QUESTION. Why study the book of 1 Samuel?

ANSWER I. The book of 1 Samuel is in the Scriptures, therefore God wants us to know it (Deuteronomy 29:29). “The secret things belong to the Lord our God, but the things that are revealed belong to us and to our children forever, that we may do all the words of this law.”

ANSWER II. The book of 1 Samuel is God-breathed, therefore it is profitable (2 Timothy 3:16-17). “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 complete, equipped for every good work.”

ANSWER III. The book of 1 Samuel is the Lord Jesus’ family history (Matthew 1:5-6). “and Salmon the father of Boaz by Rahab, and Boaz the father of Obed by Ruth, and Obed the father of Jesse, and Jesse the father of David the king.”

ANSWER IV. The book of 1 Samuel will help us see our need for a true Prophet, Priest, and King (1 Corinthians 10:11). “Now these things happened to them as an example, but they were written down for our instruction.” We need a Prophet who lives longer than Samuel, a Priest better than Eli, and a King better than Saul! And we have one; His name is Jesus!

ANSWER V. The book of 1 Samuel will help us delight in Jesus all the more, who is the true King, the true Son of David (John 5:39). “You search the Scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life; and it is they that bear witness about me.” Come with me and search the book of 1 Samuel, seeing that it ultimately testifies about Christ!

CONTEXT: The book of 1 Samuel begins about 1140 B.C. and moves us from the time when God’s people had Judges to when they have Kings. The book of Judges repeatedly says, “There was no king in Israel and everyone did what was right in their own eyes.” 1 Samuel shows us the beginning of the founding of the Throne of David, which the LORD promises will have a King whose reign will never end. Now, 1 Samuel can be divided into 3 basic parts with three different characters being the main focus of each part. I want to show you this before we begin this book so you can see the forrest before we examine the trees. We need to see the trees but we do not need to miss the forrest because of them. Chapter’s 1-7 highlight Samuel, 8-14 Saul, and 15-31 David.

BIG IDEA OF 1 SAMUEL 1:1-20: What a gracious woman looks like.

I. A GRACIOUS WOMAN MAY STILL BE A SUFFERING WOMAN (1 Samuel 1:1-2). “There was a certain man of Ramathaim-zophim of the hill country of Ephraim whose name was Elkanah the son of Jeroham, son of Elihu, son of Tohu, son of Zuph, an Ephrathite. He had two wives. The name of the one was Hannah, and the name of the other, Peninnah. And Peninnah had children, but Hannah had no children.” As Psalm 34:19 says, “Many are the afflictions of the righteous, but the Lord delivers him out of them all.”

II. A GRACIOUS WOMAN SUFFERS ONLY BY THE GRACIOUS PROVIDENCE OF THE LORD (1 Samuel 1:3-5). “Now this man used to go up year by year from his city to worship and to sacrifice to the Lord of hosts at Shiloh, where the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, were priests of the LORD. On the day when Elkanah sacrificed, he would give portions to Peninnah his wife and to all her sons and daughters. But to Hannah he gave a double portion, because he loved her, though the LORD had closed her womb.” Job said in Job 6:4, “For the arrows of the Almighty are in me; my spirit drinks their poison; the terrors of God are arrayed against me.” Yet he said in Job 5:18, “For he wounds, but he binds up; he shatters, but his hands heal.”

III. A GRACIOUS WOMAN MAY STILL BE A GRIEVOUSLY PROVOKED WOMAN (1 Samuel 1:6-7). “And her rival used to provoke her grievously to irritate her, because the LORD had closed her womb. So it went on year by year. As often as she went up to the house of the Lord, she used to provoke her. Therefore Hannah wept and would not eat.” Psalm 94:3 says, “O Lord, how long shall the wicked, how long shall the wicked exult?” God may allow suffering to come upon and even others to vex you (Job 4:7-8). Job’s friend Eliphaz wrongly concludes that those who suffer are always to blame for their suffering when he says, "Remember: who that was innocent ever perished? Or where were the upright cut off? As I have seen, those who plow iniquity and sow trouble reap the same.”

IV. A GRACIOUS WOMAN CANNOT BE FULFILLED BY ANY MERE MAN; SHE CAN ONLY BE FULFILLED BY THE LORD (1 Samuel 1:8). “And Elkanah, her husband, said to her, “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?” Asaph sings in Psalm 73:25-26, “Whom have I in heaven but you? And there is nothing on earth that I desire besides you. My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.” Hannah sings the same.

V. A GRACIOUS WOMAN RUSHES TO THE THRONE OF GRACE IN HER WEEPING AND DISTRESS (1 Samuel 1:9-10). “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. She was deeply distressed and prayed to the LORD and wept bitterly.” God will use your suffering to drive you to His throne of grace (Hebrews 4:15-16). “For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin. Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.”

VI. A GRACIOUS WOMAN PETITIONS THE LORD TO ENABLE HER TO GLORIFY HIM MORE (1 Samuel 1:11). “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.’” Eli calls this vow a “petition” in verse 17. Hannah’s petition has to do not with getting from the Lord in order to keep, but, rather, her petition has to do with getting from the Lord so she can give to him for his glory.

VII. A GRACIOUS WOMAN CAN RECEIVE A REBUKE, EVEN WRONGFULLY SO, AND RESPOND WITH HUMILITY (1 Samuel 1:12-15). “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 your wine away 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.”

VIII. A GRACIOUS WOMAN, EVEN WHEN SHE IS SUFFERING, PROVOKED, ANXIOUS, AND VEXED, DOES NOT POUR OUT SUBSTANCES INTO HER BODY; RATHER, SHE POURS OUT HER SOUL TO THE LORD (1 Samuel 1:15-16). “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.”

IX. A GRACIOUS WOMAN CHEERS HERSELF WITH THE INTERCESSION OF GOD’S HIGH PRIEST (1 Samuel 1:17-18). “Then Eli answered, ‘Go in peace, and the God of Israel grant your petition that you have made to him.’ 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.” How much greater of a High Priest do we have in Christ? Let us, like Hannah, cheer ourselves with the intercession of our High Priest Christ, who always lives to make intercession for us (Hebrews 7:25). “Consequently, [Christ] is able to save to the uttermost those who draw near to God through him, since he always lives to make intercession for them.”

X. A GRACIOUS WOMEN WORSHIPS THE LORD IN THE MIDST OF HER SUFFERING (1 Samuel 1:19-20). “They rose early in the morning and worshiped before the LORD; then they went back to their house at Ramah. And Elkanah knew Hannah his wife, and 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.” All your sufferings and vexations will only result in increased joy once your redemption is realized (Romans 8:18). “For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us.”

CONCLUSION; HOW THIS TEXT POINTS US TO CHRIST: Elkanah tried to comfort Hannah with his love, but the love of an ordinary husband cannot satisfy the soul. O but we have a better husband in Christ! He is one who comes to us in our sufferings and longing and deprivations and says, “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?” And we who believe can say, “Yes, Lord you are. You are the desire of the nations and the desire of my heart. You are better than sons, better than fame, better than friends, better than family, better than riches, better than the best earthly comfort!” Women, God may withhold from a child from you, keeping your womb closed all your days; Men, God may keep your wife’s womb closed all her days; All of you, God may withhold from you a blessing that you would really like to have in this life, but he has not withheld his greatest blessing from us; he has not kept his child from us. Comfort yourself, even in the midst of suffering and provocation, with these words: “He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things?” (Romans 8:32).