ALPHA MAAMA (A.M.)

 Falaite Tisema 3, 2021 

“Speak, for Your servant hears.”

Fai mai ha‘o folofola, he ‘oku fakaongo atu ‘e ho‘o tamaio‘eiki ko au.

1 Samiuela 3 (1 Samuel 3)

 

(v. 8-10) And the Lord called Samuel again the third time. So he arose and went to Eli, and said, “Here I am, for you did call me.” Then Eli perceived that the Lord had called the boy. Therefore Eli said to Samuel, “Go, lie down; and it shall be, if He calls you, that you must say, ‘Speak, Lord, for Your servant hears.’ ” So Samuel went and lay down in his place. Now the Lord came and stood and called as at other times, “Samuel! Samuel!” And Samuel answered, “Speak, for Your servant hears.”

(v. 8-10) Pea toe fai ‘e Sihova ‘a e ui, Sāmiuela! ko hono tu‘o tolu ia. Pea ne tu‘u ‘o ‘alu kia ‘Īlai, ‘o ne pehē, Ko au eni; he na‘a ke ui au. Pea e‘a kia ‘Īlai, tā ko Sihova kuo ne ui ‘a e tama. Ko ia na‘e pehē ‘e ‘Īlai kia Sāmiuela, ‘Alu, ‘o tokoto: pea ka faifai, ‘o ne ui koe, pea ke tali, Fai mai ha‘o folofola, ‘Eiki; he ‘oku fakaongo atu ‘e ho‘o tamaio‘eiki ko au. Ko ia na‘e ‘alu ‘a Sāmiuela, ‘o tokoto ‘i hono potu mohe. Pea hā‘ele mai ‘a e ‘Eiki, ‘o tu‘u ‘o ne ui mai ‘o hangē ko e taimi ko ē mo ē, Sāmiuela, Sāmiuela. Pea toki pehē ‘e Sāmiuela, Fai mai ha‘o folofola, he ‘oku fakaongo atu ‘e ho‘o tamaio‘eiki ko au.

 

G. Campbell Morgan's Exposition on the Whole Bible

At this point in the history came a change, startling, and full of meaning in Samuel's life. In the silence of the night a Voice called him by name. Thrice he answered by going to Eli. At last Eli recognized that the Voice was the Voice of God speaking to the lad, and he told Samuel to answer for himself.

This was the beginning of direct divine communication to him. We have already read that he had ministered before the Lord, and yet that he had not known Him directly until now.

This in itself is a beautiful revelation of the true life of a child. Samuel had obeyed Eli in doing all he commanded him within the Tabernacle courts, and thus had rendered service to the Lord. Now the time had come in which, not through mediation, but directly, he must hear and obey.

The first message entrusted to him was a terrible one for him to deliver, and it is interesting to notice how in his action the two elements of fear and courage were manifested. He was afraid to tell Eli, but when Eli charged him to do so, he told the whole message entrusted to him.

There was a further period of training and growth before Samuel was ready to assume the work of leadership. During that period Jehovah vindicated him by permitting no word he spoke to fall to the ground, that is, to fail of fulfilment. Moreover, he became the instrument through whom God appeared to His people, and through whom the word of Jehovah was delivered to them.

 

David Guzik :: Study Guide for 1 Samuel 3

When speaking to us, God almost always confirms His word again and again. It is generally wrong to do something dramatic in response to a single “inner voice” from the Lord. If God speaks He will confirm, and often in a variety of ways.

Speak, Lord, for Your servant hears: Eli gave Samuel wise counsel. Eli told Samuel to:

· Make himself available for God to speak (Go, lie down)

· Not be presumptuous about God speaking (if He calls you)

· Respond to the word of God (Speak, Lord)

· Humble himself before God and His word (Your servant hears)

Speak, Lord: We must hear from God. The preacher may speak, our parents may speak, our friends may speak, our teachers may speak, those on the radio or television may speak. That is all fine, but their voices mean nothing for eternity unless God speaks through them.

Now the Lord came and stood and called as at other times, “Samuel! Samuel!” And Samuel answered, “Speak, for Your servant hears.”

Then the Lord came and stood and called: This seems to have been audible and because it says the Lord stood, it may be that this was a unique appearing of the Lord, perhaps in the person of Jesus before Bethlehem. This was not a dream or a state of altered consciousness.