Before the Voice
Not long ago, Shiloh was just a name on a map. A remembered place. A ruin of stones and speculation.
But recent archaeological work, especially the ongoing excavation led by Dr. Scott Stripling, has begun to change that.
His team has uncovered evidence of a large, symmetrical structure from the Late Bronze to Iron Age transition, set in precisely the location and time frame where the Bible says the ancient tabernacle stood.
Though his findings have not yet been formally published, the implications are profound.
It may very well be the exact place where a woman named Hannah once knelt in silent anguish, pouring out her soul to God.
And that is where the story of Samuel begins.
It begins with a barren woman named Hannah, who poured out her soul before the Lord in the tabernacle at Shiloh...
Her prayer was silent, but fervent. Her vow was simple: if the Lord would grant her a son, she would return him to the Lord.
The miracle child was born.
His name, Samuel, means "God has heard." As his story goes, it will be Samuel who will be doing the listening.
Hannah kept her promise. Once the child was weaned, she brought him to Shiloh… to the tabernacle where the high priest Eli had also heard her pray.
There Samuel remained under the care of Eli.
It is also worth remembering that Samuel grew up in a time of spiritual drought:
"The word of the Lord was rare in those days; there was no frequent vision." (1 Sam. 3:1)
And yet, into that silence, the voice of the Lord breaks in.
Shockingly though, it was not to the High priest God was calling out, it was to the child.
The Call of God
It took Samuel three tries to recognize the voice of God. I wish we could all be as responsive.
How many times has God reminded you, in various ways, about the same thing?
As for me, I can think of some things that God has the right to be downright frustrated about, given my stubbornness to listen.
So for Samuel to get it on the third try is almost as much of a miracle as the circumstances of his birth!
Each time he was called by name, he ran to Eli, assuming it was the priest who had summoned him.
But that third time, Samuel responded: "Speak, Lord, for your servant hears."
This is the first moment of Samuel’s faith, not because he understands fully, but because he listens.
He offers no argument, no resistance. He simply presents himself to be addressed.
The message he receives is not easy.
Imagine it. A small boy whose only real father figure happens to be the High Priest at Shiloh, is given a divine word of judgment against that same High Priest and his family.
It already feels like the third miracle in this story: Samuel tells Eli what he heard, and he tells it faithfully.
Faith, in Samuel's case great faith, does not begin with insight or learning or discipline or wisdom or any of the grown-up substitutes for faith.
Samuel reminds us that faith sometimes just begins with availability.
What We Learn from Samuel
Samuel would grow to become one of the greatest prophets of all time. Imagine a “Mount Rushmore” of Biblical fame: Moses, Elijah, John, and how about Samuel?
Samuel would anoint Israel’s first kings, Saul and David.
Samuel remained the go-to man-of-God whenever anyone needed some advice.
All of this because he remained available when God spoke.
Samuel's faith awakens in a posture of humility. He is not seeking signs. He is not chasing visions. He is present, and he is listening.
If Jesus has taught us anything (and He has taught us much!), it is that God calls each one of us, and repeatedly.
Parable after parable reminds us that He “seeks the lost coin”, “goes after the lost sheep”, and patiently waits for the “tree to bear fruit”.
More directly, in Matthew, he says, “Jerusalem, Jerusalem, how often I would have gathered your children…”
And in Revelation we again hear His voice: “Behold, I stand at the door and knock…”
So if you have been too stubborn, too busy, too confused, too scared, or felt too guilty to respond in the past, take heart. God is calling even now.
For most of us, the call of God comes not with spectacle, but with repetition.
And sometimes, it is the child, not the elder, who hears it first.
Takeaway: Faith often begins with the simple readiness to listen. Before there is understanding, there is openness. In many and various ways, God has spoken through the prophets. Even so, to you and me God has spoken through His Son. Are you available to listen?
Prayer: Speak, Lord, for Your servants are listening. In a noisy world, quiet our hearts. In distracted days, make us attentive. Give us ears to hear Your Word, and the courage to obey. Amen.
