A Mother's Pride And Joy
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The story of Samuel is a drama of great intensity, great love, great change, great conflict and great challenge. This story begins with Hannah, in the 11th century B.C., praying to the Lord for a son. She was barren. In ancient times barrenness was a disgrace for a woman.
A Mother's Pride And Joy
As Hanna and her husband arrived at Shiloh for a religious pilgrimage to the place of worship, Hannah prayed. We pick up this prayer at verse one of chapter one of the book of 1 Samuel.
She (Hannah) was in deep anguish and was crying bitterly as she prayed to the Lord. She made this vow: "0 Lord of heaven, if you will look down upon my sorrow and answer my prayer and give me a son, then I will give him back to you, and he'll be yours for his entire lifetime... (1 Samuel 1:10-11, LB)."
Hannah promised that if God would give her a son, she would dedicate him to the Lord's ministry. Shortly thereafter a son was conceived and born, his mother's pride and joy, a direct answer to prayer. Hannah now had a dilemma. Should she keep her son, and thus preserve the great pride and joy of her life, or keep her vow to give the child for God's ministry as she had promised? She decided to keep her vow. Hannah's real pride and joy was God.
It isn't easy to give up what seems like the most important thing in your life. Who knows the struggle Hannah went through, except perhaps another mother? Hannah loved God more than her own son. After Samuel was weaned at about age three, Hannah took him to the shrine at Shiloh and left him with the priests to raise. She saw him just once a year when she and her husband made a religious pilgrimage to Shiloh. That's dedication! That's sacrifice! The Lord made great use of that mother's dedication. Samuel, the boy priest, "grew in stature and in favor with the Lord and with man (1 Samuel 2:26)," a phrase used about another young man named Jesus at a later time. This "favor with the Lord" included a special revelation.
As a boy Samuel heard his name spoken by God. He thought it was Eli, the priest, calling. The third time Samuel answered "Speak, Lord, for thy servant hears (1 Samuel 3:9)." The Lord told Samuel that Eli and household would suffer because Eli's two sons were corrupt priests. Eli insisted on hearing what the Lord told Samuel. This was the turning point in the boy's life. The boy learned to serve the Lord rather than humankind. Samuel told Eli what the Lord had said about his sons.
Eli's sons were corrupt and selfish priests. They carried the Ark of the Covenant (the box in which the Ten Commandments were kept) into battle with the Philistines. The Ark was captured. Eli fell over dead when he heard what happened. Samuel, the young man, emerged as God's leader of Israel at a time of great need.
Samuel summoned the people to gather at Mizpah, a hilltop north of Jerusalem. He attributed the misfortunes of the people to backsliding and idolatry. He urged the people to fast and pray with repentance. In the next battle with the Philistines, the Lord assisted the Israelites and victory was theirs. A stone was erected to commemorate the victory on a place called Ebenezer ("the Stone of Help"). Samuel became the greatest of the judges of Israel.
As a man, Samuel was the last of the judges. The judges ruled the tribes of Israel through strong personality, moral stature and the belief that they could discern the will of God. The judges rallied the primitive tribes of Israel and helped them etherge as one people. Samuel's dedication inspired the people.
As an old man, Samuel saw his own sons, Joel and Abijah, who were judges in Beersheba, become corrupt, taking bribes and perverting justice, just like the sons of Eli. As in the case of Eli we are reminded that God has no grandchildren. Each generation must rise and make its own commitment. A father's faith does not necessarily rub off on his children. The elders of Israel demanded that Samuel, now too old to rule well, appoint and anoint a king. Reluctantly, Samuel chose Saul (1 Samuel 10:24), fearing that the people would depend too much on their earthly ruler and not enough on their divine ruler.
In the last years of his life Samuel, the prophet-judge, had great conflict with Saul, the new king of Israel. The conflict between Samuel and Saul was based on Saul following his own will instead of the will of God. Samuel anointed a new king, a boy named David, in the town of Bethlehem. The conflict between Saul and David grew. Further complications included David's friendship with Saul's son Jonathan, causing further conflict between Saul and Jonathan.
Samuel's story is an interesting, vibrant story of a mother's pride and joy who emerges as a strong leader of God's people. But what does all this have to do with us? One might shrug his shoulders and say, "So what?" This story is an Old Testament gem, not only because it is an interesting story about a dedicated mother and her dedicated son, but because this story intersects with our lives today.
Two Connections
The first connection with our lives is prayer. We note from the beginning that Hannah did not want a son for her personal reasons. She wanted a son to dedicate to God's service. She was aware of the needs of the people of God as well as her own needs. She prayed within the will of God. In the words of John's Gospel, she prayed "abiding in the Lord like a branch abides in a grape vine."
Whatever you ask in my name, I will do it, that the Father may be glorified in the Son; if you ask anything in my name, I will do it. - John 14:13-14, RSV
Again Jesus said:
Abide in me and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me. - John 15:4, RSV
The efficacy of prayer, getting results in prayer, goes up in direct proportion to "abiding in God." Hannah's prayer is a model prayer. She sought God, and she sought a son. Because she sought God in prayer, she abided in God. Hannah became a great teacher of the nature of prayer.
Samuel was a great prophet and judge in direct proportion to his abiding in God in prayer. He is considered second only to Moses in abiding in God against great odds and in spite of much criticism and conflict. The conflict he had with King Saul is over this very point. Saul violated the sacred principle of the divine monarchy, following the will of God instead of one's own will. Saul's disobedience of God caused him to follow his own mind and will. Samuel reminds us of the biblical corrective to seek to know and do the will of God. Samuel's sincere attempt to hear God in prayer and follow God in life are examples of integrity, even today.
God used a woman and a boy who knew how to pray to accomplish his purposes. Today women and children have many rights. In ancient Israel they had very few rights. Women and children were generally considered property, not persons.
A Jewish man could divorce his wife for any reason at all by going down to the neighborhood well, saying, "I divorce you," three times as he walked around the well. Thus he would be rid of his wife. Jesus' strong statements against divorce were aimed at this unfair treatment of women.
In the story of Hannah and Samuel we discover that Hannah is an important woman. Hannah is called by God and used by God for his purposes. The story of Hannah is no sentimental
tale of a mom who loved her son. The story of Hannah is a story of a woman who loved God more than her son and prayed to God by abiding in God's will. Thus this story is of a mother who teaches us how to pray. God first, then family. Are we open to God speaking through dedicated, devout women today? Are we open to God using children to speak to us?
In ancient Israel children were generally regarded as property, not people. As the boy Samuel emerged as a priest, prophet and judge, the message is clear. Children who abide in God are teachers of God's way. God can use children to bring his message to a friend, a neighborhood or a nation.
The boy Samuel said, "Speak Lord, for thy servant hears." The boy Samuel is used by God to correct the adult, Eli. The student taught the teacher! Are we open to God speaking through children today? Jesus' treatment of children is remarkable. "Let the children come unto me and forbid them not, for of such is the kingdom of God," Jesus says.
The second connection between the story of Samuel and our lives is summarized in the word "priorities." In dedicating and re-dedicating themselves to God, Hannah and Samuel are good examples to us. Hannah preached the nature of priorities by her lifestyle. So did Samuel. In calling the nation to repentance and prayer, young Samuel is calling us as well. Don't we need renewal today? Don't God's people fall into the trap of putting other things before God? Don't we need repentance and a deeper prayer life today? How much sacrifice are we willing to make for God and God's mission?
The story of Samuel is a story of the renewing of God's people. The church of today needs renewal. That's the point of Pentecost, the festival of celebrating the beginnings of the Christian church. The call goes out across the land. The Holy Spirit creates faith in our hearts and brings us together as a church to fulfill God's mission to bring all people to faith in him. Those in high and mighty positions can do it; so can obscure and seemingly unimportant people. God can call and use anyone today. "Speak, Lord, for thy servant hears."
A Mother's Pride And Joy
As Hanna and her husband arrived at Shiloh for a religious pilgrimage to the place of worship, Hannah prayed. We pick up this prayer at verse one of chapter one of the book of 1 Samuel.
She (Hannah) was in deep anguish and was crying bitterly as she prayed to the Lord. She made this vow: "0 Lord of heaven, if you will look down upon my sorrow and answer my prayer and give me a son, then I will give him back to you, and he'll be yours for his entire lifetime... (1 Samuel 1:10-11, LB)."
Hannah promised that if God would give her a son, she would dedicate him to the Lord's ministry. Shortly thereafter a son was conceived and born, his mother's pride and joy, a direct answer to prayer. Hannah now had a dilemma. Should she keep her son, and thus preserve the great pride and joy of her life, or keep her vow to give the child for God's ministry as she had promised? She decided to keep her vow. Hannah's real pride and joy was God.
It isn't easy to give up what seems like the most important thing in your life. Who knows the struggle Hannah went through, except perhaps another mother? Hannah loved God more than her own son. After Samuel was weaned at about age three, Hannah took him to the shrine at Shiloh and left him with the priests to raise. She saw him just once a year when she and her husband made a religious pilgrimage to Shiloh. That's dedication! That's sacrifice! The Lord made great use of that mother's dedication. Samuel, the boy priest, "grew in stature and in favor with the Lord and with man (1 Samuel 2:26)," a phrase used about another young man named Jesus at a later time. This "favor with the Lord" included a special revelation.
As a boy Samuel heard his name spoken by God. He thought it was Eli, the priest, calling. The third time Samuel answered "Speak, Lord, for thy servant hears (1 Samuel 3:9)." The Lord told Samuel that Eli and household would suffer because Eli's two sons were corrupt priests. Eli insisted on hearing what the Lord told Samuel. This was the turning point in the boy's life. The boy learned to serve the Lord rather than humankind. Samuel told Eli what the Lord had said about his sons.
Eli's sons were corrupt and selfish priests. They carried the Ark of the Covenant (the box in which the Ten Commandments were kept) into battle with the Philistines. The Ark was captured. Eli fell over dead when he heard what happened. Samuel, the young man, emerged as God's leader of Israel at a time of great need.
Samuel summoned the people to gather at Mizpah, a hilltop north of Jerusalem. He attributed the misfortunes of the people to backsliding and idolatry. He urged the people to fast and pray with repentance. In the next battle with the Philistines, the Lord assisted the Israelites and victory was theirs. A stone was erected to commemorate the victory on a place called Ebenezer ("the Stone of Help"). Samuel became the greatest of the judges of Israel.
As a man, Samuel was the last of the judges. The judges ruled the tribes of Israel through strong personality, moral stature and the belief that they could discern the will of God. The judges rallied the primitive tribes of Israel and helped them etherge as one people. Samuel's dedication inspired the people.
As an old man, Samuel saw his own sons, Joel and Abijah, who were judges in Beersheba, become corrupt, taking bribes and perverting justice, just like the sons of Eli. As in the case of Eli we are reminded that God has no grandchildren. Each generation must rise and make its own commitment. A father's faith does not necessarily rub off on his children. The elders of Israel demanded that Samuel, now too old to rule well, appoint and anoint a king. Reluctantly, Samuel chose Saul (1 Samuel 10:24), fearing that the people would depend too much on their earthly ruler and not enough on their divine ruler.
In the last years of his life Samuel, the prophet-judge, had great conflict with Saul, the new king of Israel. The conflict between Samuel and Saul was based on Saul following his own will instead of the will of God. Samuel anointed a new king, a boy named David, in the town of Bethlehem. The conflict between Saul and David grew. Further complications included David's friendship with Saul's son Jonathan, causing further conflict between Saul and Jonathan.
Samuel's story is an interesting, vibrant story of a mother's pride and joy who emerges as a strong leader of God's people. But what does all this have to do with us? One might shrug his shoulders and say, "So what?" This story is an Old Testament gem, not only because it is an interesting story about a dedicated mother and her dedicated son, but because this story intersects with our lives today.
Two Connections
The first connection with our lives is prayer. We note from the beginning that Hannah did not want a son for her personal reasons. She wanted a son to dedicate to God's service. She was aware of the needs of the people of God as well as her own needs. She prayed within the will of God. In the words of John's Gospel, she prayed "abiding in the Lord like a branch abides in a grape vine."
Whatever you ask in my name, I will do it, that the Father may be glorified in the Son; if you ask anything in my name, I will do it. - John 14:13-14, RSV
Again Jesus said:
Abide in me and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me. - John 15:4, RSV
The efficacy of prayer, getting results in prayer, goes up in direct proportion to "abiding in God." Hannah's prayer is a model prayer. She sought God, and she sought a son. Because she sought God in prayer, she abided in God. Hannah became a great teacher of the nature of prayer.
Samuel was a great prophet and judge in direct proportion to his abiding in God in prayer. He is considered second only to Moses in abiding in God against great odds and in spite of much criticism and conflict. The conflict he had with King Saul is over this very point. Saul violated the sacred principle of the divine monarchy, following the will of God instead of one's own will. Saul's disobedience of God caused him to follow his own mind and will. Samuel reminds us of the biblical corrective to seek to know and do the will of God. Samuel's sincere attempt to hear God in prayer and follow God in life are examples of integrity, even today.
God used a woman and a boy who knew how to pray to accomplish his purposes. Today women and children have many rights. In ancient Israel they had very few rights. Women and children were generally considered property, not persons.
A Jewish man could divorce his wife for any reason at all by going down to the neighborhood well, saying, "I divorce you," three times as he walked around the well. Thus he would be rid of his wife. Jesus' strong statements against divorce were aimed at this unfair treatment of women.
In the story of Hannah and Samuel we discover that Hannah is an important woman. Hannah is called by God and used by God for his purposes. The story of Hannah is no sentimental
tale of a mom who loved her son. The story of Hannah is a story of a woman who loved God more than her son and prayed to God by abiding in God's will. Thus this story is of a mother who teaches us how to pray. God first, then family. Are we open to God speaking through dedicated, devout women today? Are we open to God using children to speak to us?
In ancient Israel children were generally regarded as property, not people. As the boy Samuel emerged as a priest, prophet and judge, the message is clear. Children who abide in God are teachers of God's way. God can use children to bring his message to a friend, a neighborhood or a nation.
The boy Samuel said, "Speak Lord, for thy servant hears." The boy Samuel is used by God to correct the adult, Eli. The student taught the teacher! Are we open to God speaking through children today? Jesus' treatment of children is remarkable. "Let the children come unto me and forbid them not, for of such is the kingdom of God," Jesus says.
The second connection between the story of Samuel and our lives is summarized in the word "priorities." In dedicating and re-dedicating themselves to God, Hannah and Samuel are good examples to us. Hannah preached the nature of priorities by her lifestyle. So did Samuel. In calling the nation to repentance and prayer, young Samuel is calling us as well. Don't we need renewal today? Don't God's people fall into the trap of putting other things before God? Don't we need repentance and a deeper prayer life today? How much sacrifice are we willing to make for God and God's mission?
The story of Samuel is a story of the renewing of God's people. The church of today needs renewal. That's the point of Pentecost, the festival of celebrating the beginnings of the Christian church. The call goes out across the land. The Holy Spirit creates faith in our hearts and brings us together as a church to fulfill God's mission to bring all people to faith in him. Those in high and mighty positions can do it; so can obscure and seemingly unimportant people. God can call and use anyone today. "Speak, Lord, for thy servant hears."
