God is sovereign and provides salvation

Introduction

Have you ever been in a painful situation and you think how can God ever bring anything good out of this?

Psalm 123:2 ESV

2 Behold, as the eyes of servants look to the hand of their master, as the eyes of a maidservant to the hand of her mistress, so our eyes look to the Lord our God, till he has mercy upon us.

If you wanted to sum up the theology of this chapter in a sentence it would be God is sovereign in the midst of suffering and provides salvation for his people.

Psalm 123:3 ESV

3 Have mercy upon us, O Lord, have mercy upon us, for we have had more than enough of contempt.

says Behold, as the eyes of servants look to the hand of their master, as the eyes of a maidservant to the hand of her mistress, so our eyes look to the LORD our God, till he has mercy upon us.

look to the hand of their master,

as the eyes of a maidservant

to the hand of her mistress,

so our eyes look to the LORD our God,

till he has mercy upon us.

The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2016), .

This chapter brings us to a time when the eyes of the people and they eyes of an individual were all looking to the LORD for deliverance from their troubles.

God is sovereign in the midst of suffering and provides salvation for his people.

The people are looking to the LORD-

There are problems nationally. People are doing what is right in their own eyes. The people of Israel are committing idolatry, immorality. They are under constant threat from the Philistines.

On top of the the spiritual leaders of the Nation the sons of Eli who are the priests at the time don't even know the LORD. They are profaning the sanctuary, they are stealing from the people, they are committing adultery with the women who come to the place of worship. The situation could hardly be worst. But yet God is on the throne and behind the scenes he is working to raise up a leader.

They eyes of the people are looking to the LORD for help. They are looking to the LORD of hosts to provide his people with a leader.

It is with this backdrop in mind that the story begins by zooming into the situation of a lady who is also looking to the LORD for help. She is looking to the LORD of hosts for a son.

This person is looking to the LORD-

Tell narrative

-Setting

-The LORD closed her womb v.3-8

Problem v.3-8

Explain situation

Why was not having a son such a big deal?

Weeping, not eating

God is Sovereign- He closed her womb v.5-6

App- God is in control even in the midst of our suffering. This is good news because God is a good God and he cares for us and loves us and any suffering that afflicts God’s people has a good and loving purpose.

We can trust God is nour suffering.

-She looked to the LORD v.9-18

She prayed

Vowed a vow

App-

She took her need to the LORD, she prayed for his intervention. We as the Lord’s people must do the same. The good news is that as we pray we have the help of the Holy Spirit and the intercession of Jesus Christ and the loving ear of the Father.

Have we trials and temptations? Is there trouble anywhere? We should never be discouraged Take it to the Lord in prayer

Can we find a friend so faithful Who will all our sorrows share? Jesus knows our every weakness Take it to the Lord in prayer

Then Eli interceded for her.

Her weeping was turned into joy, now she ate.

She had faith that what was said would come to pass.

App- We must have faith in the promises of God. Not name it claim it, false kind of faith. But faith in the steadfast and sure promises of God.

The LORD had closed her womb, she looked to the LORD.

The LORD remembered- v.19-20

After they left she conceived.

The LORD provided for her.

She was sorrowful and yet God turned her sorrow in to joy by providing her with a son.

The LORD did what was impossible.

App- We must remember that God is able. He makes all things work together for good to those who love him.

He met the needs of this individual.

He also met the needs of his people because this boy would grow into a man who would lead God's people. He would be the prophet priest and ruler of God's people.

He would defeat the philistines once for all.

God in his sovereignty provided salvation for this person and for his people by the birth of a son.

God provided a greater Son

God in his sovereignty provided salvation for this person and for his people by the birth of a son.

This theme of this passage points us to a greater Son whom the LORD would give in order to provided eternal salvation to individuals and for his people.

Samuel who was prophet priest and judge pointed forward to the Lord Jesus Christ who would be the ultimate Prophet, priest and king.

Just as Samuel meant salvation for Hannah so the Lord Jesus Christ means salvation for those who trust in him. The birth of Samuel removed Hannah's shame and gave her hope for the future.

The Lord Jesus Christ removes our shame, the shame we have because of our sin is taken away by the Lord Jesus Christ, because of his death on the cross and his resurrection from the dead. He turns our sorrow into joy, he gives us an ultimate hope and an eternal future.

What ever we suffer as individual Christinas we can be sure that at the end the glory of our resurrection will out weigh the suffering in this life, and we can be sure of the resurrection because Jesus Christ has risen from the dead.

Hannahs sorrow was turned to joy by the provision of a son and every Christian’s sorrow will one day be turned to joy because of the provision of THE Son. Jesus Christ

Just as Samuel meant salvation for the people of God collectively so the Lord Jesus Christ brings salvation for the people of God today.

He is our prophet, priest and king.

He is the prophet who teaches us the truth about God.

He is the great high priest who truly brings us to God, by the sacrifice of himself on the cross and his intercession for his people in heaven.

He is the king of his people. He subdues his people to himself and then rules over them with justice and grace, he provides for them and protects them for all their enemies.

This passage reminds us that whatever we are going through as believers we can be sure that God is sovereign in our suffering and he provides salvavtion for his people. He has done this by sending his own Son Jesus Christ.

This is all wonderfully true. But it is only true for those who believe. The good news is that this greater Son that God provided, Jesus Christ, has promised that everyone who comes to him he will never cast out.

If you have not yet done so then if you do he will save you too and turn your sorrow into joy by taking away your sin and giving you the hope of an eternal future.

God is sovereign in the midst of suffering and provides salvation for his people. He did this for Hannah in our passage and the people of God at the time by providing Samuel. He has done it for his people all through out history by providing the Lord Jesus Christ.