God heard and answered her prayer, giving her a son whom she named Samuel. In Hebrew, that name means asked or heard of God.
When Samuel was old enough, Hannah kept her promise to God and sent Samuel to go and serve in the temple.
One night, while Samuel was sleeping, he was woken by a voice calling his name. He ran to the room of old Eli the priest to see what he needed. Eli says, "I didn't call you. Go back to bed." Samuel obeys and, just as he's falling asleep, the voice comes again, "Samuel, Samuel." Again, Samuel runs to the side of his elderly master. Eli then realizes God is calling Samuel, tells Samuel to go lie down again and wait for God to speak.
And the Lord came, and stood, and called as at other times, Samuel, Samuel. Then Samuel answered, Speak; for thy servant heareth (1 Samuel 3:10).
Samuel was born because his mother's whispered prayer was heard of God. Now, this boy she gave back to the LORD was learning to hear God speak.
There is an important aspect of Samuel's character revealed in 1 Samuel 3 that could be easily overlooked. Samuel's mother sent him to serve in the temple, to keep her vow to the LORD. Hannah probably told him at a very young age what a blessing he was to her, an answer to her prayers. She would have told him of the promise she made to the LORD regarding him, her beloved son and prepared him for a life of service to the LORD. When Samuel heard his name called in the middle of the night, there was no hesitation. He immediately ran to his master's side. When his master told him it was God calling, there was no hesitation in his response to the LORD.
"Speak; for thy servant heareth."
This isn't a "Yeah. I hear you" type of response. It is more like "O LORD, I am your servant. Please tell me what you want to say. I will hear, I will remember and I will obey."
It is not enough to simply hear the Word of the LORD. He requires us to act upon what He says.
Jesus said, "Yea rather, blessed are they that hear the word of God, and keep it" (Luke 11:28).
Through His servant Moses, God gave this directive...
Now these are the commandments, the statutes, and the judgments, which the Lord your God commanded to teach you, that ye might do them... (Deuteronomy 6:1).
It is not enough to hear what God says. We also need to DO what He says.
Samuel obviously cared for and respected old Eli the priest, as seen by his response to what he though was his master's call in the middle of the night. When Samuel responded to the LORD, "Speak; for thy servant heareth," he was given some devastating news of God's coming judgement upon Eli and his wicked sons. Samuel didn't balk, he didn't argue or plead with God. He simply heard and accepted: God has spoken. So be it.
When God wants to say something to us, do we respond in the same way? Do we immediately say, "Speak; for thy servant heareth," or do we say, "Well, maybe later," or "Yeah, I know You said that, but..."
Remember, Jesus said, "Yea rather, blessed are they that hear the word of God, and keep it" (Luke 11:28).
So, how does He want us to respond when He calls and wants to tell us something?
Speak; for thy servant heareth.
{Daily Selah} is a mini-devotional, a pause to ponder about the Lord and how He wants us to live.
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