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HY do ye not understand my speech? even because ye cannot hear my word. (John 8:43)
The Christian is blessed with an inner ear such as that which the young lad Samuel had in hearing the Word of the Lord. Eli, being of less innocence, heard it not. The Holy spirit calls to remembrance those points of God’s Word that impact our lives, not only in times of desperation, but daily calm.
You will recall the firstborn of the barren Hannah whom she dedicated to the work of the Lord in the Temple. 4 The Lord called Samuel: and he answered, Here am I. 5 And he ran unto Eli, and said, Here am I; for thou calledst me. And he said, I called not; lie down again. And he went and lay down. 6 And the Lord called yet again, Samuel. And Samuel arose and went to Eli, and said, Here am I; for thou didst call me. And he answered, I called not, my son; lie down again. 7 Now Samuel did not yet know the Lord, neither was the word of the Lord yet revealed unto him. 8 And the Lord called Samuel again the third time. And he arose and went to Eli, and said, Here am I; for thou didst call me. And Eli perceived that the Lord had called the child.
Samuel possessed the righteousness of a child who loved the Lord. His ears were keen to hear the Voice of the Lord while Eli’s spiritual ears had grown callous to the Voice; therefore, the lad, Samuel, heard that Voice when Eli did not. There are many professing Christians, and have ever been, who are unable to hear the Voice of the Lord with the same force of others who are more deeply committed to the love and service of the Lord. It is not that these are deaf, it is simply the fact that they do not tune their hearts to hear that Voice.
The renowned minister of the past, Donald Grey Barnhouse, told the story of a fellow who operated an ice house. One morning, he lost his watch in the sawdust that covered the ice house floor. He offered a reward to any worker who could find it. An intensive search was made. The floor was even raked by many of the employees, but none could find the lost watch. At the noon day hour when all went out to lunch, the young boy welcomed their return with a beaming smile and holding the watch up for all to see. When queried as to how he found it, he responded, ‘I went into the ice house while all the workers were out and laid down on the floor quietly. Before long, I began to hear the ticking of the watch!’
It is true of the spiritual hearing as well. When we get quiet and away from the madding crowd, we may much more clearly perceive the Holy Spirit whisper a remembrance of the Word in our ears. Knowing His Word very well will be a light to our path and a lamp to our feet.
There came a time when Elijah felt completely forsaken. He believed himself to be the only prophet in Israel who feared the Lord. It is more often the still, small Voice of the Lord that directs His servants more so than the earthquake, hurricane, or pestilence. When Elijah fled for his life from Jezebel’s wrath, we read this account.
AND he came thither unto a cave, and lodged there; and, behold, the word of the Lord came to him, and he said unto him, What doest thou here, Elijah? 10 And he said, I have been very jealous for the Lord God of hosts: for the children of Israel have forsaken thy covenant, thrown down thine altars, and slain thy prophets with the sword; and I, even I only, am left; and they seek my life, to take it away. 11 And he said, Go forth, and stand upon the mount before the Lord. And, behold, the Lord passed by, and a great and strong wind rent the mountains, and brake in pieces the rocks before the Lord; but the Lord was not in the wind: and after the wind an earthquake; but the Lord was not in the earthquake: 12 And after the earthquake a fire; but the Lord was not in the fire: and after the fire a still small voice. 13 And it was so, when Elijah heard it, that he wrapped his face in his mantle, and went out, and stood in the entering in of the cave. And, behold, there came a voice unto him, and said, What doest thou here, Elijah? 14 And he said, I have been very jealous for the Lord God of hosts: because the children of Israel have forsaken thy covenant, thrown down thine altars, and slain thy prophets with the sword; and I, even I only, am left; and they seek my life, to take it away. 15 And the Lord said unto him, Go, return on thy way to the wilderness of Damascus: and when thou comest, anoint Hazael to be king over Syria.
We need not make great show of the decibels of our prayers – God is no less deaf than the attentive Christian to His Voice. Miracles and wonders of the modern deception do no bear the still, small Voice of the Lord. Remember it was the lonely shepherds on the hill country of Bethlehem who first heard the glorious news of the birth of Christ – not the King in Jerusalem nor the priests of the Temple! Many are too much like the Pharisees who Christ castigated for not hearing His Word. They did hear it physically, but refused to hear it spiritually. Let us attune our own ears to the Gospel that we do not fall victim to the same fault.
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