* We get a glimpse of the type of person Eli was and why maybe he was not a good father.
* He rebuked a woman who didn’t need to be rebuked
* He assumed something about a person that didn’t line up with reality and in haste rebuked her before he questioned her.
* This shows his willingness to act without thinking.
* On the flip side, we see later on that he didn’t rebuke his sons even though they needed to be rebuked.
* Son on the one hand he rebuked someone who didn’t deserve it because he judged by outward appearance, but on the other hand he refused to rebuke someone who did deserve it because he didn’t have the courage to confront.
* Hannah was an easy target - his sons were not.
1 Samuel 1:15-16 (4/29/21)
April 29, 2021 • Benham Brothers
* Philippians 4:6-7 - “Be anxious for nothing…”
* Anxiety is “a feeling of worry, nervousness, or unease, typically about an imminent event or something with an uncertain outcome.”
* Fear is often about a past or present threat.
* Anxiety is about a future potential threat.
* Oftentimes, that threat is the overwhelming feeling of powerlessness (lack of control).
* Backstory - Hannah had anxiety over being barren and it was weighing her down.
* She could think of nothing else but her lack of children.
* She felt anxious. What would she do?
* Vs 9-10 - she poured out her heart to God.
* You have to pour out to God so He can pour into you.
* He wants you to have peace, joy, love, etc.
* But you have to let go of anything that would keep you from those things.
* Vs 11 - she expressed her “devotion.”
* It stirred God’s heart.
* Vs 12-14 - Eli assumed something that wasn’t true of Hannah.
* Often times people may misunderstand you when you are doing business with God.
* Vs 15-18 - as a result of pouring out her soul, she was no longer anxious.
* Although nothing had changed, everything was different!
* She poured her burden into God’s bucket and He took it.
* ** If you had a 50lb bucket of water and someone came along with an empty bucket and asked if they could help you, would you take it?
* Vs 19-20 - she did her part.
* Often times anxiety comes when you’re not doing something you know you should do.
* Vs 25-28 - Result - she had the grace to handle the answer to her prayer.
* She gave the son away and God rewarded her with a 500% return (1 Samuel 2:21).
1 Samuel 1:24 (4/26/18)
April 26, 2018 • Benham Brothers
* The best thing a young entrepreneur can do is quantify how much is enough.
* You need a plan to:
* 1) Quantify your hours.
* When you get to a certain point financially will you use that money to buy your time back?
* At what point do you stop working 70 hours a week and cut it to 30?
* 2) Quantify your income.
* When you get to a certain point financially will you increase what you give in tithe?
* The goal is to get to a point where you give away more than you take home.
* Hannah shows us how to do this.
* It was her idea to give her son away after he was weaned.
* She got to keep him for a few years, but then she let him go.
* She didn’t keep holding on.
* This worked out for her with 500% ROI (1 Samuel 2:21).
1 Samuel 2:1 (4/27/17)
April 27, 2017 • Benham Brothers
* If we’re not experiencing joy in our lives, we need to re-joy (rejoice).
* How do we do this?
* By being willing to give back to God what He has given to us.
* The moment we give something back to God we will experience a joy that can be found in no other way.
* Notice Hannah - she was filled with joy after she was willing to give him back to God - her one and only son.
* She ended up having 5 kids in his place, which is a 500% return.
* Are you experiencing joy in your life?
* If not, then you need to re-joy by giving back what God has given you!
1 Samuel 2:21 (5/8/14)
May 8, 2014 • Benham Brothers
Hannah prayed for one son and God gave him to her.
She was willing to give him back to God.
Hannah then praised God for his ossum mighty power, not mentioning her son or petitioning for more (1 Sam 2:1-10).
God was moved by her thanksgiving and praise and gave her a 500% return on her investment!
She ended up with 5 kids!
1 Samuel 2:29 (5/8/14)
May 8, 2014 • Benham Brothers
Eli's sons were bad - they were very irreverant toward God and indulgent toward their appetites.
Eli did not punish them nor raise them with the proper discipline.
Why? Because Eli indulged his appetite too - he couldn't stop eating!
How did God respond? He called Eli FAT! Oh Snap!!!
It's as if God said, "You've not only indulged your own appetite but you've taught your sons to do the same!"
What parents do in moderation kids will do in excess.
Eli indulged in food and his sons indulged in women.
Eli rebuked his own sons in the same way he rebuked his own appeite - gently.
The appetite test - "how often to you give in to your craving for anything?"
1 Samuel 3:1-4 (7/5/23)
July 5, 2023 • Benham Brothers • 1 Samuel 3:1–4
Have you ever wondered how to hear the voice of the Lord?
We know God speaks, but how can we make sure we hear it?
Backstory - the Israelites cried out for a king.
God had to first raise up a priest!
Samuel would be that man.
He grew up in the church under Eli.
When he was a boy, God had a message for him, and he heard it.
How?
Vs 1-4 - “The boy Samuel ministered before the Lord under Eli. In those days the word of the Lord was rare; there were not many visions. 2 One night Eli, whose eyes were becoming so weak that he could barely see, was lying down in his usual place. 3 The lamp of God had not yet gone out, and Samuel was lying down in the house of the Lord, where the ark of God was. 4 Then the Lord called Samuel. Samuel answered, “Here I am.”
Notice three things Samuel did:
1) He honored God - “The boy Samuel ministered before the Lord...” (vs 1a).
To minister is to “serve.”
Samuel was a servant of God.
The best way to honor God is to do what He created you to do.
He gave you specific gifts and talents to SERVE Him.
Samuel was willing to do what God told him to do.
2) He honored his earthly authority - “...under Eli.” (vs 1b).
He stayed in his place of responsibility underneath his earthly leader, Eli.
Even though Eli was a bad priest and father.
Samuel still honored him by staying under his authority.
3) He rested in God’s presence - “...and Samuel was lying down in the house of the Lord, where the ark of God was.” (vs 3).
Samuel remained in God’s presence.
He found God’s presence to be his resting place.
In your moments of rest, where does your mind go?
Note - Sam didn’t recognize it right away because it takes time to grow to where you can understand what God’s voice sounds like.
How about your life?
Are you honoring God in the way you live your life, even when nobody else is around?
Are you operating under those who are your earthly authority even though they might be unworthy (like Eli)?
Do you rest in God’s presence, spending time with Him daily with a heart and mind that’s bent on Him?
If so, God will speak!
1 Samuel 3:9 (5/8/14)
May 8, 2014 • Benham Brothers
When God called to Samuel He didn't tell him Who He was - He was teaching him to recognize His voice.
Samuel knew someone was speaking but he didn't recognize that it was God.
Eli didn't ask Samuel to put a cot next to him - he told him to go back to his place!
Two interesting points about how Samuel had his first conversation with God:
1) He was in his proper place.
When we are in our "place," the spot God has put us, we are in position to hear and see God!
Wherever you are in life, BE ALL THERE!
2) He was now "ready" to hear God's voice.
The first two times Samuel was in the proper place but he wasn't READY.
The third time he was 1) in his proper place, 2) ready to hear God's voice.
1 Samuel 3:9-10 (5/8/13)
May 8, 2013 • Benham Brothers
Samuel was In His Place when God showed up
He didn't make a cot by Eli so he could interpret
He was "ready" to hear God's voice
The first three times he wasn't ready, but the final time he was
Being Ready - you will hear God and you will recognize the enemy - you won't be caught off-guard
1 Samuel 3:18 (7/12/23)
July 12, 2023 • Benham Brothers • 1 Samuel 3:18
God wants us to boldly approach the throne of grace (Hebrews 4;16).
“Approach with confidence” - knowing that God “wants” to bless you.
He’s a good Father.
Backstory - we see two different approaches to this in Scripture.
In 2 Kings 20 God showed up to Hezekiah and told him he would die.
Hezekiah cried out to the Lord for more time.
He passionately made his appeal.
God answered that prayer by granting him 15 more years.
In 1 Samuel 3 God had a message for Eli.
He had been a bad priest and dad, so his priesthood would be removed.
How would he receive the news?
Samuel delivered the message.
Vs 18 - “So Samuel told him everything, hiding nothing from him. Then Eli said, “He is the Lord; let him do what is good in his eyes.”
Eli passively received this news.
God didn’t answer Eli’s prayer because Eli didn’t make an appeal.
Eli was ok with God’s punishment, but he made no attempt to humble himself and rebuke his boys and make a request to God for mercy.
I believe it’s because Eli was a lazy man.
David, on the other hand, was not lazy.
He was a big sinner, but he was also a big repenter.
EX: David in 2 Samuel 12 cried out for his kid to live (he didn’t get it).
God wants us to pray!
He wants us to ask.
Here’s the key - when you make your request, surrender to God’s will.
Whether God grants your request or not, be ok with what God does.
This is how we can be confident.
Make your request. And be ok with the answer.
You can stand confident that your Good Father will do what’s best.
1 Samuel 4 & 7 (4/24/15)
April 24, 2015 • Benham Brothers
1 Sam 4 - the Israelites went out in the own ambition to throw off the yoke of the Philistines.
They didn't ask God and they didn't lead with repentance.
They saw God's ark as a good luck charm.
They were more devoted to God's symbol than His actual presence.
A right thing done in a wrong way is wrong.
1 Sam 7 - Samuel encouraged them to do three things:
1) Return to the Lord.
2) Remove false gods.
3) Serve God alone.
This time the Philistines came against them.
When we seek to live for God the enemy will come and attack.
All we have to do is keep our eyes on Jesus and not let our worldly ambition take the lead.
1 Samuel 4:3 (5/8/14)
May 8, 2014 • Benham Brothers
The Israelites went out to fight the Philistines, but there were many problems with this:
1) They didn't first consult God and ask Him if they should go.
2) They looked at the ark as a rabbit's foot for good luck. It worked for Moses so it will work for them.
Their goal was to beat the Philistines, not to honor God.
They focused on the purpose of God and not the person of God.
3) They brought the ark to them instead of going to it.
God was specific that the ark was to stay in Shiloh and they were to go to it.
We must NOT move our own direction and try to bring God along.
We must move His direction and follow Him - that's the only way we'll have His presence.
1 Samuel 4:21 (5/14/15)
May 14, 2015 • Benham Brothers
The glory of God has departed from our nation (Ichabod).
We get His glory by true repentance (Ebenezer)
1 Samuel 6:19 (4/26/18)
April 26, 2018 • Benham Brothers
* When these men looked upon holiness with an eye of curiosity they were killed.
* This is a good example for men today.
* God made a woman’s body holy.
* If we look upon her with an eye of curiosity fueled by lust it results in death.
* The only naked body a man should ever see is his wife’s.
* If we look upon her with an eye of surrender fueled by love it results in life.
* The question for men today is this - how do you respond when you see holiness in the form of a woman’s body?
* If you’re walking through the mall and it’s there in the window for you to see, do you look away (as Noah’s two sons did) or do you look toward?
* It’s all about protecting holiness.
1 Samuel 9:3 (4/25/19)
April 25, 2019 • Benham Brothers
* Regardless of how Saul’s life turned out, the principles we see in his early life are powerful.
* His dad had a problem and sent him to do a menial task - find the donkeys.
* Saul did it, even though he could’ve easily complained or told his dad to send someone else.
* Walking in obedience to his dad put him in the way of his destiny.
* If Saul didn’t go he would’ve missed his fateful meeting with Samuel.
* He had no clue his life would change forever, but his faithfulness to obey paved the way for God blessing his future.
* vs 10:1 - would Saul have ever imagined his trip would end this way?
* vs 10:6 - the path to transformation is found in obedience.
