At a time when Samuel was still a young boy, he lived in the temple of the Lord. He helped a priest named Eli, who was very old. Samuel’s mother had given him to God so that he could serve the Lord throughout his life.
One night, when it was already quite dark, Samuel was lying in his bed and sleeping. Suddenly he heard a voice calling his name: “Samuel! Samuel!” Samuel got up and ran to Eli. “Here I am! You called me,” Samuel said.
Eli looked at him in amazement and said, “I didn’t call you. Go back and lie down again.” So Samuel went back and went to bed.
But then he heard the voice a second time: “Samuel! Samuel!” Again Samuel jumped out of bed and ran to Eli: “Here I am, for you have called me!” But Eli shook his head: “I didn’t call you, my boy. Go and lie down again.”
Samuel went back to bed. Then God called out a third time, “Samuel!” Samuel got up again, went to Eli, and said, “Here I am, for you have called me.”
Then Eli understood that the Lord was calling the boy. Eli said to Samuel: “Go and lie down again. If you hear the voice again, answer, ‘Speak, Lord, for your servant hears.'”
Samuel went back, lay down and waited. Then the Lord came and cried out as before: “Samuel! Samuel!” Samuel answered, “Speak, Lord, for your servant hears.”
God spoke to Samuel and told him important things that Samuel should tell Eli. The Lord had a special assignment for Samuel, and he would later become a great prophet in Israel.
Samuel always listened to God’s voice from that day on, and he did what the Lord told him to do. People throughout Israel knew that Samuel was a particularly faithful servant of God.
Message of history
God speaks to us, and we too can listen to His voice. No matter how small or big we are, God has a special task for each of us.
Bible passage
The story of Samuel hearing God’s voice is found in 1 Samuel 3:1-10:
“And the boy Samuel served the Lord before Eli. And the word of the Lord was rare in those days; no revelation broke through. 2 Now it came to pass that at that time, while Eli was lying in his place, his eyes had begun to grow weak, so that he could no longer see, 3 and the lamp of God had not yet gone out, and Samuel was lying in the temple of the Lord, where the ark of God was, 4 and the Lord called Samuel. But he answered, “Here I am!” 5 And he ran to Eli and said, “Here I am, you have called me.” But he said, “I have not called; lie down again! And he went and lay down again. 6 Then the Lord cried again, “Samuel!” And Samuel got up and went to Eli and said, “Here I am, you have called me.” But he said, “I have not called, my son; lie down again! 7 But Samuel did not yet know the Lord, and the word of the Lord had not yet been revealed to him. 8 Then the Lord called Samuel again, for the third time. And he got up and went to Eli and said, “Here I am, you have called me.” Then Eli realized that the LORD was calling the boy. 9 So Eli said to Samuel, “Go, go to sleep; and when he calls you, say, ‘Speak, O Lord, for your servant hears.’ Samuel went and lay down in his place. 10 Then the Lord came and went and cried out as before, “Samuel, Samuel!” And Samuel said, “Speak, for your servant hears.”
