The Voice of God-Part 2
Posted By on Saturday, March 05, 2016
We have here the word precious. The word “precious” means today what it did not mean some 400 years ago when the Bible was translated. Today we would express the very same thought by “scarce.” The word of the Lord was scarce, or unusual or rare would be another good synonym, in those days; there was no open vision. That is to say, there was no public revelation.
God did not speak to the people of Israel at that time except under very, very rare circumstances. The reason was God did not have a channel, a man through whom to speak, so He raised up Samuel.
“It came to pass at that time, when Eli was laid down in his place, and his eyes began to wax dim, that he could not see; And ere the lamp of God went out in the temple of the Lord, where the ark of God was, and 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 you called me. And he said, I called not; lie down again. And he went and lay down.” I Samuel 3:2-5
Notice something also in passing. Samuel here was a little boy serving in the temple. He heard the voice of the Lord, which he did not recognize. He heard his name being called, but he did not recognize the fact that God, by His Spirit, was calling Samuel. So we are told he answered, “Here am I.”
“And he ran unto Eli, and said, Here am I; for you called me.” He mistook the voice of the Lord for the voice of Eli. Today too, as God speaks (and God speaks), it is possible to mistake the voice of the Lord for another voice. We are coming into this area, this evening.
“And the Lord called yet again, Samuel. And Samuel arose and went to Eli, and said, Here am I; for you did call me. And he answered, I called not, my son; lie down again. Now Samuel did not yet know the Lord, neither was the word of the Lord yet revealed to him.” I Samuel 3:6-7
God did not speak to the people of Israel at that time except under very, very rare circumstances. The reason was God did not have a channel, a man through whom to speak, so He raised up Samuel.
“It came to pass at that time, when Eli was laid down in his place, and his eyes began to wax dim, that he could not see; And ere the lamp of God went out in the temple of the Lord, where the ark of God was, and 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 you called me. And he said, I called not; lie down again. And he went and lay down.” I Samuel 3:2-5
Notice something also in passing. Samuel here was a little boy serving in the temple. He heard the voice of the Lord, which he did not recognize. He heard his name being called, but he did not recognize the fact that God, by His Spirit, was calling Samuel. So we are told he answered, “Here am I.”
“And he ran unto Eli, and said, Here am I; for you called me.” He mistook the voice of the Lord for the voice of Eli. Today too, as God speaks (and God speaks), it is possible to mistake the voice of the Lord for another voice. We are coming into this area, this evening.
“And the Lord called yet again, Samuel. And Samuel arose and went to Eli, and said, Here am I; for you did call me. And he answered, I called not, my son; lie down again. Now Samuel did not yet know the Lord, neither was the word of the Lord yet revealed to him.” I Samuel 3:6-7
.