The Power of Sorrow

1 Samuel 1:1-28

1 & 2 Samuel detail a great shift for the nation of Israel: from governing by individual judges who were more military leaders than political leaders?to rule by kings. First Israel got what they asked for: a man?s man in Saul. We see Saul?s reluctant rise to power and what that power did to him. Then we go from man?s man to God?s man in David. David wasn?t perfect, he too had a great fall but because he was repentant and sought the Lord he ended up okay?Saul, not so much.

But at the center of all of this is Samuel. Samuel was born of a mother?s desperate cry to God. From a very young age had a special connection with the Lord and served to guide the nation through this difficult transition?never wavering I his faith and never pulling punches when it came to identifying sin.

1 ? 2

What strikes you right off the bat is the polygamy here. This is a little tricky because the Law did not specifically prohibit polygamy. It was practiced among the people?s of the time of the writing of Samuel mostly in the case that the first wife was barren or that a woman was unattached or because of the high mortality rate of women in childbirth. That doesn?t make it right and just as God allowed divorce because of the hardness of hearts, He may have tolerated polygamy but it was never His intention. We get that from example (Adam, for one) and by contrast (Abram and Solomon both had big problems due to polygamy). In fact the Law does tell kings not to multiply wives. In the New Testament it is more clear that this practice is not right (1 Timothy 3:2).

The text is not condoning or condemning polygamy, though there are some interesting results that we can point out: the focus here is on the plight of Hannah.

A couple of thoughts: if Elkanah had relied on God instead of taking matters into his own hands and marrying this other woman then the strife between the wives and the strife between Hannah and Elkanah wouldn?t have been there. How often do we short circuit God in order to solve problems ourselves, only to create more problems!

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Shiloh would have been about 15 miles away ? a two day journey. They have found Shiloh, though nothing of the sanctuary is left due to erosion. It?s called Khirbet Seilun, between Bethel and Shechem. We don?t know which feast Elkanah went to each year (there were three). Eli was descended from Aaron through his youngest son Ithamar. Originally the high priesthood was through Aaron?s oldest son Eleazar (through Phenehas). By this time it had switched. As we?ll see, Eli and his sons have some real problems.

4 ? 8

I actually kind of like this here ? not that Hannah?s predicament isn?t bad ? it is, but look at how Elkanah treats her. He really loves Hannah and isn?t concerned about whether she can have sons or not. Now the other wife, the rival, uses it to taunt Hannah. That?s how Hagar treated Sarai in Genesis 16:4. In that culture, of course, having children meant the family would survive. A woman without children could actually be cut adrift or put in a lower place.

But notice something here?it is the Lord who closed her womb. So did he want Hannah to go through this anguish? Perhaps. Perhaps he wanted her out of desperation to tell God that any child she had would belong to Him because that?s what he wanted, though he wanted it to be her idea. Has the Lord ever closed doors that you wanted open? Did you ever think it was because of something you had done or that he didn?t love you enough to answer?

When the Apostle Paul faced a similar situation, pleading with the Lord three times to take away something that brought him pain God answered by saying ?my grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness? 2 Corinthians 12:9. So watch how God works through weakness that he himself brought about:

9 ? 11

Hannah is basically telling the Lord that her son will be a Nazirite from birth (Numbers 6:2). Samson was also a Nazirite from birth, though he violated the vow made for him by his mother, Samuel did not. The idea was that this person was set apart for a special purpose. Indeed, Samuel brought a nation back to God (mostly) and anointed two kings. He had a special connection with God from youth, as we?ll see.

Was it a bargain? A quid-pro-quo? No. Think about it?she would have her disgrace removed by having a child, but then would have to part with that child after three years for the rest of his life. Which would be worse?to remain childless, or have a child then lose it?

12 ? 18

Now why would Eli think that Hannah was drunk? I think it speaks more to Eli?s character than Hannah?s actions. At least for his part, when Hannah reveals what is going on, Eli speaks a blessing on her. And notice that after she has unloaded her burden on the Lord she is no longer sad. It is so lightening of our spirit?s when we cast our anxieties on him for he cares for us (1 Peter 5:7).

19 ? 20

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So Hannah has a son and she names him Samuel, which means ?heard of God? or ?asked of God.?

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21 ? 23

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Hannah must have shared her vow with Elkanah who agrees to it and allows her to stay home. Surely this woman of God taught Samuel some great truths about God, truths that would have to sustain him through a very polluted priesthood with Eli and his sons.

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24 ? 28

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A first born male had to be redeemed by a sacrifice, but Samuel is actually going to be given as a sacrifice to the Lord. Never-the-less, they family brings the proper sacrifice on his behalf (Numbers 28:12).

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It?s also interesting to me that Eli ends up worshiping the Lord after Hannah tells him that the prayer had been answered. Perhaps Eli didn?t see much answered prayer given the state of the priesthood at the time.

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Lessons:

1. Don?t underestimate the power of sorrow

Sometimes our time of greatest need becomes an opportunity for great triumph as all else is stripped away and we cry out to God with a purity.

James 5:16 The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much. NKJV

The word ?fervent? there is the word for ?active? in the Greek. We get our word ?energy? from it. It can mean ?exercise.? We need to sometimes do some heavy lifting in our prayers.

2. Don?t underestimate the power of prayer

Verse 18: she made her petition and her face was no longer sad. Did Hannah know she was going to have a baby at that point? No. But she had given her heart to God and that was enough. She?d let it go. She had peace. So can we.

Philippians 4:4-7 Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice. 5 Let your reasonableness be known to everyone. The Lord is at hand; 6? do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. 7 And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

John 14:27 Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid.

Matthew 11:28-30 Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.? 29 Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.? 30 For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.\"

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The key is: pour out your heart to God about it, look for His peace (not the absence of problems, but the presence of Jesus) and let Him carry the burden while you carry His ? which is to rejoice in your relationship with Him as He makes you more like Him.

2. Don?t underestimate the power of a good upbringing.

Because Hannah was a woman of God, Samuel changed the course of a nation?s history. Not every child will be a Samuel, but that doesn?t make it less important that you raise them ?in the training and admonition of the Lord? (Ephesians 6:4).