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1 Samuel Chapter 2
Hannah's Prayer
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1Samuel 2:1 And Hannah
prayed, and said, My heart rejoiceth in the LORD, mine horn is
exalted in the LORD: my mouth is enlarged over mine enemies;
because I rejoice in thy salvation.
Once we have found the salvation God
provides for all of us who believe and trust in Him, we need to rejoice in it and give God praise. In the Old
Testament they looked forward to the coming of the Messiah who was
the one that gave
His sinless life on earth in exchange for our eternal life forever.
We know Him now as Jesus (Yeshua). After the
death and resurrection of Jesus, we look back to that time and
can believe in Him for our salvation. Here is what David said:
- Psalm 51:1 To
the chief Musician, A Psalm of David, when Nathan the prophet
came unto him, after he had gone in to Bathsheba. Have mercy
upon me, O God, according to thy lovingkindness: according unto
the multitude of thy tender mercies blot out my transgressions.
- 2 Wash me
throughly from mine iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin.
- 3 For I
acknowledge my transgressions: and my sin is ever before me.
- 4 Against thee,
thee only, have I sinned, and done this evil in thy sight: that
thou mightest be justified when thou speakest, and be clear when
thou judgest.
- 5 Behold, I was
shapen in iniquity; and in sin did my mother conceive me.
- 6 Behold, thou
desirest truth in the inward parts: and in the hidden part thou
shalt make me to know wisdom.
- 7 Purge me with
hyssop, and I shall be clean: wash me, and I shall be whiter
than snow.
- 8 Make me to
hear joy and gladness; that the bones which thou hast broken may
rejoice.
- 9 Hide thy face
from my sins, and blot out all mine iniquities.
- 10 Create in me
a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me.
- 11 Cast me not
away from thy presence; and take not thy holy spirit from me.
- 12 Restore unto
me the joy of thy salvation; and uphold me with thy free
spirit.
There is hope for the sinner, there is
salvation and a future for all who receive Jesus in their lives. He
is the only way of salvation and how beautiful it is to have found
Him and obtained eternal life. He is preparing now a place for all
His believers and when the gospel has gone forth into all the earth,
He will return in person to gather all those who believe whether we
are alive at that time or whether our souls are already with Him, He
will raise our bodies and will give us a new body that can never die.
Because Jesus literally died and rose again, so also will all those
that believe in Him, have that hope and promise from the Lord. We
will rise again.
- 1Samuel 2:2 There is
none holy as the LORD: for there is none beside thee: neither is
there any rock like our God.
- 3 Talk no more so
exceeding proudly; let not arrogancy come out of your mouth: for
the LORD is a God of knowledge, and by him actions are weighed.
That is why we must look to the Lord
and none other at times. We need refreshed in our spirit, we need
wisdom and direction. We can't survive long in this world without a
constant presence of the Lord in our lives. There is no other that
can save, heal and satisfy the inner longing within each one of us.
- 1 Samuel 2:4 The
bows of the mighty men are broken, and they that stumbled are
girded with strength.
- 5 They that were
full have hired out themselves for bread; and they that were
hungry ceased: so that the barren hath born seven; and she that
hath many children is waxed feeble.
- 6 The LORD killeth,
and maketh alive: he bringeth down to the grave, and bringeth
up.
- 7 The LORD maketh
poor, and maketh rich: he bringeth low, and lifteth up.
- 8 He raiseth up the
poor out of the dust, and lifteth up the beggar from the
dunghill, to set them among princes, and to make them inherit
the throne of glory: for the pillars of the earth are the
LORD'S, and he hath set the world upon them.
- 9 He will keep the
feet of his saints, and the wicked shall be silent in darkness;
for by strength shall no man prevail.
The Lord can raise up and put down. He
has all authority and power but in all this we see that He is a
keeper of those who trust in Him and love Him. He will never leave
nor forsake any of His people that comes to Him through faith in
Jesus our Christ. This doesn't mean that we have no troubles or
sorrows in this life but it does mean that we are never alone in
those things. He is our keeper.
How awesome it is to know the Lord and have
our trust in Him. We have the Holy Spirit within us and are never
alone. When we begin to acknowledge Him in all our ways, we are
never without direction. There is hope, there is power, there is
deliverance and our future is secure.
So ends the prayer of Hannan who gives
glory, honor and praise to God. This prayer is prophetic in nature
and shows her relationship to God in a way that she prays from the
depths of her inner being and it is not just a rote repetitive
prayer from memory. Awesome.
Other prophetic type of prayers are
from Mary the mother of Jesus found in Luke 1:46-55. The song of
Moses in Exodus 15 and also Miriam his sister in the same chapter.
King David does this many times as recorded in the book of Psalms.
The song of Deborah and Barak in Judges chapter 5. Also Elizabeth in
Luke 1:1:41-45. Elizabeth's praise is one that really stirs my
heart. As soon as Mary entered her home, the baby in Elizabeth's
womb leaped in her womb. Mary was carrying in her womb Jesus at that
time. Solid proof that life begins at conception. Those babies are
alive and can even feel the presence of God.
Now we enter the sad part of this
chapter in 1 Samuel.
Eli's Worthless Sons
Sons of Belial are those that choose to
follow the ways of evil. They were literally of the devil and did
not follow the Lord or seek His ways but did evil continually. It is
very sad that the sons of a priest who followed the Lord would turn
out to be evil.
- 1Samuel 2:13 And the
priests' custom with the people was, that, when any man offered
sacrifice, the priest's servant came, while the flesh was in
seething, with a fleshhook of three teeth in his hand;
- 14 And he struck it
into the pan, or kettle, or caldron, or pot; all that the
fleshhook brought up the priest took for himself. So they did in
Shiloh unto all the Israelites that came thither.
- 15 Also before they
burnt the fat, the priest's servant came, and said to the man
that sacrificed, Give flesh to roast for the priest; for he will
not have sodden flesh of thee, but raw.
- 16 And if any man
said unto him, Let them not fail to burn the fat presently, and
then take as much as thy soul desireth; then he would answer
him, Nay; but thou shalt give it me now: and if not, I will take
it by force.
- 17 Wherefore the sin
of the young men was very great before the LORD: for men
abhorred the offering of the LORD.
What they did concerning the sacrifices
was contrary to the law of the Lord which can be found in Leviticus
chapter 7 and Deuteronomy chapter 18. They also committed adultery
with the women who came to worship God. In other words they took
advantage of the fact they they were the sons of Eli the priest by
satisfying their lust instead of serving the Lord.
- 1Samuel 2:18 But
Samuel ministered before the LORD, being a child, girded with a
linen ephod.
- 19 Moreover his
mother made him a little coat, and brought it to him from year
to year, when she came up with her husband to offer the yearly
sacrifice.
- 20 And Eli blessed
Elkanah and his wife, and said, The LORD give thee seed of this
woman for the loan which is lent to the LORD. And they went unto
their own home.
- 21 And the LORD
visited Hannah, so that she conceived, and bare three sons and
two daughters. And the child Samuel grew before the LORD.
Hannah and Elkanan gave their son into
the service of the Lord and God blessed them with 3 more sons and 2
daughters. Hannah was not left alone to grieve over her son not
being with her. God gave her back more than she gave Him. How great
is His faithfulness. Morning by morning His mercies I see.
Eli Rebukes His Sons
- 1Samuel 2:22 Now Eli
was very old, and heard all that his sons did unto all Israel;
and how they lay with the women that assembled at the door of
the tabernacle of the congregation.
- 23 And he said unto
them, Why do ye such things? for I hear of your evil dealings by
all this people.
- 24 Nay, my sons; for
it is no good report that I hear: ye make the LORD'S people to
transgress.
- 25 If one man sin
against another, the judge shall judge him: but if a man sin
against the LORD, who shall intreat for him? Notwithstanding
they hearkened not unto the voice of their father, because the
LORD would slay them.
- 26 And the child
Samuel grew on, and was in favour both with the LORD, and also
with men.
Women who had set themselves apart for
the service of the tabernacle, were taken advantage of by Eli's sons
and committed adultery with them. It is surely better to stay home,
marry and raise a family than to offer outselves to the service of
the Lord but commit sin instead. Perhaps though back in those days,
evil men in authority took advantage of women.
The Lord Rejects Eli's Household
- 1Samuel 2:27 And
there came a man of God unto Eli, and said unto him, Thus saith
the LORD, Did I plainly appear unto the house of thy father,
when they were in Egypt in Pharaoh's house?
- 28 And did I choose
him out of all the tribes of Israel to be my priest, to offer
upon mine altar, to burn incense, to wear an ephod before me?
and did I give unto the house of thy father all the offerings
made by fire of the children of Israel?
- 29 Wherefore kick ye
at my sacrifice and at mine offering, which I have commanded in
my habitation; and honourest thy sons above me, to make
yourselves fat with the chiefest of all the offerings of Israel
my people?
- 30 Wherefore the
LORD God of Israel saith, I said indeed that thy house, and the
house of thy father, should walk before me for ever: but now the
LORD saith, Be it far from me; for them that honour me I will
honour, and they that despise me shall be lightly esteemed.
- 31 Behold, the days
come, that I will cut off thine arm, and the arm of thy father's
house, that there shall not be an old man in thine house.
- 32 And thou shalt
see an enemy in my habitation, in all the wealth which God shall
give Israel: and there shall not be an old man in thine house
for ever.
- 33 And the man of
thine, whom I shall not cut off from mine altar, shall be to
consume thine eyes, and to grieve thine heart: and all the
increase of thine house shall die in the flower of their age.
- 34 And this shall be
a sign unto thee, that shall come upon thy two sons, on Hophni
and Phinehas; in one day they shall die both of them.
- 35 And I will raise
me up a faithful priest, that shall do according to that which
is in mine heart and in my mind: and I will build him a sure
house; and he shall walk before mine anointed for ever.
- 36 And it shall come
to pass, that every one that is left in thine house shall come
and crouch to him for a piece of silver and a morsel of bread,
and shall say, Put me, I pray thee, into one of the priests'
offices, that I may eat a piece of bread.
We do not know for sure the name of
this man of God who came to report the bad news to Eli that his
family shall be cut off from the priesthood forever because of the
sins of his sons. The sons were feeding themselves and not doing the
offerings as they were supposed to and they also committed adultery
with the women who came to the tabernacle to do service unto the
Lord.
Hophni and Phinehas were both killed in
a battle. This was recorded in 1 Samuel chapter 4. A sad ending for
the household of Samuel. They failed to repent and get things right
with God.
Samuel was a prophet but was not the
faithful priest spoken of in verse 35. This was Zadok who was
appointed high priest in the days of Solomon. We see that God judges
evil and promotes those who are faithful. -DC
1 Samuel Chapter 3
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