Magnificent Mother

Bible Passage: 1 Samuel 1:1-18 NKJV

1 Samuel 1. For those who brought their own bible or utilize NLT version under the seat in front of you, once you have come across 1 Samuel 1 look up here because I want to say something. Women… are perhaps the most powerful and influential force on the face of the planet… (raise finger) let me say it again.. Women are perhaps the most powerful and influential class of persons on the face of the earth. Bearing children and raising them up in a fashion glorious to God is no easy task to do. We know this, even us men who are not women. It is no easy task to do especially in the modern world there are so many dangers to children that can easily be exposed to them. You see the home is like a boat at sea, in a ferocious storm, with powerful waves, and the ship has just lost it’s anchor…drifting away. What holds that boat? What actually anchors the ship? The anchor of the home is MOTHERHOOD.

Motherhood keeps the ship anchored with love for her children, tenderhearted discipline, and a graceful upbringing. It is true that men are the head of the home, but it is equally true that women are the heart of the home. It is true that men have influence on the child, but the mother marks the magnificent impact on the child. We are going to see how when a mother, has God inside her heart, pumps the family. Today we are going to talk about the beautiful story of a gracious woman, by the name of Hannah, in 1 Samuel 1, learning from the Word about raising Godly kids as a mother. Now for all folks who are here today and say “well Yanes I do not have children nor can I because I am a man”, do not worry, these lessons from God apply to all. They are here following a magnificent mother, but you can use these to lessons to be a magnificent anything under God. I stand here not to provide my personal interpretations, for how could I when we all have the perfect Word of God within our grasp to learn from Him? Who better to open up our hearts to? Amen? Let’s look at it together shall we? 1 Samuel 1:2,10, 11 In the scripture it says that “Elkanah had two wives: the name of one was Hannah, and the name of the other Peninnah. Peninnah had children, but Hannah had no children. And she was in bitterness of soul, and prayed to the Lord and wept in anguish.” Let me provide you some historical context about this marriage for further clarification. Yes, at this moment in time, polygamy was an occurrence for the purposes of having more offspring. At times during the Old Testament, if a woman was barren she would often be frowned upon. As unfortunate as it is to say, the thought would be “what good is she anymore, for she cannot put any arrows in my quiver?”. She could be seen as an embarrassment to her husband, and surely enough taunted by the other wives. So Hannah, a barren woman is deeply distressed unable to conceive, and navigating the complexities of her marriage with Elkanah and his other wife, Peninnah, who taunts her about being barren. However, Elkanah actually loved Hannah, to whom he would give double portions of food.

As the Scripture says, it says what? What does it say? That in the midst of her turmoil, she was in bitterness of soul, weeping in anguish before the Lord! That part right there is interesting. She did not weep to her husband, but instead to the Lord. The relationship with the Lord supersedes the relationship with her husband, no matter how much she loves Elkanah. And so in the midst of this, her priority is revealed. What is her magnificent priority? Her priority was to have a child. She was in bitterness of soul, prayed to the Lord for a child, and wept in anguish. She said Oh God, I want a baby. Can you imagine the world where all women desperately want a child? Not for choice gold, silver, bronze, fame, NOTHING, but a baby. Children ought to come into the world in an answer of prayer from God. I want to say that our hearts, my heart, goes out to all the women in the world that desire to have children yet cannot for whatever reason. It is a bitterness to the soul….. Now there is something wrong in this world when babies are often seen as burdens, rather than blessings. A burden. You think about that for moment. When babies are seen as burdens rather than blessings the anchor gets pulled up and faces destruction. Not only for the ship, but also for whatever the ship may run into.

Do you want to hear what the Lord says about children? Look if you will in the book of Psalm 127:3-4 “Behold, children are a heritage from the Lord, the fruit of the womb is a reward. Like arrows in the hand of a warrior, so are the children of one’s youth.” Far from being a burden or inconvenience, children are intended to be recieved and valued as a gift from the Lord, a reward (127:3). They should be treated as a wonderful inheritance and, thus, receive care and training. Children are like arrows in the hand of a warrior (127:4). But, if they are to hit their target- that is, to fulfill their kingdom purposes- parents must shape them and aim them correctly. Aiming to hit the target of growing in the Lord as believers for whatever will God calls for them. Boys and girls must be raised to KNOW the Lord, gaining experiential knowledge of God throughout their watching moms and dads live in dependance on Him…. Congregation that was a good place for an Amen. Alright. Ye see then that by priority a child can grow righteously. If the child is valued and treasured as a gift from God, the child would grow up valued and treasured as such.. This is the first principle of motherhood, the priority.

So what is this prayer, she said to the Lord? What do you guys think? …. Well, let’s look at it 1 Samuel 1:11 “And she vowed a vow, and said, O Lord of hosts, if thou wilt indeed look on the affliction of thine handmaid, and remember me, and not forget thine handmaid, but wilt give unto thine handmaid a man child, then I will give him unto the Lord all the days of his life, and there shall no rasor come upon his head.” ……No rasor upon his head. What does that mean? Well you’d have to know the Old Testament to understand. She is saying here that if she bear a child, that he shall be raised up as a Nazarite vow. This vow is expanded on in Numbers 6:5 “All the days of the vow of his separation no razor shall come upon his head; until the days are fulfilled for which he separated himself to the Lord, he shall be holy. Then he shall let the locks of the hair of his head grow.” ……..WOW. She didn’t just desire a child, she desired a HOLY child before the Lord. Look up here because I want to ask you a question. And it may be funny coming from me but lets take this seriously. When do you begin to raise your children? ….. (lean into table) not after their born, before their born. Not after their conceived, before their conceived. Children ought to come in an answer to prayer! Prayers before, and prayers after!

Let’s continue with the story because it’s just so good. 1 Samuel 1:13–14 “Now Hannah, she spake in her heart; only her lips moved, but her voice was not heard: therefore Eli thought she had been drunken. And Eli said unto her, How long wilt thou be drunken? put away thy wine from thee.” Effectively what the scripture says here is she filled with so much bitterness and sorrow, and in tune with her relationship with the Lord, that the high priest Eli mistook her anguish and faith of prayer for drunkenness. This was the depth of Hannahs prayer. Even Eli, the high priest, who had I’m sure seen a lot. 1 Samuel 1:15 “And Hannah answered and said, No, my lord, I am a woman of a sorrowful spirit: I have drunk neither wine nor strong drink, but have poured out my soul before the Lord.” Whew that kind of love is so pure. Often times we neglect that the Lord is the one we need to bring our anguish too.

You see how when your priorities are aligned with the kingdom of God, you get your prayers get lined up right along with them. Can you imagine that? Where the entire world of mothers priority and prayer correctly aligned for their children with God… before they even are conceived. Almost unheard of. Not being neglected, abandoned, mistreated, or unvalued. Where the child can come into the world knowing he is a heritage from the Lord, knowing his mother desired him long before his birth, knowing her heart is anchored because she has God in her heart. This boy will hit the bullseye. Amen?!

1 Samuel 1:17–20 “Then Eli answered and said, Go in peace: and the God of Israel grant thee thy petition that thou hast asked of him. And she said, Let thine handmaid find grace in thy sight. So the woman went her way, and did eat, and her countenance was no more sad. And they rose up in the morning early, and worshipped before the Lord, and returned, and came to their house to Ramah: and Elkanah knew Hannah his wife; and the Lord remembered her. Wherefore it came to pass, when the time was come about after Hannah had conceived, that she bare a son, and called his name Samuel, saying, Because I have asked him of the Lord.” Now, we’ve seen Hannahs desire and her prayer before the Lord. Her next step is what? To raise the child!!!! Her magnificient purpose to raise that child under God, for she vowed as such as seen in verse 11. God gave her the child, she must now fulfill that vow. The vow is to raise up that child as a holy child walking in truth and in the light. The powerful thing about this is not that she is submitting to His will, but AFFIRM His will. Many times people hear God’s calling to wake up, and yawn in his face, rolling over to the other side of the bed. God forbid that happens with children. She could have rolled over and not raised Samuel as she promised, but she kept her promise. AFFIRMING His gracious will by raising Him up in the same fashion she prayed over her child, Samuel. The name "Shmuel" (Samuel) comes from the Hebrew roots "shama" (to hear) and "El" (God) and is generally understood to mean "heard by God" or "asked of God." Important distinction to be made here. Samuels purpose in life was established.

Now her prayer for her child. Parents often times think to themselves, as they should, “But I do pray for my child. I do have them in mind and I do care about them. Why isn’t God answering my prayers?” Well what are you praying for your children? “Oh Lord, he is not this, she is not that, or his goal in life is this, her goal is that, why can’t they see that this goal is better, why does she want… blah blah blah. Foolishness. Let me call the whambulence. You see, the reason that so many times parents prayers are not answered for their children is that we are not praying the right prayers for them. James 4:3 “Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may consume it upon your lusts.” Your lusts, your own personal goals to please yourself rather than God’s will for the child. Now, you cannot make your child serve God. Maybe it is difficult for your child to even do some of the laundry or keep the room organized.

Inner turmoil arises within the parent and the child when the difference between goals and desires are not recognized. Parents have goals for themselves and desires for their children. What is the difference between a goal and a desire? Never set a goal for somebody else, you’d be making a big mistake if you set a goal for somebody else. The only person you can set a goal for is you. You have desires for others. A parents desire is for Godly children a parents goal is to be Godly parents. Elkanah and Hannah’s goal was to be Godly parents, their desire was to have Godly children.

I pray that one day I can have Godly children, however I cannot say with certainty that they will. Now that’s my desire, not my goal. Pray that you can have desires for your children like this gracious woman Hannah, not goals. Who gave her son, Samuel, back to God at that very same temple when he was around 2-3 years old. A child can live a life with their own goals, and it is the parents job to feed their goals alongside the Lord, like a seed’s increase being brought by the Lord. A holy life in whatever force of work they have goals for. You see Hannah had the desire for Godly child. You say “BuT tHaTs a GoAl”, well it was the Lords Will for He gave her that child as a reward since her will was aligned with His. …… (pause and smile)…..The magnificient priority of raising a Godly child superseded personal priorities she could have pushed onto her child, living vicariously through them. Meaning in a way that is experienced in the imagination through the actions of another person. Not the ones you imagined. Prerequisite here is holy life. Not in the darkness.

Well then what should you be praying for your children? Let’s look at Scripture. Always turn to scripture when seeking wisdom, for it is there, just look for it like gold and you’ll find it. But since we’re here I’ll give it to you. Write this verse down in your margins or come up to me afterwards so I can give it to you. Ephesians 3:14–21 written by Paul the Apostle at the church in Ephesus. “For this cause I bow my knees unto the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, Of whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named, That he would grant you, [Ale, Flo, Gaby, Ari, AJ, James] according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man; That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love, May be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height; And to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fulness of God. Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us, Unto him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world without end. Amen.” …… WHEW. Ain’t that a good prayer to pray for your children? I think so. This prayer was written by Paul at a church, but boy what a good prayer for kids. Family members. Friends.

Finally she had that magnificent persistence of keeping the vow. For, after Samuel was born, her only son, there naturally will be these desires to keep Samuel rather than keep that vow. She had all the free will in the world to not fulfill her vow and disobey God, letting the boy Samuel run wild and be ungodly or push her own goals on the child. However, the magnificent power of Elkanah and Hannah in this story is that they were in tune with the Spirit. The profession of her faith and obedience to her vow before the Lord, she was able to be persistent in her deep relationship with the Lord. This relationship with God instilled Hannah with discernment, that she may stay close to God as the first part of equation for the abundant life of Samuel to flourish.

1 Samuel 1:21-23 “Now the man Elkanah and all his house went up to offer to the Lord the yearly sacrifice and his vow. But Hannah did not go up, for she said to her husband, “Not until the child is weaned; then I will take him, that he may appear before the Lord and remain there forever.” So Elkanah her husband said to her, “Do what seems best to you; wait until you have weaned him. Only let the Lord establish His word.” Then the woman stayed and nursed her son until she had weaned him.” …… Weaned is refers to the period when a child stops nursing from the mother’s breast and begins eating solid food, typically around age 2 or 3 in ancient Israelite culture, though it could be later. Are you paying attention? Hannah is saying she will not present Samuel at the temple until he is physically mature enough to be independent from her… forever!. Her love for God was so pure, so gentle, so peaceful, that though God’s perfect gift for Hannah was in her hands at the mere age of 3 years old, she willingly gave that gift to who he truly belongs to …. the Lord. This is the magnificent love of motherhood……

So, what did we discuss? Does anyone recall the first principle Hannah? Priority, hahahahahahaha, very good! Prioritize bearing a child, pray for the child, set a purpose to raise a Godly child, and persist in unwavering commitment. This approach to raising a child is practically unheard of, yet God has revealed it to us in His Word for you today. Why? Because you can say “Yanes, I still don’t get it or why it applies to me today, What does any of this have to do with me attending KBCC?” Look up here because this is probably the most crucial thing to remember today. I want to challenge each of you in this process. Do you genuinely believe it to be a coincidence that relatively all of you here today are acquainted with someone in their youth? God doesn’t work with coincidences; He orchestrates all things under His divine Providence. Providence with a capital P. When you become a believer in the Father of Jesus Christ, the Lord of Glory, as it says in Ephesians 3:15 “Of whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named,” you become part of a whole family in heaven and earth.

There’s a sentence on Andrews’ board that says “God-fearing men can step into the role of spiritual fatherhood and fill in the gaps in others’ lives.” This is a notation from 1 Corinthians 4:16–17 “Wherefore I beseech you, be ye followers of me. For this cause have I sent unto you Timotheus, who is my beloved son, and faithful in the Lord, who shall bring you into remembrance of my ways which be in Christ, as I teach every where in every church.”

This doesn’t just apply to Paul and Timothy. Let alone to men. God-fearing women, parents, brothers, sisters, and family members can also step into these spiritual roles and fill in the gaps in others’ lives. So, look around you. Open your eyes and wake up! We could all benefit from our spiritual family in the Lord Jesus. This is the challenge. I’ll give you some examples, and after I give them, you’ll all say Amen together. For example: Father to father, “amen.” Mother to mother, brother to brother, sister to sister. Believers to believers and unbelievers to believers, let us encourage and support one another. Pray together, sharpen each other’s spiritual growth, and help strengthen one another where needed. Share Bible verses, be present and attentive to others’ lives, and remember that you can minister without using verses…. I perhaps tend to do that sometimes more than necessary haha. Simply be a loving family member to those God has revealed to you. We are all united here on earth. If we are to be a family in heaven, why not strengthen our family here on earth?

Whether you are childless, unable to have children, or had children, or are still raising children, the magnificent role of motherhood doesn’t end there. Let’s continue to nurture this role! We are a family in Christ, united by the same love and adoration that Hannah displayed to Samuel. We can learn from and apply this love in the lives of others. First having an intimate relationship with Jesus. Thereafter priority to fill in the spiritual gaps in the lives of others, prayers for those around you as they walk in the Lord, purpose to be there for them and guide them in the Lord’s Will for their life, and persistence that you do not grow apart from all prerequisites but continue!……

The beautiful part is that God will reveal specific actions for each of us to take for someone we know. You do know someone. Stay in His Word and pray about these things so that we can all step into the spiritual lives of others and fill in any gaps the Lord appoints for us. Let’s allow God to fill our hearts with His love and exemplify His love within our church, Key Biscayne, and wherever we go.

By the way, the church is not just these walls, chairs, or food; it is the people. Amen!

Let’s bow our heads in prayer shall we? Heads are bowed, eyes are closed.

Dear Heavenly Father,

our everlasting King, thank you for today, Lord. There is no greater joy than to wake up and live for you.

The story of Hannah refreshes us till this very day on Mothers Day. Father your Holy Word contains all things we need to know about you. Scripture being written so simply, yet when we search diligently for wisdom within your Word…We find it an abundance. Lord, today we remember the magnificent role of motherhood. The lives, and world, that is effected by motherhood. So Father today we come to you ingratitude for all mothers who work tremendously hard to raise their children. Your own creation. Bless these families who come here today Father that your love may be weaved into the fabric of their household, for there is no greater love than yours. As we remember motherhood we see the bigger role for each one of us, to look after and tend the sheep. Not in our own way, but in yours. Anyone in the family of God deserve love and care from one another. Dear Lord reveal and clarify to us Your Will in each of our lives, that we may best serve you. In Christ’s precious name, we pray, Amen.