Hannah’s Keeps Her Vows to God

Hannah’s Keeps Her Vows to God

 

Text:  1 Samuel 1:28

Reading:  1 Samuel 1-2

 

Introduction

 

 

      When I was ministering a local church in Los Angeles. I had a chance to try the “Communication Game.”

ð  You divide into two groups.

ð  While sitting, line up in two straight lines.

ð  Each leader comes up to the game coordinator.

ð  They are given a clause or a sentence.

ð  As soon as the “whistle blows,” they whisper the sentence as fast as they can to the person behind them.

ð  The winning group is the group that passes the phrase back to the last person first.

ð  But the phrase has to be accurate!

 

What makes this game fun is that by the time the phrase makes it back to the last person, the sentences have completely changed!

 

Throughout scripture and in our culture, we also see this happing!

1 Samuel, Chapter 1, begins this way.

 

 

Misinterpretation of God’s Words

(The World that We Live In)

 

“There was a certain man from Ramathaim (라마다임), a Zuphite from the hill country of Ephraim, whose name was Elkanah son of Jeroham, the son of Elihu, the son of Tohu, the son of Zuph, an Ephraimite.  He had two wives, one was called Hannah and the other Peninnah (브닌나).  Peninnah had children, but Hannah had none.”  (1 Samuel 1:1-2)

 

      “He had two wives” (vs. 2)

ð  Polygamy entered history through Lamech in Genesis 4:19.

ð  Lamech was the 7^th from Adam in the line of Cain.

ð  Many scholars believe that Lamech took two wives in order to obtain the benefit of God from Genesis 1:28.

ð  But, he did this by his own device and his own way!

ð  However, God’s original divine intension for His people is monogamy!

 

      Consequences of Sin

ð  When Abraham and Sarah were impatient and decided to take Sarah’s maidservant Hagar to bear him a child, out came Ishmael.

ð  However, later Sarah also had a son (by God’s design) named Isaac.

ð  Isaac and Ishmael have been fighting since their childhood.

ð  This fight still continues today between the Jews (Isaac’s decedents) and the Arabs (Ishmael’s decedents)!

ð  The consequences of sin will always come.

ð  Like a pregnant woman, it’s just a matter of time before it becomes noticeable, then the birth!

 

 

Hannah’s Situation

 

“… Peninnah had children, but Hannah had none.  Year after year this man (Elkanah) went up from his town to worship and sacrifice to the Lord Almighty at Shiloh, where Hophni and Phinhas, the two sons of Eli, were priests of the Lord.  Whenever the day came for Elkanah to sacrifice, he would give portions of the meat to his wife Peninnah and to all her sons and daughters.  But to Hannah he gave a double portion because he loved her, and the Lord had closed her womb.”  (1 Samuel 1:2b-5)

 

      “Year after year … worship and sacrifice to the Lord” (vs. 3)

ð  Every year, all Israelite male was required to appear before the Lord.

ð  They did this 3 times each year.

 

      “the Lord had closed her womb” (vs. 5)

ð  This means that the Lord gives and withholds children!

 

      Hannah’s Feelings

ð  As a Jewish Woman … Hannah felt

û  Useless!

û  Worthless!

û  Inadequate!

û  As the result, Totally Miserable!

ð  It’s similar in the Asian (Korean-American) culture!

“And because the Lord had closed her womb, her rival kept provoking her in order to irritate her.  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.”  (1 Samuel 1:6-7)

 

      Hannah’s ongoing Persecution!

ð  On top of her wombs being closed, she was constantly being persecuted and mocked by her “rival!”

ð  In the same manner, In Genesis 16:4, we see Hagar despising her mistress Sarah.

 

 

With Patience, Hannah Turns to God

 

“In bitterness of soul Hannah wept much and prayed to the Lord.  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.’” (1 Samuel 1:10-11)

 

      “Remember me …” (vs. 11a)

ð  Not only to recall Hannah’s existence.

ð  But for God to act on her behalf!

 

      Hannah’s Vows (vs. 11b)

ð  “I will give him (Samuel) … all the days of his life …”

û  The normal period of service for a Levite for 25 years.

û  From age 25-50, they were to serve God.

û  But Hannah vowed to dedicate her son to God for his entire life!

ð  “No razor will ever be used on his head.”

û  Hannah was going to dedicate her son as a Nazarite!

û  Long hair symbolized dedication and submission before God!

 

“As she kept on praying to the Lord, Eli observed her mouth.  Hannah was praying in her heart, and her lips were moving but her voice was not heard.  Eli thought she drunk …” (1 Samuel 1:12-13a)

 

      Hannah Prayer Intensity

ð  She prayed so hard that Eli thought that she was drunk!

ð  Our prayer today is so dignified!

û  There is time to pray silently.

û  There is time to pray in a dignified manner.

ð  But, there is also time to pray hard!

 

Hannah Keeps Her Vows to God

 

 

ð  Bitter and discouraged from her inability to bear children!

ð  Turning to God, acknowledging Him as her provider and making vows to dedicate the child to Him!

ð  Weaning Samuel and taking him before God for His service!

 

      When Samuel was weaned, which according to custom would have been about age three, he was taken to Shiloh and presented to Eli.

ð  Hannah told how she prayed for this child and now he was given to the Lord for lifetime service.

ð  It much have been painful for Hannah to leave Samuel.

ð  But, Hannah’s prayer is a prayer of pure joy & a prayer that shows a deep awareness of who God is. She kept her vows to God.

 

 

Hannah’s Prayer of Pure Joy

 

      Hannah Acknowledged God as Holy! (1 Sam 2: Verse 1-2)

ð  Verse one:

û  ”Horn” speaks of strength, something to hold on to.  Hannah says that her strength is in the Lord!

û  “Salvation” comes in three tenses

†  We have been Saved--Justification!  (past tense)

“I tell you the truth, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life and will not be condemned; he has crossed over from death to life.”  (John 5:24)

†  We are being Saved!  a.k.a. “Present Deliverance” -- Sanctification!  (present tense)

ü  It is a deliverance from the weaknesses of the flesh, the sins of the flesh, the faults of the mind, and the actions of the will.

†  Deliverance from the Death in the Future--not physical, but spiritual death -- Glorification!

“Dear friends, now we are children of God and what we will be has not yet been made known.  But we know that when he appears, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is.”  (1 John 3:2)

 

ð  Verse 2:

û  “Rock” - In the New Testament the Lord Jesus Christ is called the “Chief Corner Stone” (1 Peter 2:6).

†  In Matthew 16:18, Christ spoke of Himself when He said, “… upon this rock I will build my church.”

†  That “Rock” upon which Hannah rested is the same “Rock” upon which we rest today.  There is no Rock like our God!

 

      Hannah Acknowledged God as the one Who Knows and Weighs Human Needs. (Verse 3)

ð  Verse 3:

û  When we come to God in prayer, we need to be very careful that we do not let our pride cause us to stumble.

û  We need to recognize our weakness, our insufficiency and our inability.

 

      Hannah Saw God the one Who Satisfies the Need!  (Verse 5)

 

 

 

      Hannah Acknowledges God as Master of Life and Death, of Poverty and Wealth!  (Verse 6)

 

 

      Final Result  = God’s Blessing of 3 more sons & 2 daughters.  Total of 6 children!  (Verse 21)

 

 

Hannah Continues to Pray for Samuel

 

“But Samuel was ministering before the Lord--a boy wearing a linen ephod.  Each year his mother made him a little robe and took it to him when she went up with her husband to offer the annual sacrifice.”  (1 Samuel 2:18-19)

 

      Hannah Never Stopped Praying for Samuel!

ð  This protected Samuel from the wicked practices of Eli’s two sons!

 

Read Verses 12 - 17

 

      We Should Never Cease Praying!

“Be joyful always; Pray continually; Give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.”  (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18)

 

ð  When we pray for our children, who perhaps went off to a good private Christian school, we should never stop praying for them.

ð  When our children enter into ministry at a good church, we should never stop praying for them.

 

 

Eli’s Family Failures

 

      Eli’s Son’s Sin

ð  Spiritually, they “had no regard for the Lord”  (verse 12)

û  They violated the sacrifices of the Lord.

û  They stole from God.

û  They treated the Lord’s offering with contempt!  (verse 17)

ð  Morally, they were sleeping with the women who served at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting!

 

      Eli’s Sin

ð  Eli rebuked his sons, but did no more than just rebuke them.

û  He did not strip them of their priesthood.

ð  Dr. Spock or “Not Spare the Rod” -- there has to be a balance!

 

      God’s Judgment of Eli’s Family

ð  No one in Eli’s family line would grow old:  his descendants would die in the prime of life.

ð  God would raise up a “faithful priest, who will do according to what is in God’s heart and mind!  (verse 35)

 

 

Conclusion

 

      Remember to dedicate (rededicate) all of God’s blessings to Him!

ð  Then, He will even bless us more!

 

      Our job as parents is to take the dependency of our children off of us and onto God!

ð  Our job as Inland Church English Ministry is to take the eyes of our member off the pastor and the leaders and onto God!

 

      We should never cease praying!

ð  Giving Thanks!

ð  For God’s Protection!

ð  For God’s Guidance!

 

(오윤석 목사님 말씀)