"Now the boy Samuel ministered to the LORD before Eli. And the word of the LORD was rare in those days; there was no widespread revelation." 1 Samuel 3:1
When Samuel began to serve the Lord, there was no widespread revelation. The word "widespread" means "to break through". The Word of the Lord did not break through. My question is, "break through what?" Why wasn't there widespread revelation? One the hardest materials to break is man's heart of pride. The people were a stiff necked people who wanted to do their own things. That went for the priests as well as the people, because the priests were using their privileged position to eat the fat of the land that belonged to the LORD. No wonder when prophet, priest, and people are set to do their own thing that God's voice wasn't heard openly. People were listening!
What made Samuel different? No doubt there was the calling of God upon Samuel's life as evidenced by the rest of the book. But, would God have used Samuel as much as He did if Samuel wouldn't have had the character to match? I think not. Samuel followed Samson in judging Israel. Samson was used by God, but not to His full potential as he only began to deliver the nation from the Philistines, but because of his character flaws, didn't finish. I think the secret to Samuel's success was the first sentence of chapter 3, "...the boy Samuel ministered to the LORD before Eli." Samuel served Eli the high priests, but his true master was the LORD. He would open the Temple and perform other "minor" tasks at Eli's request. He had "the keys" and would arrive before everyone else to make things ready for others to worship the Lord. Is that really a minor task for the LORD? I think not. Too many believe that these kinds of "small things" are beneath them, they want to be the one who gives the "widespread revelation". Yet, God proves a person first, because if someone doesn't see that opening the doors of the house of God is serving the Lord, than they won't see that giving the Word is an act of service as well.
Yet, having said all that, it is also true that God is looking to and fro for someone whose heart is perfect before Him. When He finds that person, He will use them to the uttermost to accomplish His will, which is illustrated by 3:21- "..For the LORD revealed Himself to Samuel in Shiloh by the word of the LORD. After that people began to listen to Samuel as the one who had God's revelation. What a testimony to what God will do with a person who is faithful in the small things.
