Devotions from Israel – 1 Samuel 3

by | Jul 8, 2021 | Context and Culture of the Bible, Devotionals from Israel, Historical Geography, Israel Tour, Life of Jesus | 0 comments

An encouraging word from 1 Samuel 3

 

Biblical Israel Ministries & Tours (BIMT) is all about teaching the Bible in the context of the land of Israel and other biblical countries (Jordan, Egypt, Turkey, Greece, and Italy). We teach the historical geography of the Bible as well as archaeology, customs and culture of the land. We aim to make connections between  the Bible and the land in all that we do.

This is another session in the new series of teaching videos called “Devotions from Israel.” This brief five-minute devotional comes from 1 Samuel 3. This story from the Bible takes us to the site of ancient Shiloh, about 20 miles north of Jerusalem.

 

About the Devotional

 
 
One of my favorite stories from the Old Testament is the one recorded in 1 Samuel 3. It involves a young boy named Samuel. Rabbinical tradition places an age of 12-13 upon this “miracle” son born to Hannah. This woman of prayer dedicated him to the Lord’s service at the Tabernacle at Shiloh.
 
The narrative involves the voice of God calling out to young Samuel. At first, Samuel thought it was Eli, the priest of Israel, who was calling him. Each time Samuel heard the voice, he responded, “Here I am!” In Hebrew, this is just one word, Hineni. The word implies a certain eagerness and readiness to respond. It’s as if Samuel was ready to respond and obey immediately without hesitation. Hineni was also used by Abraham (Genesis 22), Moses (Exodus 3), and eventually Isaiah (Isaiah 6). Perhaps Samuel knew this full well and wanted to respond in the same way as these two great men of God.

“Hineni is a Hebrew word that conveys an eagerness and excitement to respond. In this story, Samuel exhibited just this as he responded to the call of God upon his life.”

Shiloh
The last time Samuel heard the voice of God, he responded, “Speak Lord, for your servant is listening.” Wow, what an incredible way to convey one’s willingness to first listen to and then to act upon what God desired for Samuel to do. This young boy would become a prophet and a priest. He would anoint kings (Saul and David). He would serve God faithfully.
 
God calls us to respond to Him as well. He longs to hear from us the same word spoken by Samuel – Hineni. It is a way for us to tell God we are eager and ready to listen too Him and serve Him with all our heart, soul, strength, and mind!
 
(Note: this devotional went a little longer than five minutes). 🙂
 
I hope you enjoy this video below. These five minute devotionals will be produced on a regular basis. We will try to share two devotionals per week this summer. As you are encouraged by the video, please consider sharing this post with others for their encouragement as well.

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