Great Lessons from a Godly Mom
1 Samuel 1:1-20
Sermon by Rick Crandall
McClendon Baptist Church - May 13, 2007
*Moms are priceless! One time a Boy Scout leader was watching some new scouts try their hand at outdoor cooking, and he asked,
-“How are you doing? Have you forgotten any essential equipment?”
*One of the boys answered, “Yes, I have...”
*“Oh, what?”
-“My mother!” (1)
*Moms are priceless! Aren’t you thankful for your mother and the mother of your children? They have done so much for us.
*And here the Word of God shows us another good mom: Hannah, a Godly woman, a Godly mom. Hannah was a blessing to her family. She was a blessing to all of the Godly people of her generation. And she can bless us today with some great lessons for life.
1. The first lesson is beware the bitterness trap.
*I wish life was fair, but it’s not. This is not Heaven, and Hannah was having a hard time in vs. 1-10. First of all, she had a physical problem. Vs. 2 tells us that Hannah had no children. And twice in these verses, the Scripture tells us that the Lord had closed her womb.
*Now there is no way that we can fully understand things like that, but we know that God has a good reason for everything He does. And perhaps there wouldn’t have been a Samuel at the end of chapter 1, without the problem we see at the beginning of chapter 1.
*Hannah had a physical problem. She also had a family problem: The other wife, Peninnah.
-Earlier this week Janis said, “Yeah, the other wife is always a problem.”
*This was triply true in Peninnah’s case. She was proud, she was envious, and she was mean to Hannah. Vs. 6 tells us that Peninnah provoked Hannah severely, to make her miserable, because the Lord had closed her womb.
*Peninnah was terribly cruel to Hannah, and it wasn’t a one-time thing.
*Vs. 7 tells us, -So it was, year by year, when Hannah went up to the house of the Lord, that Peninnah provoked her; therefore she wept and did not eat.
*Hanna had a problem in her family. Her husband Elkanah tried to help. In vs. 5, he loved her and gave her a double portion, but Elkanah’s love wasn’t enough to solve the problem.
*Hanna had problems, and on top of everything else she had a problem in her spiritual family. It was with Eli the priest in vs. 12-16.
*Listen to these verses again:
12. And it happened, as she continued praying before the Lord, that Eli watched her mouth.
13. Now Hannah spoke in her heart; only her lips moved, but her voice was not heard. Therefore Eli thought she was drunk.
14. So Eli said to her, "How long will you be drunk? Put your wine away from you!’’
15. And Hannah answered and said, "No, my lord, I am a woman of sorrowful spirit. I have drunk neither wine nor intoxicating drink, but have poured out my soul before the Lord.
16. "Do not consider your maidservant a wicked woman, for out of the abundance of my complaint and grief I have spoken until now.’’
*Let’s take a little detour here to make sure that we are not part of the problem. Some people are just mean, like Peninnah in this story. But God forbid that we should be like that: Proud and selfish, taking credit for the things that were hers only by the grace of God.
*God help us to be problem solvers like Hannah’s husband, Elkanah. He couldn’t make Hannah’s problem go away, but at least he was trying.
*And then there was Eli the priest, a leader of God’s people. Hannah was doing exactly the right thing, but Eli thought she was drunk. Nothing could have been further from the truth. And Eli’s jumping to conclusions should warn us not to do the same thing.
*All of us have a little bit of Eli in us, but just like Eli, we don’t have the whole story. I wanted to say that 9 times out of 10, or 99 times out of 100 we don’t have the whole story. But the truth is that we never have the whole story, because we can’t see into the future.
*How could Eli have possibly known that the son Hannah prayed for would in just a few years come to live and serve the Lord with Eli in the tabernacle?
-How could Eli have possibly known that one night God would call Samuel by name? And that he would grow up to become one of the greatest prophets who ever lived?
*We have to be careful about judging other people, especially when we realize that this church is not a show case for trophy Christians. It’s a hospital for hurting people, a family to help each other and as many other people as we can, a lighthouse to shine the Good News of Jesus Christ, and an army to serve the living God.
*Life’s not fair, but let’s not make it worse. Let’s do everything we can to make things better!
*Even life at its best will have bitter times. In vs. 10, Hannah was in bitterness of soul, and wept in anguish.
-How do you handle bitterness? That’s an important question.
*Someone recently sent me an interview Rick Warren gave after his wife was diagnosed with cancer. Here’s part of what Rick said that will help us avoid the bitterness trap:
-“Life is a series of problems: Either you are in one now, you’re just coming out of one, or you’re getting ready to go into another one. The reason for this is that God is more interested in your character than your comfort. God is more interested in making your life holy than He is in making your life happy.
*We can be reasonably happy here on earth, but that’s not the goal of life.
-The goal is to grow in character, in Christ likeness.
*This past year has been the greatest year of my life but also the toughest, with my wife, Kay, getting cancer. I used to think that life was hills and valleys - you go through a dark time, then you go to the mountaintop, back and forth.
-I don’t believe that anymore.
*Rather than life being hills and valleys, I believe that it’s kind of like two rails on a railroad track... And at all times you have something good and something bad in your life.
*No matter how good things are in your life, there is always something bad that needs to be worked on. And no matter how bad things are in your life, there is always something good you can thank God for.
*You can focus on your purposes, or you can focus on your problems.
-If you focus on your problems, you’re going into self-centeredness: ‘my problem, my issues, my pain.’ But one of the easiest ways to get rid of pain is to get your focus off yourself and onto God and others.
*We discovered quickly that in spite of the prayers of hundreds of thousands of people, God was not going to heal Kay or make it easy for her. It has been very difficult for her, and yet God has strengthened her character, given her a ministry of helping other people, given her a testimony, drawn her closer to Him and to people.” (2)
*What do you do when life’s not fair?
2. Beware the bitterness trap, and take your troubles to the Lord.
*This is exactly what Hannah did. Let’s look at her prayer again in vs. 10-11:
10. And she was in bitterness of soul, and prayed to the Lord and wept in anguish.
11. Then she made a vow and said, "O Lord of hosts, if You will indeed look on the affliction of your maidservant and remember me, and not forget your maidservant, but will give your maidservant a male child, then I will give him to the Lord all the days of his life, and no razor shall come upon his head.’’
*Then in vs. 12, “she continued praying before the Lord,” and I like what Hannah said in vs. 15, when she was explaining herself to Eli. Hannah said, “I have poured out my soul before the Lord.”
*How do you handle bitterness? You can try to trap it inside or take it out on the people around you, but the best thing to do is take it to the Lord. Like Hannah, pour out your heart to God. Learn the power of passionate prayer.
*Passionate prayer always makes a difference. It can change the situation, and it will certainly change me.
*Hannah shows us this in vs. 16-18, where she said,
16. "Do not consider your maidservant a wicked woman, for out of the abundance of my complaint and grief I have spoken until now.’’
17. Then Eli answered and said, "Go in peace, and the God of Israel grant your petition which you have asked of Him.’’
18. And she said, "Let your maidservant find favor in your sight.’’ So the woman went her way and ate, and her face was no longer sad.
*Take your troubles to the Lord! Passionate prayer changes the situation, and even when it doesn’t change the situation, it changes me.
*Adrian Rogers was the beloved pastor of Bellevue Baptist Church in Memphis for 33 years. God blessed his ministry in an amazing way. Thousands of people attend that church every Sunday. It’s bigger than our mall, and they have 28,000 members.
*But Dr. Rogers also knew times of great sorrow. About 15 years ago a friend of mine was visiting that church and heard Dr. Rogers tell of that sorrow.
*It was when he was much younger. Dr. Rogers and his wife lost a baby to Sudden Infant Death Syndrome. Like Hannah, they were in great anguish.
*They lived near a football field at the time and Dr. Rogers went out under the stars to pray. There and then he decided to refuse bitterness and to submit himself to God. As he poured out his heart to God on that empty football field, Dr. Rogers wanted to show his submission to God. He wanted to bow down as low as he could possibly go, so he actually dug a little hole and buried his face, as he continued to cry out to God. And God lifted the burden of his bitter heart.
*Life will bring bitter times, but don’t stay bitter. Especially don’t stay bitter at the Lord. The best way out of bitterness is to take it to the Lord.
3. That’s a life-lesson from Hannah: Take your troubles to the Lord, and give your best to God.
*Hannah promised to give her best to God in vs. 11. There she made a vow and said, "O Lord of hosts, if You will indeed look on the affliction of your maidservant and remember me, and not forget your maidservant, but will give your maidservant a male child, then I will give him to the Lord all the days of his life . . .”
*Here Hannah saw herself as a servant of the Lord, and she promised to give her best to God. “God, if you will give me this son...” (The thing she wanted most in the world.) “God, if you give me this son, I will give him to you.” And she did!
*As soon as Samuel was weaned, they took him to live at the tabernacle, and in vs. 27-28, Hannah said: "For this child I prayed, and the Lord has granted me my petition which I asked of Him. Therefore I also have lent [or given over or dedicated] him to the Lord. As long as he lives he shall be dedicated to the Lord.’’
*Hannah realized that her son and all children are a gift from the Lord, and all of our children should be dedicated to Him.
*Give God your best! The Bible tells us that every good thing we have has come from Him, so He deserves our best.
*John Kenneth Galbraith was a very influential economist who served four Presidents from FDR to LBJ. In his autobiography, Galbraith told a story about Emily Wilson, his family’s housekeeper. It had been a hard day, and he asked the housekeeper to hold all phone calls while he took a nap.
*Shortly after that, the phone rang. Lyndon Johnson was calling from the White House, "Get me Ken Galbraith. This is Lyndon Johnson."
*Emily replied: “He is sleeping, Mr. President. He said not to disturb him.”
*“Well, wake him up. I want to talk to him."
*Emily responded, “No, Mr. President. I work for him, not you.”
*When Galbraith later returned the President’s call, LBJ was delighted and tried his best to convince Emily to come work for him. (3)
*Who are you working for? Give God your best in every area of your life.
4. That’s a life-lesson from Hannah: Give your best to God, and rest in the truth that God will remember you.
*God will remember you! Back in v. 11, Hannah prayed
"O Lord of hosts, if You will indeed look on the affliction of your maidservant and remember me, and not forget your maidservant, but will give your maidservant a male child... --Then I will give him to the Lord all the days of his life...
*The Lord did remember Hannah. Listen again to vs. 17-20:
17. Then Eli answered and said, "Go in peace, and the God of Israel grant your petition which you have asked of Him.’’
18. And she said, "Let your maidservant find favor in your sight.’’ So the woman went her way and ate, and her face was no longer sad.
19. Then they rose early in the morning and worshiped before the Lord, and returned and came to their house at Ramah. And Elkanah knew Hannah his wife, and the Lord remembered her.
20. So it came to pass in the process of time that Hannah conceived and bore a son, and called his name Samuel, saying, "Because I have asked for him from the Lord.’’ Then we see God’s response Hannah asked Then Eli gave these words of assurance in vs. 17:
*God remembered Hannah, and He will remember you, if you will call on Him.
*In Luke 23:39-43, we come to the Cross and see another great story of God remembering those who call on Him.
39. Then one of the criminals who were hanged blasphemed Him, saying, "If You are the Christ, save Yourself and us.’’
40. But the other, answering, rebuked him, saying, "Do you not even fear God, seeing you are under the same condemnation?
41. "And we indeed justly, for we receive the due reward of our deeds; but this Man has done nothing wrong.’’
42. Then he said to Jesus, "Lord, remember me when You come into Your kingdom.’’
43. And Jesus said to him, "Assuredly, I say to you, today you will be with Me in Paradise.’’
*The Lord remembered Hannah, He remembered the thief who cried out to Him, and He will surely remember you! Trust in the Lord to remember you! God gave Hannah a son, but He has given us His Son to die on the Cross for our sins!
*Pastor Walter Wilson told the story of a woman who attended one of his meetings. She waited after the service so she could have a few minutes with him. She felt that her life had no meaning and no purpose. She felt that she was invisible to God. Have you ever felt like you were invisible to God?
*As part of his counseling, Dr. Wilson asked if she could quote any scripture. She replied that she had once learned John 3:16 in Sunday school.
*Dr. Wilson then asked the woman to recite the verse, and when she did, she made a mistake...
*She said, “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only forgotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”
*Immediately, the preacher noticed that she had used the word FORGOTTEN instead of BEGOTTEN. And the preacher asked, “Do you know why God forgot His Son?"
*“No, I don’t,” she answered.
*Dr. Wilson responded: “It was because He wanted to remember you.” (4)
Conclusion:
*God will remember you. Trust Him to remember you.
*Robert Schuller once wrote a book with this title, “Life’s Not Fair, But God Is Good.” Hannah would tell you the same thing today...
-So beware the bitterness trap...
-Always take your troubles to the Lord...
-Always give your best to God...
-And rest in the truth that God will remember you.
1. Sermons_com Mother’s Day Illus - Downloaded May 10, 2002
2. Adapted from interview by Paul Bradshaw with Rick Warren - received by email, original source unknown.
3. Adapted from SermonCentral sermon: “Eyes that See, Hearts that Burn” - Maynard Pittendreigh Luke 24:13-35 - (John Kenneth Galbraith, A Life in Our Times, Houghton Mifflin, Reader’s Digest, December, 1981.)
4. KERUX ILLUSTRATION COLLECTION - ID Number: 6933 - SOURCE: Dynamic Preaching, www.sermons.com - TITLE: He Gave His Only Forgotten Son - AUTHOR: Dr. Walter L. Wilson - DATE: 3/31/03
