Samuel Hear Im Name

Na middle of night inside di house of God. Di lamp still dey shake small small. One boy dey sleep, no far from di ark. Then one voice call im name.

Samuel na di son wey Hannah pray for. Now e dey live for Shiloh, dey serve Di Lord under Eli di priest. Dis days no good. Di book of First Samuel talk say di word of Di Lord rare dat time, and vision no common. Eli don old, im eyes don weak reach say e no fit see well. Im two sons, Hophni and Phinehas, na priests too, but dem dey treat di offerings of Di Lord with disrespect and dem dey do anything wey dem like. Eli don scold dem, but e never stop dem. And for di middle of all dis, di boy Samuel continue to do im work, faithfully and quietly.

One night, Eli dey lie down for im usual place. Samuel dey lie down inside di house of Di Lord, where di ark of God dey. Di lamp of God never quench. And Di Lord call. Samuel! I dey here, Samuel answer. E jump up run go meet Eli. I dey here. You call me. Eli no understand. I no call you. Go back go lie down. So Samuel go back go lie down.

Again Di Lord call. Samuel! Again Samuel get up go meet Eli. I dey here. You call me. I no call, my son. Go back go lie down. Di book explain why Samuel dey miss am. Samuel never know Di Lord yet. Di word of Di Lord never show to am. E never hear God voice before. How e go take recognise am? Di third time Di Lord call, and di third time Samuel run go meet Eli. I dey here. You call me.

And dis time, Eli understand. Na Di Lord dey call di boy. And di old priest, with all im failings, give Samuel di best advice wey e fit give. Go lie down. And if e call you, talk say, Talk, Lord, because your servant dey listen. So Samuel go back to im place come lie down. Di house quiet. Then Di Lord come stand there, and call like before. Samuel! Samuel! And Samuel answer, Talk, because your servant dey listen.

Wetin Di Lord talk hard to hear. E wan do something for Israel wey go make di ears of everybody wey hear am tingle. Judgement dey come on Eli family, because im sons don disgrace God, and Eli never hold dem back. Samuel lie down there until morning. Then e get up open di doors of di house of Di Lord, as e dey do every day. E dey fear to tell Eli wetin e hear. But Eli call am. Samuel, my son. I dey here. Wetin e talk to you? No hide am from me. So Samuel tell am everything, e no hide anything. And Eli answer, Na Di Lord be am. Make e do wetin good for im eye.

Samuel grow up, and Di Lord dey with am. None of im words fall for ground; everything wey e talk from God come true. And all Israel, from Dan for far north reach Beersheba for far south, come know say Samuel na true prophet of Di Lord. Di Lord continue to appear for Shiloh, and e dey talk to Samuel there. For time when God voice rare, God talk to one boy wey ready to listen.

One small detail dey dis story wey tell us when e happen. Di lamp of God never quench. For di books of Exodus and Leviticus, God tell di priests make dem keep lamp dey burn inside di holy place, with pure olive oil, from evening till morning. So if di lamp still dey burn, but e go soon quench, na night, probably di dark hours before day break. Some readers also see one picture for am. For dark time for Israel, God light never quench.

Samuel hear im name. You go find am for First Samuel, chapter three. Samuel no recognise God voice for di first time, and e no bad. E continue to get up, and one older believer help am understand. So see one question wey you go carry dey go. How God fit dey talk to you, and how you fit ready to talk say, Talk, because your servant dey listen?