A Man of Faith & His Mother

If you take your Bibles and turn if you would to first Samuel. First Samuel chapter one. First Samuel chapter one this morning is where we'll be. Get to the book of Samuel like to ask a question. Who is this book about?

Well, you you read a little bit about David and you read a little bit about Saul but first Samuel for the most part is about Samuel. Samuel is pretty much the main character in the book of first Samuel and we talk about David and Moses and Noah and Abraham and these great men of the faith. And often times we leave out Samuel. Samuel just kind of gets forgotten in many of these list of these great heroes in the Bible. Samuel didn't slay any giants so to speak.

He wasn't a king. He wasn't the father of the nation of Israel. He didn't lead a nation out of slavery. He didn't build an ark. But among those in scripture, that did great things and were mighty in their testimony for the Lord.

Samuel ranks very high among them. Samuel, God's man for a time of great need in Israel. That's that's who he was. He comes on the scene in Israel near the end of the book of Judges or the time of the Judges. And he is arguably one of the most important men who ever lived in the nation of Israel.

He is the last of the judges. He is the the ultimate judge. He is the one who is sort of the transition between the terrible time of the judges and the glorious time of the beginning of the monarchy in Israel. He is the one that links the two together. He is one of the great prophets of the nation of Israel and the prophet of his time.

Before Samuel, Israel was not united. They were disjointed. Each tribe was sort of doing its own thing. When one tribe was following the Lord, another tribe wasn't. God would have to raise up a judge to deliver this group and deliver that group and and these tribes and this tribe and that tribe were oppressed by neighboring peoples and they were not united.

But when Samuel leaves the scene, they will be under a godly king. Before Samuel, Israel was not faithful. Every man did that which was right in his own eyes. Every man did that which was right in his own eyes. But after Samuel or during Samuel, Israel experienced one of their greatest revivals and found faith again in their God.

Before Samuel, Israel was under attack particularly from the Philistines. After Samuel, Israel had conquered their foes once again. Defeated the Philistines and pushed them back within their own borders. Before Samuel, Israel was without a leader. Israel was privileged to be led by one of the most effective and humble leaders that we find in scripture.

A man named We're going to look in first Samuel one this morning at his unusual birth and at his unusual mother. First Samuel chapter one, we're going to read down through verse 18. Now, there was a certain man of Ramathaim, Zophim of the of Mount Ephraim. His name was Elkanah, the son of Jeroham, the son of Elihu, the son of Tohu, the son of Zuph, the son of Ephrathite, an Ephrathite. He had two wives, the name of one was Hannah and the name of the other was Peninnah.

Peninnah had children but Hannah had no children. This man went up out of his city yearly to worship and to sacrifice unto the Lord of hosts in Shiloh. That's where the Tabernacle was at the time and the two sons of Eli, he was the priest, Hophni and Phineas, the priest of the Lord were there. And when the time was that Elkanah offered, he gave to Peninnah, his wife, and to all her sons and her daughters portions, but unto Hannah, he gave a worthy portion, for he loved Hannah, but the Lord had shut up her womb. And her adversary also provoked her sore that would be Peninnah for to make her fret because the Lord had shut up her womb and as he did so year by year when she went up to the house of the Lord, so she provoked her, therefore, she wept and did not eat.

Then said Elkanah, her husband to her, Hannah, why weepest thou and why eatest thou not and why is thy heart grieved? Am I, am not I better to thee than 10 sons? Zahanna rose up after they had eaten in Shiloh and after they had drunk. Now, Eli, the priest sat upon a seat by a post of the temple of the Lord and she was in bitterness of soul and prayed unto the Lord and wept sore and she vowed a vow and said, oh Lord of hosts, if thou will indeed look on the affliction of thine handmaid and remember me and not forget thine handmaid but will give unto thine handmaid a man child, then, I will give him unto the Lord all the days of his life and there shall no razor come upon his head. It came to pass that she continued praying before the Lord that Eli marked her mouth.

Now, Hannah, she spake in her heart. Only her lips moved but her voice was not heard. Therefore, Eli thought she had been drunken and Eli said unto her, how long will thou be drunken? Put away thine wine from thee. Hannah answered and said, no, my Lord.

I am a woman of sorrowful spirit. I have drunk neither wine nor strong drink but have poured out my soul before the Lord. Count not thine handmaid for a daughter of Belial. For out of the abundance of my complaint and grief have I spoken hitherto. Then Eli answered and said, go in peace.

The God of Israel grant thee thy petition that thou hast asked of him and she said, let thine handmaid find grace in thy sight. So, the woman went away and did eat and her countenance was no more sad. Let's go to the Lord in prayer. Lord, thank you for this day. Thank you for recording for us and preserving for us this record of the birth of Samuel and of the faithfulness and love of his mother both for her son, her husband, and for her Lord.

We pray Lord that we might be encouraged and challenged today by her example and by your incredible answer to her prayer. In Jesus name, amen. We can see several things about Hannah in particular from this passage but I want to focus on just a few things this morning. The first thing as I read this that struck me was that she was a woman with a need. She was a woman with a need and it sets that up in the first few verses of the chapter.

She had no sons, no children, a mark of disgrace in her day to be married and have no children was in their day a mark of disgrace. She had no children and therefore lacked fulfillment in her desire to be a mother. This was a lady who strongly desired. She wanted badly to be a mother. But she was yet unfulfilled in that desire and it weighed on her.

She had no sons to reward her husband who loved her and despite the fact that he had two wives which was not wise and each time in scripture we see this in the Old Testament would see that it always came with problems. But despite that, he did love Hannah and she had nothing to reward him in the way of children which troubled her as well. She had no sons and was therefore also scorned particularly by Peninnah, her rival. And so every time they went up each year to worship, she was scorned. And it made her sad and depressed to the point that she didn't eat while she was there and I'm sure that wasn't the only time that she was reminded and scorned because of it.

She realized she had a need and that need drove her to who? It drove her to God. She had a need she couldn't fix but she knew someone who could fix it and her need drove her to God. Do you have a need this morning? The first thing that needs to happen before you get a need met in your life is to recognize that you have one.

In Jesus' day, the Pharisees didn't realize that they had one. They didn't think they needed a savior. Jesus told them a physician comes to heal the sick. You call on a physician when you're sick, when you have a need and the physician comes to heal the sick not those that are well. He said, I've come to call not to call the righteous but sinners to repentance.

It wasn't that the Pharisees weren't sinners, it was that they weren't willing to acknowledge it and that they had a need. So many people today are struggling with sin, with addictions, with hurt, with all kinds of problems in their life and they're unwilling to what? They are unwilling to acknowledge them that they even exist. And until you acknowledge that you have a problem, we live in a world full of people that are stained by sin, that are condemned by sin. We have a savior that died for them on the cross.

Many of them have heard the gospel but they just do not see the what? They just don't see, don't see the need. They're unwilling to acknowledge that they're sinners who need a savior. There are Christians who are saved, that are struggling with different areas in life, different sins, even habits and addiction in their life until you're willing to admit. I have spoken with many alcoholics in the parking lot who are homeless in this area and many of them half drunk standing there will not admit that they have a what?

That they have a need. And it's sad because Jesus has the answer. God has the answer. God can help them but they first must realize they have a need. Do you have a need today?

Do you need a savior? Do you need spiritual revival? Do you need temporal provisions? Physical healing? Are you suffering from emotional hurt, unrequited love, concern for others?

Do you have a friend who's in need today? Maybe it's not you. Maybe it's a loved one. Maybe it's a friend. That has a need.

Do you have a church with a need? I would love to see these pews filled. I would certainly love to see more people saved. It was a joy last last, it was last week, right? That Damien and Kim might sometimes my weakness blurred together.

The Damien Kim got baptized last week. That was exciting. They were saved just before Christmas. It's good to see Pedro here this morning. He was saved a couple years ago.

Their neighbors across the street. The Lord is good. The Lord is still in the business of saving souls. We need to see more saved. Do you have a country, a nation, a community that has a need?

There are needs all around us. There are needs all around us. Do you realize they're there? And will those needs drive you to God? Do those needs drive you to turn to God for help?

God invites you to come to him when you have a need. He says, Jeremiah thirty three three, call unto me and I will answer thee and show thee great and mighty things which thou knowest not. Israel was in a time of great spiritual depravity. They had turned away from God. The judgment of God was coming.

It was coming very soon. But still in the midst of the warnings and of the judgment. God still told his people. He said, if you will what? Call on me.

I will still what? Answer. I will still answer you. You have a need if you'll just realize it and if you'll just come to me, God says, I will answer you. There are some needs you have this morning I cannot help you with.

Your spouse cannot help you with. Your neighbor cannot help you with. But he can. He can. If you'll be willing to acknowledge that deed.

And go to him. He is ready with an answer. He is ready with an answer. It's right there if we'll go to him with our need. He says, ask and it shall be given unto you.

Seek and you shall find. Knock and it shall be opened unto you. For he that ask us receiveth and he that seeketh find it and to him that knocketh it shall be opened. What is that? That's God's invitation to you and to me to come to him with our needs.

He said, I'm waiting. I have the answer. If you'll just acknowledge your need and come to me. What do I see about Hannah? The first thing I see is she is a lady who acknowledges she has a need and it drives her to the right place.

It doesn't drive her to the bottle. It doesn't drive her into drugs. It doesn't drive her into immorality. It doesn't drive her into what it it drives her God. The right place to go.

The second thing I see with Hannah and it relates to the first is that she is a woman of faith. She's a woman of faith. Look in verse 11. Verse 11, and she vowed a vow and said, oh Lord of hosts, if thou wilt indeed, look on the affliction of thine handmaid and remember not and remember me and not forget thine handmaid but will give unto thine handmaid a man child, then I will give him unto the Lord all the days of his life and there shall no razor come upon his head. She prayed to God in what?

In faith. Look if you would in verses seventeen and eighteen. Then Eli answered and said, go in peace and the God of Israel grant thee thy petition that thou hast asked of him. Now, he was the high priest. So, she understood that that he was speaking in behalf of the God he served and her response in verse 18 is this, and she said, let thine handmaid find grace in thy sight.

So, the woman went her way and did eat and her countenance was no more what? Sad. Why was it no more sad? Had she conceived a child yet? Had she had a child yet?

Had her prayer been answered yet? Why was she no longer sad? Because her prayer is going to be answered because God heard her why? Because God heard her prayer. Because she believed that God was able.

She believed that God cared about who? And she believed And so even though her prayer hadn't been answered yet, her countenance changed. Because she believed that God had heard. We see her faith. She believed in God.

She believed God would hear her. She believed that God would answer her prayer. Do you believe in God? I can say with good bit of certainty that most of you here this morning do. I know you, most of you, and you are expressing your faith just by being here today.

God is real He is our risen Lord He is able First step is you have to believe in God and you have to believe that Jesus Christ is God. You have to believe that God is able that the God who created all that is. The God who made you. The God who destroyed the world with a flood. The God who sent down fire from heaven.

The God that healed every disease and sickness brought to him. Is the God who can help what? Meet your need and he's the same God. The same God that healed the leper is your God. The same God that told Peter to go catch a fish and to reach in the fish's mouth and go pay the tax.

Wow. The same God that calmed the sea. The same God that was there to catch Peter when he was walking on the sea and took his eyes off Jesus. The same God that rose again from the grave is our God Do you believe that he is able to hear and to answer your prayers Do you believe that he cares for you? Hannah believed that God cared for her.

Who was Hannah? Hannah was in the eyes of the world nobody. But in the eyes of God, she was somebody In the eyes of God, you are somebody When he was on the cross, there was a song I I used to listen to as a as a child. It said, when he was on the cross, I was on his mind. When he cried on that cross, father, forgive them for that known that what they do.

I believe he was also talking about me. For he died for me. And he knew me. Even before I knew him. And he cares for me.

The world outside these walls may not know who I am. And they may not care. But I know someone who does and you do too His name is Jesus As he cared for the lepers and as he cared for the blind man that cried out his name that nobody else cared for. He also cares for you and he cared for a lady in Israel that wanted a son and couldn't have any. And he heard her prayer.

And she knew it. And she believed. Believed in him. Believed in his power. Believed in his love, and if you will believe, and if you will go to him in faith, he is a god who will answer your prayers too.

Matthew twenty one twenty two and all things whatsoever you shall ask in prayer, believing, you shall receive. First John five fourteen and fifteen and this is the what? Uh-huh. The confidence that we who know him as savior. We that we can have in him that if we ask anything according to his will, he heareth us and if we know that he hear us, whatsoever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we desired of him.

That was Hannah. She she hadn't read this verse but she already knew it. Yeah. And so when she prayed and Eli say, God, by his grace, grant your prayer. She went back in peace because she believed and she had confidence.

God cared for her. And you can have confidence that God cares for you. She had confidence that God heard her and you can have confidence that God will hear you. And will answer your prayer She was a woman who had a need but she was a woman of faith. She was a woman of humility.

She was a woman of humility. She didn't care what other people thought. When she went to pray, she wasn't, she didn't look around thinking, is anybody watching? What are they going to think of me? No, she got down her knee.

She she bawled her eyes out and she cried out to God and such anguish of spirit that she moved her mouth but the sound didn't come out but God still hurt. Eli thought she was drunk Bible says, be not drunk with wine but be filled with the what? Spirit. This was a young woman She wasn't drunk with wine. No, she was filled with something better.

She didn't care how she appeared to others. She cared about getting in touch with her God. She showed great humility and she eschewed pride Are you afraid? That if you walk an aisle that somebody's going to think you're a religious nut. Are you afraid to talk about Jesus in public because of somebody might think you're a little bit overzealous?

Are you afraid to knock on the door? Are you afraid to stand at a corner and pray with somebody? Because somebody might wonder? You know what that is? That's pride.

Because you're more concerned about what other people think. Then you are concerned about your God. And what he thinks. You know what that is? That's a sin.

There are many times I've missed opportunities in my life because of pride Pride is a terrible thing and is a terrible stumbling block for the Christian and if we're honest, it's something that pops up far too often in our life. The Bible says the fear of man bringeth a what? A snare. What is the fear of man? For the most part, the fear of man is just fear what man is going to think about me.

And it traps us and keeps us from doing. What we should do for the Lord. We see a great example here in Hannah of humility. She wasn't afraid about what other people thought. She wasn't concerned that other people think her life was perfect.

Is your life perfect? My life perfect? No. It is. And I'm certainly not perfect.

I'm not even close. I thank the Lord I've got a perfect savior. And it is only by his merit and grace. But I'm afraid sometimes, we won't even raise our hand or we won't even go up to somebody and ask him to pray for us or help us. We certainly won't work and not walk an aisle because hey, we don't want people to know.

We're not perfect. When everybody sitting in the room isn't perfect, when everybody sitting in the room has something that needs to change to be more like Christ. And if you don't have a sin to confess this minute, you will before the day is out. Because we're not perfect Most everyone sitting here is struggling with some sin that you may have struggled with for a while It's okay to not be perfect It's okay for somebody else to know. The Bible says, James says, confess your faults what?

One to another and pray for one another that you may be healed. Don't come to me thinking that I'm a priest who can forgive your sins. Only one can give forgive sins and that's God. But you know what I can do? I can pray for you.

You know what I can do? I can be there by your side to encourage you. But I can't pray for you and I can encourage you in the thing you're struggling with. If you're not willing to tell me. And it isn't just me.

I'm not the only one here that can pray for you and help you. But out of pride, so many times, we go it alone We're not willing to ask for help We're not willing to to get on our knees before God, not willing to walk an aisle, not willing to respond to an invitation Not willing to acknowledge and admit something because we care too much what others think. Humility is a necessary element. To having your prayers answered. That's what the Bible says anyway.

Second Chronicles seven fourteen, if my people, what you're called by name, my name shall what? Humble themselves. Humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways. Then, will I hear from heaven and forgive their sin and will heal their land. Hannah wasn't asking for God to heal her land.

She was asking for God to heal her womb and give her a son. But the same principle applied. She humbled herself. She came to God and God answered her prayer. I don't know what it is you need healing from today but I know the God that can heal you.

But you have to be willing to humble yourself. You have to be willing to admit and confess your sin. Confess your need. First before him, before that healing process can start. Start.

James four six says, but he give it more grace wherefore God, he say it God resisted the proud but he give it grace unto the humble. If you can't humble yourself before God, then that need is likely to continue to go unmet. Will you be willing to follow Hannah's example today? A woman with a need, a woman of faith, a woman of humility, a woman with a great desire, number four. She had a great desire.

She wanted it very badly. She wanted it very badly. You have a desire today, a need that is unmet. How bad? Do you want to see it, man?

How badly do you want victory over that sin? How how badly do you want to see your loved ones saved? How much? Enough to set aside your pride Enough to spend time on your knees That was Hannah. She wanted it so badly.

That she was willing to humble herself. And trust in her God. And she was willing to pray until she got her prayer answered. You want it bad enough or are you willing to settle? You know, I'm afraid it's too many times Christians, we settle.

We pray a couple prayers and then we what? We settle. We don't have to. Do you want rid of that sin? Do you want victory over that failure?

Do you want your church to succeed and grow? Do you want your friend to be saved? Do you want your nation and community to turn around? How badly do you want it? Enough to quit playing games and pray today, here and tomorrow at home and the next day until God answers your prayer?

Do you want it that badly? The problem is a lot of times, we just don't want it that badly that we are willing to pray every day for something. And for someone. You say, why does it matter? God wants to see you demonstrate that you really want that Turn if you would to Luke chapter 18.

Hold your place in first Samuel. Turn to to Luke chapter 18. Luke chapter 18. How badly? Do you want that need, man?

Luke chapter 18 and verse one Luke 18 verse one, he spake a parable unto them to this end that man ought always to pray and to faint not. What that means is just believe the Lord, keep trusting, and keep what? Praying. Keep praying. Saying, there wasn't a city a judge which feared not God neither regarded men.

There was a widow in that city and she came unto him saying, avenge me of mine adversary. He would not for a while but afterwards, he said within himself, though I fear God, not God, nor regard yet men, yet because of this widow troubleth me, I will avenge her, lest by her continual coming, she weary me. So, she kept day after day after day after day, she kept coming to this lawyer, this judge and said I'm being wronged. I'm being wronged. Obviously she was a widow.

She didn't have a lot of money to pay him. He didn't care but she kept coming. She kept coming. She kept coming. Just like Hannah kept coming to God.

She didn't care what the judge thought or maybe what others thought. She had a need and it was so important that every day she took time to go see him again. And finally, after a while, the judge said, I I can't take it anymore, okay? I can't take it anymore. I'll do it.

I'll do it. Okay. Verse six, and the Lord said, hear what the unjust judge say it. And shall not God avenge his own elect which cry, day and night unto him, though he bear long with him. I tell you that he will avenge them speedily.

Nevertheless when the Son of Man cometh shall he find faith on the earth. If the unjust judge recognizes the desperation of a widow who needs him desperately to advocate in her behalf? Do you not think the God of heaven who loves you realizes that you have a need? Do you not think he cares? Do you not believe enough?

Do you not care enough? Do you not desire enough to have see it? The need met to follow through and to cry to him day after day after day. Until it's met. Hannah didn't give up.

If what you have to ask the Lord, you believe to be his will, don't what? Don't quit. Don't give up. Pray without ceasing. Until your prayer is answered.

And your need is met. That's what we can learn. From Hannah today. In verse 20 of first Samuel one, we see the prayer answered, wherefore it came to pass when the time was come about after Hannah had conceived that she bear a son and called his name Samuel saying because I have asked him of the Lord. In chapter two and verse 21, chapter two and verse 21.

Now, the second chapter. The Lord visited Hannah so that she conceived and bear three sons and two daughters. The child Samuel grew before the Lord. You know something? God not only gave her one son, he gave her Samuel and then he gave her three sons and two daughters.

Is that what I read there? Three sons and two daughters. He didn't just gave her one. He gave her six. Once she returned to the Lord, the five she kept.

He answered her prayers. He will answer yours. Says in Psalm thirty seven four, delight thyself also in the Lord and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart. What is that? That's a promise from God's word.

Delight thyself also in the Lord and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart. When your desires are in line with his desires, when you ask according to his will, he heareth us and he answers our prayers and will give you the desire of your heart someday you'll get to talk to Hannah about it. In heaven. Amen? Amen.

Amen. And what will you have to tell her about you? About how God answered your prayer. What stories will you have to give? Or will we have little because as Christ said at the end of the passage in Luke 18, will he find faith on earth?

Does he find faith even his children today like the faith of Hannah? Are we too quick to give up? Are we too quick to settle? Samuel didn't spend a long time with his mother. Only the first year or two and then visits once a year.

You say, Hannah didn't have that big of an impact on Samuel. But I believe she did. His very birth was an answer to her prayers and you know something? I think she prayed for him. Year after year, month after month, week after week, day after day.

Even after she took him and fulfilled her promise. And gave him to work in the temple. I think she had an incredible impact on her son. She had an impact by her example which she grew up to know. She had an impact through her prayers.

And Samuel turned out to be even as a little child a great man of faith had something to do with his mother. Her response, she named him Samuel which means heard by God or asked of God. So, he would remember every day of his life that he was a what? He was an answer to prayer. Every day, he would know.

He was an answer to prayer. She followed through and she brought him back, gave him to serve in the temple. In the next chapter, she spent several verses praising the Lord who gave her. A son. God had chosen Samuel but God used his mother and blessed her with him as he does all parents.

For children are a gift, a treasure from God. But so our parents, to children. Have you given thanks to God? The children he has given you? Is there his gift?

Have you given them back to him? Oh God, may not want you to to put them, take them to the temple. There's no temple today. The church is not the temple by the way. But have you given them in your heart to him?

If he should ask them to be a missionary, would you want that? If he should ask them to go into his full time service, would you want that? He should ask them to serve in this capacity that is their salvation and their service to the Lord Paramount in your prayers and your desires for God? Or is it that you want them to be successful in the eyes of the world and to make a lot of money? Or is God the first person on that list?

Have you given them to God? And are we grateful to God to the parents, for the parents, particularly the mothers today who unselfishly made us their mission in life, who taught us as youngsters in the way of the Lord, who look at us as their crowning achievement in life. Have you thanked your mother lately? Have you thanked your God? And what kind of kind of reward are you turning out to be?

I put a verse in the bulletin this morning. It's Proverbs twenty three twenty five. It says, thy father and thy mother shall be glad and she that bear thee shall rejoice. I like to close this morning by asking this. What kind of reward are you?

To your mom. Are you the kind of child that thy father and thy mother shall be glad and shall rejoice in thee. You know, I'm sure your mother would like a flower Or maybe a meal. But you know what your mother would love most of all? Is to know that her child knows the Lord and is serving the Lord.

That's what all godly mothers want for their children. That's what Hannah wanted for Samuel. What kind of reward are we being? What kind of reward are we being to the Lord who died as gave his life for us on the cross? Have we thanked him?

Are we living for him? Are we willing to to push away our pride? Humbly seek his face. And see his answers in our life. Let's pray.

Dear heavenly father, thank you Lord for your word. Thank you Lord for our mothers. Lord, none of them were perfect but Lord, they were the mothers you gave us They cared for us Lord, I I pray that we would be more grateful especially for the godly mothers that many of us have. That we take so much for granted Lord, I pray that we would give thought today to what kind of reward we are to them. Lord, if we're living for you or if we're living to bring honor to you and to them.

That they can be proud and in the right way. Of their children their child Lord, I pray if there's someone here today that has an earthly mother and father but doesn't have an earthly father because they've never trusted you as savior. Lord, they have a need. They need to be saved. You have the answer.

You sent your son out of your love because you care about us. To die on the cross for our sins to rise again from the dead that whosoever believeth in him should not perish but have everlasting life. Lord, there's someone here today that doesn't know you as father because they have yet to receive your gift of eternal life. I pray that they would not be too ashamed to come as we give this hymn of invitation. We call unto you.

You'll answer most assuredly. You'll save their soul. Lord, if there's something else in our life, Lord, something that you have convicted us about. I pray Lord we wouldn't shove it away but we would be willing. To walk an aisle or to bow our head in our seat, to get on our knees Lord, to deal with that today.

Thank you for the opportunity you have given us. Thank you for the mothers you've given us. Thank you for most of all for Jesus Christ, our savior. We pray that you would be honored in this hymn of invitation. In Jesus name, amen.