Open Visions

1 Samuel 3 describes a sad state for the nation of Israel.  The word of God was rare and there was no open vision.  In the Old Testament, God often revealed Himself through special revelation since the Holy Spirit had not been sent yet to indwell, guide and counsel.  God appeared with signs, wonders, angels, dreams and supernatural encounters.  He continues to show himself in these ways as it says in Joel 2:28 "I will pour out my spirit upon all flesh; and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, and your young men shall see visions; and also upon the servants and upon the handmaids in those days will I pour out my spirit."

It says that Eli was laid down and his eyes began to wax dim.  At the same time Samuel laid down to sleep where the ark of God (His presence) was; and it was then that the Lord called to Samuel.  Eli was the established priest of the day but he was losing his vision.  His sons had become reprobate and committed sins polluting God's house and Eli did nothing to rebuke them.  Here were two people that laid down to sleep in God's presence, and one heard from God, but the other did not.  As God called out in Jeremiah 3:14 "Return, O faithless children, declares the LORD; for I am your master; I will take you, one from a city and two from a family, and I will bring you to Zion."  God knows how to find the heart that will seek him and that will follow His ways.  He will bring them out; He will call them out and bring them to a place of revelation and fullness and communion in His presence.  He said in Romans 9:13 "As it is written, “Jacob I loved, but Esau I hated.”  This is not to say that God hated Esau but more so that He loved the heart that Jacob had to seek him so much so that it appeared as hating the others.  So this shows us that God does have favorites and He will not show Himself to anyone.  This is not a message to discuss predestination or Calvinism.  This is a word to stress that God will honor and love those who (Ps 91:13) who love Him.  So God selected to talk to Samuel over Eli.  God's choice was outwardly foolish since Samuel was a child who did not even recognize the voice of God.  It took three calls and instruction from Eli for Samuel to even know what was going on, but he was pure, he was available and he was obedient.

God will do a lot for those who possess those qualities.  God want to cleanse our motives and purify our intentions so that He can show more of Himself to us.  God is the relentless lover wooing His bride, but we must have clean responsive hearts to win His love.  Some people chase after God for what He can give them.  This does not display a pure heart.  James 4:3 says it this way "You ask and do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, so that you may spend it on your pleasures. 4You adulteresses, do you not know that friendship with the world is hostility toward God? Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God.…"  God is cleaning us in what we want; what we are asking God for and why we are asking it.  When we align our prayers with His heart as it says in John 14:13 "You can ask for anything in my name, and I will do it, so that the Son can bring glory to the Father." Jesus said the pure in heart will see God.  Those who have pure intentions will see God in their prayers, in the answers and they will hear Him whisper in their ear and see everything He says happen before their own eyes.  Samuel had no ulterior motive to his service.  He was dedicated to God and for God so God bypassed the set and given spiritual authority of that day to speak to a child.  He will choose the foolish, the simple and the true.

Next, Samuel was available.  When the Lord called Samuel he rose up and went to Eli and said "Here am I; for thou didst call me."  This shows that Samuel was serving Eli, the priest of the day.  This shows his heart; that he had a dual availability.  He served both God and the spiritual authority and was ready to help when he was called.  Now some people have pure hearts and obey God but they lack the availability.  This always brings me to Luke 14:15 where Jesus tells the story saying "A man once gave a great banquet and invited many. 17And at the time for the banquet he sent his servant^c to say to those who had been invited, ‘Come, for everything is now ready.’ 18But they all alike began to make excuses." God has a banquet prepared for us of whatever we need in His presence and invites us saying "Come for everything is now ready" but at the time He bids us we often have excuses that have to do with people, possessions or  responsibilities.  Samuel was set apart because he had a praying mother that paid his expenses and set him is a place where he could serve God free from distractions or deterrents.  Sometimes God asks us to give things up and go at a slower, simpler pace simply that we can spend more time with Him to hear from Him and see the vision He has for us rather than the one we have for ourselves.


Finally, Samuel was obedient.  Samuel lay until morning in the temple and opened the doors of the house of the Lord, but he was afraid to show Eli the vision because it dealt with the judgment of the priest's house.  God will show His beloved openly Himself, His plans, and a vision not just of the way things really are, but what is coming and the way things will be.  In Daniel 10 God chose this pure, available man to show Himself to.  Daniel had been in fasting for three weeks seeking God, and recounts: "7And I, Daniel, alone saw the vision, for the men who were with me did not see the vision, but a great trembling fell upon them, and they fled to hide themselves. 8So I was left alone and saw this great vision, and no strength was left in me. My radiant appearance was fearfully changed,^b and I retained no strength. 9Then I heard the sound of his words, and as I heard the sound of his words, I fell on my face in deep sleep with my face to the ground.

10And behold, a hand touched me and set me trembling on my hands and knees. 11And he said to me, “O Daniel, man greatly loved, understand the words that I speak to you, and stand upright, for now I have been sent to you.” And when he had spoken this word to me, I stood up trembling."  God's word left Daniel without strength, he was radiant, he fell into a deep sleep and was set trembling.  God word will alter your appearance, your whole being, and set you to carry a message to your generation and to generations to come.  In Ezekiel 3, God showed himself to this prophet.  As it says:" 14The Spirit lifted me up and took me away, and I went in bitterness in the heat of my spirit, the hand of the Lord being strong upon me. 15And I came to the exiles at Tel-abib, who were dwelling by the Chebar canal, and I sat where they were dwelling.^c And I sat there overwhelmed among them seven days."  God's word will make you do strange things.  You will certainly weep where/when God is weeping and laugh when He laughs and you will not be afraid to give both the easy and the hard words, or if you are afraid (like Samuel was) you will give it anyway.  Eli asked Samuel to share what God had said and Samuel was obedient even though it was probably very awkward and difficult.  It says "Samuel told him everything and hid nothing from him." 

What happened as a result of Samuel being pure, present and pliant?  It says "And the Lord appeared again in Shiloh for the Lord revealed himself to Samuel in Shiloh by the word of the Lord."  When we possess, these qualities, God finds a fertile field to blossom, He finds a resting place to settle, He finds a vessel that is useful to fill.  It only takes one person for God's glory to land in a region, a country, or a home.  Let us be determined to be that one!  God says in Jeremiah 29 "13You will seek Me and find Me when you search for Me with all your heart."