A Godly Father and Mother
Selected Scriptures from 1 & 2 Samuel
The Setting
In our English Bibles, the Book of 1 Samuel follows the Book of Ruth. In the Hebrew Old Testament manuscripts, 1 Samuel immediately follows the Book of Judges. And so it is in the Hebrew Bible that the last words to be written before our text in 1 Samuel are these:
Judges 21:25 In those days there was no king in Israel; everyone did what was right in his own eyes.
1. Hannah and Elkanah¡¦s Relationship (vv 5-7)
But to Hannah he gave a double portion because he loved her, and the Lord had closed her womb. [6] And because the Lord had closed her womb, her rival kept provoking her in order to irritate her. [7] This went on year after year. Whenever Hannah went up to the house of the Lord, her rival provoked her till she wept and would not eat.
„Ð The book starts off with Samuel¡¦s godly parents, his father Elkanah who is a worshipper of God. Verse 3, 21 tells us that he made it a point to go to Shiloh every year to worship God and offer sacrifices to God.
„Ð We also know from verse 5 that he was a great husband. What made him great is he was mindful what Hannah was going through for being barren. Elkanah assures her of his love by giving her a double portion of the meat which has been sacrificed. He makes sincere efforts to compensate for her barrenness, reminding her of what she means to him and what he intends to be for her (1:8). Paul tells us in Ephes 5:25 Husbands, go all out in your love for your wives, exactly as Christ did for the church¡Xa love marked by giving, not getting.
Barreness: Being barren in the Old Testament was demeaning (somewhat humiliating). The culture believed that it was a curse from God because according to Deut 7 having children was a blessing from the Lord.
„Ð Furthermore, Elkanah¡¦s other wife who continues to provoked her, not just once a year, but three times a year because that was the requirement for Israelite men. She reminds me of Job¡¦s wife who said
Job 2:9-10 Then his wife said to him, "Do you still hold fast your integrity? Curse God and die." [10] But he said to her, "You speak as one of the foolish women would speak. Shall we receive good from God, and shall we not receive evil?" In all this Job did not sin with his lips.
Here it tells us that Peninah provoked her until she wept and no longer could participate in the festivity. In Eph 5 Paul instructs parents not to provoked their children to wrath. Here it tells us the result of being provoked is wrath or anger, but Hannah instead of being angry she turned to God for prayer.
Philip. 4:6 do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.
2. The Prayer Life of Hannah (vv10-28)
At this period of history the tabernacle was at Shiloh about 15 miles north of Ramah. Elkanah regularly attended the festivals with his wives. Let me give you 4 examples from her prayer life.
A. Her Prayer Life was Intense and Focused (v10, 2:1-3)In bitterness of soul Hannah wept much and prayed to the Lord.
„Ð The Hebrew translates this as an outpouring of the soul to God. When was the last time you poured out this kind of prayer to God. I believed that when we are going through trials, our prayer is not so casual, it¡¦s more desperate not distracted. Hannah prayed with desperation, she reaches back all the way from her soul. She was relentless and would not stop praying until God answered her. 3x a year in the Temple and 4 hours a daily. This is the true meaning of praying without ceasing.
Illustration: Martin Luther & William Carey
„Ð In Luke 22:44 ¡V Luke tells us that Chris was in agony. Then his sweat became like great drops of blood. In medical terms this is called ¡§hematidrosis¡¨ the effusion of blood in ones perspiration caused by extreme anguish and physical strain. He was so distress that it brought him to the threshold of death.
B.Her Prayer Life came with a Vow (v11)
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, then I will give him to the Lord for all the days of his life, and no razor will ever be used on his head."
„Ð How many of us here, includes a vow in our daily prayers. Hannah vowed (pledged) before God Almighty ¡V the Lord of Hosts. She acknowledge God for who He really is ¡§Almighty.¡¨
„Ð Hannah believed that God is powerful, that God could give her a son. She believed in a creator God who said in Gen 1:1-3 ¡§Then God said ¡§Let there be. Now the only question is God willing to do it. Like the leper in Luke 5 ¡§Lord if you are willing to you can make me clean.¡¨ She asked the Lord to look at the motive of her heart (misery). She begs for God to remember her (to answer her prayer) and not to forget the passion of her heart to have a son that will be devoted to the Will and Service of the Lord.
„Ð Hannah¡¦s vow ¡§I will give him to the Lord for all the days of his life, and no razor will ever be used on his head. She made a vow that had two parts to it. Her son would become a Levitical priest, serving in the temple and a Nazirite. A Nazirite was bound by a vow to be set apart to the Lord¡¦s service and had to abstain from the fruit of the vine, was forbidden to cut his hair, and was not allowed to get near any dead body. Samson was another Old Testament character who had taken the Nazirite vow.
Biblical Definition of Vow ¡V A Vow is a Solemn promise to God Alone
Eccles. 5:2 Do not be quick with your mouth, do not be hasty in your heart to utter anything before God. God is in heaven and you are on earth, so let your words be few. 4-5 When you make a vow to God, do not delay in fulfilling it. He has no pleasure in fools; fulfill your vow. [5] It is better not to vow than to make a vow and not fulfill it.
A.It Must be Voluntary
Deut. 23:21-22 If you make a vow to the Lord your God, do not be slow to pay it, for the Lord your God will certainly demand it of you and you will be guilty of sin. [22] But if you refrain from making a vow, you will not be guilty.
B.It Must be Expressed
Deut. 23:23 Whatever your lips utter you must be sure to do, because you made your vow freely to the Lord your God with your own mouth.
C. It Must not be Abused
Prov.20:25 An impulsive vow is a trap;later you’ll wish you could get out of it.
Leviticus 22:18-25 "Speak to Aaron and his sons, and to all the children of Israel, and say to them: ’Whatever man of the house of Israel, or of the strangers in Israel, who offers his sacrifice for any of his vows or for any of his freewill offerings, which they offer to the Lord as a burnt offering-- [19] you shall offer of your own free will a male without blemish from the cattle, from the sheep, or from the goats. [20] Whatever has a defect, you shall not offer, for it shall not be acceptable on your behalf. [21] And whoever offers a sacrifice of a peace offering to the Lord, to fulfill his vow, or a freewill offering from the cattle or the sheep, it must be perfect to be accepted; there shall be no defect in it. [22] Those that are blind or broken or maimed, or have an ulcer or eczema or scabs, you shall not offer to the Lord, nor make an offering by fire of them on the altar to the Lord. [23] Either a bull or a lamb that has any limb too long or too short you may offer as a freewill offering, but for a vow it shall not be accepted. [24] You shall not offer to the Lord what is bruised or crushed, or torn or cut; nor shall you make any offering of them in your land. [25] Nor from a foreigner’s hand shall you offer any of these as the bread of your God, because their corruption is in them, and defects are in them. They shall not be accepted on your behalf.’ "
C. Her Prayer Life was between Her and God (v17)
Eli answered, "Go in peace, and may the God of Israel grant you what you have asked of him." 1 Samuel 2:1-3 In Hannah prayed and said: "My heart rejoices in the Lord; in the Lord my horn is lifted high. My mouth boasts over my enemies, for I delight in your deliverance. [2] "There is no one holy like the Lord there is no one besides you; there is no Rock like our God. [3] "Do not keep talking so proudly or let your mouth speak such arrogance, for the Lord is a God who knows, and by him deeds are weighed.
She had not told Eli of her broken heart before God. He observed her and misunderstood her as a drunkard. In chapter 2:1-3 tells us that her
Her heart rejoiced in the Lord ¡VShe was overjoyed because of her relationship with the God. She anticipated the goodness of her Lord.
Her strength was exalted in the Lord ¡V She drew her strength from the Lord alone. Because of her character and consistent prayer life Samuel saw and experienced the strength of the Lord resting on his mother, he then knew where he would turn when he needed strength for his life.
Her acknowledgement of God - verse 2 She acknowledge God alone is Holy. In addition, Hannah acknowledge that there is none besides you. Next, she acknowledge that ¡§nor is there any rock like our God.¡¨ God was her stability. Finally, she say¡¦s that the Lord is the God of knowledge. She believed in the wisdom and the knowledge of God were totally sufficient for her life.
D. Her Prayer Life Believed God (v 18)
She said, "May your servant find favor in your eyes." Then she went her way and ate something, and her face was no longer downcast.
Illustration: George Mueller (His prayer for the salvation of His friends)
Mark 11:22-24 "Have faith in God," Jesus answered. [23] "I tell you the truth, if anyone says to this mountain, ’Go, throw yourself into the sea,’ and does not doubt in his heart but believes that what he says will happen, it will be done for him. [24] Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.
3. Hannah kept her Vow to the Lord (v27-28)
I prayed for this child, and the Lord has granted me what I asked of him. [28] So now I give him to the Lord. For his whole life he will be given over to the Lord." And he worshiped the Lord there.
But the question is this? Would she be able to keep this vow? Did she realize the full impact of this vow? How many times do we pray and say, "God if you will do this for me, then I will do...?" We bargain with God, but then when He answers we go on our merry way and forget all about our vow. When we are praying about something we need to pray earnestly and consistently as Hannah did and then commit the entire thing to God. Her day by day, year by year CONSISTENT lifestyle probably was a key factor in helping her to do this.
