The title is called (1 Samuel 3:1-21)
Contents
you are calling
1 Samuel 3:1-21
I have a bit more content today. Still, I believe that the Holy Spirit will work to make us hear all this evening.
During the time of Eli the priest, the word was rare. Therefore, it was a time when the miraculous ideals of God that the Israelites had always experienced completely disappeared. It was also a time of wandering throughout the nation and of total corruption. The era just before the time of Samuel, that is, the era right now, was the era when 12 judges were the leaders. “In those days there was no king in Israel, so every man did what was right in his eyes” (Judges 21:25).
If we put it in other words that each person acted according to their own opinion, it means that the whole world is a lawless world. What could be the reason for this? There was only one thing, a phenomenon that occurred because they distanced themselves from the Word of God and did not follow the Word of God. The nation of Israel is the chosen people. It was a separate people. But what is the evidence of that chosen and set apart Israel? It was the power of hearing and obeying God's Word. Those words sanctified their people, kept them high in morality, and allowed them to conquer Canaan despite all kinds of hardships. And in them, the concrete standards of faith and life were also the Word of God.
From the time of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob… It was also the Word of God that kept coming down and made Moses, Joshua, and all of them the first rule. In short, the leaders of Israel in the past never moved unless they heard something from God. In other words, you must ask God before starting work, and only after God has told you about the problem, you can start work. In short, the religion that the Israelites believed was a religion of hearing. So are we. Christianity, the one we believe in, is a religion we must continue to hear.
However, after they entered Canaan, their religion changed. The religion of Canaan was the religion of seeing. It was a religion of the eyes that worshiped the visible image, not the faith that preceded hearing or spiritual value. So how are you? It was much easier to believe. So they seek temporal prosperity and begin to allow for sensual pleasures. So they end up falling into fetish worship. In the end, the word was left behind.
It is at this time that God calls Samuel the servant of the Word. What Israel most needed right now was a leader who would show the nation a vision with the word of God. In other words, a prophetic leader was essential. So, God has been quietly raising Samuel, and he is calling young Samuel on the deepest dark night. And there was a plan to call the great King David again through this Samuel.
However, the appearance of Samuel, who was called at such a critical time, says, “It was a time when Samuel did not yet know the Lord, and the word of the Lord had not yet been revealed to him” (1 Samuel 3:7). This is what we have to think about. Sometimes when God calls us, we think we are not ready yet, but there are times when God calls us. So you hesitate. However, as we see in the Bible today, let us remember that Samuel, the great prophet and prophet, was also called when he knew nothing. And only after receiving that call did God train Samuel. Of course, in the meantime, Eli the priest may have taught him about objective things such as how to offer sacrifices, what the law is, and what to do during festivals. But most importantly, there was no one-on-one personal encounter with God. However, meeting with God is not based on laws, laws, customs, or traditions. It was a personal one-on-one meeting that neither the priest Eli nor the mother Hannah could interfere with.
Today, Samuel answered that call and met him. We read, but the first few times we run away without knowing who is calling. Knowing that Eli had called the priest, he ran to him three times. This attitude of Samuel, who responds immediately when called, is really dubious. Priest Eli knows that this is God's call and kindly teaches Samuel how to respond to that call. As we live our faith life, there are times when God calls us to a special work. Let us consider just a few things today about the nature of that calling.
First, God's call can be misunderstood as such a public call, such as the call of some authoritative human or missionary organization.
What I mean is that you can think that I am called only by being called by some great person or some Christian organization, but that's not the case at all. God's call is very personal and personal.
In the Bible verse we read today, God calls Samuel almost 7 or 8 times, saying, “Samuel!” If you look at this, you can see how much our God wants us to have a one-on-one relationship with each other. That is why we must be so grateful for the calling that we are called to do this. But at the same time, we have the burden of standing alone in front of the Absolute. But this burden is a blessing, not a burden.
Second, God's call inevitably requires our answer.
Third, God's call must be accompanied by a mission.
So, the word calling, which means calling, is used in a similar sense to the word mission. Of course, in English, calling and mission are completely different. Calling and Mission are also different from the pronunciation. But in the end, there can be no calling without Misson. Therefore, the vocation and the mission must be the same word.
Lastly, as I said, God's call comes with suffering and blessing.
What was the first mission Samuel received after he was called today? He was talking about what would happen to Eli's house in the future. We just skipped it today, but if you look at the back of Chapter 2, you will see what will happen to the Eli family. In a word, there is a lot of fun. And the price will be cut off. How painful would it be to have to tell this to your teacher?
How great is the hardship? But you must.
But not only such hardships, but also blessings are bound to follow. Not only is it a blessing to have already been called, but the blessings and joy that come from fulfilling the mission are exhilarating, proud, cool, and peace that cannot be replaced with anything in the world.
There is something we must remember today. As God called Samuel today, we have to know that there are some really historic calls for great things, but on the other hand, there are also very small calls. There is a call in a very small life or a call that occurs very quickly. Whatever the call, the way we respond is no different.
“Here I am” of your future calling. If you answer, and if there is a call in the middle of the day as well, say, “Lord, here I am. Just tell me.” I hope you will respond that way. Also, remember that there are times when the Lord calls us, even when we feel we are not ready at all. Then, the moment we obey, the Lord will put us on a mission, perfectly training us with His own educational program. Please do not worry and be obedient.
Today, I earnestly pray in the name of the Lord that these words will be engraved in our hearts and we will become victorious believers.