S.R. 1 Samuel 1:1-11

Introduction

  1. Background of Israel  (Judges 17:6; 21:25)
  2. Elkanah and his wives, Peninah and Hannah have made the yearly journey from Ramah to Shiloh, to worship and make sacrifices at the tabernacle/temple.

Outline

  1. Hannah's Prayer
    1. 1 Samuel 1: 11 And she made a vow, saying, "O LORD Almighty, if you will only look upon your servant's misery and remember me, and not forget your servant but give her a son...
    2. She could – most of us would – have ended the prayer at that point.
    3. Could you have prayed that? Could you have said, "God, if You'll give me the one thing I want more than anything I'll turn right around, and I'll give him back to You"?
  2. Hannah's Promises
    1. Because her relationship with the living God said, "Lord, I will trust You."
    2. Then she goes on to say that "no razor will ever be used on his head" (v. 11). No one will ever cut a hair on his head.  (cf. Numb. 6:5-6)
    3. Continued criticism in spite of honest and contrite appeal to God. (1 Samuel 1:12-16)
    4. Now Scripture does not record an apology on Eli's part, and yet, look at the way she conducted herself. (vs. 17-18)
    5. Promise of God via Eli. So Eli then says, "Go in peace, and may the God of Israel grant you what you have asked of him" (v. 17).
      1. You and I get to know how the story ends, but we get to peer into her experience and watch how she trusted Him every step of the way.
  3. Hannah's Son – God's Son (1 Samuel 1:19-28)
    1. (1 Sam. 1:19-20) She conceives, possibly not right away, but at just the right time
      1. "In the fullness of time, she conceives and gives birth to a son, and she named him Samuel, saying, 'Because I asked the Lord for him'" (v. 20).
    2. "Lord, You give me a son; I'm going to give him back to You, all the days of his life."
    3. Elkanah's support and approval of Hannah staying behind. (1 Sam. 1:23)
      1. So the vow had the affirmation of her husband.
        1. It was his boy, too, you realize. She had the support of her husband.
      2. Turn to Isaiah 49:15 just to go to this point where God understands this connection between a mother and the nursing that goes on.
        1. Isaiah 49:15 "Can a mother forget the baby at her breast and have no compassion in the child she's born? Though she may forget, I will never forget you."
    4. 1 Samuel 2:18 "but Samuel was ministering before the Lord, a boy wearing a linen ephod."
      1. This little boy was taught to serve as a young child.   Serve old people.
      2. 1 Sam. 2:19- 21"And his mother would make him a little robe and bring it to him from year to year when she would come up with her husband to offer the yearly sacrifice."
      3. 20 Then Eli would bless Elkanah and his wife and say, "May the LORD give you children from this woman in place of the one she dedicated to the LORD." And they went to their own home.
      4. 21 The LORD visited Hannah; and she conceived and gave birth to three sons and two daughters. And the boy Samuel grew before the LORD."
  4. How We Give Our Children to God
    1. We can pray for our children
      1. Grandmas' last will and testament: 1961 "To you all I leave my Faith in God and my prayer that you will always remain faithful to him all the days of your life."
    2. Praying Fathers (Judges 13:8) "Then Manoah prayed to the LORD: "O Lord, I beg you, let the man of God you sent to us come again to teach us how to bring up the boy who is to be born."
    3. Practicing Obedience: "Dare to Discipline"
      1. (Deut. 5:27-29; 1 Samuel 15:22)
    4. Preparing for Service:
      1. Do you train with a mirror or a window?
      2. The parent who trains their child to look in the mirror only sees them self.
      3. The parent that trains their child to look through a window can see their own reflection, but can also see that there are many others who need to be served.
        1. This produces children who are trained to serve from a very early age.
  5. Conclusion:
    1. Hannah prayed and taught Samuel to obey and serve God and others.
    2. May we parents teach and practice loving God and keeping His commandments.