sleep in the middle of the night because he heard
his name called out loud. He assumed it was the voice of Eli,
the priest in charge of the temple, who resided in separate
quarters. Because the voice was audible and so real, the boy
got out of bed and approached Eli to ask why he had called out
to him. Eli had not called for the boy and told him to go back to
bed. But after Samuel came to him two more times, Eli realized
this phenomenon could, in fact, be God talking to the child. So
Eli instructed Samuel to go back to his room and listen carefully
for the voice—telling him that God would talk to him.
This would be intense pressure on a young boy who was
dedicated to temple service by his praying mother, don’t you
think? He was not an adult, a leader, a seasoned temple worker,
or even the son of the head temple priest—he was just a child.
In obedience, though, Samuel returned alone to his room, and
upon hearing the voice again, he listened to God talk to him.
The next morning, the child told Eli exactly what God had said,
holding nothing back. It was a most serious message with
disastrous consequences for Eli and his sons, who had been
negligent in their priestly duties, even shaming God’s name.
From that moment forward, God used Samuel continually to
speak directly on His behalf to the nation of Israel, its leaders
and followers, who very often seemed oblivious or rebellious
to the voice of God.
But we should take notice that it was as a child that Samuel
developed the ability to differentiate between God’s voice and
his own thoughts or the voices of others.
Hearing God talk is not dependent upon age or gender,
education or perceived personal worth.
God talks to anyone—whether a child, a parent, people who