This chapter relates the actual call of Samuel. The reason why Eli was slow to realize that the Lord was speaking to Samuel was that he did not know that voice himself. Though he was a priest and judge, he lacked spiritual discernment. The only time he had heard the Lord speak was through the unnamed prophet who had delivered the dire prophecy in the preceding chapter. That warning is restated here by the Lord to Samuel.
Samuel was reluctant to give the message to his mentor, but when Eli heard it, he was very calm. The Lord had pronounced His will and He will carry it out. Eli was wise enough to realize that he has sinned and would reap a just punishment for what he had done. Surprisingly he did not take steps that show repentance.
Samuel was the first to hear the voice of the Lord in many years. Moses had spoken to God face to face, while Joshua had to rely on the High Priest. None of the other judges heard God’s voice as did Samuel, and none of them had his authority, giftedness and power. That is why the scripture says “none of his words fell to the ground.” It simply means that his prophecies were always true and right. Nothing he said or did was evil. We too are blessed to hear God’s voice because we believers are blessed as was Samuel by the presence of the Holy Spirit. The reason we fail to hear Him is because we do not hear His voice amidst the competing voices of our culture. We must always use the Scriptures as our guide when discerning whose voice is speaking to us for the Lord will never tell us anything that contradicts or denies His revealed Word.
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