A God Who Hears
Notes
Transcript
KINGMAKER
I Samuel 1
INTRODUCTION
(ILL) what you would think if you were on an airplane and after being in the air for a few hours, the captain came over the loudspeaker and said, ladies and gentlemen, welcome to flight whatever. We want you to know, however, that for the last three hours, we have not been flying according to radar or any navigational implementation due to a major malfunction in some key components. So ladies and gentlemen, we're happy that you're on board, but basically you need to know we're lost. And we have no idea what our final destination will be, but you'll be glad to know we're making excellent time.
You wouldn't be comforted by that kind of an announcement.
That is the predicament that the nation of Israel finds itself in on the pages of first Samuel.
They are off course. They're in a very difficult period of their history.
2 HISTORICAL STAGES IN THE HISTORY OF ISRAEL
THEOCRACY TO A MONARCHY
The book of first Samuel is a transitional book that takes us from a theocracy into a monarchy.
God wanted to rule over his people but they wanted a king
Samuel will see this as an insult.
And God will have to say, Samuel, relax. They're not rejecting you. They're rejecting me from ruling over them.
God desired to rule them. They wouldn't have God rule over them. They wanted an earthly politician to rule over them.
Actually, there is another stage.
THEOCRACY TO ANARCHY
Because in Judges, it says everyone did what was right in his own eyes. That's an anarchy.
They went from a theocracy to an anarchy, but here on the pages of Samuel to a monarchy.
Technically, Samuel is the last judge before there is a king, and that is King Saul. So they're gonna end. They're off course. The plane is not going where God wanted it to go, and it's gonna make a crash landing in Babylon eventually.
Think of the book of first Samuel and second Samuel and, some of the subsequent books after that, Kings and Chronicles, because it's about the leaders.
Consider these books of leadership, leadership lessons. Somebody once said there's three types of leaders.
3 TYPES OF LEADERS
#1 A LEADER WHO MAKES THINGS HAPPEN
#2 A LEADER WHO WATCHES THINGS HAPPEN
#3 A LEADER WHO HAS NO IDEA WHAT IS HAPPENING
We find all three leaders in this book. Three types of leadership will be portrayed in first Samuel in the lives of four people.
Eli, a priest.
Samuel, a prophet.
Saul, a politician.
David, a poet.
So we have a priest, a prophet, a politician, and a poet.
And that poet will be the man after God's own heart who will end up being the second king in the nation of Israel.
As you get into first Samuel chapter one, there's just another thing I think you need to know.
1 SAMUEL…THE BOOK
We have first Samuel and second Samuel.
Originally, it was one book just called the book of Samuel.
Then it was divided up later on as first and second Samuel in our bibles.
Now if you were a Greek speaker and you were reading the Septuagint version, it would not be called first Samuel, second Samuel, first Kings, second Kings.
It would be the first book of the kingdoms, the second book of the kingdoms, the third book of the kingdoms, and the fourth book of the kingdoms. That's how it is divided in that translation.
But in our bibles, as we're following, it is first Samuel and then second Samuel.
1 SAMUEL…THE AUTHOR
Who wrote the book of Samuel? Well, it's hard to know.
It's an anonymous book. We don't know who wrote the book of Samuel. Well, his name's on it, And so we think, well, it says the first book of Samuel. He must have written it. Well, if he did write it, he could have only written up to chapter 25 because in that chapter, he kicks the bucket…it’s very difficult to write a book when you're dead.
So because the Jews in Talmudic sources ascribe the writing of first Samuel to Samuel, he could have written the first part of Samuel and then probably two others wrote it, Gad and Nathan, who are called seers, and it is ascribed to them later on as writers of the period of Samuel. So it could could have been all three. Just a little FYI.
HANNAH’S HURT
1 There was a certain man from Ramathaim, a Zuphite from the hill country of Ephraim, whose name was Elkanah son of Jeroham, the son of Elihu, the son of Tohu, the son of Zuph, an Ephraimite. 2 He had two wives; one was called Hannah and the other Peninnah. Peninnah had children, but Hannah had none. 3 Year after year this man went up from his town to worship and sacrifice to the Lord Almighty at Shiloh, where Hophni and Phinehas, the two sons of Eli, were priests of the Lord. 4 Whenever the day came for Elkanah to sacrifice, he would give portions of the meat to his wife Peninnah and to all her sons and daughters. 5 But to Hannah he gave a double portion because he loved her, and the Lord had closed her womb. 6 Because the Lord had closed Hannah’s womb, her rival kept provoking her in order to irritate her. 7 This went on year after year. Whenever Hannah went up to the house of the Lord, her rival provoked her till she wept and would not eat. 8 Her husband Elkanah would say to her, “Hannah, why are you weeping? Why don’t you eat? Why are you downhearted? Don’t I mean more to you than ten sons?”
1 There was a certain man from Ramathaim, a Zuphite from the hill country of Ephraim, whose name was Elkanah son of Jeroham, the son of Elihu, the son of Tohu, the son of Zuph, an Ephraimite.
Q: Who is ELKANAH ?
He is an Ephraimite because he is living in the area of the tribe of Ephraim
ELK and his family were a bunch of nobodies
This is the first hint of a theme that will develop in the course of 1 Samuel.
The solution to Israel’s leadership crisis will not be found in the expected places. We do not begin this story with the prominent and the powerful in Israel, but with an unheard of “certain man” from the hill country of Ephraim, possibly with remote family connections to the equally obscure town of Bethlehem.
This book is about a God who makes something out of nothing, life out of death, rich out of poor, somebody out of nobody.
I CHRON. 6 = he was actually a Levite from the priestly tribe…but he is not living in a priestly town.
There were designated towns throughout the tribes of Israel in which priests were to reside.
The fact that he is a Levite not residing in a Levitical town, not living in a priestly town seems to indicate that he himself is not a spiritual man.
Q: How can you be religious but not spiritual? Is it possible to go to church and be a faithful follower?
he'll take his his family up to worship at the central sanctuary, the tabernacle, once a year. Right?
He'll do Christmas and Easter, you know, but but he's does not seem to be a spiritual man, a devoted man.
His wife, on the other hand, is indeed very spiritual, at least one of his wives.
That's gonna be one of the problems is that he has more than one.
2 He had two wives; one was called Hannah and the other Peninnah. Peninnah had children, but Hannah had none.
He had two wives.
(ILL) So right off the bat, we have trouble. Any man who thinks he can please two women is bananas.
He has two wives, and that is, of course, not God's ideal.
There are many instances in the OT but there are always negative consequences…Jesus affirms one man and one woman
The name of one was Hannah. Her name means favor or favored, or let's call her Grace.
Her name is Grace, and she's gonna experience an act of grace from God.
And the name of the other was Peninnah. Also a beautiful name, Ruby is what her name means.
And, though she has a beautiful name, Ruby, she's hardly a gem, as you will see.
PENN had children. Hannah had no children.
Every Hebrew couple wanted to have babies. It was the desire of of everyone in that era who got married.
It's not like, well, should we plan and we we haven't really talked about children.
You go into the relationship desiring children because it was believed that you live on in your children.
When you die, you continue, through your children. In fact, not just a child, you want as many as you possibly could have at that time.
3 Children are a heritage from the Lord, offspring a reward from him.
So they wanted lots of kids. Well, PENN bore him some children but Hannah had no children at all.
To be childless was considered a curse, unfortunately.
There was, a superstitious idea, even among the Hebrews. And again, this is backslidden Israel.
This is the period of the Judges, so they're not, like, thinking theologically straight. Most most any of them aren't.
And and in primitive times, to be unable to conceive and bear a child was considered a curse from God, that God has cursed you personally. See, part of the superstition was the errant, the wrong idea that there is a direct cause and effect relationship with sin and consequences. That if you are experiencing a a malady, a disease, a problem, an issue, it's because you have sinned.
You need to confess your sin and God will heal you. So to be childless was considered an affliction, literally.
Remember, when Leah and Rachel, when Jacob had his two wives and, they wanted children. And Leah said, Why has the Lord given me this affliction that I can't have children?
REASONS WHY BARRENNESS WAS AN AFFLICTION
which meant the more sons you had, the more workers you had to work the land, and so the more income you generated for your family. More children meant greater prosperity
#1 IT WAS AN AGRICULTURAL SOCIETY
, this is also an age, remember, before social security or 401K’s or retirement homes--which meant your children were your retirement plan. The more kids you had, the better you’d be taken care of in old age. That’s my plan, too, btw. I always tell our kids, I just need one of you to strike it rich. That’s all I ask.
#2 PART OF THE RETIREMENT PLAN
On top of that, the economic and military health of the nation was dependent on more children being born. Thus, the more children a woman had, the more she was considered a blessing to the nation and the more respect she commanded.
#3 MORE RESPECT AND HIGHER STATUS
Finally, for Israelites, there was the whole promise of God of an eternal inheritance thing--this land had been given to Israelits families forever, and your family’s portion of it was contingent on you having sons to hand the land down to. If you didn’t have sons, it was like your family was being cut off from that inheritance.
#4 INHERITANCE OF THE PROMISED COVENANT
You feeling this? Having kids was the main thing a woman did back then; the main way she brought value.
(ILL) Old Testament scholar Walter Brueggemann says it like this: Barrenness in any ancient text is the effective metaphor for hopelessness, for w/o children, there was no foreseeable future for yourself, for your family, or for your people
The point is that the primary thing that gave women value in that culture was having children,
3 Year after year this man went up from his town to worship and sacrifice to the Lord Almighty at Shiloh, where Hophni and Phinehas, the two sons of Eli, were priests of the Lord. 4 Whenever the day came for Elkanah to sacrifice, he would give portions of the meat to his wife Peninnah and to all her sons and daughters.
So she evidently was very prolific in bearing children because she had sons and daughters
So you've got a barren wife who can't have any children and one who's just like popping them out all the time
5 But to Hannah he gave a double portion because he loved her, and the Lord had closed her womb. 6 Because the Lord had closed Hannah’s womb, her rival kept provoking her in order to irritate her. 7 This went on year after year. Whenever Hannah went up to the house of the Lord, her rival provoked her till she wept and would not eat.
So life around the house was tough. Family outings were a drag.
The worst was going to church for that once a year worship service…it was a feast…happy times
But for one person who came, Hannah, it was anything but happy. Her heart was breaking. And to have this other gal in the house…I am fertile Myrtle and you're not. I mean, you can't have any babies at all.
it serves Elkanah right. He shouldn't have had two wives. God's ideal is one man, one woman for one lifetime.
Doesn't always work out that way, but that is God's original design. However, there seemed to have been an allowance, especially in those days, when one wife could not bear children that the husband, for the perpetuity of the tribe's sake, to perpetuate the name in Israel, could take a wife who would bear him children. This was the idea with Sarah and Abraham taking Hagar.
So probably Hannah was the first wife, Peninnah was the second wife, and she was able to produce. Well, it made it worse…HANN did not eat
8 Her husband Elkanah would say to her, “Hannah, why are you weeping? Why don’t you eat? Why are you downhearted? Don’t I mean more to you than ten sons?”
Not a good line, is it? He failed right there. And you know, we husbands can be so insensitive sometimes.
You know, our wives are crying and we go, you shouldn't be crying. That doesn't help. Learn that quickly. Why are you crying? Nothing's wrong…You shouldn't feel that way.
That doesn't help. What she needs, guys, is understanding. Put your arm around her.
You have to hand it to Elkanah, the husband—he’s trying to be a good guy.
And there’s something engaging about this man’s self-confidence, even if he’s not very tactful. “Hannah, baby, you may not amount to much, but I love you, and my love should be better than 10 sons!”
Verse 5 indicates that as a sign of his affection, Elkanah would give Hannah a double portion of food. (Admittedly, this is an odd way of showing affection, isn’t it? Imagine Elkanah sitting there with his two wives, and reaching over to Hannah’s plate, winking, as he gives her two scoops of mashed potatoes. Ladies, feel free to swoon.)
This is the primary solution our culture offers to life’s problems. Like Hannah we find ourselves surrounded by Peninnahs who tell us we will never be valuable unless we do or achieve certain things. We need to have a high quality education or a large house or a husband who really cares. So when we fail to live up to these expectations, we feel worthless, jealous, and dissatisfied.
So we seek fulfillment, meaning, and significance in romance. Atheist scientist Ernest Becker put it this way:
The love partner becomes the divine ideal within which to fulfill one’s life.… What is it that we want when we elevate the love partner to this position? We want redemption—nothing less. We want to be rid of our faults, of our feeling of nothingness. (The Denial of Death, 160, 167)
We might think good romance and exciting sex will be “better to us than 10 sons.” This is, after all, the consistent message that we receive from Hollywood and pop music stations: love is all you need. The end, however, is tragedy. As Becker notes, “No human relationship can bear the burden of godhood” (The Denial of Death, 166).
Others of us try to dull the pain through drugs and alcohol. Still others simply adopt an attitude of cynicism and retreat into loathing. Deep within us we know that no human romance can fulfill us, that no drug can satisfy us that no cynicism can protect us. We cling to saviors that have no power because we feel like these are the best options we have. Hannah’s story—her pain and the vain attempts to mask that pain—is replicated in each one of us in our own unique way.
HANNAH’S HOPE
9 Once when they had finished eating and drinking in Shiloh, Hannah stood up. Now Eli the priest was sitting on his chair by the doorpost of the Lord’s house. 10 In her deep anguish Hannah prayed to the Lord, weeping bitterly.
Her heart is broken. Her heart is contrite, totally devoted.
Let me inject a thought. Hannah wants desperately what some husbands or wives are willing to leave. A family. They get married. They have kids. He walks out. She walks out. She wants what many people are willing to give up
Whether it's bearing children or not. But you're seeking him and his ideal. So she prayed. She was in bitterness of soul and prayed to the Lord and wept in anguish.
11 And she made a vow, saying, “Lord Almighty, if you will only look on your servant’s misery and remember me, and not forget your servant but give her a son, then I will give him to the Lord for all the days of his life, and no razor will ever be used on his head.”
See what she thinks of her infertility? It was an affliction. That's how she viewed herself. I'm sick.
Notice how specific. Not just a baby. Lord, I want a boy.
The Nazirite vow was a special provision for those in the nation of Israel who wanted to serve God like a priest. Normally only those sons born into the house of Levi, the priestly tribe, were allowed to serve in the temple. If a person outside of the Levite tribe desired to serve in God’s presence, he could take the Nazirite vow to consecrate himself.
Numbers 6 explains the requirements and details for taking a temporary Nazirite vow as a form of worship. This vow was effective for a certain period of time. Paul took such a vow (Acts 18:18). However, what Hannah is doing here is consecrating her son for his entire life. This is similar to what Samson’s parents did when they were instructed by the angel to consecrate him for his whole life for service as a warrior (Judg 13:4–5). As we know, Samson violated his oath. John the Baptist was also a lifelong Nazirite (Luke 1:15).
12 As she kept on praying to the Lord, Eli observed her mouth. 13 Hannah was praying in her heart, and her lips were moving but her voice was not heard. Eli thought she was drunk 14 and said to her, “How long are you going to stay drunk? Put away your wine.”
That's odd for a priest to look and see a woman praying at church thinking, what's she doing? She must be drunk. No. You would think his first thought would be, oh, she must be praying. It shows you how low the nation had sunk.
The kind of degeneration and degradation that had happened that even the priest at the tabernacle can't believe somebody would actually be in church worshiping. What kind of a church do we have here? People are praying.
15 “Not so, my lord,” Hannah replied, “I am a woman who is deeply troubled. I have not been drinking wine or beer; I was pouring out my soul to the Lord.
I love this definition of prayer. No, my Lord. I didn't pour anything into me. I'm pouring out my soul to the Lord.
I remember being judgmental in church…raising hands…clapping…being joyful
16 Do not take your servant for a wicked woman; I have been praying here out of my great anguish and grief.” 17 Eli answered, “Go in peace, and may the God of Israel grant you what you have asked of him.” 18 She said, “May your servant find favor in your eyes.” Then she went her way and ate something, and her face was no longer downcast. 19 Early the next morning they arose and worshiped before the Lord and then went back to their home at Ramah. Elkanah made love to his wife Hannah, and the Lord remembered her. 20 So in the course of time Hannah became pregnant and gave birth to a son. She named him Samuel, saying, “Because I asked the Lord for him.”
Now this is Samuel's mother.Samuel had a praying mother.
(ILL) Abraham Lincoln said, no one is poor who has a godly mother.
there are many people that I'm looking at right now who are the results of praying mothers or praying grandmothers.And, when when when moms cry out to God for their children, it's powerful…the Lord is very sensitive to that.
Look at verse 19. Then she rose up early in the morning and worshiped.
She's worshiping before God answers her prayer. This is true worship. Some people think worship is is when you praise God for what he does. No. It's when you worship God for who he is.
We might expect the order here to be
1. Hannah prays.
2. Hannah gets pregnant.
3. Hannah is joyful, and the storms of her life dissipate.
But something different appears in the story. Instead of the order listed above, we find
1. Hannah prays.
2. Hannah is joyful.
3. Hannah gets pregnant.
Regardless of what he does. Regardless of what he gives you. He's God. He's creator. He's redeemer.
Put a smile on her face. She had peace in her heart and she worshiped.
And I believe this kind of faith produces worship of God as a response to who he is is what brings peace to the heart. Be anxious for nothing, Paul said, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God.
And the peace of God, which passes all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. Fabulous promise. If you wanna get rid of anxiety Anybody up for that? I wanna get rid of anxiety. I wanna get rid of worry, those thoughts that come crowding in.
There's a very important tool you need to learn. It's the tool of redirection or I'll give it another term, replacement. The bible calls it casting. Casting.
7 Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.
21 When her husband Elkanah went up with all his family to offer the annual sacrifice to the Lord and to fulfill his vow, 22 Hannah did not go. She said to her husband, “After the boy is weaned, I will take him and present him before the Lord, and he will live there always.”
23 “Do what seems best to you,” her husband Elkanah told her. “Stay here until you have weaned him; only may the Lord make good his word.” So the woman stayed at home and nursed her son until she had weaned him.
24 After he was weaned, she took the boy with her, young as he was, along with a three-year-old bull, an ephah of flour and a skin of wine, and brought him to the house of the Lord at Shiloh. 25 When the bull had been sacrificed, they brought the boy to Eli, 26 and she said to him, “Pardon me, my lord. As surely as you live, I am the woman who stood here beside you praying to the Lord. 27 I prayed for this child, and the Lord has granted me what I asked of him. 28 So now I give him to the Lord. For his whole life he will be given over to the Lord.” And he worshiped the Lord there.
Remember the vow that she prayed to the lord. Give me a male child and, he's yours. I'll give him back to you.
1:23 “Elkanah, her husband, said to her, do what seems best to you.” Now he's learning.
Before it was, what are you all bummed out for? Look at me, baby. I'm better to you than 10 kids. Yeah. You need to wise up, pal…Finally, he does. Whatever whatever you whatever you think, sweetheart. Whatever you wanna do. Whatever's on your heart. Do what seems best to you.
“Wait until you have weaned him. Only let the Lord establish his word.” So he's grown in his faith. He's getting all spiritual now.
“So the woman stayed and nursed her son until she had weaned him”.
What does that mean, weaned him? Well, when women had children in those days, for the first seven days, she was to stay home if it was a male child, fourteen days if it was a girl. And then a month later, about thirty three days later, she was to go make an offering at the place of worship. But in those days, weaning was a process that could take three years. Three to five years, we believe.
In those days, women breastfed their children a lot longer than today. And the weaning process and the idea of weaning, literally, the idea the word wean means to deal fully with in Hebrew. Deal fully with. And there's a connotation more than breastfeeding, more than just, you know, physically caring, but it has the idea of a training component.
So, I think she was using the time not just to breastfeed and not just to turn him from a baby to a toddler, but to, as best she could at that tender age, teach him spiritual truths.
She was a spiritual woman.Hebrew training of their children in spiritual matters is is the best on record.
I'm gonna fully deal with my child. I'm gonna wean my child. So the woman stayed and nursed her son until she had weaned him.
1:24-28
The kids between three and five years of age, she takes him to the tabernacle at Shiloh, drops him off.
For this priest, this old man Eli, who turned out to be a pretty good dad, not to his own two kids, but to this surrogate, to this adopted child, and will teach him in the ways of the Lord.
I have returned him to the Lord. The Lord gave him to me. I'm returning him to him. The word connotes an irrevocable giving to the Lord.
LIFE LESSONS
Hannah’s life sets a pattern for the life of David. It even sets a pattern for the life of Jesus.
What is most pressing is that Hannah’s life parallels our story.
Hannah looked to a son for security and significance; Israel looked to a king. Where will we look? What is the king we seek? What one thing must we have for life to be good? What one thing could we not imagine life without?
We all crown someone or something king over our lives.
This is true of both religious and irreligious people.
For the irreligious, something is needed instead of Jesus. Life is found, for instance, in money, fame, or family.
For the religious, something is needed in addition to Jesus.
The point of the Bible is that knowing Jesus is enough. He is life, stability, and security. This has at least four practical applications for us today.
MOST OF OUR HURT AND DISAPPOINTMENT COMES BECAUSE WE ARE SEEKING A KING
When we are disappointed, hurt, or stressed, these feelings indicate that we have chosen another “king” besides God.
These feelings are like smoke from a fire: you can follow the smoke back to the source of the fire.
Follow these feelings back to their source, and we will find the altars that have been built to the things we are worshiping.
This happens, for instance, with married couples who have placed too much weight on their marriage. They look to a spouse to fulfill them and to be their functional king. When that person lets them down, their world falls to pieces. Bitter, insecure, single people don’t get better by getting married. They only become bitter, insecure, married people. Problems like loneliness and insecurity are not cured by the love of another human being; they are cured by the love of God.
GOD IS BETTER THAN ANY OTHER KING
The point of Hannah’s story is not that if you trust God and ask for things long enough, He will give you what you ask for.
Of course, this doesn’t mean we never pray to God out of hurtful and difficult situations. We do.
But we cannot strong-arm God into giving us what we want just by attempting to “have more faith.”
Hannah’s attitude changed before she became pregnant, and she would have had joy even if she never had any children.
Many among us will never have a child, despite pleading with God for one. Many will never get rich. Many will never get well again from their sicknesses.
By all the world’s standards, we may die “barren.” But if we have God, we have enough: the one who has God has everything. God is significance and stability.
If a loving, all-powerful God is in someone’s life, the approval of others becomes inconsequential.
If a loving, all-powerful God is in someone’s life, her future is in capable hands.
And if a loving, all-powerful God is in someone’s life, she can endure the harshest struggles because He is enough. God plus nothing still equals everything.
BARRENNESS DOES NOT MEAN GOD-FORASKENNESS
Have we not all heard that voice inside telling us that the problems we are experiencing are God’s repayment for our sinfulness? Have we not all felt abandoned by God?
When we experience times of barrenness and brokenness, our natural reaction is to assume that God has forsaken us.
It may be a natural reaction, but it certainly is not a biblical one.
The gospel is that Jesus Christ was forsaken for us. Jesus’ death on the cross took on our barrenness, our brokenness, and our hopelessness. He was forsaken so we would never have to be.
When we approach the cross, we find that all that has been defeated, once and for all. We still experience barrenness and brokenness in this life; but because of Jesus, we can face them, knowing that God is for us.
God has not abandoned us in our hour of darkness. He is present in that hour, working all things for good. If we have placed faith in the cross, we can be assured that we are not, and never can be, forsaken.
GOD LOVES THE PEOPLE THE WORLD CASTS AWAY
Hannah’s story teaches us that God cares for people that the world no longer cares for.
Many of us may feel like the story of our lives has been a gigantic failure.
We have not accomplished what we set out to accomplish.
We are still childless. We are still addicted to alcohol.
Our kings have failed us and have cast us aside.
In times like these, we need the faith of Hannah. We need to be reminded that God cares for us and has offered Himself—the world’s greatest possession—to us as our treasure.
This is the unique message of the Bible: God cares for the outcast. He gives Himself to the broken.
There is no greater consolation for those who feel that the world has cast them away.
Let us run to the cross and find there the love of God that pursues each of us. God has not forsaken us but desires to draw us back to a relationship with Him.
No matter our situation, we can say with Hannah, “There is no rock like our God!”
