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01 - Introduction and Chapter 1

Introduction

  • 1 Samuel is one of the Historical Books
  • It's an amazing book that's also very easy because it's all stories
  • The beauty of it is that we see people like us living on earth, of whom some got close to God - how did they do it and what was the result; and seeing how God dealt with the people, etc.
  • Old Testament Structure
    • Torah/Pentateuch - Beginnings, the Law, etc.
      • Corresponds with the Gospels
    • Historical
      • Corresponds with the Book of Acts
    • Poetic/Wisdom Books - Written in poetic form and full of wisdom
      • Corresponds with the Epistles
    • Prophets - they preach repentance to the people, and tell them that the Messiah is coming; the joy of the New Testament, etc. They Prophesy
      • Corresponds with the Book of Revelation
  • Historical Books
    • In the Poetic Books, every verse can be a contemplation, a lesson, etc. but in the Historical Books, you'll be looking more at stories and characters and taking lessons from them as a whole, as opposed to a single verse
    • The easiest way of reading and understanding the Historical Books is by doing Character Studies
      • In 1 Samuel, we will see Samuel the Prophet, King Saul, King David
      • In 2 Samuel, we have the character of King David
    • Methods of Studying the Historical Books
      • It's good to ask "why did this happen" when reading the Historical Books
      • Put yourself in the story - if I was in the position of Samuel, or King Saul, or King David, what would I have done? The right or the wrong? Would I have done like him or not?
    • Why should we study the historical stories of the Old Testament?
      • Is God not the same God in the Old Testament?
      • So the Old Testament reveals to us about God e.g. what He likes and what He doesn't like
  • Background
    • Genesis starts with the creation of the world and Adam and Eve and takes us through those pre-history days until we reach Noah and in the days of Noah, the flood ended all, and the world restarted with Noah
    • Then we talk about Abraham - the chosen of God. And all of us are called children of Abraham because we walk as Abraham walked.
    • Abraham had Isaac, Isaac had Jacob, Jacob had twelve sons... the twelve tribes. They ended up in Egypt during the time of Joseph. The Nation of Israel - they aren't a Kingdom yet, but a nation.
    • In Exodus, 400 years later, Moses takes them out of Egypt and brings them to Canaan the Promised Land and gives them the Law and the Tabernacle
    • Joshua, the disciple of Moses takes over after Moses' death. Joshua takes them into the Promised Land and conquers it and divides it to the Tribes
    • After Joshua, the nation starts to go astray - they start to learn the worship idols from the nations around them. And then God allows them to be punished - they start to plead to God to help them and He has mercy on them and sends them a Judge. This is the book of Judges and it lasts around 400 years. The last Judge is Samuel the Prophet.
    • Samuel is considered the end of the Judges era and the beginning of the Kingdom era. Samuel will anoint Saul as King.
    • Our story starts at approximately 1100 BC
  • Characters
    • Samuel
    • Saul
    • David
  • Author
    • Samuel writes the first half
    • Nathan and Gad the Prophets write the second half
  • Structure
    • 1 Samuel starts with the birth of Samuel; ends with the death of King Saul
    • 2 Samuel starts with the enthronement of King David; ends with the death of King David

Chapter 1

The Family of Elkanah

13:55

1 Now there was a certain man of Ramathaim Zophim, of the mountains of Ephraim, and his name was Elkanah the son of Jeroham, the son of Elihu, the son of Tohu, the son of Zuph, an Ephraimite. 2 And he had two wives: the name of one was Hannah, and the name of the other Peninnah. Peninnah had children, but Hannah had no children. 3 This man went up from his city yearly to worship and sacrifice to the Lord of hosts in Shiloh. Also the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, the priests of the Lord, were there. 4 And whenever the time came for Elkanah to make an offering, he would give portions to Peninnah his wife and to all her sons and daughters. 5 But to Hannah he would give a double portion, for he loved Hannah, although the Lord had closed her womb. 6 And her rival also provoked her severely, to make her miserable, because the Lord had closed her womb. 7 So it was, year by year, when she went up to the house of the Lord, that she provoked her; therefore she wept and did not eat.

8 Then Elkanah her husband said to her, “Hannah, why do you weep? Why do you not eat? And why is your heart grieved? Am I not better to you than ten sons?”

  • In historical books, we find three characteristics:
    • They identify time periods by the reigning King (i.e. in the 7th year of Caesar; 8th year of Nebuchadnezzar, etc.). Nowadays we do the same thing - 2022 AD (Ano Domini - the year of the Lord)
    • They identify locations and geography of where this story is taking place
    • They identify Genealogy - this would identify which tribe they are from, but also whether they came from good parents or bad parents
    • All of these characteristics are also found in the Gospels
  • Ramathaim = Rama
  • Tribe of Ephraim
    • Ephraim is the son of Joseph - this tribe came from Jacob seeing Joseph's sons and saying "I will take them as my own sons" - so the twelve tribes don't include Joseph, but rather include his two sons Ephraim and Manasseh, and don't include Levi. The Levites' inheritance is in their service. So they don't get any land. So they don't have any produce of the land, so the other tribes tithe to the Levites to support them. And the Levites themselves tithe from what they receive.
  • Peninnah and Hannah
    • Multiple Wives?
      • The Scripture is clear from the beginning of Genesis that God favors having one husband and one wife.
      • The closer we get to the New Testament, the more the Lord emphasizes having one wife (e.g. Malachi 2:14-16)
      • In the New Testament when they come to talk about Marriage with the Lord Christ, He says "because of the hardness of your hearts"
      • In most of the stories with more than one wife, you find many problems
        • Jacob's wives Leah and Rachel were jealous of each other - despite being sisters
        • Sarah herself, when she gave Haggar to Abraham, got jealous
        • We will see problems here between Penninah and Hannah
    • Etymology
      • Peninnah means pearl
      • Hannah means grace
    • Typology
      • Peninnah is a type of the Old Testament; Hannah is a type of the New Testament
        • Penninah had many children and yet the one who is favored is the barren one because she won't bear children naturally, but by a miracle or a covenant, or by patience.
        • The New Testament which has true salvation came after a long time of patience, but the Old Testament has lots of people, many of whom were not saved.
        • The same with Leah and Rachel. Rachel, who was loved, had children late whereas Leah had many children early
  • "Lord of hosts"
    • First time this is used. It will be used 270 times in the Old Testament
  • Elkanah was a committed man who would go every year to Shiloh to make an offering to God
  • Shiloh is a simple village where the Tabernacle of Meeting has been for almost 300 years
    • The Temple of Solomon is not here yet
  • Eli is the high priest and he has two sons who are priests: Hophni and Phinehas
  • Portions
    • When they go to give an offering to the Lord, some of it is burned at the altar, some if it is given to the priests, and some of it is given to the person who offered (this is all outlined in Leviticus).
    • From the portion that he would get back, he would divide it to his wives and sons and daughters.
    • Hannah would get double what everyone else got
  • Elkanah is a good man
    • He didn't treat his wife differently (better or worse) because she couldn't bear children
    • He didn't think in the worldly way about who will spread his name and his inheritance
    • He didn't just simply tell her that he loves her (though he did do that), but he showed her by his actions and by giving her the double portion
    • The Lord is pleased with all of these things
  • Peninnah, despite having all the children, was jealous and lived by her jealousy; provoking her
    • She would find the thing that bothers her and press on it
    • This is a sin
    • What we should do is comfort others who are bothered by something and remind them that it's in the hands of the Lord
      • "The Lord had closed her womb"
      • This language is good, putting all of our problems in God's hands
    • The mother who lives with jealousy and provoking and these things does not produce good children. Hannah who lived in humility brought forth a saint. No one knows Peninnah or her children - but everyone knows Hannah and Samuel.
  • Elkanah again treats her well
    • Men nowadays might rebuke her "come on are you gonna do this on the Feast too?!"
    • Elkanah speaks to her with good words
    • He asks her questions he knows the answers to in order to let her vent and speak her problems
    • He wants her to know that he loves her
    • He doesn't start talking about Peninnah and causing more issues
Hannah's Vow

38:16

9 So Hannah arose after they had finished eating and drinking in Shiloh. Now Eli the priest was sitting on the seat by the doorpost of the tabernacle of the Lord. 10 And she was in bitterness of soul, and prayed to the Lord and wept in anguish. 11 Then she made a vow and said, “O Lord of hosts, if You will indeed look on the affliction of Your maidservant and remember me, and not forget Your maidservant, but will give Your maidservant a male child, then I will give him to the Lord all the days of his life, and no razor shall come upon his head.”

12 And it happened, as she continued praying before the Lord, that Eli watched her mouth. 13 Now Hannah spoke in her heart; only her lips moved, but her voice was not heard. Therefore Eli thought she was drunk. 14 So Eli said to her, “How long will you be drunk? Put your wine away from you!”

15 But Hannah answered and said, “No, my lord, I am a woman of sorrowful spirit. I have drunk neither wine nor intoxicating drink, but have poured out my soul before the Lord. 16 Do not consider your maidservant a wicked woman, for out of the abundance of my complaint and grief I have spoken until now.”

17 Then Eli answered and said, “Go in peace, and the God of Israel grant your petition which you have asked of Him.”

18 And she said, “Let your maidservant find favor in your sight.” So the woman went her way and ate, and her face was no longer sad.

  • Hannah ate after hearing Elkanah's words! But still, she was bitter in soul - really, no one can give us true comfort except God. Not a wife, not a friend, not a child - only God gives 100% Comfort.
    • "And my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus"
  • "she was in bitterness of soul, and prayed to the Lord" - memorize this
    • When you're in despair, when things are hard, when things are confusing... pray to the Lord
    • Her prayer is made in humility as she calls herself "Your maidservant"
    • She made a promise to the Lord - if You give me a son, I will dedicate him to You and he will be Yours
    • She is ready to give him to the Lord all the days of his life... this is very hard
    • Nazirites' hair was never cut. It is a symbol of their dedication to the Lord (remember Samson)
    • Her prayer was not just that sentence and just five minutes... but it lasted for hours! 
    • Her prayer was in the heart - some people only pray if people are around to hear them. The prayer of the heart is more precious than the prayer of the tongue.
      • There are four degrees of prayer: 
        • The lips are moving
        • The mind understands what it's saying
        • The heart feels what he's saying
        • The spirit - someone who is in the presence of God, even if he says no words
      • At the very least, Hannah prayed from her heart
  • Eli was not used to seeing people pray with such fervency in his generation. Eli thought she was drunk
    • Some Fathers say that she was indeed intoxicated - intoxicated with love for God, or in the spirit of God
  • Hannah answers with respect and reverence for the priest of God
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