Moment in the Word

1 Samuel 3:1 ...Now in those days the word of the LORD was rare and visions were scarce (Berean Study Bible).

 

Unfortunately, during the priesthood of blind Eli, God had stopped speaking from the Ark of the Covenant in the Holy of Holies. Thus, denied the divine vision, the people perished without godly restraint (Proverbs 29:18).

But why was the word so rare in ancient Israel during this time?

In another place we read, "For what shall I strike you any more, you that increase transgression  (Isaiah 1:5 - Douay-Rheims Bible)?" Since Israel refused to listen, God asked why He should continue correcting them.

Instead, He released them to the ultimate outcome of the sin they previously were warned to avoid, "Thy own wickedness shall reprove thee, and thy apostasy shall rebuke thee. Know thou, and see that it is an evil and a bitter thing for thee, to have left the Lord thy God, and that my fear is not with thee, saith the Lord the God of hosts (Jeremiah 2:19 - Douay-Rheims Bible).

Although the 'talking heads' still rambled on, yet God no longer communicated with His people because of their rebellion, "I did not send prophets, yet they ran: I have not spoken to them, yet they prophesied (Jeremiah 23:21 - Douay-Rheims Bible)." Despite the residual chatter surrounding the Tabernacle, the Holy Oracle had fallen silent because the people refused to repent for their sin.

Even now, I wonder if we have earnestly sought God's voice for the past fifty years or if we have instead done our best to ignore the gentle urging of His Holy Spirit. If the latter is true, then we are subject to the prophet's decree, "Behold the days come, saith the Lord, and I will send forth a famine into the land: not a famine of bread, nor a thirst of water, but of hearing the word of the Lord. 12And they shall move from sea to sea, and from the north to the east: they shall go about seeking the word of the Lord, and shall not find it. 13In that day the fair virgins, and the young men shall faint for thirst. 14They that swear by the sin of Samaria, and say: Thy God, O Dan, liveth: and the way of Bersabee liveth: and they shall fall, and shall rise no more (Amos 8:11-13 - Douay-Rheims Bible)."

Much like Samaria's pervasive sin of establishing golden idols from Israel's northern tribe of Dan to the far south in Beersheba, have we substituted other voices across the breadth of our country to replace God's absent word? Today, as we watch the explosion of violence and anarchy among our restless dissatisfied youth, I wonder if God still speaks in our land or if a religious business has developed in His name where the Almighty Dollar does the talking instead. Have we exchanged profit for prophecy and wallets for the word?