I was rereading Samuel the other day because it's my favorite story in the Bible. David just rocks, but he isn't what this is about.
1 Samuel 3:1a - The boy Samuel ministered before the Lord under Eli.
Samuel had become a priest under Eli. He ministered before the Lord. He had been dedicated for service to God:
1 Samuel 1:27-28 - I prayed for this child and the Lord has granted me what I asked of him. So now I give him to the Lord. For his whole life he will be given over to the Lord.
His mother had prayed to have a son, promising God to give him to the Lord if He did (1 Samuel 1:11).
Quite a strong beginning. As I kept reading chapter 3 got me to thinking. In it God calls to Samuel. Samuel however thinks it's Eli calling him so he goes to Eli and asks what he needs. Three times this happens, Eli finally realizes God is calling Samuel (1 Samuel 3:1b - In those days the word of the Lord was rare; there were not many visions.) and tells him to answer the Lord next time he speaks.
Somehow Samuel is "ministering before the Lord" and yet does not know or recognize the voice of God! Was Samuel ministering before the Lord, whatever that means, without knowing God? Is it necessary to know exactly what God wants to please Him?
So often I wonder what God wants me to do, I expect Him to have a clean plan laid out for me so that I know I'll be on the path He set out for me. It doesn't seem like Samuel (or most people in the OT) had this expectation. So much in the Old Testament the idea of relating to God on a personal level is reserved for the dozen incredible people we read about like David, Moses, Abraham, yet millions of Hebrews never heard the voice of God, never saw his glory. All they had to go on was what scripture had already been written and what they were taught by the priests. Yet most of the great people for God we read about sprang up from the general population so in some way the people must have been doing pretty well without God's direct voice.
People pleased God without being superstars. David found favor in God while David was still a shepherd. He wasn't doing amazing things but his heart was rooted in God and was for God's glory. He takes on a giant in full confidence because the man had insulted his God and he wasn't going to stand for it. God gets Samuel to anoint David the next king BEFORE all of that happened, David hadn't even proved himself yet.
Do I make a bigger deal out of needing to hear God's voice to please Him than I should? Does God care about me getting it exactly right or is He more interested in my desire to get it right?
