Now the young man Samuel was ministering to the Lord under Eli. And the word of the Lord was rare in those days; there was no frequent vision.
— First Samuel 3:1
Israel had not heard God’s voice for quite some time. Remember, the prophets had failed, along with the priests and the judges. Then one night, as Samuel was asleep in the house of the Lord, he was awakened by someone calling his name (1 Sam. 3:4). Samuel, never having heard the Lord’s voice before, thought it must be Eli, so he ran to him. Eli told him he was mistaken and to go back to sleep. This was repeated twice more, after which Eli finally realized it was the Lord Himself who was speaking to Samuel.
Adapted from David: After God’s Heart, page 23.
Tomorrow: “A Severe Judgment (1)”