What’s that Voice I’m Hearing?

1 Samuel 3

The people I run across are hearing something and even suggest that I be more attentive to that same hearing phenomenon. But obviously I’m not hearing the same thing, the only people who are benefiting from “hearing” are the interracial marriages part of my family who has 11 children between them and are solidly in the middle-class. They have phenomenal knowledge. I only hear about the best food lines, excellent discount coupons, and available housing subsidies (I’m grateful for all of that). At the same time of this hearing phenomenon the Word as brought to us by Jesus is scarce. I remember when Billy Grahm was televised on major network channels such as ABC, CBS, or NBC. Not anymore no one fills that void. Just like in Samuel’s day when he first began to hear, “In those days the word of the Lord was rare; there were not many visions.” 1 Samuel 3:1

It seems obvious that nowadays everyone is hearing something. These are also the days when it’s not always clear to see and not always easy to know what the voice of God is. At first when we hear something we are not really sure of it, we hear it again and know something is up, and hear it again and begin to pay attention to it. When Samuel heard, “{He} did not yet know the Lord: The word of the Lord had not yet been revealed to him.” 1 Sam 3:7 Within that hearing phenomenon, God made the declaration that there would be consequences coming and there wouldn’t be any way to stop it. (In my case, if I ever quit listening to the voice of the Lamb and started to be obedient to another voice there would be chaotic upheaval) “See, I am about to do something in Israel that will make the ears of everyone who hears about it tingle… 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. ‘The guilt of Eli’s house will never be atoned for by sacrifice or offering.’” 1 Sam 3:11,13-14

Jesus Christ came to change things by opening our ears and opening our eyes. We are sheep and we hear Jesus’s voice. A sheep doesn’t hear a wolf’s voice because that voice would say, “come with us to go eat a sheep.” A sheep doesn’t hear a lion’s voice either because that would be, “you are the king of the jungle take charge.” A sheep doesn’t hear a bear’s voice either because that would be, “go eat some salmon out of that river.” We are Jesus’s sheep, and we hear the voice of the Lamb. “My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand.” John 10:27–28

1 Samuel 3