The Era of the Judges and the Kingdom of God (10) The Life of God’s Kingdom People: Hearing God

“The boy Samuel ministered before the LORD under Eli. In those days the word of the LORD was rare; there were not many visions. One night Eli, whose eyes were becoming so weak that he could barely see, was lying down in his usual place. The lamp of God had not yet gone out, and Samuel was lying down in the house of the LORD, where the ark of God was. Then the LORD called Samuel. Samuel answered, “Here I am.”” (1 Sam. 3:1-4)
 
Review
We’ve been talking about the kingdom of God through the period of the Judges. The first seven chapters of 1 Samuel describe the final period of the time of the judges. It was right before Israel’s first king was anointed, a time when power and authority were concentrated in the hands of the priests.
In the opening chapters of 1 Samuel, we encounter three types of priests. The first are Hophni and Phinehas, the sons of Eli. Though they served in the tabernacle as priests, they committed serious sins before the Lord. They stole portions of the sacrifices that belonged to God, and they slept with the women who served at the entrance of the tent of meeting.
The Bible tells us the root cause of their wickedness: they didn’t know the Lord. They had knowledge about God as priests, yet they failed to relate that knowledge to their lives. They didn’t experience God personally, and therefore they didn’t truly know Him. Because of that, they lost the fear of God and lived in sin.
From this, we learn the first essential attitude of God’s people in His Kingdom: to know God. This knowledge is not only intellectual but also experiential. We must first come to know who God is through His Word, and then experience His living presence as we obey that Word in our daily lives. It is through both understanding and obedience that we grow in the true knowledge of God.
Last week, we looked at Eli the priest. Eli knew about the evil acts his sons were committing in the tabernacle, yet he didn’t rebuke them severely or discipline them. Scripture tells us the reason: he honored his sons more than he honored God.
Although Eli served in the tabernacle, his highest priority was not God. The ones he loved and honored most were his sons, not the Lord. Because of that misplaced love, he turned a blind eye to their sins. But that choice brought devastating judgment upon both his sons and himself.
From Eli’s example, we learn the second vital attitude of God’s people: to love and honor God above all else. True people of God place are those who put His will above every other priority in life.
This is the right order of love. Our love for others—even for family—must never come before our love for God. Jesus Himself said that unless our love for Him is so great that our love for others seems like hate in comparison, we cannot be His disciples.
That is the lesson we learn from Eli: as God’s people, we must love and honor the Lord above everyone and everything else.
 
Samuel
Today, we’ll look at the life of Samuel—the last judge of Israel, who also served as a priest and a prophet—to learn what it means for God’s people to live under God’s kingship.
Samuel was the first son of a woman named Hannah. Her husband’s name was Elkanah. Hannah had one deep sorrow: though she had been married for a long time, she had no children. Elkanah’s other wife, Peninnah, constantly provoked and mocked Hannah because of her barrenness.
One day, deeply distressed, Hannah went before the tabernacle and wept bitterly as she prayed. And she made this vow to the Lord: “LORD Almighty, if you will only look on your servant’s misery and remember me, and not forget your servant but give her a son, then I will give him to the LORD for all the days of his life, and no razor will ever be used on his head.” (1 Sm 1:11)
Hannah vowed that if God would give her a son, she would dedicate him to the Lord for his entire life. God heard Hannah’s prayer, and soon she conceived and gave birth to a son. That son was Samuel.
Hannah cared for Samuel until he was weaned, and when the time came, she brought him to Eli the priest and said, “I prayed for this child, and the LORD has granted me what I asked of him. So now I give him to the LORD. For his whole life he will be given over to the LORD.” (1 Sm 1:27–28)
 
Samuel’s Growth before the Presence of God
From a very young age, Samuel grew up before the Lord in the tabernacle and began serving Him. “The boy Samuel grew up in the presence of the LORD.” (1 Sm 2:21)
This verse doesn’t simply mean that Samuel grew physically. His growth went beyond age or stature—it included moral and spiritual maturity.
We can see this from the phrase “in the presence of the LORD.” It signifies that Samuel’s life was marked by close fellowship with God. Similar expressions appear repeatedly in the description of his life:
“The boy ministered before the LORD under Eli the priest.” (1 Sm 2:11)
“The boy Samuel continued to grow in stature and in favor with the LORD and with people.” (1 Sm 2:26)
“The LORD was with Samuel as he grew up…” (1 Sm 3:19)
 
These verses refer that Samuel didn’t just grow up in the tabernacle but grew up in deep fellowship with God and in His presence. Samuel’s growth was growth before the Lord. From a young age, he sensed God’s presence and lived before Him. The Lord was with him, shaping him to become a faithful servant—intellectually, spiritually, and morally.
The Bible highlights Samuel’s growth in God’s presence by contrasting it with Eli’s two other sons, Hophni and Phinehas, who appear in the same chapter. They all lived in the tabernacle, yet their lives were completely different. Unlike Hophni and Phinehas, who didn’t experience God, didn’t know Him, and didn’t fear Him—so they sinned greatly before Him—Samuel loved God from his youth. He grew up in the Lord’s presence, hearing His voice and walking in deep fellowship with Him.
This teaches us something important. Where we are matters because we’re easily shaped by our surroundings. That’s why we need to put ourselves in places where we can naturally come to know God more deeply. This is one reason why we, as Christians, shouldn’t give up meeting together.
But even more important than where we are is where our hearts are turned. Even if we’re gathered here in church worshiping together, if our hearts aren’t directed toward God—if we’re not aware of His presence—we won’t truly experience Him or grow in knowing who He is like Eli’s two sons.
On the other hand, even if we’re not in a church building, if we always live with awareness of God’s presence in every moment and every place, we’ll experience Him deeply and grow in our deep knowledge of Him. That can happen at home, at work, while walking, or even while shopping for groceries because the presence of God who created the whole world isn’t confined to a church building. He’s present everywhere throughout all creation.
So there’s no place where we can’t experience God. What truly matters is how much our hearts are turned toward Him. If we live each day mindful of His presence, as if the Lord Himself were right before us, we’ll grow daily in His image—shaped by His presence and deepened in our fellowship with Him.
 
Hearing the Lord
Then how can we, as God’s people, be equipped and continue to grow more specifically? We can find the answer in today’s passage.
Let’s read together 1 Samuel 3:1–4 one more time.
"The boy Samuel ministered before the LORD under Eli. In those days the word of the LORD was rare; there were not many visions. One night Eli, whose eyes were becoming so weak that he could barely see, was lying down in his usual place. The lamp of God had not yet gone out, and Samuel was lying down in the house of the LORD, where the ark of God was. Then the LORD called Samuel. Samuel answered, ‘Here I am.’" (1 Sam 3:1–4)
Here, we can find several important expressions related to our spiritual life before God. First, the author of 1 Samuel describes the situation at that time as, “the word of the LORD was rare; there were not many visions” (1 Sam 3:1).
The phrase “the word was rare” relates to hearing, while “visions” relates to seeing. But these expressions do not mean that God didn’t speak to people or show them visions at that time.
One of the greatest differences between the God we believe in and the gods of other religions is that our God communicates with His people.
The God revealed in the Bible isn’t hidden away in a place that’s hard to find, or only discovered through extreme austerity, asceticism, or meditation. Rather, the Bible shows that our God is the God of love, mercy, and compassion, who comes to us even when we show no interest in Him, reject His kingship, distance ourselves from His presence, and live in sin according to our own desires.
For example, in Genesis 11, when people gathered to build the Tower of Babel to defy God, the Bible says that God came down to see what they were doing. When Sodom and Gomorrah were filled with sin, God sent angels directly to witness the corruption there.
In this way, God comes to us first and desires to communicate with us. And the ultimate expression of that communication or grace is found in the Bible and in Jesus. The very Scriptures we read now show that God wants to communicate with us and reveal Himself to us. Jesus Christ, sent by God, is the greatest proof of how much God loves us and wants fellowship with us.
So, God always desires to communicate with His people, and He has given us His Word and prayer as means of communication. Through the Word, we hear God’s voice, come to know Him, and understand His will. Through prayer, we talk with God, bring our requests before Him, and discern His purposes for us.
So when 1 Samuel 3:1 says that “the word of the LORD was rare; there were not many visions,” it doesn’t mean God didn’t speak or show visions to His people. Rather, it reflects humanity’s refusal to listen and see what God was revealing.
We see this especially in Eli’s condition in the following verses. His eyes were growing dim, and he could barely see. Here, Eli’s dimming eyes reflect not only his physical state but also his spiritual state just as Samuel’s growth shows not only physical maturity but spiritual development in his relationship with God.
Eli’s spiritual eyes were becoming dark. But it wasn’t his age that caused this. As we saw last week, it was the result of a life that didn’t love, honor, or prioritize God above all else. God spoke to him, but Eli didn’t listen. God showed him visions, but Eli didn’t see them. His eyes were shut and his eyes were closed before God.
 
Eli’s condition was the opposite of Samuel’s. Samuel grew up always in the presence of God, and as a result, he was sensitive and responsive to God’s voice. 1 Samuel 3:3-4 says,
“The lamp of God had not yet gone out, and Samuel was lying down in the house of the LORD, where the ark of God was. Then the LORD called Samuel. Samuel answered, ‘Here I am.’” (1 Sam 3:3–4)
This was the moment when Samuel first heard the voice of God. When he heard it for the first time, it was so clear that Samuel thought it was Eli calling him. So He went to Eli. But Eli had not called him and told him to go back and lie down.
However, when this happened two more times, Eli realized that it was the Lord calling Samuel. He then instructed Samuel that the next time he heard the voice, he should respond this way.
"If he calls you, say, ‘Speak, LORD, for your servant is listening.’" (1 Sam 3:9)
Samuel obeyed Eli’s instruction, and he heard God’s voice. This marked the beginning of God speaking directly to Samuel. From that moment, God continued to speak to Samuel, and Samuel grew under His word, beginning to serve God as both a priest and a prophet. 1 Samuel 3:19-21 says,
"The LORD was with Samuel as he grew up, and he let none of Samuel’s words fall to the ground. And all Israel recognized that Samuel was attested as a prophet of the LORD. The LORD continued to appear at Shiloh, and there he revealed himself to Samuel through his word." (1 Sam 3:19–21)
 
Here, we see an important principle for living as God’s people who acknowledge God as King. That principle is listening to God. God’s people are those who, above all else, hear His voice, discern His will through it, and obey that will.
I really love John 10. In this chapter, Jesus describes His relationship with His followers using the image of a shepherd and his sheep. Here, Jesus appears as the good shepherd who willingly lays down His life so that the sheep may have life.
Jesus said in John 10:10-11, "I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full. I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep." (John 10:10–11)
Then Jesus also explains relationship between the shepherd and His sheep. Let’s read John 10:27 together:
"My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me." (John 10:27)
In this verse, we see three important verbs that describe our relationship with the Lord: listen, know, and follow. God’s people listen to the voice of the good Shepherd, which draws us into a deeper relationship with Him. The Shepherd knows us, and through that relationship, we come to know Him as well. And that relationship naturally leads to the life that follows Him.
This is what our daily life should look like if we truly want to follow the Lord. The first step to following Him is listening to His voice—hearing Him, discerning His will, and coming to know and experience who He is. As we grow in relationship with Him, we can truly become His disciples and follow Him. So if you truly want to follow the Lord, please don’t neglect listening to His voice daily.
 
Then, what does it mean to listen to the Lord, and how can we do it?
The first thing we need to hear His voice is to not let other voices distract us. There are many voices in the world, each telling us how we should live and subtly demanding that we follow them. When we get swept up in the currents of the world, it’s hard to hear God’s voice and discern His will. The more we listen to the world, the more we’ll find ourselves following its ways instead of pursuing God’s will. Therefore, to hear the Lord’s voice, we need to intentionally block out the noise of the world.
 
After we’ve intentionally blocked out the voices of the world, we’re now prepared to hear God’s voice. But how can we actually hear the Lord?
The Bible records some examples of people who heard God’s voice. Sometimes God spoke directly with a human voice. Samuel is one example. But God doesn’t speak this way now. The reason is the “completion of revelation.” When God spoke to Samuel, the majority of the 66 books of the Bible hadn’t yet been written. So at that time, God used direct revelation to make His will known, which was later recorded in Scripture.
But now, we have the fully revealed Word of God and Jesus Christ, the fulfillment of that Word. That’s why God no longer speaks directly with a human voice—He’s already given us all we need through Scripture and Christ.
God also speaks to us through circumstances and through the words of others. Sometimes He speaks through dreams and visions, as with people like Joseph and Daniel. He also speaks through our inner conscience.
Though God still uses these various ways to communicate, the most certain way to hear His voice is, as mentioned before, by reading His Word. In Scripture, God has revealed all that He wants us to know about Him. The Bible is the source of the treasure of knowledge about Him and the foundation for true wisdom in life.
Through God’s revealed Word, through Jesus Christ who fulfills that Word, and through the Holy Spirit sent by Christ, we can hear God’s voice and discern His will. As the author of Hebrews says,
"In the past God spoke to our ancestors through the prophets at many times and in various ways, but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, and through whom also he made the universe." (Heb 1:1–2)
This is the safest and most certain way to hear God’s voice. I’ve met many people who claimed they heard God speak. But often, I had doubts about whether what they heard was truly God’s voice. That’s because what they described as God’s voice was more often based on their circumstances than on God’s Word.
Here lies the danger of claiming to hear God’s voice. When we desire to do something, we sometimes justify it by packaging it as God’s will. In reality, it’s our own inner voice, our own desire, but we present it as if it were God speaking.
Hearing God’s voice is not like that. We must avoid any arbitrary, emotional “voice of God” that isn’t grounded in Scripture. God’s Word is enough. Jesus Christ is enough. The Holy Spirit leads us in truth, and that is sufficient. We don’t need anything more to hear His voice. All we need is to approach God’s Word daily, seeking the Spirit’s wisdom in our lives. That’s enough.
As we draw near to God’s Word each day and hear His voice through it, we come to know Him more deeply and grow in His presence and will. We become increasingly like Jesus Christ and truly follow Him. This is what it means to live as God’s people, as sheep under the care of our good Shepherd, with God as our King.
Now, let's wrap up today's message. Through Samuel’s life, we’ve learned how to live as citizens of God’s kingdom. Today’s key terms are growth, God’s presence, and hearing. If we truly want to grow in authentic knowledge and experience of God, we must train ourselves to live in His presence in every situation, wherever we are. We should live and act in line with His will, as though He is standing before us. Each small choice contributes to our spiritual growth. And essential to this is hearing God’s voice through His Word.
So, take this time to reflect on your life and faith in light of today’s message. How often do you experience God’s presence in your daily life? Do you intentionally live before Him? How close are you to God’s Word, in order to know Him, discern His will, and follow Him?
Let us now declare once again that God is the King and Lord of our lives. Let us resolve to live fully under His lordship. The first step is to humbly approach His presence each day and hear His voice through His Word. Let us pray.
 
[Prayer]
Heavenly Father, we thank You for speaking to us today through Your Word and for revealing Your will to us through the example of Samuel’s life. Thank You for reminding us that to live as Your people, we must grow in Your presence and hear Your voice each day.
Lord, we are grateful for Your love and grace, for giving us Your word of lif, sending Your Son Jesus Christ to save us, and for giving us the Holy Spirit to lead and teach us. As we go from this place, help us to live lives that honor You in every thought, word, and action. May we speak and act according to Your pleasing will, as if You are right there with us. Please guide our every step.
Strengthen us to walk faithfully in Your ways, to hear Your voice clearly, and to obey with hearts full of love and devotion. We pray that Your will be done and Your kingdom come through our lives.
We pray all this in the name of Jesus Christ, our Lord and King. Amen.
 
[Reflection Questions]
1. How often do you consciously recognize God’s presence in your daily life? In what situations do you find it easiest or hardest to sense His presence?
2. In what areas of your life do you want to grow spiritually? How can you train yourself to grow in God’s presence each day, like Samuel?
3. Hearing God’s voice is vital in Christian life and faith. How are you listening to God’s voice in your daily life? What was the most recent thing you heard from Him? How did you hear it and what did He speak through it?
4. What is one practical step you can take this week to spend more time in God’s presence and hear His voice more clearly?