Thy Servant Heareth

Recently we have read about Samuel in the Old Testament whose name translates to “God has heard” or “Asked of God.” This connects to the story of Samuel in at least two ways. The most obvious is how God heard his mother Hannah. Hannah was an Israelite woman who, for a time, was unable to have children. She would go to the tabernacle in Shiloh and weep there, pleading with the Lord for a child. She prayed “in bitterness of soul” and “she vowed a vow, and said, O Lord of hosts, if thou wilt indeed look on the affliction of thine handmaid, and remember me, and not forget thine handmaid, but wilt give unto thine handmaid a man child, then I will give him unto the Lord all the days of his life, and there shall no razor come upon his head.” The Lord did eventually fulfill her request, as the priest Eli promised her that He would: “Wherefore it came to pass, when the time was come about after Hannah had conceived, that she bare a son, and called his name Samuel, saying, Because I have asked him of the Lord” (1 Samuel 1:11, 20). Her words highlight that she wanted her son’s name to represent asking of the Lord and receiving answers. His existence confirmed that God does hear prayers and answer them. When we think of his story, we should remember that God does hear prayers and will answer them in His timing. As Hannah learned, His response does not always come immediately, but as the Savior taught, our “Father which is in heaven [does] give good things to them that ask him” (Matthew 7:11).

               The meaning of Samuel’s name is also connected with what happened to him as a young child. Hannah gave him to be raised in the tabernacle by Eli to serve the Lord, and while he was still young one night he heard a voice call to him. He answered, “Here am I,” but thinking that it was Eli calling him, Samuel ran to the priest. Eli responded, “I called not; lie down again.” So Samuel went back to bed, but again he heard the voice. The same thing happened, and Eli told him once more to go back to bed. On the third time, Eli “perceived that the Lord had called the child” and he invited Samuel with these words, “Go, lie down: and it shall be, if he call thee, that thou shalt say, Speak, Lord; for thy servant heareth” (1 Samuel 3:3-10). Samuel did just that, and the Lord did speak to Samuel and warned him about what was going to happen to Eli because of his sons’ wickedness. So, in the story of Hannah in 1 Samuel 1 we see that the Lord hears our prayers; and in the story of the young boy Samuel in 1 Samuel 3, we see that Samuel heard the Lord. The name Samuel with its meaning of “God has heard” reminds me both that God hears us and that we can hear Him if we have the faith and purity of Samuel. As we reflect on this ancient prophet, we should remember that we can hear the word of the Lord too. He can speak to us as we pray, study our scriptures, and try to be still like Samuel was on that night. Our attitude should be like that of Samuel, saying in our hearts, “Speak, Lord; for thy servant heareth.”