Study 4: 1 Samuel 3:1-4:1: Trent Evans

What is your calling?      

This sermon—rooted in 1 Samuel 3—offers a rich reflection on God's call to intimacy and obedience, using the story of young Samuel to emphasize how attentiveness to God's voice transforms lives. Set against the spiritual darkness of Israel’s time, the message explores how God pierced that silence by calling Samuel, just as He calls each of us today. Through personal reflection, scriptural teaching, and the metaphor of lamplighters lighting the way, the sermon reminds listeners that God desires a relationship marked by listening, discernment, and response. The podcast invites believers to ask whether they are tuned in to hear God's voice—and challenges them to respond like Samuel: “Speak, Lord, for your servant is listening.”

Sermon Outline

• 1. The Setting of the Story

  ⏱️ 0:00 – 1:48

  • Context: Easter Sunday, yet studying 1 Samuel 3 to understand the Word Jesus Himself would have known.

  • Key Point: The relevance of the Old Testament to New Testament faith.

  • Scripture: 1 Samuel 3:1

  • Reflection: Why is it important to study the Old Testament?

    
    

  2. God’s Unique Call for Every Life

  ⏱️ 1:48 – 3:36

  • Key Point: Everyone has a personal and purposeful call from God.

  • Analogy: Lamplighters “punching holes in the darkness.”

  • Scripture: John 8:12 – “I am the light of the world...”

  • Reflection: In what ways has God called you uniquely?

    
    

  3. The Spiritual Climate in Israel

  ⏱️ 7:13 – 10:46

  • Key Point: “The word of the Lord was rare…” because of disobedience.

  • Scripture: 1 Samuel 3:1; chapters 1–2 context (Hophni and Phinehas)

  • Reflection: What blocks us from hearing God today?

    
    

  4. Are You Tuned to God’s Frequency?

  ⏱️ 10:46 – 13:23

  • Key Point: God was still speaking, but few were listening.

  • Analogy: Spiritual cataracts impairing sight and hearing.

  • Scripture: Ezekiel 36:26 – “I will give you a new heart…”

  • Reflection: What spiritual “surgery” might God be calling you to?

    
    

  5. God Initiates Intimacy

  ⏱️ 15:53 – 18:54

  • Key Point: God always makes the first move toward relationship.

  • Scripture: 1 Samuel 3:7; Matthew 22:37 – Greatest commandment

  • Reflection: How do you respond when God calls your name?

    
    

  6. The Danger of Growing Spiritually Dull

  ⏱️ 18:54 – 21:39

  • Key Point: Even religious leaders can lose sensitivity to God’s voice.

  • Word Study: Hebrew “bean” – to discern

  • Reflection: What practices keep your heart and mind sharp to God’s voice?

    
    

  7. Overcoming the Noise

  ⏱️ 21:39 – 23:24

  • Key Point: Many voices compete for attention—discernment is essential.

  • Reflection: What distractions do you need to silence?

    
    

  8. Mentorship and Spiritual Guidance

  ⏱️ 24:19 – 27:39

  • Key Point: Eli helps Samuel recognize and respond to God's voice.

  • Application: Value of spiritual mentors.

  • Reflection: Who has helped you recognize God’s call?

    
    

  9. Courage to Receive and Share Hard Truths

  ⏱️ 30:13 – 36:22

  • Key Point: God’s Word is sometimes heavy, but always just.

  • Scripture: 1 Samuel 3:11–14

  • Reflection: How do you respond when God’s message is hard to hear or deliver?

    
    

  10. God's Word Finds a Faithful Vessel

  ⏱️ 39:18 – 42:25

  • Key Point: God continues to speak when His people listen.

  • Scripture: 1 Samuel 3:19–4:1; John 8:12

  • Final Challenge: “What is your call? Follow Jesus.”

  • Reflection: What will your response be today?

Scripture References

1. 1 Samuel 3:1

“In those days the word of the Lord was rare…”

• Used to set the context of spiritual darkness and lack of revelation in Israel.

• Emphasizes how the environment was ripe for a prophetic voice to emerge.

• 🕓 Timestamp: 1:48 – 2:40

2. 1 Samuel 1–2 (Implied)

Story of Hannah, Hophni & Phinehas

• Describes Samuel’s miraculous birth and consecration by Hannah.

• Highlights the corrupt priesthood under Eli’s sons, which explains the scarcity of God’s voice.

• 🕓 Timestamp: 0:56 – 3:36 and 9:04 – 10:46

3. John 8:12

“I am the light of the world…”

• Paralleled with the image of lamplighters bringing light into darkness.

• Reinforces Jesus as the ultimate Light that breaks spiritual darkness.

• 🕓 Timestamp: 5:20 – 6:21 and 44:46 – 45:56

4. Ezekiel 36:26–27

“I will give you a new heart…”

• Illustrates God’s desire to do spiritual surgery on the heart, not just physical sight correction.

• Symbolic of regeneration and renewal required to hear God’s voice.

• 🕓 Timestamp: 13:23 – 14:15

5. 1 Samuel 3:7

“Now Samuel did not yet know the Lord…”

• Shows that intimacy with God begins with His initiation.

• Word study on yada (Hebrew: “to know”) emphasizes personal relationship.

• 🕓 Timestamp: 16:45 – 17:42

  
  

6. Matthew 22:36–38

“Love the Lord your God with all your heart…”

• Used to underscore the depth of relationship God desires—not just obedience, but intimacy.

• 🕓 Timestamp: 18:54 – 19:46

7. 1 Samuel 3:10

“The Lord came and stood there…”

• Shows God's manifest presence during the fourth call to Samuel.

• Emphasizes the personal and powerful nature of God’s communication.

• 🕓 Timestamp: 25:52 – 27:39

8. 1 Samuel 3:11–14

God's judgment against Eli’s household

• Highlights the weight of prophetic responsibility even for a child.

• Shows that truth must be spoken in love and obedience.

• 🕓 Timestamp: 30:13 – 31:55

9. 1 Samuel 3:19–21

“The Lord was with Samuel… none of his words fell to the ground…”

• Confirms Samuel’s prophetic legitimacy and that God honors faithful vessels.

• 🕓 Timestamp: 39:18 – 41:15

10. 1 Samuel 4:1

“And Samuel’s word came to all Israel…”

• Demonstrates the ripple effect of obedience and hearing God's call.

• Marks the start of Samuel’s public ministry.

• 🕓 Timestamp: 41:15 – 42:25

Word Study

יָדַע (Yādaʿ)

📖 Reference: 1 Samuel 3:7 – “Now Samuel did not yet know the Lord...”🕓 Timestamp: 16:45 – 17:42

• Meaning: To know, to perceive, to understand.

• Usage: This verb goes beyond intellectual knowledge and often signifies intimate, experiential relationship (e.g., Adam “knew” Eve in Genesis 4:1).

• Sermon Insight: The speaker emphasizes that Samuel lacked an intimate knowledge of the Lord, not just information. God initiates this intimacy, and we are invited to respond with a servant’s heart.

• Application: Ask yourself: Is my knowledge of God merely head knowledge, or rooted in experience and relationship?

2. בִּין (Bîn)

📖 Reference: 1 Samuel 3:8–9 (Implied from “Eli realized...”)

🕓 Timestamp: 21:39 – 22:38

• Meaning: To discern, perceive, understand.

• Usage: In Hebrew, bîn implies careful thought, discernment, or distinguishing between things—often used in wisdom literature.

• Sermon Insight: The Hebrew word “bean” (as the speaker phonetically pronounced it) was noted when Eli finally recognized that God was speaking to Samuel. It suggests mental and spiritual discernment, not just passive hearing.

• Application: Are we cultivating the spiritual discernment necessary to recognize God's voice among many?

קָרָא (Qārāʾ)

📖 Reference: 1 Samuel 3:4, 6, 8, 10 – “Then the Lord called Samuel...”

🕓 Timestamp: Scattered across 15:53 – 27:39

• Meaning: To call, summon, invite.

• Usage: Often used when God calls prophets or individuals into service or relationship (e.g., Exodus 3:4, God calling Moses).

• Sermon Insight: The repeated calling of Samuel emphasizes God's persistence and personal nature. The fourth call, where God says "Samuel, Samuel," adds weight and intimacy to the moment.

• Application: Reflect on how God is calling you—not just once, but perhaps repeatedly—and how you are responding.

Reflection Questions

1. Understanding the Call

• In what ways does the story of Samuel’s calling challenge your understanding of how God speaks?

• Do you believe God has a unique call for your life? If so, how have you seen that call begin to unfold?

2. Spiritual Readiness

• 1 Samuel 3:1 says “the word of the Lord was rare.” What might cause spiritual dryness or silence in your own life?

• Are there practices or distractions that dull your spiritual hearing or vision?

3. God’s Initiative

• Reflecting on yadaʿ (“to know”), how would you describe the current intimacy of your relationship with God?

• Can you recall a time when you sensed God initiating something in your life? How did you respond?

4. Discernment and Distraction

• The word bîn means “to discern.” What are some “voices” in your life that compete with God’s voice?

• What helps you distinguish God's voice from others? What hinders that discernment?

5. The Role of Mentorship

• Who has played the role of Eli in your life—helping you hear and respond to God’s voice?

• Who might God be calling you to guide, like Eli did for Samuel?

6. Responding with Courage

• When have you had to speak or receive a difficult truth, like Samuel did with Eli?

• How can we maintain both courage and compassion when delivering hard messages?

7. Following the Light

• The metaphor of lamplighters was used to describe those who carry God’s light. Who are the “lamplighters” in your life?

• In what ways can you “punch holes in the darkness” around you?

8. Jesus as the Lamplighter

• Jesus said, “I am the light of the world.” How does this shape your understanding of His mission—and yours?

• What does it look like for you to “follow the Light” in your everyday life?

9. The Posture of a Servant

• Samuel’s response, “Speak, Lord, for your servant is listening,” is a model of surrender. How often do you approach God with this attitude?

• What areas of your life might need to shift to reflect a posture of listening and servanthood?

10. Living the Call

• God’s Word continued to come to Samuel because he listened and obeyed. How can you create space for God to consistently speak into your life?

• What might God be saying to you right now—and what will you do about it?