Hey, Carpool Crew. How's it going? Pastor Justin here. You're about to check out episode one of our Carpooling with Heroes of the Bible on Samuel. Carpooling with Heroes of the Bible is a five-episode deep dive into one hero from the Bible. And this time we're talking about Samuel. This is gonna be a really fun five episodes. You're gonna get to learn about him as a child, him as he anointed the first king of Israel, him as he went through some issues with that first king. And we're gonna talk about someone you might know something about. David, when he was a kid. So I hope you check out Carpooling with Heroes of the Bible. This first episode is for everyone, and if you subscribe, you'll get all five plus all the other ones, plus our Carpooling with Jesus weekend episodes, plus Goodnight Psalms, plus all of our bonus material. Like What Should I Do If episodes and Questions from the Backseat. I hope you consider subscribing. For now, enjoy episode one and have an incredible day. Hey, Carpool Crew. I'm so glad you're here today. Whether you're riding in the car, headed to school, or sitting at the table or on the couch just hanging out, welcome back to Carpooling with Heroes of the Bible. This is a podcast where we dive deep into the lives of real people from the Bible and discover what their stories can teach us. Today we're starting a brand new five-episode series about a hero of the Bible named Samuel. Now, Samuel lived at a really interesting time in Israel's history. In fact, it was a time when things were kind of a mess. The nation of Israel didn't have kings yet. This was during a time called the period of the judges. Back then, the Bible says something that tells us exactly what life was like: everyone did whatever seemed right in his own eyes. In other words, people were making their own rules. They were doing whatever they wanted. Could you imagine that being the rule at your house or at your school, that every student, every kid in your home, they could do whatever seemed right in their own eyes? That is chaos. And that's when Samuel enters the story. But Samuel's story actually starts with someone else. It starts with a woman named Hannah. See, Hannah wanted a baby more than anything in the world, but she couldn't have children. And during that time in history, that was incredibly painful for a woman. Hannah's husband, Elkanah, loved her deeply, but he had another wife who did have children. And the Bible tells us that this wife would sometimes make Hannah feel even worse about it. So Hannah did something powerful, something really brave. She prayed. She went right to God, and not just a quiet prayer before dinner. The Bible says she went to the tabernacle, which was a very serious place of worship back then, and poured out her heart to God. Now, let me tell you something interesting about that place. The Tabernacle was located in a town called Shiloh. Shiloh was basically the religious capital of Israel at the time. The Tabernacle had been set up there after Israel entered the Promised Land, and it stayed there for centuries. Inside the Tabernacle, you would sometimes find incredibly important things like the Ark of the Covenant. That was a gold-covered chest that held the stone tablets of the Ten Commandments. Could you imagine that? And the Israelites believed that this was the place where God's presence rested among his people. See, people traveled from all over Israel to Shiloh to worship, to celebrate festivals, and to bring sacrifices to God. So imagine Hannah is standing there. She cannot have kids. She's praying with tears in her eyes. She made God a promise in that moment. Hannah said, 'God, if you give me a son, I will give him back to you. He will serve you his whole life.' And God heard her prayer. Now, God hears all of our prayers, right? Well, of course he does. And soon Hannah had a baby boy named Samuel. His name means 'God has heard,' because she believed God heard her prayer. And here's something that most people don't realize. Hannah didn't keep Samuel with her forever. She followed through on her promise. When Samuel was still very young, she brought him back to Shiloh to live at the Tabernacle. You know, most historians believe that he was probably around three years old when this happened. Now imagine being a three-year-old boy growing up in the house of God. Samuel was raised by a priest named Eli, and Eli was a good man who cared about Samuel. But there was a big problem happening at the Tabernacle. Eli's sons were also priests, and they were bad guys. Yeah, they were corrupt. And the Bible says that they were greedy and dishonest. They would steal meat from the sacrifices and abuse their power. Some even took advantage of the people who came there to worship. Because of their bad behavior, people were starting to hate coming to worship God. So while corruption was growing among the priests, God was quietly raising up a boy named Samuel. The Bible tells us something fascinating. Even as a child, Samuel served in the Tabernacle wearing the linen ephod, which was a special garment normally worn by the priests. And every year, Hannah, his mom, would come visit him and bring him a new robe that she had sewn for him by hand. And just imagine that moment. A mother showing up once a year to see her son who was growing up to serve God. Now, one night, something incredible happened. You might know this story. Samuel was sleeping in the Tabernacle. And remember, this wasn't just any building. The Ark of the Covenant was nearby. The stone tablets with the Ten Commandments were there. The same Ark that symbolized God's presence among Israel was there. The Bible says that the lamp of God was still burning, meaning it was very late at night. And Samuel heard a voice. 'Samuel.' And he jumped up. He ran to Eli and said, 'Here I am. You called me.' But Eli said, 'I didn't call you. Go back to sleep.' So Samuel went back to bed, and it happened again. 'Samuel.' Samuel ran to Eli again. 'Here I am. You called me.' But Eli said again, 'I didn't call you.' Then it happened a third time, and finally Eli realized something. God was calling the boy. So Eli told Samuel, 'Go lay down. If you hear the voice again, say this: Speak Lord, for your servant is listening.' Wow. What a powerful line. What a powerful moment. Oh my gosh. This is unbelievable. Samuel went back to bed. The room was quiet. Then the voice came again. 'Samuel. Samuel.' And Samuel answered, 'Speak Lord, for your servant is listening.' Now, here's something really interesting, Carpool Crew. Many historians believe that Samuel may have been around 12 years old when this happened. A 12-year-old boy hearing the voice of God. And God gave Samuel a message that night. It was a difficult message about judgment coming to Eli's family, because of the corruption, because of the bad decisions in the priesthood, all of Eli's sons, the bad things they were doing. But that moment was the beginning of Samuel's life as a prophet. From that day forward, the Bible says, people all across Israel recognized that Samuel truly spoke God's words. And it all started with a simple response: 'Speak Lord, your servant is listening.' That's the lesson of Samuel's story. God often speaks in quiet ways. The question is not whether God can speak. The question is whether we are willing to listen when he does. Next time on Carpooling with Heroes of the Bible, the people of Israel decide they want something they've never had before, a king. And that request is going to change the future of the entire nation. I'll see you next time, Carpool Crew. But remember this. Sometimes the most powerful words we can say to God are the same words Samuel said: 'Speak Lord, your servant is listening.' I'll see you in episode two, Carpool Crew. Have a good one.
