1 Samuel 1:1-2:11 "Why Samuel?" In the Hebrew Bible the book that comes after Proverbs is Ruth. When you finish reading Proverbs 31, the next thing you see is the story of Ruth and Naomi. And you are left with the very definite impression that Ruth is the excellent wife. It is tempting, especially in December, to preach through Ruth, and the story of how a child was born in Bethlehem, who brought redemption to the Gentiles. But since I'm already preaching in Luke this year, I'll save Ruth for another time. Introduction: Why Samuel? But why Samuel? The question could be taken in at least two different ways. First, why preach on Samuel? (Which really means, why should you brave the cold, winter weather to hear sermons on Samuel?) The first answer is that it is a part of the word of God and all scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be competent, equipped for every good work. (2 Tim 3:16) If you would be wise for salvation, then you should know the sacred writings the scriptures intimately. Okay, but why Samuel? Why this portion of scripture? The books of Samuel and Kings are useful for us to understand the Kingdom of God. In the morning we are looking at Luke's gospel. And in Luke Jesus speaks a great deal about the Kingdom of God. Samuel-Kings provides background for that. And not only that, but Samuel and Kings reveals to us God's patience with his people. God is far more patient with his church than we are! We will learn a great deal about sin and repentance. We will learn from Saul and David about what a king ought to be (and not to be!). And we will see the faithfulness of God from age to age, as we see our Lord Jesus Christ revealed in these pages. But there is a second question, "why Samuel?" And that is the main focus of tonight's sermon. Why did God raise up Samuel himself? Samuel comes after the period of the judges. Or, more properly, Samuel is himself the last judge. Samuel is the hinge of history between the era of the judges and the era of the kings. The book of Judges ended with the refrain "in those days there was no king in Israel, everyone did what was right in his own eyes." Samuel will conclude the era of the Judges by appointing a king indeed, anointing two kings! The first will do what is right in his own eyes just like the people! But the second will do what is right in God's eyes. [is Samuel ever mentioned in the NT?] 1. Elkanah and His Wives (1:1-8) The first thing we are told is that there was a certain man of Ephraim whose name was Elkanah [identity of ancestry] He had two wives. In other words, he was a bigamist. Elkanah reminds us of another bigamist who was in a similar situation: Jacob had two wives and the one whom he loved was also barren. Peninnah echoes Leah because she had children, while Hannah reminds us of Rachel, whose womb was also closed by Yahweh. (If you are interested in how to understand the biblical teaching on polygamy, we'll be dealing with that in the Sex and the City of God class next week!) But Elkanah was a faithful worshiper of Yahweh. This ought to surprise you. If you are familiar with the book of Judges, you should be surprised to hear that there was such a thing as a faithful worshiper of Yahweh by now! The book of Judges points to the downward spiral of Israel under the judges, and would lead you to believe that the whole nation was plunged into the depths of idolatry by this point. The book of Samuel, however, points out that even in the latter days of the judges, even when Israel was apostate, there was a faithful remnant; there were those who remained true to the Word of God. Elkanah was one who would go up year by year to worship and to sacrifice to the LORD of hosts at Shiloh. This reminds us that in the OT worship was not something that you did every week. You cannot worship God without a sacrifice, and you cannot offer sacrifices, except at the place where God commands, and in order to offer sacrifices, you need a priest. The priests at this time were Eli and his sons, Hophni and Phineas. We will hear more about them next week! But when Elkanah offered sacrifices (the peace offering is especially in view), he would give portions to Peninnah and her sons and daughters, and to Hannah. (There are some differences among texts here, some say that Elkanah gave Hannah a double portion because he loved her, others say that although he loved her, he only gave her one portion because she was childless. Either way, the point is that he loved her in spite of the fact that she was childless.) And this speaks well of him, because it would have been easy to focus his affection on the one who gave him children. But Elkanah is a man like Jacob he loved his barren wife. Of course, this only led to jealousy between the wives, and Peninnah would provoke Hannah to irritate her. And so it went on year by year. Every year they would go up to the Tabernacle at Shiloh, and every year the unequal portions would be a reminder of Hannah's barrenness. And so one year, Hannah broke down and wept and would not eat. Her husband, the well-meaning fellow, said, "Hannah, why do you weep? And why do you not eat? And why is your heart sad? Am I not more to you than ten sons?" In the ancient world, ten sons would be a guarantee that you would be cared for in your old age and so Elkanah is saying that will care for her. It is an emphatic declaration of love. But it is also rather hollow. The promise was that the seed of the woman would crush the serpent's head! And a barren woman was a forgotten woman she would have no future. If her husband dies then her impoverished old age is a but a symbol of what would happen to the human race if the seed is never born! 2. The Vow of Hannah (1:9-28) It is all very good to profess your love for your barren wife, But this barrenness is said to be the LORD's doing. I suppose some modern folk might wish to argue that barrenness is not an act of God, it is a medical condition we call it infertility. Hannah should have gone to a fertility specialist for treatment! (Obviously, the problem was not Elkanah: he wasn't having any difficulty getting Peninnah pregnant!) But our text repeats it: "the LORD had closed her womb." After they had eaten and drunk in Shiloh, Hannah rose. Now Eli the priest was sitting on the seat beside the doorpost of the temple of the LORD. There are times when you want to be alone when you need to be alone and pray to God out of the grief of your heart. And in that time Hannah came to the door of the temple of the LORD. What is wrong with this picture? In Hannah's day, there was no temple only a tabernacle! Only a tent. But of course, that tent functioned as Israel's temple. Israel's temple was as unsettled as Israel itself. Israel had no king. Israel had no temple. They had been dwelling in the land for hundreds of years, but they were not really settled. Samuel will be the one who will lead the movement toward the establishment of the kingdom of God. And that is foreshadowed in the reference to "the temple of Yahweh" in verse 9. But in her distress and sorrow, she comes to the tabernacle. Long before Solomon had asked God to hear the prayers made in that place, God was drawing his people toward himself in the tabernacle. And the faithful would come to the house of the LORD to pray and to make their vows to him. She was deeply distressed and prayed to the LORD and wept bitterly. And she vowed a vow and said, 'O LORD of hosts, if you will indeed look on the affliction of your servant and remember me and not forget your servant, but will give to your servant a son, then I will give him to the LORD all the days of his life, and no razor shall touch his head.' (1:10-11) Numbers 6 speaks of the Nazirite vow a vow of special service to the LORD. Hannah takes this vow to the LORD on behalf of her son, and devotes him to the service of the LORD. In our individualistic age, this sounds bizarre. How could a mother make a promise on behalf of her son? In one sense, she can't. She cannot promise that he will be faithful in his performance of the vow. But she can promise that she will give him to the LORD. It is then up to the LORD to do with him as he pleases. Is this a wise vow? Is this a proper vow? Hannah understands her own heart. She knows her selfish ways. She wants babies! But she desires to first please the LORD. She knows the promises that the seed will come (remember her song in ch 2). And so she desires to bear a son and yet she relinquishes the social and material benefits of having a son she surrenders him to Yahweh's service. I am not saying that any and every mother today should take this sort of vow. But if you are a selfish mother (or father), and if you tend to view your children as your chief end! Then Hannah may have something to tell you! Notice that there is utter silence on God's part. He has not spoken. He has called her to do this. Vows are entirely voluntary. You do not have to take them. But if you do take them, then you are bound to fulfill them! As she continued praying before the LORD, Eli observed her mouth. Hannah was speaking in her heart; only her lips moved, and her voice was not heard. Therefore Eli took her to be a drunken woman. And Eli said to her, 'How long will you go on being drunk? Put away your wine from you." But Hannah answered, 'No, my lord, I am a woman troubled in spirit. I have drunk neither wine nor strong drink, but I have been pouring out my soul before the LORD. Do not regard your servant as a worthless woman, for all along I have been speaking out of my great anxiety and vexation. Now God speaks... through the voice of Eli the priest: Go in peace, and the God of Israel grant your petition that you have made to him. Eli may not have had the faintest idea of what he had said, but as the high priest, he was commanded to bless the faithful. And in this blessing, Hannah finds contentment. She does not know what God will do. But God has given her peace through the benediction of Eli. And she said, 'Let your servant find favor in your eyes.' Then the woman went her way and ate, and her face was no longer sad. She ate. She partook of the peace offering, because whether or not she ever bore a son, she had peace with God. She knew that God had heard her prayer, and though she did not yet know the answer, she had received God's blessing. Verses 19 20 tell us that they returned to Ramah, and there the LORD remembered her, and in due time Hannah conceived and bore a son, and she called his name Samuel, for she said, 'I have asked for him from the LORD.' (1:20) The following year Elkanah went up to house of the LORD, but this time Hannah did not go. She said to Elkanah, As soon as the child is weaned, I will bring him, so that he may appear in the presence of the LORD and dwell there forever. And Elkanah understood: Do what seems best to you; wait until you have weaned him; only, may the LORD establish his word. Elkanah understood that a vow is a vow. Numbers 30 gave him the right to contradict his wife's vow in the day he heard it. He could have overturned the vow, and kept the child. But as a righteous and faithful man, he saw that his wife's vow was itself from the LORD (though she had not seen it at the time). The last phrase, "may the LORD establish his word" seems to suggest that Elkanah saw some significance in this child's residing in the presence of the LORD. Ordinarily the redemption of the firstborn would be with a monetary payment, along with the purification sacrifices of Lev 12. God told Moses, "Consecrate to me all the firstborn. Whatever is the first to pen the womb among the people of Israel, both of man and of beast, is mine." (Ex 13:2) But Samuel was also the child of a vow, and so they bring a bull, flour and wine as a thank offering for the fulfillment of the vow. (Lev. 7) And having slaughtered the bull, consecrating Samuel to the LORD's service, Elkanah and Hannah present Samuel to Eli. And Hannah said, Oh my lord! As you live, my lord, I am the woman who was standing here in your presence, praying to the LORD. For this child I prayed, and the LORD has granted me my petition that I made to him. Therefore I have lent him to the LORD. As long as he lives, he is lent to the LORD. And he (Samuel) worshiped the LORD there. What did it take for that mother to leave her firstborn behind? What did it cost for Hannah to fulfill her vow? She had longed to bring a son into the world, and having done so, she would now have to hand over that son to another. Why did Hannah do this? Because she had put to death the desires of the flesh. She was walking by the Spirit! Her desire to be a mother played second-fiddle to her desire to see the glory of the kingdom of God. 3. The Song of Hannah (2:1-11) How do I know this about Hannah? Because I've read the song of Hannah! My heart exults in the LORD; my strength is exalted in the LORD. My mouth derides my enemies, because I rejoice in your salvation. There is none holy like the LORD; there is none besides you; there is no rock like our God. Talk no more so very proudly, let not arrogance come from your mouth; for the LORD is a God of knowledge, and by him actions are weighed. The bows of the mighty are broken, but the feeble bind on strength. Those who were full have hired themselves out for bread, but those who were hungry have ceased to hunger. The barren has borne seven, but she who has many children is forlorn. The LORD kills and brings to life; he brings down to Sheol and raises up. The LORD makes poor and makes rich; he brings low and he exalts. He raises up the poor from the dust; he lifts up the needy from the ash heap to make them sit with princes and inherit a seat of honor. For the pillars of the earth are the LORD's, and on them he has set the world. He will guard the feet of his faithful ones, but the wicked shall be cut off in darkness, for not by might shall a man prevail. The adversaries of the LORD shall be broken in pieces; against them he will thunder in heaven. The LORD will judge the ends of the earth; he will give strength to his king and exalt the power of his anointed. (2:1-10) Not only was Hannah a faithful woman who vowed what was pleasing to the LORD, but Hannah was also at least in this moment a prophetess. There in the tabernacle, as she delivered her son to Eli, she spoke forth the word of the LORD in song. Not only was her song recorded here, but it also became the foundation of Psalm 113. (It is remotely possible that she is simply singing an early version of something like Psalm 113, but 1 Samuel seems to suggest that she herself authored these words). Several other Psalms also take phrases from Hannah's song. The basic theme of the song is the coming of the kingdom of God. Samuel begins with Hannah's song, anticipating the coming of the kingdom. Samuel will end, in 2 Samuel 22-23, with David's song, rejoicing that the kingdom has come. Hannah could have seen the loss of her son as a grief to be mourned. And no doubt there was sorrow in the parting. But whether she saw it before or not, now she sees that God's faithfulness to her in giving her a son is not just about her personal benefit! Her vow was not simply about herself! In its most basic form, Hannah's song recognizes that God's faithfulness to her the barren woman means that God will be faithful to barren Israel. The birth of Hannah's son means that she may deride her enemies (no not Peninnah! but the enemies of Israel) because the birth of Samuel signals the coming of the kingdom of God. It is the LORD who brings life and death. It is the LORD who raises the poor and overthrows the proud. This is why Mary's song in Luke 1 echoes Hannah's song. Mary is visiting Elizabeth. Elizabeth is the "true" Hannah the barren woman whose child signals the coming of the kingdom But if Elizabeth is the true Hannah, then what is Mary? If Elizabeth is the barren woman who gives birth to a son, then Mary is not just a symbol a pointer a sign. In Mary the reality has come.