Growing Your Family Spiritually

Introduction

1 Samuel 1:20-28 “And in due time Hannah conceived and bore a son, and she called his name Samuel, for she said, “I have asked for him from the Lord.” The man Elkanah and all his house went up to offer to the Lord the yearly sacrifice and to pay his vow. But Hannah did not go up, for she said to her husband, “As soon as the child is weaned, I will bring him, so that he may appear in the presence of the Lord and dwell there forever.” Elkanah her husband said to her, “Do what seems best to you; wait until you have weaned him; only, may the Lord establish his word.” So the woman remained and nursed her son until she weaned him. And when she had weaned him, she took him up with her, along with a three-year-old bull, an ephah of flour, and a skin of wine, and she brought him to the house of the Lord at Shiloh. And the child was young. Then they slaughtered the bull, and they brought the child to Eli. And she said, “Oh, my lord! As you live, my lord, I am the woman who was standing here in your presence, pray…”

2 Peter 3:18 “But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be the glory both now and to the day of eternity. Amen.”

Every man is as holy as he really wants to be. But the want must be all-compelling.

Leviticus 19:2; 2 Corinthians 7:11; 1 Peter 1:14–16; 1 John 3:2–3

Man: The Dwelling Place of God, 38. A. W. Tozer

This verse records the last words of one of Jesus’ original disciple. God’s desire is for all believers to grow in their relationship with Him. As Christians mature in their faith, they should also seek to help others develop a deeper connection with the Lord.

Putting it into context

As the period of the judges drew to a close, God began to write a new chapter in the story of salvation history. It would soon be time for Israel’s tribes to unite under the rule of a king’ but the nation needed a strong spiritual leader to shepherd the nation through this transition. God chose Samuel to be that leader. Samuel was Israel’s high priest and both the last of the judges and the first of the prophets. Samuel’s story starts before he was born, beginning with his mother’s desperate plea.

Understanding Samuel’s family helps us to understand how we can help our families grow spiritually.

1 Samuel chapter 1 is made up of 28 verses.

Breakdown of 1 Samuel 1

The Character of the Family; [verses 1-3]. {v.3}

The Challenges of the Family; [Verses 4-8]. {v.6}

The Choices of the family; [Verses 9-28].

Definitions:

Character: the mental and moral qualities distinctive to an individual.

Challenges: root word “challenge” is a call to someone to participate in a competitive situation or fight to decide who is superior in terms of ability or strength.

Choice: Is an act of choosing between two or more possibilities

verse by verse breakdown

V.1 Ramathaim- Ramah.

1. One of the cities located in the territory allotted to Benjamin’s tribe for an inheritance, listed between Gibeon and Beeroth (Jos 18:25). In the proximity of this town, Rachel, Jacob’s wife was buried (Mt 2:18, KJV Rama; cf. Gn 35:16–21; Jer 31:15). Ramah, positioned near Bethel, was the place where Deborah judged Israel (Jgs 4:5). This city was a temporary resting place for a Levite and his concubine traveling north from Bethlehem (Jgs 19:13).

Baker Encyclopedia of the Bible Ramah

5. Home of Samuel’s parents Elkanah and Hannah, the birthplace of Samuel (1 Sm 1:19; 2:11), and later his home (7:17; 16:13). Samuel judged Israel from Ramah, Bethel, Gilgal, and Mizpah (7:17). Saul first met Samuel at this city (9:6–10). Here the elders of Israel petitioned Samuel to appoint a king for them (8:4) and later this city provided David a place of refuge from King Saul (19:18–20:1). Samuel was buried at Ramah (25:1; 28:3). Ramah is alternately called Ramathaim-zophim in 1 Samuel 1:1. Its location is uncertain. Some identify Ramah with: er-Ram, 5 miles north of Jerusalem; Nebi Samwil, 7 miles north of Jerusalem; Ramallah, 12 miles north of Jerusalem; and Beit Rama, 13 miles northeast of Lydda.

Walter A. Elwell and Barry J. Beitzel, “Ramah,” Baker Encyclopedia of the Bible (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Book House, 1988), 1818.

V2. Elkanah had two wives: The very first recorded event of such an act can be found in Genesis 4:19 where Lamech took for him self two wives. this trend of polygamy (the practice or custom of having more than one wife or husband at the same time) has plague mankind to this present time and beyond, until God purges this earth with His leadership.

HANNAH (חַנָּה, channah). The mother of Samuel the prophet and judge. The second of Elkanah’s two wives, and was barren (1 Sam 1:2, 6).

Hannah brings her desire for a child to God in persistent prayer with the radical hope that God will grant her desire, a child she promises to return to God (1 Sam 1–2). Hannah is further plagued by the presence of Elkanah’s first wife, Peninnah, a rival who mocks her suffering even in her most vulnerable moments (1 Sam 1:6–7).

V3. The character of the family.

Every year they would go to worship and to sacrifice to the LORD of host, and this was in keeping with the Mosaic Law: The Lord their God was the one who choose the place for all the tribes to worship [Deut. 12:5-7].

16 “Three times a year all your males shall appear before the LORD your God at the place that he will choose: at the Feast of Unleavened Bread, at the Feast of Weeks, and at the Feast of Booths. They shall not appear before the LORD empty-handed.

Dt 16:16.

Shiloh (Place) A town where the tabernacle was set up prior to the final division of the land of Canaan among the tribes of Israel. It was a city in the hill country of Ephraim, centrally located between Shechem to the north and Bethel to the south. Joshua and the tribes of Israel camped here after the settlement in the land. Home of the ark of the covenant and the tabernacle during the time of Joshua to Samuel.

The Challenges of the family

[V.4]on the day of sacrifice: everything that was promised to the Lord had to be consumed at the place the LORD designated. [Deut. 12:17,18; 16:11]

these verses shows God’s order for accomplishing things.

verses 6,7,&8 shows the challenges of the family.

verses 4,5,&6. we read of the competition between the two wives, and why.

verses 7. we read how long this rival has been going on “year by year”. which could be indicating that it was a very long time.

Also it did not only take place in the home but outside the home, in the Church!

we also see the weight of your words. how negative and positive words can influence a person, and why we need to be mindful of how we speak to others.

3. verses 8. Elkanah her husband is contributing to Hannah’s problem.

“why do you weep he ask?” do you think that he was unaware the challenges that Hannah was facing in the family.

he was part of the problem; the other wife was also, and even though the text does not mention the other wife children's contribution to the problem, I believe that they played a part in this challenge towards Hannah.

The Choices of the family. [V.24-28] {28}

V.19 the family worshiped before the Lord early in the morning.

V.21,22 the families faithfullness to their yearly duties towards the LORD (v.21); the decision between the husband and wife (v.22&23)

v.24-28 the choices of the family

Application: How do I put what I have just heard and read into practice? How can I better help to grow my family Spiritually?

These are five areas that can help you to grow your family Spiritually:

Supplication to God can help your family grow spiritually (1 Sam. 1:10-11)

Supplication is the action of asking or begging for something earnestly, or humbly.

a. Hannah was the second wife of a man named Elkanah. Elkanah’s first wife had children , but Hannah had none.

b. Hannah’s childlessness caused her deep sorrow. Her anguish led her to pray in the house of the Lord.

c. The needs we see in our family should drive us to God in prayer.