The call of God comes in many different forms. Rarely is the call as obvious as those we read about in Scripture, but the call is there just the same. There are times the call is obvious, as when Jesus called His disciples and at other times we might think it is someone other than God who is calling, as we see in the case of Samuel in our reading from the Hebrew Scriptures today. Regardless of how the call comes, how we respond to the call is significant.
In the reading from 1 Samuel, the boy hears the voice of God but thinks it is the old priest, Eli, calling to him. Even though hearing the voice of God had been rare in those days and visions were not common, God spoke to Samuel in the night. Only after the third time did Eli realize that it was the voice of God that Samuel was hearing. He instructed the boy to respond to God by saying he was listening. In the three episodes, Samuel had been quick to run to Eli and say, “Here I am.” Eli suggested Samuel respond to God in the same manner. What was the message God had for Samuel? It was one of judgment upon Eli and his family. We must give Eli credit for accepting the judgment of God, even though it must have been difficult to hear that message.
