Having rejected Eli's household, Samuel is called. It seems that ministering before the Lord was possibly rather dry in those days, with little direct communication from God. However, things were about to change.
The Lord called Samuel. Note that it is Samuel who takes the initiative. Samuel heard an audible voice, this was not just an "inner witness". Samuel wasn't expecting to literally hear God, so he thought it was Eli who had called him. Eli, of course, had not called him.
This happened three times, Eli then realised what was happening. In verse 7 it tells us that we need the word of the Lord to be revealed to us in order for us to know the Lord. The same is true today. Many people read the Bible without really knowing God, we need the Holy Spirit to open our eyes to the truth.
Eli tells Samuel what to do. So even though Eli's family had been rejected by God, he still acted faithfully.
God tells Samuel why He has rejected Eli. Samuel was afraid to tell Eli what God had said, but Eli encouraged him to do so. Eli accepted what the Lord had said.
God continued to reveal Himself more and more to Samuel. This first encounter was very important. Samuel needed to learn to listen to God. He also needed to learn to speak the word of God, even when it is unpleasant. Moreover, he would later have to learn to accept that Saul had been rejected because of his unfaithfulness.
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