Sermon Tone Analysis
Overall tone of the sermon
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Anger
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Analytical
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Conscientiousness
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It’s such a joy to be together this morning.
The second Sunday of May is celebrated as Mother’s Day.
The founder of this day was Miss Anna Jarvis, a teacher in the primary department of St. Andrew Methodist Church, in West Virginia,
the class her deceased mother had taught.
On May 12, 1907, Miss Jarvis passed out carnations to this class in honor of her mother.
In this way Mother’s Day was born.
Our passage today focuses upon a would-be-mother, Hannah.
She is battling deep emotional stress standing right in the midst of this festive atmosphere, which certainly would have added to her struggles.
Obviously Hannah wants to pray, which she might do if the great, heaving sobs subside.
In one sense Hannah had almost everything an 1100 B.C. Israelite woman could want.
She had Elkanah, a husband of social standing (note how his roots are spelled out in 1:1),
moderate wealth (else he could not have supported two wives, v. 2),
genuine affection (vv.
5, 8), and faithful piety (v.
3a).
The problem was that though Hannah had Elkanah, she didn’t have him.
She shared him.
With Peninnah, an overly fertile, mouthy, thorn in the flesh (vv.
2, 6–7).
So this morning let’s focus upon God’s faithfulness to godly but struggling women.
Let’s look at the PROBLEMS FACED.
"But he gave a double portion to Hannah, for he loved her even though the Lord had kept her from conceiving.
"Her rival would taunt her severely just to provoke her, because the Lord had kept Hannah from conceiving.
"Year after year, when she went up to the Lord’s house, her rival taunted her in this way.
Hannah would weep and would not eat.
"“Hannah, why are you crying?” her husband Elkanah would ask.
“Why won’t you eat?
Why are you troubled?
Am I not better to you than ten sons?”” ()
This other woman and childlessness conspired to make Hannah’s life a misery.
And never was that misery greater than at the time of the family’s annual visit
to the tabernacle at Shiloh, when they went ‘to worship and sacrifice to the Lord Almighty’ (1:3).
The ‘Lord of Armies’.
Jealous because Elkanah attempted to compensate for Hannah’s childlessness with
tokens of his love for her, Peninnah ‘kept provoking her in order to irritate her’ (1:6).
Elkanah just could not cope with this situation, beyond attempting to comfort his grieving wife (1:8).
She’s taunted: "Her rival would taunt her severely just to provoke her, because the Lord had kept Hannah from conceiving.
"Year after year, when she went up to the Lord’s house, her rival taunted her in this way.
Hannah would weep and would not eat.”
()
She’s childless (in v2); she’s afflicted “Making a vow, she pleaded, “LORD of Armies, if you will take notice of your servant’s affliction...” (v11)
In vv12-14, the high priest thinks that she’s drunk even though she was just praying!
So she’s misunderstood.
In vv12-14, the high priest thinks that she’s drunk even though she was just praying!
So she’s misunderstood.
She’s broken hearted: "“No, my lord,” Hannah replied.
“I am a woman with a broken heart.
I haven’t had any wine or beer; I’ve been pouring out my heart before the Lord.”
()
But there’s good news for the broken hearted: "The Lord is near the brokenhearted; he saves those crushed in spirit.”
()
Think of a skillful surgeon that cuts deeply into his patients.
Or an anesthesiologist.
As he puts the needle into your skin, he’s confident of the freedom of pain that you will experience later.
But now think of God.
He’s got all of the wisdom of the physician and yes observes our afflictions that we now endure
in light of the life to come when He
heals all our diseases and
He gives us a crown of beauty in place of the ashes,
festive oil instead of mourning,
splendid clothes instead of despair ().
But he doesn’t just sit their like the pain doctor, intently and calmly looking on because he’s assured of the result in the future.
No, says, "As a father has compassion on his children, so the Lord has compassion on those who fear him.”
()
So, although the splendor of his wisdom and his foreknowledge enables Him to see the end as well as the beginning.
Yet, believe me, as a father is pitying his children, so the Lord is pitying those who fear him.
"The one who lives under the protection of the Most High dwells in the shadow of the Almighty.”
()
"The one who lives under the protection of the Most High dwells in the shadow of the Almighty.”
()
Hanna is actually under the protection of the Most High and she’s in the shadow of the Almighty!
The shadow of the Almighty becomes a sweet defence against the scorching sun or the full force of the rain.
The picture of the weary traveler comes to mind that finds rest in the shade of this tree.
God is our rest: "“Come to me, all of you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.”
()
Outwardly & inwardly we become weary and burdened by several different factors.
Think of the inward terror and boiling heat of your conscience.
When God’s grace makes known your wretchedness known to you by setting your sin before your face!
Oh my, if we have not the shadow of Christ’s righteousness to hide under we’d fall to despair!
Our consciences afflict us at times.
Especially when Satan adds his poisoned fiery darts, poisoning, inflaming our consciences!
Or when God appears angry and says,
"You have done these things, and I kept silent; you thought I was just like you.
But I will rebuke you and lay out the case before you.
"“Understand this, you who forget God, or I will tear you apart, and there will be no one to rescue you.”
()
Oh when God seems as a consuming fire who can survive it?
Yet these are the inward and outward struggles of the believer.
But what about those that are not under the shadow of the Almighty?
What fearful condition they are in!!!?
For those that don’t have the shadow and cover of God for themselves?
To them, God’s not a cloud by day to, and a pillar of fire by night;
that have not Him for a hiding-place to spread the wings of his mercy over them.
What is the state of such people?
What is a drop of adversity that those in Christ taste, compared to the bottomless sea of wrath the wicked must drink?
The same sun which lights up our day and comforts and cheers people, also tortures and scorches people:
so God is a sun, a quickening sun to his children, , yes, a vigorous sun, who has healing under His wings;
but to the wicked he is a scorching and consuming fire, .
‘It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God,’ , who is so dreadful.
He will not be a shadow to the wicked in an excellent manner.
God indeed permits the lost to have many shadows in this world,
many sweet comforts, and keeps them also from many dangers;
but they have not that worthy portion which Hannah had from her husband, .
As the leaves are coming back, I’m reminded that most bird’s nests are difficult to find in the summer.
It’s the winter time of adversity, when the leaves are stripped off the branches that the nests are revealed.
Our faith is harder to see in times of prosperity but when adversity comes (and it will come) we see our faith at once.
"Before I was afflicted” David said, “I went astray, but now I keep your word.”
()
The bow of trouble shot David like an arrow towards God!
It’s truly a blessed thing when the waves of trouble wash us upon the rock of ages, God alone.
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