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Hannah's little boy, Samuel, hears God's voice.
This Week’s Story relives American history and the Bible through brief inspiring stories presented on mp3 audio recordings and text for reading.
What do you want?
“For me to have two wives is not a good idea, even it is allowed.” Elkanah was frustrated as he arrived with his wives at the Tabernacle in Shiloh. “Hannah has no children. Peninnah has plenty. Peninnah mocks Hannah; and Hannah cries. Oh… I need help with these two women.”
Hannah went inside the Tabernacle to pray. How she yearned for a child! She pleaded with God, “If you will let me have a son, I will give him for your service.”
Her lips were moving and Eli, the chief priest, thought that she was drunk. “Woman, why do you come to the Tabernacle drunk? Throw away your wine.”
“No, sir, I am not drunk. I…I am a sad woman, asking God to answer my prayer.”
Eli declared, “May the Lord give you your request.”
Within the year she became pregnant with a son, whom she
named Samuel. When he was a little boy, she took him to the Tabernacle. There he would grow and serve God.
One evening Samuel received an important message. “Samuel, Samuel!” The voice was clear and urgent and Samuel awoke.
He jumped out of bed, and ran to Eli. “Eli, here I am. Did you call me? What do you want?”
“No, Samuel, I did not call you. Go back to bed.”
Samuel returned to his bed, which was in the Tabernacle near the Ark of the Covenant. A second time the call came, “Samuel, Samuel!” Again he quickly got out of bed and went to Eli. “I’m here. What do you want?”
“I did not call you, Samuel. Go back to bed.”
Samuel heard the voice a third time. Immediately he went to Eli. “I’m here. Do you want something?”
Then Eli realized that God was calling the boy. Eli instructed Samuel, “Lie down again. If you are called, then say, ‘Yes, Lord, your servant is listening.’”
Samuel again heard the call, he replied, “Yes, your servant is listening.”
The Lord spoke to Samuel. How strange it seemed to Samuel. In those days in Israel messages and visions from God were not common. Those were not good times in Israel. Each person did whatever he or she decided was right, regardless of God’s commandments.
God’s message to Samuel was, “No more can Eli’s sons ignore what is right. Enough with their rotten example! I have been patient. Now I will act according to their evil deeds.
I warned Eli that judgment is coming against him and his family. Though Eli is the main priest in Israel and his sons are priests, they are scoundrels! They do not help the people to know me. His sons take parts of the people’s sacrifices and use them selfishly. They have affairs with women. There will be severe consequences.”
Samuel did not tell Eli the message that night, because he was afraid to tell him.
The next morning Eli said, “Samuel, come here. What did God tell you? Tell me everything and may God punish you, if you hide anything from me.”
Samuel told Eli all of God’s message and Eli accepted the message. He knew that his sons had been destroying people’s respect for worship. He humbly responded, “It is God’s will. Let Him do what He believes is right to do.”
Judgment did come to his family. In battle Eli’s sons were killed and Eli died soon after. As Samuel grew into a man, he acted wisely. God gave him messages for the people of Israel and he became the priest to replace Eli. Years later he became the prinicipal judge in the country. He was a fair judge and obedient to God. However, he also had trouble with his children, which the Bible does not hide.
This is Barbara Steiner with admiration for a man who had integrity in a culture losing its integrity.
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