Wednesday Class 2/5 - Hearing God's Voice

I apologize for the delay in getting this out the last two weeks have seem to overrun me and I was not able to catch up until this weekend so here is the first of two post regarding the Wednesday night class.  If you have not been the discussions we have been having were great.  We are looking at our character through people of the Bible.

Hearing God's Voice:

In what ways does God speak to us today?

When is it hard for you to hear God?

During the days of Samuel, Israel was without a king and “everyone did as he saw fit”(Judges 21:25)  Today we are going to observe Samuel as a young man, hearing the word of the Lord for the first time.

1 Samuel 3

The boy Samuel ministered before the Lord under Eli. In those days the word of the Lord was rare; there were not many visions.² One night Eli, whose eyes were becoming so weak that he could barely see, was lying down in his usual place. ³ 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. ⁴ Then the Lord called Samuel.

Samuel answered, “Here I am.” ⁵ And he ran to Eli and said, “Here I am; you called me.” But Eli said, “I did not call; go back and lie down.” So he went and lay down.⁶ Again the Lord called, “Samuel!” And Samuel got up and went to Eli and said, “Here I am; you called me.”

“My son,” Eli said, “I did not call; go back and lie down.”⁷ Now Samuel did not yet know the Lord: The word of the Lord had not yet been revealed to him.⁸ A third time the Lord called, “Samuel!” And Samuel got up and went to Eli and said, “Here I am; you called me.”

Then Eli realized that the Lord was calling the boy. ⁹ So Eli told Samuel, “Go and lie down, and if he calls you, say, ‘Speak, Lord, for your servant is listening.’” So Samuel went and lay down in his place.

¹⁰ The Lord came and stood there, calling as at the other times, “Samuel! Samuel!” Then Samuel said, “Speak, for your servant is listening.” ¹¹ And the Lord said to Samuel: “See, I am about to do something in Israel that will make the ears of everyone who hears about it tingle. ¹² At that time I will carry out against Eli everything I spoke against his family—from beginning to end. ¹³ For I told him that I would judge his family forever because of the sin he knew about; his sons blasphemed God, and he failed to restrain them. ¹⁴ Therefore I swore to the house of Eli, ‘The guilt of Eli’s house will never be atoned for by sacrifice or offering.’”

¹⁵ Samuel lay down until morning and then opened the doors of the house of the Lord. He was afraid to tell Eli the vision, ¹⁶ but Eli called him and said, “Samuel, my son.” Samuel answered, “Here I am.” ¹⁷ “What was it he said to you?” Eli asked. “Do not hide it from me. May God deal with you, be it ever so severely, if you hide from me anything he told you.” ¹⁸ So Samuel told him everything, hiding nothing from him. Then Eli said, “He is the Lord; let him do what is good in his eyes.”

¹⁹ The Lord was with Samuel as he grew up, and he let none of Samuel’s words fall to the ground. ²⁰ And all Israel from Dan to Beersheba recognized that Samuel was attested as a prophet of the Lord. ²¹ The Lord continued to appear at Shiloh, and there he revealed himself to Samuel through his word.

Why do you think Samuel has difficulty distinguishing God’s voice from Eli’s?

Why is the attitude “Speak, for your servant is listening” (v10) important in order to hear from God?

How does Samuel’s openness to hear God compare with yours?

What are some obstacles that prevent you from hearing God’s voice?

What was Samuel tempted to do with the vision? (15,17)

When have you been tempted to hide God’s word from others? Explain

How does Samuel’s obedience affect his relationship to God and his future ministry?

In what ways does Samuel provide an example for you in your relationship with God?

What practical steps can you take to be more attentive to God’s voice?

“Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place, where he prayed.” Mark 1:35

What do you think the key for Jesus is to hear the Father?