The Good Plan of God
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Picture this: you walk out into the garage one morning and find your three young children about to exit the garage and they are headed to the woods. One of the young ones has an axe in his hand, the other your cordless drill, and the third your hammer. When you ask this young entourage “What is going on?” they reply with eager smiles on their faces, “Oh, don’t worry dad, we have a plan!”
What is your response? “Oh, OK then go ahead.” Why not? You are all under the age of 10, whatever it is you have concocted, I don’t trust your plan.
Sadly, this is exactly the way we treat God sometimes. We tell God, verbally or through our actions, “God, I don’t trust your plan.”
Is that you this morning? Do you trust the good plan of God?
Unless you understand the good plan of God, you will never understand the book of Samuel.
Intro: context of Judges. Refer to Scripture reading in Judges 2.
Need to tell the larger story of what God is doing in the book of Samuel. It is all related to his big plan. His kingdom plan.
Kingdom plan is connected to his covenant faithfulness.
Overview of covenants as related to God’s Mediatorial Kingdom
God’s Big Plan: God’s glory through God’s kingdom. Original intent with creation. Image of God in man partly included dominion. Sin marred that plan. God’s plan to undo the effects of sin started in the OT with Abraham where God chose a particular people (nation).
The Abrahamic Covenant- established a covenant people (Ethnic).
If you want to have an earthly kingdom you first need a people, then you need a land. As the people entered the land God created for them their constitution that would govern them in the land. He gave them a set of laws for them to obey. Blessings if they kept the laws and curses if they disobeyed.
Both the Abrahamic and Mosaic Covenants were part of God’s plan to establish his mediatorial kingdom rule on earth.
The Mosaic Covenant- stands as the “constitution” of God’s earthly kingdom (National).
I Samuel is all about God continuing to establish his plan for His creation. He is continuing to undo the effects of sin and to establish his earthly kingdom.
Judges highlights a major obstacle in that plan.
What was the problem in judges?
11 And the people of Israel did what was evil in the sight of the Lord and served the Baals.
12 And they abandoned the Lord, the God of their fathers, who had brought them out of the land of Egypt. They went after other gods, from among the gods of the peoples who were around them, and bowed down to them. And they provoked the Lord to anger.
1 And the people of Israel again did what was evil in the sight of the Lord, so the Lord gave them into the hand of the Philistines for forty years.
6 In those days there was no king in Israel. Everyone did what was right in his own eyes.
1 In those days there was no king in Israel.
1 In those days, when there was no king in Israel,
25 In those days there was no king in Israel. Everyone did what was right in his own eyes.
This is the plot in the big story of the the Bible.
Now, what book comes next in our English Bibles? Joshua, Judges, Ruth!
How does Ruth end?
17 And the women of the neighborhood gave him a name, saying, “A son has been born to Naomi.” They named him Obed. He was the father of Jesse, the father of David.
What is God’s big plan for dealing with his wayward people? A King!
That is where we pick up the story in the Book of Samuel.
And it is this good plan of God that I want us to focus on this morning.
Do you trust God’s good plan? Do you trust God’s plan for your life personally?
How can you tell?
I. Provoked, Irritated, and Upset (1:1-8)
I. Provoked, Irritated, and Upset (1:1-8)
1 There was a certain man of Ramathaim-zophim of the hill country of Ephraim whose name was Elkanah the son of Jeroham, son of Elihu, son of Tohu, son of Zuph, an Ephrathite.
2 He had two wives. The name of the one was Hannah, and the name of the other, Peninnah. And Peninnah had children, but Hannah had no children.
Main characters: Elkanah, Hannah, and Peninnah.
Now if you want to understand narratives properly the first thing that you need to determine in the flow of the story is the occasioning incident- or the big problem that occurs in the lives of the individual characters. So, what is the occasioning incident in Hannah’s story?
Not just that Hannah had no children, what did Peninnah have? children (plural).
Brief aside: polygamy problem. God permitted it. It gracious winked at this particular sin. He never condones it. Any time the NT teaches on the ideal of marriage Jesus and Paul refer back to Genesis 1- God’s original plan for marriage. A man shall leave his father and mother and the two shall become one flesh.
The big problem, externally, is what? no children for Hannah.
How does this problem intensify?
3 Now this man used to go up year by year from his city to worship and to sacrifice to the Lord of hosts at Shiloh, where the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, were priests of the Lord.
4 On the day when Elkanah sacrificed, he would give portions to Peninnah his wife and to all her sons and daughters.
5 But to Hannah he gave a double portion, because he loved her, though the Lord had closed her womb.
Very important piece of the story here. What is it?
5 But to Hannah he gave a double portion, because he loved her, though the Lord had closed her womb.
Who closed Hannah’s womb? Does your theology of God allow for such a truth? God is not the author of evil, but he does permit it. He graciously uses even the effects of the corruption of sin upon his creation to accomplish His good plan. Do you believe this about God?
6 And her rival used to provoke her grievously to irritate her, because the Lord had closed her womb.
7 So it went on year by year. As often as she went up to the house of the Lord, she used to provoke her. Therefore Hannah wept and would not eat.
8 And Elkanah, her husband, said to her, “Hannah, why do you weep? And why do you not eat? And why is your heart sad? Am I not more to you than ten sons?”
How does the problem in this narrative intensify? Conflict between Hannah and her rival!
What was the result of this conflict?
Hannah was provoke to anger, that resulted in resentment, and over the top irritation! This response by Hannah went on year after year. And her anger, resentment, and irritation caused Hannah to weep and go on a hunger strike.
All of this is the external issue. The anger, resentment, and irritation, the weeping and refusal to eat- none of that is the root issue. If Hannah only fixed her anger issues and her fleshly response to this situation nothing would actually be accomplished.
What is the real problem?
8 And Elkanah, her husband, said to her, “Hannah, why do you weep? And why do you not eat? And why is your heart sad? Am I not more to you than ten sons?”
Elkanah actually asked the right question! His solution to the problem is abysmal, but he does ask the right question!
What is the right question that gets to the main issue? Why is your heart sad?
What was the reason Hannah’s heart was sad?
because she was being provoked by her rival! Right?
because she was barren right?
Was her rival or her situation the cause of her anger, resentment, irritation, and sadness?
Is this a biblical accurate model?
Why not?
21 For from within, out of the heart of man, come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, 22 coveting, wickedness, deceit, sensuality, envy, slander, pride, foolishness.
23 All these evil things come from within, and they defile a person.”
43 “For no good tree bears bad fruit, nor again does a bad tree bear good fruit, 44 for each tree is known by its own fruit. For figs are not gathered from thornbushes, nor are grapes picked from a bramble bush.
45 The good person out of the good treasure of his heart produces good, and the evil person out of his evil treasure produces evil, for out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks.
So if the Hannah’s problem is not her rival or her childless situation, then what is?
Her heart is the issue!
The anger, irritation, resentment, weeping, refusing to eat- these are all coming out of her heart.
So what’s the solution?
Elkanah tried several different solutions.
4 On the day when Elkanah sacrificed, he would give portions to Peninnah his wife and to all her sons and daughters. 5 But to Hannah he gave a double portion, because he loved her, though the Lord had closed her womb.
What was his first solution? He attempts to buy her happiness! Parents do we do this with our kids sometimes? If you will just stop arguing with your sister I will give you a cookie! So your child stops arguing with his sister. Did you solve the real issue?
Look how else Elkanah tries to solve the problem
8 And Elkanah, her husband, said to her, “Hannah, why do you weep? And why do you not eat? And why is your heart sad? Am I not more to you than ten sons?”
What is his second solution?
This one is a little more difficult to put into words.
Again, he asks the perfect question that gets right to the heart of the matter- pun intended! Why is your heart sad?
Yes! That’s it! But then in equal measure he blunders the solution. I am worth more than ten sons! Why is this such a terrible solution?
Hannah’s heart is the problem, but Elkanah cannot be the solution. That would be trading one idol for another one.
Why did Hannah get so angry and weep uncontrollably? Because there was a war ragging inside her heart.
1 What causes quarrels and what causes fights among you? Is it not this, that your passions are at war within you?
What is James telling us here? He is telling us that there is a war that rages inside of us constantly. There is a war for control. Control of what? Control of our hearts.
God has hardwired us to be creatures with desires. Our hearts will always have desires.
“What controls our heart will exercise inescapable influence over our lives and behavior.” —Paul David Tripp
What desire was controlling Hannah’s heart?
She wanted a child- but it goes deeper than that. Paul gives us a deep look into the desires that war for control in our hearts.
25 because they exchanged the truth about God for a lie and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever! Amen.
Every day there exists a battle within our hearts- creation battles with Creator for control of our hearts. Will we worship and serve the creation or will we worship and serve our creator.
Who was Hannah worshiping? Herself! She was convinced that the only thing that would make her happy was a child. Her plan was best, not God’s plan. She was saying in her heart, “My kingdom come, my will be done” instead of “Your kingdom come, your will be done.” She had created an idol in her heart. She was worshipping the creature rather than the creator.
Elkanah’s solution was just as bad!
8 And Elkanah, her husband, said to her, “Hannah, why do you weep? And why do you not eat? And why is your heart sad? Am I not more to you than ten sons?”
Am I not more to you than ten sons? What is Elkanah’s solution? Find your happiness in me! Let me be the idol of your heart!
But what is the real solution? Repentance! Cast down the idols of your heart! Put God in the position He demands! Worship God with all your heart. Don’t insist on your plan, rather trust in the good plan of God.
Lord, I don’t know why you have allowed me to be childless for all these years, but my heart’s desire is to love you, to worship you, to trust you. Help my actions and my attitudes reflect a heart of love and worship for you alone! Do you think that kind of heart would have solved the root problem in Hannah’s life?
Do you trust God’s good plan? Do you trust God’s plan for your life personally?
How can you tell?
45 The good person out of the good treasure of his heart produces good, and the evil person out of his evil treasure produces evil, for out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks.
You demonstrate your trust in God’s plan by your response to life’s most difficult situations.
You demonstrate your trust in God’s plan by your response to life’s most difficult situations.
Maybe like Hannah, God has not allowed you to have children, maybe God has allowed you to stay single, maybe God has allowed you to struggle in your job- maybe your work is demanding/wearisome/unemployed, maybe you are in a relationship with your spouse that for lack of a better term is miserable, maybe God has allowed your relationship with your children to become difficult and demanding and wearisome and miserable, maybe it is in the area of your finances- you haven’t had enough money in your life for what seems like a long long time.
How are you responding?
What do your responses tell you about your heart?
What has control of your heart right now?
Are you worshiping the creature or the Creator?
How might the way you treat your kids change if the desire to please God was in control of your heart?
Treat your spouse? Think about your job? The way you spend your time?
II. Humble, Prayerful, and Repentant (1:9-18)
II. Humble, Prayerful, and Repentant (1:9-18)
The occasioning problem of the story- Hannah is barren
The intensifying action- year after year of misery to the point of breaking
The story continues to intensify.
Hannah’s problem is resolved by means of a genuine, heartfelt, repentant prayer. Not her physical problem- after her prayer she is still childless, but her heart problem is cured through her prayer.
After year after year of misery finally Hannah was ready to pour out her soul to the Lord. So one year, after they had eaten in Shiloh, Hannah makes her way to the temple to pray. And Eli the priest is there sitting by the post of the door watching this take place.
9 After they had eaten and drunk in Shiloh, Hannah rose. Now Eli the priest was sitting on the seat beside the doorpost of the temple of the Lord.
10 She was deeply distressed and prayed to the Lord and wept bitterly.
11 And she vowed a vow and said, “O Lord of hosts, if you will indeed look on the affliction of your servant and remember me and not forget your servant, but will give to your servant a son, then I will give him to the Lord all the days of his life, and no razor shall touch his head.”
What happened to Hannah in v. 11? Real heart change!
11 And she vowed a vow and said, “O Lord of hosts, if you will indeed look on the affliction of your servant and remember me and not forget your servant, but will give to your servant a son, then I will give him to the Lord all the days of his life, and no razor shall touch his head.”
What was the idol of Hannah’s heart? Herself! She was living to worship and please herself. She thought the only way for her to be happy was to have a son. Now, in her prayer what is she willing to do? Give her potential son back to the Lord. Wow! Now instead of holding on to her desires with a close fist, instead she is holding her desire with an open hand. Lord if you give me my son, then I will give him back to you. I want to stop living to please myself, and instead I want to use everything in my life, even what I believe to be most precious to me, for your glory.
Does this sound like heart change to you? Does this sound like repentance to you?
12 As she continued praying before the Lord, Eli observed her mouth.
13 Hannah was speaking in her heart; only her lips moved, and her voice was not heard. Therefore Eli took her to be a drunken woman.
14 And Eli said to her, “How long will you go on being drunk? Put your wine away from you.”
15 But Hannah answered, “No, my lord, I am a woman troubled in spirit. I have drunk neither wine nor strong drink, but I have been pouring out my soul before the Lord.
16 Do not regard your servant as a worthless woman, for all along I have been speaking out of my great anxiety and vexation.”
17 Then Eli answered, “Go in peace, and the God of Israel grant your petition that you have made to him.”
18 And she said, “Let your servant find favor in your eyes.” Then the woman went her way and ate, and her face was no longer sad.
Don’t miss the important detail of v. 18!
18 And she said, “Let your servant find favor in your eyes.” Then the woman went her way and ate, and her face was no longer sad.
Does Hannah have a son yet?
Does she know for sure that she will have a son?
What made the difference in her behavior?
Her heart is changed. She repented of her sin. She came before God in humble prayer. She is not holding her hopes for a son with an open hand. She is trusting in God. She is depending upon His plan for her life.
Do you trust God’s good plan? Do you trust God’s plan for your life personally?
How can you tell?
You demonstrate your trust in God’s plan by your willingness to repent of demanding your way.
You demonstrate your trust in God’s plan by your willingness to repent of demanding your way.
What is it in your life that you are holding on to with a closed fist?
If I don’t get my way in this then watch out!
What are you unwilling to let go?
Are you telling God, “My kingdom come, My will be done”?
41 And he withdrew from them about a stone’s throw, and knelt down and prayed,
42 saying, “Father, if you are willing, remove this cup from me. Nevertheless, not my will, but yours, be done.”
III. Worship, Rejoicing, and Confidence (1:19-2:11)
III. Worship, Rejoicing, and Confidence (1:19-2:11)
The occasioning problem of the story- Hannah is barren
The intensifying action- year after year of misery to the point of breaking
The story continues to intensify with Hannah’s repentance.
Now we come to the climax of the narrative.
19 They rose early in the morning and worshiped before the Lord; then they went back to their house at Ramah. And Elkanah knew Hannah his wife, and the Lord remembered her.
20 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.”
21 The man Elkanah and all his house went up to offer to the Lord the yearly sacrifice and to pay his vow.
22 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.”
23 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.
24 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.
25 Then they slaughtered the bull, and they brought the child to Eli.
26 And she said, “Oh, my lord! As you live, my lord, I am the woman who was standing here in your presence, praying to the Lord.
27 For this child I prayed, and the Lord has granted me my petition that I made to him.
28 Therefore I have lent him to the Lord. As long as he lives, he is lent to the Lord.” And he worshiped the Lord there.
Then we get to Hannah’s prayer. And we discover that Hannah’s pain has taught her theology! Just look how the Lord used this trail to grow her faith!
1 And Hannah prayed and said, “My heart exults in the Lord; my horn is exalted in the Lord. My mouth derides my enemies, because I rejoice in your salvation.
2 “There is none holy like the Lord: for there is none besides you; there is no rock like our God.
3 Talk no more so very proudly, let not arrogance come from your mouth; for the Lord is a God of knowledge, and by him actions are weighed.
4 The bows of the mighty are broken, but the feeble bind on strength.
5 Those who were full have hired themselves out for bread, but those who were hungry have ceased to hunger. The barren has borne seven, but she who has many children is forlorn.
6 The Lord kills and brings to life; he brings down to Sheol and raises up.
7 The Lord makes poor and makes rich; he brings low and he exalts.
8 He raises up the poor from the dust; he lifts the needy from the ash heap to make them sit with princes and inherit a seat of honor. For the pillars of the earth are the Lord’s, and on them he has set the world.
9 “He will guard the feet of his faithful ones, but the wicked shall be cut off in darkness, for not by might shall a man prevail.
10 The adversaries of the Lord shall be broken to pieces; against them he will thunder in heaven. The Lord will judge the ends of the earth; he will give strength to his king and exalt the horn of his anointed.”
11 Then Elkanah went home to Ramah. And the boy was ministering to the Lord in the presence of Eli the priest.
Theology:
1). There is none holy like the Lord! He is unique! Set apart from all creation!
2 “There is none holy like the Lord: for there is none besides you; there is no rock like our God.
2). He is absolutely soverign
6 The Lord kills and brings to life; he brings down to Sheol and raises up. 7 The Lord makes poor and makes rich; he brings low and he exalts.
He is in control. He will work out His plan. Nothing can hinder him.
3). He exalts the humble and brings low the proud.
4 The bows of the mighty are broken, but the feeble bind on strength.
5 Those who were full have hired themselves out for bread, but those who were hungry have ceased to hunger. The barren has borne seven, but she who has many children is forlorn.
4). God’ has a good plan and we are part of His plan.
10 The adversaries of the Lord shall be broken to pieces; against them he will thunder in heaven. The Lord will judge the ends of the earth; he will give strength to his king and exalt the horn of his anointed.”
God had a good plan for Hannah’s life! Did Hannah see that right away? NO!
Hannah couldn’t see the end from the beginning, but God did!
How arrogant we are to think that we have a plan that is better than God’s!
God used little Hannah in his big plan.
Little did Hannah know that God used her barrenness to raise up the prophet Samuel who would one day anoint King David. And God would make a covenant with David that would lead to a better David. And that THE Son of David will one day bring in God’s good plan of the kingdom.
All the while God exalted Hannah, why? Because she humbled herself. God was able to work in the individual heart of Hannah, work for good the sins of Hannah’s rival, the blunders of her husband, the spiritual lethargy of the current priest- to both grow Hannah spiritual and to accomplish God’s great kingdom plan for all creation!
There is NONE holy like the Lord:
for there is none besides you;
there is no rock like our God!
Friends, God is doing the exact same thing in your life today. Did you realize that?
4 But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us,
5 even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved—
6 and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus,
7 so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.
This is the good plan of God. This is what God is working out in your life. You are part of God’s big plan, and God is working in your individual life to make you more like His Son! Do you trust God’s plan? Is he worthy of your trust? Of your obedience? Do you think that you know better than God does? Could you plan all this?
Illustration: This is like trying to beat the world’s most advance AI at a game of chess. How many moves ahead would you need to think? God is able to plan infinite moves ahead. And He planned it all before the foundation of the world. And for some reason he included you and I in that plan.
Do you trust His good plan?
You demonstrate your trust in God’s plan when you offer Him your sincere worship.
You demonstrate your trust in God’s plan when you offer Him your sincere worship.
Did you car break down this week? Job fall apart? Sick again? Tired and worn out?
Yet, can you come to church on a Sunday and confident worship God’s good plan for your life?
Sometimes, that is really hard. John Paton- missionary to the New Hebrides- lost his first wife and one week old son to sickness on the mission field. “Whensoever Tanna turns to the Lord, and is won for Christ, men in after-days will find the memory of that spot still green, —where with ceaseless prayers and tears I claimed that land for God in which I had “buried my dead” with faith and hope.”
Do you trust God’s good plan?
You demonstrate your trust in God’s plan by your response to life’s most difficult situations.
You demonstrate your trust in God’s plan by your willingness to repent of demanding your way.
You demonstrate your trust in God’s plan when you offer Him your sincere worship.
