Sermon Tone Analysis

Introduction

Good morning church,

This morning we are beginning our new sermon series Kings and Prophets.

Over the next few weeks we are going to be going to be looking at the books of 1 and really love how Paul Evans’ commentary describes the book of Samuel when it says, “The story is laced with high drama, intrigue, theological insight, and mystery.

Of course, the book is more than a great literary work.

It is also a historical account of both individuals and a nation.

More than this, Samuel is also Scripture and was written to teach its reader about God and his workings in the world, both in ancient Israel as well as in the future with the coming of Jesus Christ to fulfill the Davidic promises”.

This is what we are going to find and talk about.

The book of Samuel is such a fantastic description of human history and so for the next few weeks we are going to have a really exciting look at a number of important stories which may have been written over 2000 years ago but have real and present applications for each of us as we go through our lives.

And I’m super excited to be able to spend the first week with you in this.

We are going to look at this morning which is going to provide us with a bit of an introduction to Samuel and I believe there are some incredible insights in this mornings passage which will help to guide how we view the rest of this series and will help to guide your reading of this book.

Before we dive in this morning I want to throw out a question for us to considering.

“Are we people that pray?”

It might sound like a vague question at the moment so bare with me.

Are you and I people who actually spend time in prayer?

Do we know what prayer is, do we know the purpose, do we know why we need to pray?

Prayer is at its core spending time talking with God.

Sharing with him our struggles and worries, hopes and dreams, the good things and the not so good things.

And as I thought about this question for myself and considered the time, depth and extent of my prayers I really felt that I fall short.

You see as I look out on my week I see that I’m busy doing a lot of stuff and I find that within the busyness I forget to stop and spend time with God.

And so I love our passage this morning because it gives me insight into the life of a prayer warrior, someone who goes through a difficult time and in the midst of it is in prayer and spends time pouring out their souls to God in an incredible way.

So if you can turn with me to which is on page 211 of the bibles in the pews.

This is a bit of a long passage but I think the story and message is so important to what we are going to talk about.

“ - There was a man named Elkanah who lived in Ramah in the region of Zuph* in the hill country of Ephraim.

He was the son of Jeroham, son of Elihu, son of Tohu, son of Zuph, of Ephraim. 2 Elkanah had two wives, Hannah and Peninnah.

Peninnah had children, but Hannah did not.

Elkanah and His Family

There was a man named Elkanah who lived in Ramah in the region of Zuph* in the hill country of Ephraim.

He was the son of Jeroham, son of Elihu, son of Tohu, son of Zuph, of Ephraim. 2 Elkanah had two wives, Hannah and Peninnah.

Peninnah had children, but Hannah did not.

3 Each year Elkanah would travel to Shiloh to worship and sacrifice to the Lord of Heaven’s Armies at the Tabernacle.

The priests of the Lord at that time were the two sons of Eli—Hophni and Phinehas.

4 On the days Elkanah presented his sacrifice, he would give portions of the meat to Peninnah and each of her children.

5 And though he loved Hannah, he would give her only one choice portion* because the Lord had given her no children.

6 So Peninnah would taunt Hannah and make fun of her because the Lord had kept her from having children.

7 Year after year it was the same—Peninnah would taunt Hannah as they went to the Tabernacle.*

Each time, Hannah would be reduced to tears and would not even eat.

8 “Why are you crying, Hannah?” Elkanah would ask.

“Why aren’t you eating?

Why be downhearted just because you have no children?

You have me—isn’t that better than having ten sons?”

Hannah’s Prayer for a Son

9 Once after a sacrificial meal at Shiloh, Hannah got up and went to pray.

Eli the priest was sitting at his customary place beside the entrance of the Tabernacle.* 10 Hannah was in deep anguish, crying bitterly as she prayed to the Lord.

11 And she made this vow: “O Lord of Heaven’s Armies, if you will look upon my sorrow and answer my prayer and give me a son, then I will give him back to you.

He will be yours for his entire lifetime, and as a sign that he has been dedicated to the Lord, his hair will never be cut.*”

12 As she was praying to the Lord, Eli watched her. 13 Seeing her lips moving but hearing no sound, he thought she had been drinking.

14 “Must you come here drunk?” he demanded.

“Throw away your wine!”

15 “Oh no, sir!” she replied.

“I haven’t been drinking wine or anything stronger.

But I am very discouraged, and I was pouring out my heart to the Lord.

16 Don’t think I am a wicked woman!

For I have been praying out of great anguish and sorrow.”

17 “In that case,” Eli said, “go in peace!

May the God of Israel grant the request you have asked of him.”

18 “Oh, thank you, sir!” she exclaimed.

Then she went back and began to eat again, and she was no longer sad.

Samuel’s Birth and Dedication

19 The entire family got up early the next morning and went to worship the Lord once more.

Then they returned home to Ramah.

When Elkanah slept with Hannah, the Lord remembered her plea, 20 and in due time she gave birth to a son.

She named him Samuel,* for she said, “I asked the Lord for him.”

21 The next year Elkanah and his family went on their annual trip to offer a sacrifice to the Lord and to keep his vow.

22 But Hannah did not go.

She told her husband, “Wait until the boy is weaned.

Then I will take him to the Tabernacle and leave him there with the Lord permanently.*”

23 “Whatever you think is best,” Elkanah agreed.

“Stay here for now, and may the Lord help you keep your promise.*”

So she stayed home and nursed the boy until he was weaned.

24 When the child was weaned, Hannah took him to the Tabernacle in Shiloh.

They brought along a three-year-old bull* for the sacrifice and a basket* of flour and some wine.

25 After sacrificing the bull, they brought the boy to Eli. 26 “Sir, do you remember me?” Hannah asked.

“I am the very woman who stood here several years ago praying to the Lord.

27 I asked the Lord to give me this boy, and he has granted my request.

28 Now I am giving him to the Lord, and he will belong to the Lord his whole life.”

And they* worshiped the Lord there.”

Why do we pray?

In the begin of our passage we’re introduced to Samuel’s father, Elkanah who had two wives; Peninnah and Hannah.

We are told almost instantly that Hannah is facing a really difficult situation.

We are confronted with the news that Hannah was barren, she was not able to have children.

You see in this culture infertility is a big deal, your value as a woman was tied to whether you could have children, this was mainly because of their value; they would be necessary as heirs of your household and they would serve as labor both inside and outside of the house.

At this time fertility was associated with a divine blessing and infertility was believed to be a divine curse.

Not only did a woman have to go through this but she had to endure this tough belief that for some reason she was cursed.

In Hannah’s situation she had to both endure and live through knowing that she couldn’t have kids she as well as being tormented continually by Peninnah about the fact that she had no children.

* 1:5 Or And because he loved Hannah, he would give her a choice portion.

The meaning of the Hebrew is uncertain.

We are even told in the passage that as often as she visited the house of the Lord, each year, she was provoked and reminded of what she could not have.

She was in a tough situation.

We even see Elkanah, who clearly loves Hannah, try to console her.

And he seems like a typical husband who has good intentions but says the wrong thing (guys I know you’ve been there), he asks whether he is worth more than 10 sons.

He clearly isn’t understanding the importance of this to his wife and the pain that she is going through.

And you know what that sometimes happens.

The people around us may not always understand what is going on inside us.

But God does.

* 1:7 Hebrew the house of the Lord; also in 1:24.

Difficult situation

I know Bethany and I can really understand this particular situation.

We ourselves are in a similar state where we have infertility issues.

And I can remember when we got the news from a doctor that it would be very difficult for us to have children.