Samuel: Faithful mouthpiece of God
God’s People on Mission
Throughout the year I’ve been looking into different men and women of the Bible, particularly looking for what it was that had them ready for God to work in their lives, or sometimes what was the obstacle that kept them from experience the joy of God in them. There is a man, actually only a young boy, who stands out in stark contrast during the generation in which he was born into.
In those days there was no king in Israel; everyone did what was right in his own eyes. (Judges 21:25)
These are the last words of the book of Judges, and while Ruth is the next book in the Bible, chronologically the next event in the work of God begins with the birth and dedication to the Lord of one of the great prophets of the Old Testament, Samuel. We pick up the story in 1 Samuel 3:
8And 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. 9Therefore 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. 10Now the Lord came and stood and called as at other times, “Samuel! Samuel!”And Samuel answered, “Speak, for Your servant hears.”
We can forgive Samuel for not recognizing the voice of the Lord when he spoke. What is immediately evident, despite his innocence which itself is a wonderful characteristic, is his obedience, and soon we learn of his integrity and honesty.
Samuel learned early how difficult it was to be the mouthpiece of God. It cannot have been easy to deliver the Lord’s message to Eli, a message that spoke of judgment on his master and on his family. But that wasn’t the only time that Samuel would face such a difficulty.
Later, when Saul, a man Samuel loved as a son, had become King but had disobeyed the Lord, again Samuel was called on to deliver a message of judgment, the kingdom would be removed from Saul’s house and passed on to a man after God’s own heart. How tempting it must have been for Samuel to speak words of favour to the king, after all this man was becoming arrogant in his power; or even to placate him, helping Saul to ‘keep face’ in front of his leaders as Saul was so concerned about.
But Samuel humbly served as the mouthpiece of the Lord, and it is a powerful example of the kind of person we must be if we wish to serve the Lord faithfully too.
Speaking truth, especially when it is about sin and judgment, is not easy, particularly because, like Samuel, we too live in a world where ‘everyone does what is right in their own eyes.’ But it is the loving thing to do when it is delivered with humility and love.
Beloved, set your mind to be the mouthpiece of God whenever the Lord calls upon you to do so. I suspect you won’t make many friends, but the friends you have, and the ones you make will love you all the more. But more importantly, you’ll be a devoted servant of the Lord, and his faithful mouthpiece, who maybe helps to guide someone away from disaster, and there is no greater privilege.
