“Now the boy Samuel ministered to the Lord before Eli. And the word of the Lord was rare in those days; there was no widespread revelation.” 1 Samuel 3:1
God had planned on birthing, calling, and using the prophet Samuel. Here in 1 Samuel 3 we get the true context to which he was born… it was a time where those who were truly hearing and responding to the Lord was RARE. The text goes on to say “there was no widespread revelation” meaning when it came to the majority, they may have thought they heard from God but truly the revelation from God was not widespread.
Any man of God, like Moses when Joshua came and told him that there were some who were prophesying who was not with them, and asked if he should tell them to stop, I love Moses’ response. He said, “Oh that all Israel would prophesy.” That was Moses’ heart. He truly wanted that to happen but for Moses, he knew what it genuinely meant to speak for the Lord. He knew that it wasn’t a feeling or some random act someone did because they thought it was a good idea, but he knew it was the process of the Holy Spirit moving one of His kids and tapping into the sword of the Spirit which is God’s Word and speaking to His people and others through a human mouthpiece. As it was in Samuel’s day, as it was in Moses’ day, so it is in our day, “the word of the Lord was rare in those days; there was no widespread revelation.”
Here is a list from our past study of those who I believe from scripture hear from God:
1.) Who Does God Speak To? Those with child-like excitement (Luke 18:17)
2.) When Did God Speak? When One Is Ministering To The Lord Not Just For The Lord (Acts 13:2)
3.) Where Did The Lord Speak? Where His Kids Were Gathered Together (Psalm 133)
4.) Why Did God Speak To Samuel? He was willing to respond and had tenderness and grace toward Eli to whom the message
would be delivered.
As Jesus said in the book of Revelation, church, may “you have ears to hear what the Spirit of God is saying to the churches.”
May God lead you this week to be a child of God that can hear and respond to God’s voice.
By His Spirit,
Pastor Bill