Birth in a Barren Land
The Original Game of Thrones

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all right. Good morning, church. Hey, we’re kicking off a new series today. Aren’t you excited? I’m excited to do this. We’re going to be going through the book of First Samuel, the first fifteen chapters. We’re not going to be able to finish the whole book because we have to take a break for Easter and we have other items that we must cover over the year. We’ll be looking at first and second Samuel over the next couple of years, taking it in portions. We’re going to be looking at the first fifteen chapters over the next eight weeks. We’ve titled this series, “The Original Game of Thrones.” Essentially, these first fifteen chapters are really about two people, Samuel and Saul.

Samuel is the last judge from the time of the judges. Saul, is the first king in the age of kings in the land of Israel. It’s a transitional season; we’ve taken this title first of all, because of the theme verse that we see in 1 Samuel 8:7 (ESV) “And the Lord said to Samuel, “Obey the voice of the people in all that they say to you, for they have not rejected you, but they have rejected me from being king over them.”

You know, of course, our title is kind of a nod to the fantasy books and the TV series; however, the true original game of thrones began with Adam and Eve because they decided to play a game of thrones with God. They decided that they wanted to be on the throne. They wanted to take the place of God. Since then, humanity has continually struggled with this of wanting to be in charge, in control, to be God of their own lives, to be the king on the throne of their own heart. This is the struggle that we’ll see all throughout the Bible.

As we begin this study, I think it’s important to give you a a situational check, a context of where 1 Samuel is at in history. Here’s a quick chart. You guys know how I like charts, right?

1350 BC 1294 BC 1134 BC 1118 BC 1090 BC 1050 BC Age of Judges begins with Othniel Ruth marries into Naomi’s family Birth of Eli Birth of Samson Birth of Samuel Age of Kings begins with Saul

If you’re reading through the Bible, and you hit the book of Judges, it’s 1350 BC. There are 12 judges in the Book of Judges. It begins with a man named Othniel. This season of the Judges, there were no kings in Israel. God was the king, but He would raise up certain men , and even a woman named Debra,during this season to lead the people for that season.

Nested in between the book of Judges and 1 Samuel is a little four-chapter book called Ruth; it’s also during the time of the judges. This gives you a context of where it takes place. About 1134 BC is the birth of Eli. You’ll be introduced to him this morning. You won’t get to know as much about him as you will later, but he is a judge and a prophet of Israel.

You will see the birth of Sampson in 1118 BC, who was the last judge in the book of Judges. Everybody knows about Samson. You saw the movie, right? You know about Samson.

Then, about 1090 BC is the birth of Samuel; he is who this book is named after. Samuel is the last of the judges, if you will. He’s the last judge.

Around about 1050 BC, Samuel anoints Saul to be king. You can now get a sense of where we are in this book. As we begin with chapter one, I wanted you to know how it fits into the larger story; in the span of history. I find it interesting that Samuel may have known Samson. That’s interesting to me. At least Eli probably knew of Samson. When you read through the Bible, sometimes you might not know how these stories overlap.

The book begins in the midst of turmoil, famine and barrenness in the land of Israel. As you can see, the last verse in the book of Judges 21:25 reads, “In those days there was no king in Israel. Everyone did what was right in his own eyes.” So, you see, the people had a barrenness and emptiness in their heart. they were just doing their own thing. They were being king of their own lives.

Then, we see the book of Ruth. If you turn the page from the last verse of Judges to the first page of the book of Ruth. This is what you read in the first verse, Ruth 1:1 (ESV) “In the days when the judges ruled there was a famine in the land, and a man of Bethlehem in Judah went to sojourn in the country of Moab …” And so there was no bread in the “house of bread.” Bethlehem means ”house of bread.” There was no bread. This is God’s chosen people, and there’s no bread in the house of bread. The favored nation of Israel is barren. It’s human judges, it’s Levite priests, even it’s land is barren, empty and fruitless. God’s favored people are in desperate need of new leadership. God’s people need a Redeemer. They needed something new to come their way.

Now, this is what I’ve noticed, and maybe you’ve noticed it too. When we try to take control of our own lives, in other words, when we try to sit on the throne of our own lives, we often experience what the Israelites were experiencing. We experience a kind of emptiness, a barrenness in our souls, and it might lead to brokenness. Perhaps you feel this way today. Perhaps you feel this way in your marriage; there’s a sense that you thought this was going to fix everything. If I get married, maybe I would not feel so lonely; maybe it’s not working out that way. Maybe you thought having children would make you feel that way. Maybe you thought of a new job; you have just changed jobs. Maybe if I could fill this “hole in my soul,” I could get a sense of fulfillment. You keep searching for it. Maybe today, as you look around at our country, you feel a sense of abandonment. You thought that the last politician was gonna be somebody who could really lead us to a better place. You’re disappointed in politicians. You’re disappointed in preachers who have disappointed you. If you stick around here long enough, I’ll disappoint you, because here’s the thing. That is what happens if you put a human on the throne; they will disappoint you. If you put yourself on the throne, you’ll disappoint yourself. If you try to put me on the throne, I’ll disappoint you. We need a better way. We need a better king.

The Bible’s trying to show us this. This book is about many people; we will encounter many people here in the first chapter. It’s really a book about God. God. We’re gonna be looking at this story today and asking ourselves this question, “Who’s on the throne?” “ Who’s on the throne in my life?”

As we look in the book, the Lord turns the sorrow and barrenness of a woman named Hannah into fullness and exaltation. Her life completely flips upside down to the good, and in so doing, He prepares the way of the coming of Israel’s true King and redeemer. And so, as He was working in her life, He was really working in Israel. She kind of represents the story of Israel because, as she was barren, so all of Israel, all of God’s people were barren.

We can understand how the Lord is at work in our lives and that He’s preparing a way for us to come out of our emptiness, our barrenness and our sorrow. He leads us to a place where we can be fulfilled and be full of joy. He has prepared a way for us.

As we look at the text today, I think we’ll see four insights into the Lord’s preparation for us. Let’s look at it. I’m going to read it in four portions; this might be the best way to get through fifteen chapters in eight Sundays. We’ll take small bites and then talk about it; hopefully, as we’ve been praying, that the Lord will speak to us from His word.

1 Samuel 1:1-10 (ESV) “1 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. 2 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. 3 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. 4 On the day when Elkanah sacrificed, he would give portions to Peninnah his wife and to all her sons and daughters. 5 But to Hannah he gave a double portion, because he loved her, though the LORD had closed her womb. 6 And her rival used to provoke her grievously to irritate her, because the LORD had closed her womb. 7 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. 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?” 9 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. 10 She was deeply distressed and prayed to the LORD and wept bitterly.” This is God’s word.

Let’s pause here and talk about this first insight that we can gather from God’s word.

How God has prepared the way for us:

1. God graciously gives us barrenness in hope.

I want you to take note of Hannah’s sorrow. What’s the source of her sorrow? It seems ironic, because her name, Hannah, in the Hebrew, means “favored one.” She’s the favorite. It seems odd that the “favored one” would be empty; that she would be barren. Do we see this as we look at the text?

One of the challenges of teaching or preaching from a book like this is it’s a story. Should I preach it to you from the perspective of Hannah and how life is looking to her? Or should I climb up into the clouds as it were and and preach it from God’s perspective? That’s what I’ve been feeling all week, wrestling with which way I go. I’m going to attempt to do both today. But I’m going to land into God’s perspective.

Some of you have your Bible in your hands and maybe you have noticed it in the text that every time you saw the word Lord, it was in all caps. Did you notice LORD in all caps? Now, most modern translations, English translations, do that when they encounter the word, Yahweh. That’s the covenantal name of God. It means ”I am” in Hebrew. It was the name revealed to Moses at the burning bush when he asks, ‘who shall I say your name? Noone knows your name. Everybody just keeps calling you the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. That’s a long name. So what’s your real name?’ God reveals to Him his name, Yahweh, or, as some pronounce it, Jehovah. Every time you see that in the Hebrew, the English translations are making it in all caps. If it’s written, Lord, the meaning is Adona. If it’s written in all caps, it’s Yahweh. Do you see that? LORD is in there 33 times from chapter one, verse one to chapter two, verse 11, which is what we’re covering today. It says, Yahweh 33 times; it says Hannah, about 10 or 12 times. I’m thinking this is about Yahweh. This is about God . So that’s why, as you look at the four insights, it’s my attempt to try to see it from God’s perspective, and that’s what I think God wants to say to us today.

He wants us to see what’s going on in our lives from His perspective. He gives Hannah this barrenness. Let’s get a little background and then we’ll dig in a little deeper. I like charts, but I also like maps. You’ll know that about me, right?.

(Looking at the map. Points to Dead Sea, Sea of Galilee, Mount Herodes, Jordan River and Ramah.) This is the Dead Sea. Sea of Galilee. Mount Herodes and as you go down the Jordan River, it fills up the Dead Sea. Here’s Jerusalem. Two heights is a mountainous place in Jerusalem and at the peak and just north of Jerusalem is Ramah. In the beginning verse, it says, Ramathaim-zophim. But from then on, later in chapters one and two, it’s always referred to as Ramah. I’m really glad about that because it’s much easier to pronounce.

Ramah is the hometown of Elkanah and his two wives. They’re traveling from Ramah to Shiloh. Shiloh is the place where the Tabernacle, the tent of meeting which Moses built in the wilderness , when they first came into the Promised Land, with Joshua leading. That’s where they put the Tabernacle; they put it in Shiloh. It’s been there ever since. It’s referred to as a temple here, but it’s not Solomon’s Temple. It’s not a temple like you’re thinking of. It’s the tent of meeting; the tent may have been somewhat worn out by this point. It probably is a more permanent structure at Shiloh. They travel to Shiloh annually.

Elkanah’s name means, “God’s possession.” That means he is God’s man. He’s the father of Samuel. He lived in Ephraim, it says. As you’re looking at the first few verses. I had this question; maybe you’ve had the question before as well. My question would be, how in the world is Samuel qualified to be a priest, since you have to be from the tribe of Levi in order to qualify? I’m looking here and it says he’s from the hill country of Ephraim and his father is from the hill country of Ephraim. I’m thinking he’s from the tribe of Ephraim, which is from the house of Joseph. How in the world is he going to be a priest? How does he qualify? I thought of a couple ways he qualified. Samuel got adopted by Eli. Eli adopted him. But really, as I begin to study it, I did background study on this, he’s not saying that, his father, Elkanah, is an Ephraimite. He’s just saying that’s where he lives. As you go back and read further in the background of the earlier books, you find out there was a group of Levites that moved to that land. It really looks like, as you study this, that Samuel is actually a Levite. It gave me satisfaction that he’s qualified to be a priest. I’m sure if God called him, he was qualified. I just needed to work that out.

Now, there’s a troubling problem here. Verse two says that Elkanah had two wives. Already, Elkanah has figured out that it was not a good idea. Polygamy goes on a lot in the Old Testament; it must have been okay because God allowed it, where there’s a whole lot of other sins that God was apparently allowing back then. But, it was not God’s best. All I have to do is read the book of Genesis. It says He made them male and female. Then it goes on and says that the two might become one flesh. God’s plan was one man, one woman for life. That was His plan. Jesus repeats this in the book of Matthew. He agrees with His father and says that God meant for it to be.

Elkanah is a righteous man. He goes up and offers sacrifices every year. He loves his wives, but he probably should have stopped at one. Instead of the sermon title being, “Birth in a Barren Land,” I started to name it, “Rival Wives,” but that really would have been from the perspective of the two women. He lists Hannah first here; he had two wives. The name of one was Hannah and the name of the other was Peninnah. It seems like he probably married Hannah first, and maybe this is me, just sort of looking between the lines. She was infertile and he took on a second wife in order to pass on his name. But we don’t know. It doesn’t say this; we know that Peninnah has a bunch of kids. Peninnah apparently recognizes that he loves Hannah best, and so she’s constantly picking at her. I can imagine Peninnah saying, “you know, maybe he loves you best, and maybe he gives you extra food when we go up to the Tabernacle, but I’ve got his kids. God closed your womb.’ Do you see that in verse five and six? It’s as if, as we’re looking at this book, the author wanted to make sure we didn’t miss it. He says “closed up her womb” twice. I say the author, because we’re not positive who wrote 1 Samuel. It’s named after Samuel because he’s the first significant person, and we believe that he probably did write most of the first part of it, and maybe as we look at 1 Chronicles, we see that the Prophet Gad and the Prophet Nathan may have been the ones who helped complete it, but we’re uncertain. There’s no “autograph;” but we know that God is the one who inspired it. Aren’t you troubled when you read this in verse five and six? 5 “…because he loved her, though the LORD had closed her womb. 6 And her rival used to provoke her grievously to irritate her, because the LORD had closed her womb.” Here’s what I want to say; the Lord allowed that to happen. That’s what I prefer to say, but I can’t prefer to say that, unfortunately, because the text does not say that. The text says, “the Lord closed her womb.” . Are you troubled by that? I’m a little troubled by that.

Why would the Lord do that? Here’s a couple of thoughts I had, as I was thinking about it. He did it out of grace. What if He did it so that people would look to Him? What if He did it so that Israel would look to Him? What if he did it so that Hannah would be the most righteous woman ever written about in the whole Old Testament, because she is? There is no one like her in the whole Old Testament. What if he did it because He had a higher purpose, a purpose higher than ours? It’s still troubling, but that’s apparently what’s going on.

If you look at the book of Romans, and we were just there this past Fall, maybe some of you remember it. Romans 8:20-21 (ESV) “ 20 For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of him who subjected it, in hope 21 that the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to corruption and obtain the freedom of the glory of the children of God.” What if God graciously allows us to feel emptiness and barrenness in hopes that we will look to Him? What if He lets us go all the way down the road, with ourselves on the throne, and just get what we get in order to draw us closer to Him? That seems to be what’s going on here. The favored one is barren, but it’s only temporary.

God has a plan, you know. The French mathematician and philosopher, Paschal, has been quoted as saying, “There is a god-shaped vacuum in the heart of each man, which cannot be satisfied by any created thing, but only by God himself made known through the person of Jesus Christ.”

There’s a hole in your soul; there’s a place that only God can fill, and people try to put everything in it. There’s a barrenness in us, but only God can take that place and give you the fulfillment because He made you for Himself. Why does God allow suffering and sorrow? Why does he allow barrenness? Why do bad things happen to good people? Could it be, because some of it is self inflicted? Certainly, it is sin inflicted; some of the bad stuff that happens to us, we do to ourselves. I would say most of it. But Hannah didn’t do this to herself. The Bible says God did this; that’s somewhat troubling, but He’s not finished. It’s temporary because He wants to take and show them how He can turn their barrenness to fullness.

Let’s keep reading. We’ll pick it up at Verse 11. Remember, she’s crying at the gate. They are at the front of the Tabernacle. 1 Samuel 1:11-19 (ESV) “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.” 12 As she continued praying before the Lord, Eli observed her mouth. 13 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. 14 And Eli said to her, “How long will you go on being drunk? Put your wine away from you.” 15 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. 16 Do not regard your servant as a worthless woman, for all along I have been speaking out of my great anxiety and vexation.” 17 Then Eli answered, “Go in peace, and the God of Israel grant your petition that you have made to him.” 18 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. 19 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.” Here’s the second insight: 2. God wants us to admit our need and ask for His help.

Notice Hannah’s supplication. We’ve noticed her sorrow; now look at her supplication. She asked the Lord to look upon her affliction. The word affliction could be translated to poverty, trouble, misery, impoverishment or powerlessness. The first step, it seems to me, in finding a way back to God so that He’s in charge of your life. is to admit your own powerlessness, your own affliction, your own sin. To say, ‘ I can’t do this;’ to admit I can’t fix this.

Hannah says, “remember me;” she says, “look upon my affliction.” She says, look at me, God, look at me. Do you see me? Look where I’m at; look at how this woman, this rival wife makes fun of me and taunts me. Look at me. I’m distressed. I’m afflicted. Look on me. Look on your servant. And then she says, “and remember me.” Don’t forget me.

Do we have a forgetful God? Do you ever think maybe sometimes He’s not looking? God did you turn away? Did you forget to notice me? Have you forgotten me? Have you ever wondered if God forgot you? You believe in Him; you don’t doubt his existence, but maybe He didn’t see what was happening to you lately. Do we have a forgetful God?

It says, “he remembered her,” in verse 19. Does that mean that he forgot her for a little while? Is he like some sort of Einstein up in heaven? You know, he knows everything, but he’s forgetful? Somebody needs to give him a calendar because He forgot to keep up with Hannah. See, this is the problem when you read something like this from her perspective; He seems forgetful. But God has not forgotten her. In fact, the Lord remembers her; it says the Lord remembered her. He had never forgotten her.

The word, remembered, anytime you see it in the Old Testament it almost always has a soteriological meaning. In other words, He’s getting ready to do something new, something miraculous if the Lord remembers. That’s how it feels from her perspective; He forgot her for a while and then He remembered. But, He never forgot her. But from her perspective, it may have felt that way. He remembered her.

She says, in this vow before the Lord, if you’ll give me a son, I’ll give him back to you and no razor shall ever touch his head. That’s the Nazarite vow. Have you heard of this? Samson was one of the first that you may have heard about this. He would have no haircut. No razor will touch his head. This is the Nazarite vow; no wine, no contact with dead bodies. He would be raised, separated under the Lord, belonging to the Lord. That’s her promise. If you give me a son , I’ll give him back to you as a Nazarite.

In verse 19, the Lord remembered her. A miracle is about to happen. Here’s what I want you to hear; the currency of the Kingdom is asking. Whether it’s money or whatever, but the currency of the Kingdom is asking. James 4:2b (KJV) “… ye have not, because ye ask not.” Matthew says this, quoting Jesus, Matthew 7:7-9 (ESV) 7 “Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. 8 For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened.”

Are you feeling afflicted today? Do you feel God has forgotten you? Do you feel barren in your soul? Are you empty? God has not forgotten you; He’s waiting for you to ask, to admit that you’re powerless to fix what’s wrong with you and for Him to fill that vacancy in your life. , Admit it and ask Him to help. Are you willing to ask God for help?

Let’s keep reading. We’re in verse 20 I think will read from there to the end of the chapter. 1 Samuel 1:20-28 (ESV) “20 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.” 21 The man Elkanah and all his house went up to offer to the Lord the yearly sacrifice and to pay his vow. 22 But Hannah did not go up, for she said to her husband, “As soon as the child is weaned, I will bring him, so that he may appear in the presence of the Lord and dwell there forever.” 23 Elkanah her husband said to her, “Do what seems best to you; wait until you have weaned him; only, may the LORD establish his word.” So the woman remained and nursed her son until she weaned him. 24 And when she had weaned him, she took him up with her, along with a three-year-old bull, an ephah of flour, and a skin of wine, and she brought him to the house of the LORD at Shiloh. And the child was young. 25 Then they slaughtered the bull, and they brought the child to Eli. 26 And she said, “Oh, my lord! As you live, my lord, I am the woman who was standing here in your presence, praying to the LORD. 27 For this child I prayed, and the LORD has granted me my petition that I made to him. 28 Therefore I have lent him to the LORD. As long as he lives, he is lent to the LORD.” And he worshiped the LORD there.”

Here’s the third Insight.

3. God wants us to surrender completely to His will.

I want you to notice Hannah’s surrender. We’ve seen her sorrow. We’ve seen her supplication, now, notice her surrender. God wants us to surrender completely to His will. She tells us the meaning of Samuel’s name. It’s a play on words. Anytime you see “el,” that’s the word forGod, “Elohim.” The name, Samuel, has this idea of “asked of the Lord” or “heard from the Lord.” Hannah asked of the Lord. This child, Samuel, is God-given to her because the Lord heard her and remembered her. I have asked for him from the Lord, and so she names him, Samuel.

Notice this about Elkanah in verse 23. You know he’s going back up as he does every year for the yearly sacrifice. He’s got to make this little trip with his whole family. This is according to the Mosiac Law that you’re supposed to do this. He’s a very righteous man. Hannah doesn’t go because the child’s not weaned yet. She’s not ready to give the child to Eli yet because she’s still nursing the child. Jewish women during this time would normally not wean their children until about their third birthday. She’s not ready to go yet. This may have happened for a couple of years until she has weaned Samuel. Elkanah, in verse 23 says to her, “Do what seems best to you; wait until you have weaned him; only, may the LORD establish his word.”

I “chewed” on that forever this past week. What does that mean? Here’s what I think it means. Elkanah as her husband, according to Levitical Law, he could have overturned her vow. If a wife or a daughter is still under her father’s house, according to Levitical Law makes a vow, the husband/father can overturn it. He has the legal authority to overturn it, but Elkanah doesn’t. He says, “may the Lord establish His word.” I think what he’s saying here is we’re going in agreement, God gave you this, son. He gave us this son. We’re going to give him back to the Lord. You stay back until he’s weaned but may the Lord establish his word. I think that’s what it means. I think it raises the stock, if you will, of this guy Elkanah. It makes you understand that this is his son, too, and this is his beloved wife.

Elkanah is like Jacob, who had Leah and Rachel, the two wives. But Rachel he loved and Rachel was barren. This is a repeating theme in the Scripture. Why does it keep happening? Because God is trying to show us something; how we are barren and how the only way to be filled is through the miraculous remembering of God. God has not forgotten us, but He remembers us when we ask. There is a theme. Sarah, the wife of Abraham, was barren until God opened her womb. Rebecca was barren until God opened her womb; she had twins. Rachel was barren, and Leah was like Peninnah; God kept giving her sons. Finally, God opened Rachel’s womb. We keep seeing this over and over again. Why would God keep giving us the same thing? Because we’re slow learners, I think, is why He has to keep saying it until we get it.

The word sha’al, which sounds like Saul, also sounds like Samuel. It’s still a play on words here and and “lent” here it’s kind of funny. Okay, I’m gonna loan him to you. He’s still my son, but I’m giving him to you, and I’m gonna leave him here and allow him to be raised by old Eli. Eli is somewhere in his nineties, and so she’s going to “lend” Samuel to the Lord.

It says in verse 28, “And he worshiped the LORD there.” I worked and worked on this verse; who is “he?” Is it Eli? Is it Elkanah? Here’s what I think. Here’s who I think he is. “Therefore I’ve lent him to the Lord,” who is he? It’s Samuel I think here. Could refer to Elkanah, but seems to be an ellipsis pointing to Samuel. He will be one who worships there. It’s not only Hanna that surrendered, but Samuel has surrendered as well.

Have you surrendered? Have you waved the white flag and said, “God, I don’t want to be on the throne anymore. I want You on the throne. Some of you are sitting here right now, and you are thinking, I’m a believer already. I have Christ in my life. What’s this whole sermon about? Hannah was a believer too. You can be a believer; you can have Christ in your life. But you can still have areas of your life where Christ is not Lord. You’ve given him your life and He has saved you and you are following Him, but you haven’t given Him your marriage. You haven’t given Him your parenting. You haven’t given Him your checkbook. You haven’t given Him your work. You haven’t given Him your school. You haven’t given Him your neighborhood. I could just keep going on. You haven’t given Him your anxiety and your fear. There are those untouched places that you’re still king. You’re still playing a game of thrones with God. So, believer, don’t check out on me here. We can’t check out. God wants to be the Lord of your whole life. Because if He’s not Lord of all, He’s not Lord at all. He wants to be the Lord of all.

Now we’re at chapter two and we’re going to read down to verse 11.

Text #4: 1 Samuel 2:1-11 (ESV) 1 And Hannah prayed and said, “My heart exults in the LORD; my horn is exalted in the LORD. My mouth derides my enemies, because I rejoice in your salvation. 2 “There is none holy like the LORD: for there is none besides you; there is no rock like our God. 3 Talk no more so very proudly, let not arrogance come from your mouth; for the LORD is a God of knowledge, and by him actions are weighed. 4 The bows of the mighty are broken, but the feeble bind on strength. 5 Those who were full have hired themselves out for bread, but those who were hungry have ceased to hunger. The barren has borne seven, but she who has many children is forlorn. 6 The LORD kills and brings to life; he brings down to Sheol and raises up. 7 The LORD makes poor and makes rich; he brings low and he exalts. 8 He raises up the poor from the dust; he lifts the needy from the ash heap to make them sit with princes and inherit a seat of honor. For the pillars of the earth are the LORD’s, and on them he has set the world. 9 “He will guard the feet of his faithful ones, but the wicked shall be cut off in darkness, for not by might shall a man prevail. 10 The adversaries of the LORD shall be broken to pieces; against them he will thunder in heaven. The LORD will judge the ends of the earth; he will give strength to his king and exalt the horn of his anointed.” 11 Then Elkanah went home to Ramah. And the boy was ministering to the LORD in the presence of Eli the priest.

Here’s the fourth insight. We’ve gone through this passage and we’ve been looking for God’s perspective.

4. God has provided His own son to be our true King We’ve seen her sorrow, her supplication, her surrender. Now, let’s look at her son and let’s look at her son closely, because there is a way that we can look at the Old Testament and we can see what’s called typology. We can see that it’s a foreshadowing, that a person is a foreshadowing of something to come. As we look at this passage, as we look at verses one through 10, there’s there’s not much like this until you go to the Psalms and see stuff like this by King David. Really, you have to go all the way to the New Testament to see a woman sing a song like this. It looks a lot like another woman named Mary, and it looks a lot like the Magnificat in Luke, chapter one. Oh, it looks a whole lot like it.

Hannah is a type who points to the New Testament; that her barrenness has now become birth, and she has miraculously given birth to a son that she has given back to God. Abraham was asked to go up on the hill and take his son, his one and only son and offer him, but God provided the lamb instead. This woman, Hannah, is giving her son, her firstborn son, back to the Lord.

In verse one, it says that she exults. “My heart exults.” That means rejoices. It means “to leap.” Literally, in the Hebrew, it means to “leap like a newborn calf in a stall;” to leap for joy. That’s her heart; it’s exulting. It’s about to leap out of her chest. I think the Holy Spirit got hold of her so strong that she sang a song that you won’t hear again until you get to the New Testament. I wish I had time, but I’m trying to do this in eight weeks. If I really took my time, we’d be here until Jesus comes working on every birth. But I want to draw your attention to what I think the point is, because the point here is that we’re transitioning from the book of Judges, from the age of judges, to the age of kings and we’re getting ready for a king named David. We’re not going to get to him in this series. We’re going to be reading about Samuel and Saul. David’s coming, but David is a type pointing to Jesus.

I believe, here, this story of Hannah and Samuel, as we see her exultation and her joy, we also see the close here in verse 10. “The Lord will judge the ends of the earth . He will give strength to his king.” What does that mean? Why is she singing about that? That just comes out of the blue. What is that, exalt the horn of his anointed? The last words in her song are “his anointed.” That’s the word, Messiah, in Hebrew. What’s coming here? What is she talking about? She might not even know what she’s talking about. She’s singing about her son, the anointed one; God has called him. She’s saying more than she knows. I think she’s talking about King Jesus. This boy, who now serves and ministers in the presence of Eli, and Eli in his house. God has turned the page on them. We’re going to see that in the coming weeks, He’s going to shut that line off. They have not obeyed the Lord; Eli and his two sons, Hophni and Phineas, are not following the Lord. Samuel is the new priest. In fact , Samuel is the last priest. He’s the last one in the Bible.

Samuel has all three titles. He’s a judge, which is like the equivalent of a king. He’s a priest and he’s a prophet. All three titles. He’s the last one like that, and we don’t see another one like that until King Jesus. Samuel is a type and he points clearly to another Son that’s coming; the king and anointed one. The Messiah. He was separated to the Lord. We could see there’s really only three Nazarites in the Bible.

Here’s another insight. Looking at Samuel, Sampson was a Nazarene judge under the Nazarite vow. Then, you go all the way to the New Testament. There was a preparer of the way named John the Baptist. Oh, by the way, his mother was barren; her name was Elizabeth. She was barren and God opened her womb in her old age. Her son was a preparer of the way to prepare the way for King Jesus. So, Samuel is a type in many ways. God, as he goes through this Old Testament page by page and chapter by chapter and book by book. He’s preparing us for King Jesus, and He’s prepared a way for you.

If you look back on your life, you look back at the threads of the past in your life, He has been after you the whole time. He’s been preparing the way for you. This was for Israel, then it’s for all of us. And certainly it was for Hannah and it was for Samuel. Why’s this story here? Because it is here for you. He’s prepared a way for you. He’s prepared a way for you.

Here’s what Jesus said in John 14:6 (ESV) Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” Who’s on the throne of your life? Are you still playing a game with God? Are you still playing a game with God?

Here’s the question I want you to answer if you’re not a believer today, if you’ve never given your life to Jesus, you can do it now. We’re gonna pray in just a moment, and you might be thinking, why does that work? Why is it prayer? Because the currency of the kingdom is asking. Ask. Jesus says, “Ask, seek, knock.” Ask God. I want King Jesus to take the throne in my life. So ask. There are believers here today, those who are already following Jesus. What’s God saying to you about that place of emptiness or that place where it feels like no matter how hard I struggle, I can’t seem to feel any sense of success there. Are you still in control of that? Is it perhaps because you’ve not made him king of that arena of your life?

Let’s pray and let’s talk to God about this. Lord, we thank You for Your word. We thank you for this story of Hannah and enters her husband Elkana and her son Samuel. Lord, we see now that it points to how you’ve prepared a way for us so that we might surrender the throne of our lives to you. I want to pray for that person right now that is ready to do that. Is that you, my friend? Would you admit your need for a Savior? Would you admit your own emptiness and need for Jesus right now? Right where you’re at, right in your seat. You can pray with me. Dear Lord Jesus, I’m a sinner. I believe You died on the cross that You were raised from the grave. I believe that. Come into my life and forgive me of my sin. Make me the person You want me to be. I want to be a child of God. I want you to be my Lord and Savior and my King. If you’re praying that prayer, believing, the Lord will save you. Others are here today and you’ve prayed that prayer; you believe and you know that the Lord has saved you. But there’s an arena of emptiness right now in your life. There’s a barrenness in certain places. Have you cried out to the Lord as Hannah did? Would you cry out and say, Look at me. Look at me right now. Look at me where I’m at right now. Lord, don’t forget me. Remember me. Know this, He will not forget. He will remember. Lord, we surrender our whole lives to you now in Jesus name, Amen.