1 Samuel 2

In order to start this off we really need to go back and see the beginning of this scene. 1 Samuel 1:24-28

1 Samuel 1:24–28 NASB 95

24 Now when she had weaned him, she took him up with her, with a three-year-old bull and one ephah of flour and a jug of wine, and brought him to the house of the Lord in Shiloh, although the child was young. 25 Then they slaughtered the bull, and brought the boy to Eli. 26 She said, “Oh, my lord! As your soul lives, my lord, I am the woman who stood here beside you, praying to the Lord. 27 For this boy I prayed, and the Lord has given me my petition which I asked of Him. 28 So I have also dedicated him to the Lord; as long as he lives he is dedicated to the Lord.” And he worshiped the Lord there.

Hannah’s Prayer

1 Samuel 2:1–11 NASB 95

1 Then Hannah prayed and said, “My heart exults in the Lord; My horn is exalted in the Lord, My mouth speaks boldly against my enemies, Because I rejoice in Your salvation. 2 “There is no one holy like the Lord, Indeed, there is no one besides You, Nor is there any rock like our God. 3 “Boast no more so very proudly, Do not let arrogance come out of your mouth; For the Lord is a God of knowledge, And with Him actions are weighed. 4 “The bows of the mighty are shattered, But the feeble gird on strength. 5 “Those who were full hire themselves out for bread, But those who were hungry cease to hunger. Even the barren gives birth to seven, But she who has many children languishes. 6 “The Lord kills and makes alive; He brings down to Sheol and raises up. 7 “The Lord makes poor and rich; He brings low, He also exalts. 8 “He raises the poor from the dust, He lifts the needy from the ash heap To make them sit with nobles, And inherit a seat of honor; For the pillars of the earth are the Lord’s, And He set the world on them. 9 “He keeps the feet of His godly ones, But the wicked ones are silenced in darkness; For not by might shall a man prevail. 10 “Those who contend with the Lord will be shattered; Against them He will thunder in the heavens, The Lord will judge the ends of the earth; And He will give strength to His king, And will exalt the horn of His anointed.” 11 Then Elkanah went to his home at Ramah. But the boy ministered to the Lord before Eli the priest.

If God provided Samuel, then God will protect him.

Where was Hannah leaving her son? She was leaving him to the service of God in care of priest that were clearly not living in a righteous way. She had asked God for him and then when the time came to fulfill her end of this arrangement, she did not say but God I know best. This would not be the best place for him, but rather she trusted in God’s protection of her son in this place. Don’t you know she was praying for Eli without ceasing!!

While it is our job to protect our children, it is first and foremost our job to honor God with all that we have. She made this promise and followed her word to God as He did for her. I am sure she raised him already knowing everything she could teach him about God.

It amazes me how much Fletcher can already observe and what he can answer about God. Not that he knows all of the things or that he wont say something off the wall, but He is learning. As a woman of God I am sure she was teaching because she was serious about Fearing the Lord.

V1. Hannah Prayed

Hannah Rejoiced.

Hannah Requested Nothing

V2. Hannah Declares who God is. She says He is Holy. There is no one as holy as Him. There is no one like Him. She is repeating the same idea in Rhyme praising God.

Some of our prayer is again reminding us who God is and when we first remind our selves of who He is it causes our prayer to change. It causes us to remember “not my will but thine”. When our prayers start with God you are.... and we spend time there, it will change our mind.

V3 Who do you think Hannah is talking about in verse 3? Maybe Peninnah? Hannah’s life reflected Christ. Peninnah was not walking in love. We can look at this and say of course she did not act with love towards Hannah its the other wife. But, it was not Hannah who was living in a sinful way or made the decision to marry another person. It was her husband. Peninnah should have no qualms with Hannah but our anger is often misdirected.

Vs 4-8 we see her go through God vs Man

Vs 8-10 we see that she is looking forward to the coming of Christ and the fulfillment of the last becoming first etc.

This prayer closely resembles another Luke 1:46-55

Luke 1:46–55 NASB 95

46 And Mary said: “My soul exalts the Lord, 47 And my spirit has rejoiced in God my Savior. 48 “For He has had regard for the humble state of His bondslave; For behold, from this time on all generations will count me blessed. 49 “For the Mighty One has done great things for me; And holy is His name. 50 “And His mercy is upon generation after generation Toward those who fear Him. 51 “He has done mighty deeds with His arm; He has scattered those who were proud in the thoughts of their heart. 52 “He has brought down rulers from their thrones, And has exalted those who were humble. 53 “He has filled the hungry with good things; And sent away the rich empty-handed. 54 “He has given help to Israel His servant, In remembrance of His mercy, 55 As He spoke to our fathers, To Abraham and his descendants forever.”

It also is a foreshadowing of what Zacharias will say in Luke 1:67-68

Luke 1:67–68 NASB 95

67 And his father Zacharias was filled with the Holy Spirit, and prophesied, saying: 68 “Blessed be the Lord God of Israel, For He has visited us and accomplished redemption for His people,

Her attitude resembles this parable in Luke 14

The wicked sons of Eli, the high priest

1 Samuel 2:12–26 NASB 95

12 Now the sons of Eli were worthless men; they did not know the Lord 13 and the custom of the priests with the people. When any man was offering a sacrifice, the priest’s servant would come while the meat was boiling, with a three-pronged fork in his hand. 14 Then he would thrust it into the pan, or kettle, or caldron, or pot; all that the fork brought up the priest would take for himself. Thus they did in Shiloh to all the Israelites who came there. 15 Also, before they burned the fat, the priest’s servant would come and say to the man who was sacrificing, “Give the priest meat for roasting, as he will not take boiled meat from you, only raw.” 16 If the man said to him, “They must surely burn the fat first, and then take as much as you desire,” then he would say, “No, but you shall give it to me now; and if not, I will take it by force.” 17 Thus the sin of the young men was very great before the Lord, for the men despised the offering of the Lord. 18 Now Samuel was ministering before the Lord, as a boy wearing a linen ephod. 19 And his mother would make him a little robe and bring it to him from year to year when she would come up with her husband to offer the yearly sacrifice. 20 Then Eli would bless Elkanah and his wife and say, “May the Lord give you children from this woman in place of the one she dedicated to the Lord.” And they went to their own home. 21 The Lord visited Hannah; and she conceived and gave birth to three sons and two daughters. And the boy Samuel grew before the Lord. 22 Now Eli was very old; and he heard all that his sons were doing to all Israel, and how they lay with the women who served at the doorway of the tent of meeting. 23 He said to them, “Why do you do such things, the evil things that I hear from all these people? 24 No, my sons; for the report is not good which I hear the Lord’s people circulating. 25 If one man sins against another, God will mediate for him; but if a man sins against the Lord, who can intercede for him?” But they would not listen to the voice of their father, for the Lord desired to put them to death. 26 Now the boy Samuel was growing in stature and in favor both with the Lord and with men.

1 Samuel 2:12 NASB 95

12 Now the sons of Eli were worthless men; they did not know the Lord

The sons of Eli were corrupt:

Literally, the ancient Hebrew calls them sons of Belial. Belial was a pagan god and the phrase sons of Belial refers to worthless and wicked men. This was a significant problem because the sons of Eli were in line to succeed him as high priest and they already functioned in the priesthood.

They did not know the Lord

They were in the ministry but they did not KNOW GOD.

One of the strongest signs that someone doesn't know the lord is a continual pursuit of illegitimate sexual activity. Yet we live in a world that we see people of the church condoning this type of activity. 1 Thessalonians 4:3-5

1 Thessalonians 4:3–5 NASB 95

3 For this is the will of God, your sanctification; that is, that you abstain from sexual immorality; 4 that each of you know how to possess his own vessel in sanctification and honor, 5 not in lustful passion, like the Gentiles who do not know God;

The recognition of a Gentile was that they lived in their lustful passions. They lacked self control.

They have no desire to fight this flesh impulse.

Purity is a sign of knowing God.

Galatians 5:22–23 NASB 95

22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.

As we draw close to God, our attitude about purity will change. If we are accepting of these things in our lives, it is a good sign that we do not know God.

There are believers who have struggles here. STRUGGLES they BATTLE!!!

They Stole from God

1 Samuel 2:13–17 NASB 95

13 and the custom of the priests with the people. When any man was offering a sacrifice, the priest’s servant would come while the meat was boiling, with a three-pronged fork in his hand. 14 Then he would thrust it into the pan, or kettle, or caldron, or pot; all that the fork brought up the priest would take for himself. Thus they did in Shiloh to all the Israelites who came there. 15 Also, before they burned the fat, the priest’s servant would come and say to the man who was sacrificing, “Give the priest meat for roasting, as he will not take boiled meat from you, only raw.” 16 If the man said to him, “They must surely burn the fat first, and then take as much as you desire,” then he would say, “No, but you shall give it to me now; and if not, I will take it by force.” 17 Thus the sin of the young men was very great before the Lord, for the men despised the offering of the Lord.

The priests’ custom with the people:

With many of the sacrifices brought to the tabernacle, a portion was given to God, a portion was given to the priest, and a portion was kept by the one who brought the offering. According to other passages in the Old Testament, the priest received a portion of the breast and the shoulder. But now, some 400 years after the Law of Moses came, the priestly custom changed – they did not take the prescribed portion of the breast and shoulder but took whatever the fork (fleshhook) brought up out of the pot.

Before they burned the fat:

God’s portion was always given first, so it was wrong to take the priest’s portion before they burned the fat.

The fat was thought to be the most luxurious, best part of the animal, so they gave it to God. The idea was that God should always get the best, and God should get His portion first. But in their pride the sons of Eli took their portion before they burned the fat.

He will not take boiled meat from you, but raw:

Why did the sons of Eli want raw meat? Maybe it was so they could prepare it in any way they pleased; or more likely, it was because raw meat was easier to sell and they sold the meat and pocketed the money.

While many people may see this as they were taking part of what they were already going to get, they also took some that was not their. But even beyond that a deferral even the smallest amount from Gods will is sin.

No, but you must give it now; and if not, I will take it by force:

The greed of Eli’s sons was so bad that they did not hesitate to use violence and the threat of violence to get what they wanted. Remember this was theocracy so they were the ruling class on earth as far as many people saw it.

For men abhorred the offering of the LORD:

The greatness of the sin of Eli’s sons was clear because through their greed, violence, and intimidation they made others not want to come and bring offerings to the LORD. It was bad enough what they themselves did, but the other great sin of Eli’s sons was in driving people away who desired to be obedient to God.

Samuel Serves God

1 Samuel 2:18–21 NASB 95

18 Now Samuel was ministering before the Lord, as a boy wearing a linen ephod. 19 And his mother would make him a little robe and bring it to him from year to year when she would come up with her husband to offer the yearly sacrifice. 20 Then Eli would bless Elkanah and his wife and say, “May the Lord give you children from this woman in place of the one she dedicated to the Lord.” And they went to their own home. 21 The Lord visited Hannah; and she conceived and gave birth to three sons and two daughters. And the boy Samuel grew before the Lord.

Even as a child, he was ministering to the Lord. This could have been very small things, but he was ministering before the Lord. This is God’s view of his work not mine. When can a child start serving God? Simple, yet complex, answer is now. In whatever way they can help in the service of the body let them serve. Teach them young to be serving God.

In spite of ungodly leaders in God’s house, it did not stop his plan. It did not hinder his plan, God still was glorified.

He wore a linen ephod like the priest. It set him apart.

Hannah loved him and continued to show him love as she saw him once per year.

God blessed Hannah with more kids.

The second offence of Eli’s Sons; Sexual Immorality.

1 Samuel 2:22 NASB 95

22 Now Eli was very old; and he heard all that his sons were doing to all Israel, and how they lay with the women who served at the doorway of the tent of meeting.

Now Eli was very old:

This passage is not focused on Eli’s sons as much as it is on Eli himself. He was old and in no condition to lead Israel as high priest. He heard everything his sons did but Eli only rebuked them about it.

They lay with the women who assembled at the door of the tabernacle of meeting:

This means the sons of Eli were committing sexual immorality with the women who came to worship at the tabernacle. This was an ancient version of the modern sex scandals among pastors or preachers.

It is possible that the women who assembled at the door of the tabernacle were in some way workers at the house of the LORD. Exodus 38:8 refers to the serving women who assembled at the door of the tabernacle of meeting.

1 Samuel 2:23–26 NASB 95

23 He said to them, “Why do you do such things, the evil things that I hear from all these people? 24 No, my sons; for the report is not good which I hear the Lord’s people circulating. 25 If one man sins against another, God will mediate for him; but if a man sins against the Lord, who can intercede for him?” But they would not listen to the voice of their father, for the Lord desired to put them to death. 26 Now the boy Samuel was growing in stature and in favor both with the Lord and with men.

Why do you do this?

Eli comes to them and asks why is this happening. The people are coming to me and telling about how you are acting.

If you sin against a man, God will mediate. Who will mediate for you since you sin against God?

But they did not listen to their Father.

Vs. 26 Samuel was Growing in stature and favor with the Lord.

The announcement of God’s judgment against Eli’s house.

1 Samuel 2:27–33 NASB 95

27 Then a man of God came to Eli and said to him, “Thus says the Lord, ‘Did I not indeed reveal Myself to the house of your father when they were in Egypt in bondage to Pharaoh’s house? 28 ‘Did I not choose them from all the tribes of Israel to be My priests, to go up to My altar, to burn incense, to carry an ephod before Me; and did I not give to the house of your father all the fire offerings of the sons of Israel? 29 Why do you kick at My sacrifice and at My offering which I have commanded in My dwelling, and honor your sons above Me, by making yourselves fat with the choicest of every offering of My people Israel?’ 30 Therefore the Lord God of Israel declares, ‘I did indeed say that your house and the house of your father should walk before Me forever’; but now the Lord declares, ‘Far be it from Me—for those who honor Me I will honor, and those who despise Me will be lightly esteemed. 31 Behold, the days are coming when I will break your strength and the strength of your father’s house so that there will not be an old man in your house. 32 ‘You will see the distress of My dwelling, in spite of all the good that I do for Israel; and an old man will not be in your house forever. 33 Yet I will not cut off every man of yours from My altar so that your eyes will fail from weeping and your soul grieve, and all the increase of your house will die in the prime of life.

The Man of God:

We don’t really know who this man of God was, interesting that it is not the High Priest right? God had to have a man of God to communicate with the people and the leadership because the Men who were supposed to be serving in the spiritual leadership role were not doing their job. Structurally speaking there was no one higher in command of Israel than Eli. But through out Judges we see God raised up Judges to correct course due to the lack of leadership and corruption.

The Priest throughout the Judges and into the Book of Samuel are corrupt. The Spiritual leaders of the day were part of what God used to reveal his ultimate plan of Jesus Christ. It was clear that if even those who spent their entire day in service to God could not stay pure, then how much harder would it be for the rest of the people. We can’t study the Bible enough or pray enough to keep the law. Only through Christ could the Law be fulfilled and our sins atoned for.

One note on that. God will fulfill his will in spite of man.

Was I not clear with your father?

Here is a reference to Arron as the first high priest and as a hereditary office, as a descendant of Arron, he should know these duties.

Then comes a list of duties that must be done by the priests.

To be My priest: First and foremost, the job of the high priest was to minister to the LORD. Before he served the people, he was a servant of God. He was not first the people’s priest, he was first the priest of God.

To offer upon My altar: The priest brought sacrifices for atonement and worship.

To burn incense: Burning incense was a picture of prayer because the smoke and the scent of the incense ascends up to the heavens. The priest was to lead the nation in prayer, and to pray for the nation.

To wear an ephod before Me: The priest was clothed in specific garments, for glory and for beauty (Exodus 28:2). He was to represent the majesty, dignity, glory, and beauty of God to the people.

All the offerings: The priest was also charged with the responsibility to receive the offerings of God’s people and to make good use of them.

Why do you Kick at my sacrifice?

Eli could have easily said I am not doing these things Lord, but there are a few reasons as to why he does not say this. One notice in verse 29 hes says making yourselves fat. Not just the boys, but it appears Eli was benefiting from some of this. But even it he was not He is responsible for their actions both as a father and the priest. These things should have been corrected even if it ment removing them or worse.