Sermon - Audio1 Samuel 1-3 - Audio
1 Sameul 1-3 - Reading
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1 Samuel as a chapter in the master story:
The overall story of the Bible is how God worked out a plan to save the human race from sin and death. In the OT, this plan was nearly identical with the national history of God’s chosen nation of Israel. First Samuel recounts the history of Israel at a very crucial stage of its existence. The crucial development in the nation was its unwillingness to have God as its only king. As we observe this phase of Israelite history, we are led to ponder what kind of rule we need and to conclude that only the eventual Son of David, Christ, is sufficient.
Theological Themes in the Book:
(1) Divine providence: despite all the emphasis on human endeavor, the book also shows that God is the sovereign deity who oversees human and national destiny. (2) Sin: the book shows us (especially in the figures of Eli and Saul) how people can destroy themselves and their families through sin. (3) Obedience to God: by way of positive and negative example, the book paints a picture of obedience to God as God’s intended pattern for human life. (4) Kingship: the book gives us variations on the themes of divinely designated earthly kings and God as the only perfect King.
Interesting Fact: 1 Samuel and 2 Samuel were one book until it was translated into Greek.
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1-8 - Hannah's womb is closed. It does state that this was by the LORD's hand. Again, many times we question these sorts of things, but we need to always finish out the story...looks what happens with Hannah!
9-11 - Samuel would be dedicated as a Nazarite from birth, a vow to God made by Hannah. Samuel would have already been designated a Levite because of His tribe and would serve the LORD, but Hannah wanted something greater for her son.
12-18 - Kind of a "funny" exchange taking place. The priest Eli believes Hannah to be drunk, but then ends up blessing her when finding out the true meaning of her sorrows. Is it just me or does the OT have a lot a drunkenness and discussion about being drunk? Why wasn't Tom Kragt there to help them!
19-20 - Samuel in Hebrew means "God heard" or "requested of God" Samuel is obviously not your average child.
21-24 - Samuel would not be sacrificed to God until he was weaned, which was usually around the age of 2. There was probably no hurry from Hannah to get him there.
24-28 - It's one thing to promise God something that is very hard, but it's another when it comes down to keeping your word. All you mothers out there...wouldn't this have been really tough? What does this say about Hannah?
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1-11 - "The protagonist of the opening unit of 1 Samuel is the heroine Hannah. Her antagonists are two insensitive men—her husband, Elkanah, and the priest Eli. The dominant action is the distress and triumph of Hannah. The story is a classic problem-solution story, with Hannah’s barrenness the problem and the birth of Samuel through God’s blessing its solution. In her triumph, Hannah is a model of godliness, especially in her gratitude to God for the gift of a son. Her song (2:1–10) is a praise psalm built around the motif of God’s raising up the underdog and putting down the exalted. The psalm functions as an interpretive lens for the story that is narrated in chapter 1, inasmuch as both units assert God’s intervening action on behalf of the oppressed and his disfavor toward authority figures who ignore the needs of people of humble status." ESVLB
1-11 - So many times my prayers are answered in almost the exact ways in which I prayed...Is my rejoicing with and praise to God at Hannah's level?
12 - Literally, the Hebrew calls them sons of Belial (pegan god). If you recall, this is an issue since Eli is the priest and his sons are probably serving in the priesthood.
13-17 - Eli's sons defiled the offerings to God.
18-21 - Samuel's character is then contrasted to that of Eli's sons.
18-21 - Hannah requests and receives more children, but Samuel remains at the temple.
A "linen ephod" was a priestly garment that was worn (ex 39:27-29)
22 - The focus on Eli being old was to show that leadership soon needed to be taken over, but who? His sons are busy using their status for evil purposes.
23-26 - "Because the LORD desired to kill them." - This is a very harsh statement and is very hard to understand for us. We must remember that justice must be completed for the sins of men before a holy God. Many times God will harden hearts, kill people, etc...for His story to continue how it must. This is a very difficult truth for us, because we still believe it is our story.
27-33 - Judgment is handed out to Eli pertaining to himself and his family lineage...They will be cursed.
34-36 - Eli's sons will die and someone else, an annoited one, will take over.
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Overview - This story is a favorite with children, and analyzing why this is so is a good approach to the first half of the story. The story features a boy hero who undergoes experiences with which any child resonates—sleeping peacefully in the hallowed “temple of the Lord,” being awakened by an unknown voice, tiptoeing through the dim light to the authority figure in his life, and being told to return to his bed. The suspense grows in intensity as the pattern is repeated. The overall pattern is well known in storytelling both within the Bible and beyond it; it is known as the three-plus-one pattern, meaning that a common set of events happens three times in an identical manner, and then a fourth time with a crucial change introduced. After Samuel receives the message from God the fourth time, he lies alone with the fearful message until daybreak, when Eli coaxes the message out of him. The concluding note recording Samuel’s growing stature with God and society (vv. 19–21) alerts us that we are reading a transition story in which the leadership of the nation is passing from Eli to Samuel. ESVLB
4-9 - God keeps calling to Samuel, but Samuel thinks that it is Eli. Eli finally perceives that this may be God calling Samuel. He instructs him to go and wait for the call.
11-14 - What a message to get as your first "act!" This would be a very difficult one to address. It's amazing that Samuel didn't just quit right there...however, God did just audibly speak to him. In v15 we do see that he was scared.
15-18 - What!!!? Did you just see the response from Eli after receiving just awful news...complete submission to the will of God. It wasn't even because of Eli's sins that this was going to happen, and yet he will pay a part of the price. Eli understands that this is God's story, and is submitting to that truth.
19-21 - Samuel Grows in the LORD...Samuel will be a great man of God in His continuing story.
8 comments:
In 1:13 "Hannah was speaking to God in her heart; only her lips moved and her voice was not heard" Did this mean she was speaking in some kind of tongue? I didn't think this happened until pentecost when the Holy Spirit came in Acts 2? It said she was "troubled in spirit" what did this mean in OT time?
Also the fact that Hannah was willing to give Samuel over at such a young age shows that she had an eternal perspective in wanting to help build the kingdom of God. She knew that he was given to her for God. I wish more of us would think of this when having children and not the fact that we get to play house. God has a purpose for everyone that believes. What an example that Hannah was I have a knew respect for her and this God honoring story! Praise Him :)
Rochelle,
She was more than likely just praying within her heart, but moving her lips to the conversation she was having with God. I know that I do this as well at times. This should not be interpreted as any sort of tongue.
Her spirit being troubled shouldn't be taken much differently than it is today. This is from the ESV Study Bible: "But Hannah explains that her visible display of emotion is genuine, due to deep anguish." This troubled in spirit is deep anguish. The literal translation is "hard of spirit." One could determine it to mean "having a heavy spirit."
Rochelle,
Great comment on parenting. I wish more parents would teach their kids to love and follow Jesus, rather than just be good, be nice, and be safe.
Hi Rochelle,
The moving of her lips also is the reason that Eli believes she is drunk. This is because prayer in the OT was an "out loud" deal. One did not pray silently as we do. This was also true of reading until a few centuries ago. People read out loud and prayed out loud, so Hannah's behavior was very odd.
In your commentary you said: "Samuel would have already been designated a Levite because of His tribe..."
The bible says his father was an Ephrathite. How was an Ephrathite a Levite?
Thank you, Larry, that is very interesting.
Tim,
The ancestors of Kohath (a son of Levi, and Elkanah's ancestor) lived in cities that were assigned to the tribe of Ephraim (Josh 21:5, 1 Sam 2:11, etc). So Elkanah's blood line was one of a Levite, but he was designated as a Ephraimite because of his home.
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