Life of Samuel - His Mother

Series Intro:

• 6-week series
• Samuel was a prophet of God during a difficult time in Israel’s history
• YES, they had made it to the promise land...But now their kingdom was divided
• The people would demand an earthly King, to be like other nations around them, but God’s desire was that they NOT be like everyone else
• Even the priesthood during this time was become corrupted as we will see later
• Into this situation, God calls Samuel...

Sermon Intro:

• Alberta Williams? Know her? born in Atlanta in 1903, the only surviving child of Jennie Celeste Williams and Adam Daniel Williams, pastor of Atlanta's Ebenezer Baptist Church. mother of Martin Luther King, Jr.
• Morrow Coffey - She was the daughter of Ben Coffey and Lucinda Robinson Coffey, born in 1892. Mother of Billy Graham
• Without these two women, these people would not have existed. We are grateful for them
• Today we will begin our series on Samuel by looking at his mother...

1 Samuel There was a man named Elkanah who lived in Ramah in the region of Zuph in the hill country of Ephraim. He was the son of Jeroham, son of Elihu, son of Tohu, son of Zuph, of Ephraim. 2 Elkanah had two wives, Hannah and Peninnah. Peninnah had children, but Hannah did not. 3 Each year Elkanah would travel to Shiloh to worship and sacrifice to the Lord of Heaven’s Armies at the Tabernacle. The priests of the Lord at that time were the two sons of Eli—Hophni and Phinehas. 4 On the days Elkanah presented his sacrifice, he would give portions of the meat to Peninnah and each of her children. 5 And though he loved Hannah, he would give her only one choice portion because the Lord had given her no children. 6 So Peninnah would taunt Hannah and make fun of her because the Lord had kept her from having children. 7 Year after year it was the same—Peninnah would taunt Hannah as they went to the Tabernacle. Each time, Hannah would be reduced to tears and would not even eat.

• Who is Hannah?
• Name means - a woman of grace
• Wife to a man who loved her deeply, most likely the first wife
• Childless – we cannot be certain (because multiple wives was common even amongst the people God had called to live differently) but perhaps Hannah’s husband felt it necessary to take another wife because Hannah had no children for him
• Ridiculed – new wife had children, but was still less loved than Hannah
• Feeling of worthlessness
• Value of women was very much connected to their ability to produce an heir
• Did not have jobs
• Were not able to be educated as men were
• Often considered “property” even taken as bounty from concurring cities
• God taught against this in his word to Israel that they were not to “take women” when they conquered a city in the promise land

How do we respond to the troubles we face

-Cry, stop eating

-fall into a great depression

- There were moments when I was deep into my grief after my parents died that is felt overwhelming to simply get out of bed!

-These moments are heavy and grievous, and we feel so far from PEACE

-Peace – shalom – wholeness, not lack of trouble but feeling whole and secure and in connection with the Almighty God as you know you are living according to God’s will...and sometimes those that live in God’s care go through horrendous things

-Sometimes we go to others with these problems? Looking for sympathy or someone to solve the problem for us? Looking at the very least...for someone to LISTEN

That’s what it seems Hannah does...she hears from her husband

1 Samuel 7 Year after year it was the same—Peninnah would taunt Hannah as they went to the Tabernacle. Each time, Hannah would be reduced to tears and would not even eat. 8 “Why are you crying, Hannah?” Elkanah would ask. “Why aren’t you eating? Why be downhearted just because you have no children? You have me—isn’t that better than having ten sons?” Once after a sacrificial meal at Shiloh, Hannah got up and went to pray.

• Husband’s response
• humorous and embarrassing because it is such a typical human response,
• He does not listen or sympathize...no he asks four questions...
• “Hannah, why are you crying? As if he did not know already.
• “Why don’t you eat?” As if he really did not understand why she was unable to eat.
• “Why are you so down hearted?” Is he really as dumb as brick wall or does not know what is happening in his own family?
• And the last is best of all, “Don’t I mean more to you than ten sons?” He is lucky if she didn’t hit him after that last one.
• He telling Hannah she has no reason to be sad since she has him.
• If anything Elkanah had just added to her emotional turmoil.
• He had intensified her pain by telling her that she had no right to feel the way she felt
• Why didn’t he just listen...perhaps he had heard this for years and felt powerless to do anything to help...which honestly he could not really help, but he certainly could have responded better

When other’s share their sorrows with us how do we respond?

-Why cry?

-It’s been years, tired of it

-You have _____ shouldn’t that be enough?

-Jump into solving rather than listening?

I do this...it is a fault of mine that I am working on, I try and find a way for someone to break free of their sorrow...when honestly, often, there is nothing I can do...but I can listen

• Result
• Hannah goes to pray
• A step in the right direction
• Perhaps she had prayed for years
• Perhaps she had been stuck in her sorrow and not able to pray
• Perhaps...she had believed that she was unworthy,
• as Peninnah constantly reminded here...
• as society pointed out...
• As her husband even seemed to agree with...
• Maybe...she thought she was unworthy, worthless, why would God listen

1 Samuel 9 Once after a sacrificial meal at Shiloh, Hannah got up and went to pray. Eli the priest was sitting at his customary place beside the entrance of the Tabernacle. 10 Hannah was in deep anguish, crying bitterly as she prayed to the Lord. 11 And she made this vow: “O Lord of Heaven’s Armies, if you will look upon my sorrow and answer my prayer and give me a son, then I will give him back to you. He will be yours for his entire lifetime, and as a sign that he has been dedicated to the Lord, his hair will never be cut.” 12 As she was praying to the Lord, Eli watched her. 13 Seeing her lips moving but hearing no sound, he thought she had been drinking. 14 “Must you come here drunk?” he demanded. “Throw away your wine!” 15 “Oh no, sir!” she replied. “I haven’t been drinking wine or anything stronger. But I am very discouraged, and I was pouring out my heart to the Lord. 16 Don’t think I am a wicked woman! For I have been praying out of great anguish and sorrow.” 17 “In that case,” Eli said, “go in peace! May the God of Israel grant the request you have asked of him.” 18 “Oh, thank you, sir!” she exclaimed. Then she went back and began to eat again, and she was no longer sad.

• Eli’s Response
• Eli...sees her! He notices this woman in the temple
• Praying so hard she cannot even speak through her sobs, her mouth is moving but no sounds is coming out. WE HAVE BEEN THERE!
• He mistakenly thinks she is drunk at first, but then when he recognizes his mistake...
• “May God answer”
• But wait...he didn’t even know what is being requested
• He doesn’t know the size of the problem, though must assume how huge it is to have caused so much distress
• He hears her...he listens
• He sees her great distress, and DOES NOT DIMISS IT, but joins her in this plead
• Eli listens and responds in the most loving way
• I will pray with you that God will happen for you
• No “that’s impossible”
• No “it’s been years”
• No “isn’t _____ enough?”
• No...well what did you do to deserve it?
• Simply... go in peace! May the God of Israel grant the request you have asked of him
• Peace – shalom, wholeness, in correct relationship with others and God
• Not that Hannah’s hardship would end, but that in this hardship she might feel whole
• This is what Eli wishes for this woman he sees in such distress
• He senses that he cannot solve her distress...this was Going to take God – Jehovah Jira (the provider) and Eli JOINS HER PRAYER even not knowing what is being prayed for

Ever pray for an unspoken request? How does that feel?

-impossible?

-how can you pray without knowing? Because God knows

-why do we feel the need to know? Control?

-Are we willing to listen without asking for details, to hear and feel the anguish that our community is going through and rather than coming at them with...“Get over it” “well you must deserve it” or “tell me more”

-Could we simple say...I will join you in this prayer...may God grant you what you have asked

RESULTS

• Hannah Prayed, Eli listened and joined...and God did answer!
• Samuel “God has heard” was born...continue with his story next week.