Sister Timberly Sunday Evening 4/28/13

Sister Timberly Sunday Evening 4/28/13

1Sa 1:1  Now there was a certain man of Ramathaimzophim, of mount Ephraim, and his name was Elkanah, the son of Jeroham, the son of Elihu, the son of Tohu, the son of Zuph, an Ephrathite:

1Sa 1:2  And he had two wives; the name of the one was Hannah, and the name of the other Peninnah: and Peninnah had children, but Hannah had no children.

This history of Samuel begins before his birth.  The same for John the Baptist, Jesus, Jeremiah…  Some were the result of promise but Samuel was a child of prayer.  He was asked of God by his mother. 

For the children, God has a plan for each of your lives.  He has a plan for you to do something with your life if you will present your life to him. 

Samuel was given back to God by his mother.  Let us as parents give our children back to God because He may have a bigger plan than we can conceive.  We need to hold them in open hands rather than closed.  We need God’s direction that we will have His inspiration as we try to prune and mold our children. 

Some children don’t have godly parents.  Some children give themselves back to God.  Always it comes down to a choice.  If Samuel had refused to be given back to God then God could not have used him as He did.

Children you are not too young to serve God.  I appreciate my mother she helped me to, as I sought God when I was very young, get to God and get settled.  If you choose what is right then God will give you a really good life.

Elkanah was described as a disciple of the prophets.  In his day there was no vision.  It was a dark day there had not been a prophet since Moses.  He was still a disciple of the prophets.  Elkanah served God in a difficult time and we can too.  We just need to serve God according to the pattern.

Hophni, Phinehas and Eli were within the temple at Shiloh.  Everyone knew what Hophni and Phinehas were all about. They were bad guys. 

We can be thankful for a good pastor and the truth and that we are not in Babylon where there is sin in the ministry.  We can be thankful for a good pastor.

Elkanah had a divided family he had more than one wife.  This was contrary to the original plan of God, one man one woman.  Hannah was sad because of this.  She had no children and her rival sinfully provoked her every day, especially when it was time to go worship.  She lorded it over Hannah and it was wrong for her. 

Hannah was wrong in letting it get her down so much.  Hannah didn’t have to let it get her down so much.  We can either choose to go down the road to self pity or choose the high road and find something good to think about.  It took Hannah a while but she found the high road.

Elkanah gave her a double portion.  He was trying to defend the weak one that was down trodden.  You cannot worship under self pity you must get the victory.  “Those of a fretful spirit,” Matthew Henry wrote, “are their own enemy.”

We deserve our crosses but what about our comforts?  We need to look at both sides or we are unjust to God and unkind to ourselves.

Hannah was able to put herself aside finally and was comforted and ate and drank.

1Sa 1:10  And she was in bitterness of soul, and prayed unto the LORD, and wept sore.

This is a safe place to go cry out your troubles.  This is showing good use of affliction.  When you are afflicted then pray for your prayer has power.  When you are feeling grieved before God, then remember you have power with God.  “Blessed are they that morn.”

The prayer came right from her heart just as the tears came right from her eyes.  She was particular in her prayer for a child.  She wanted a son to give back to God‘s service.  This is the only way to really have something and that is to give it back. 

It was a silent secret prayer made in a holy place.  She fell under hard censure for it.  She was accused of being drunk.  It is a product of an evil day when innocence is esteemed evil.  She defended herself without anger and didn’t return censure for censure.  She just vindicated herself.

1Sa 1:16  Count not thine handmaid for a daughter of Belial: for out of the abundance of my complaint and grief have I spoken hitherto.

She even called him, “My lord.”  She spoke with great respect even though it was known that he was covering up sin in his family.  He made atonement for his censure by a kindly fatherly advice.

1Sa 1:17  Then Eli answered and said, Go in peace: and the God of Israel grant thee thy petition that thou hast asked of him.

1Sa 1:18  And she said, Let thine handmaid find grace in thy sight. So the woman went her way, and did eat, and her countenance was no more sad.

Why the sudden happy change?  She had by prayer committed her case to God and left it with him and was no more perplexed about it.  Prayer is the hearts ease. 

Php 4:6  Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.

Php 4:7  And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.

We can let things be known to God and we can let the peace come in.  I’ve found this many times and God is so good to let the peace come in.

1Sa 1:19  And they rose up in the morning early, and worshipped before the LORD, and returned, and came to their house to Ramah: and Elkanah knew Hannah his wife; and the LORD remembered her.

God granted Hannah’s desire.

1Sa 1:20  Wherefore it came to pass, when the time was come about after Hannah had conceived, that she bare a son, and called his name Samuel, saying, Because I have asked him of the LORD.

Matthew Henry spoke of how beautiful it was how Hannah took care of Samuel.  She didn’t give him to a nurse neither would she leave him for any reason.  Matthew Henry said that we should do the same when we raise our children.  Don’t let the world or your relatives raise them they are your children and we are responsible before God. 

Some commentators think that Samuel was only about three or four when she decided that he was old enough to be given back to God. 

She had made a promise and imagine the pain.  It was well known that worship had decayed at Shiloh.  Here she was giving her little boy to this place where there wasn’t even true worship.  Since God had given her this child she had faith that He would keep him.

Are we encouraging our children and grandchildren to align themselves with the ways of God or are we bending our ways to match their ways?

1Sa 1:26  And she said, Oh my lord, as thy soul liveth, my lord, I am the woman that stood by thee here, praying unto the LORD.

1Sa 1:27  For this child I prayed; and the LORD hath given me my petition which I asked of him:

“The Lord has given me my petition.”  He was obtained by prayer and was resigned by prayer to God.

Hannah told Eli, “I am a living testimony of God’s answered prayer.”

1Sa 1:28  Therefore also I have lent him to the LORD; as long as he liveth he shall be lent to the LORD. And he worshipped the LORD there.

Samuel did his part to worship the Lord beyond what could have been expected of a child his age.