Creating a God-Bestowed Legacy Psalm 127:1 5; 1 Samuel 1 3 (selected verses)

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1 June 11, 2017 Pastor Ken Hepner Creating a God-Bestowed Legacy Psalm 127:1 5; 1 Samuel 1 3 (selected verses) Introduction: Today is International Children s Day As the Lord and I spent time together talking over the message He wants us to hear today, my mind was repeatedly drawn the wonderful story of Hannah, Samuel s mother. This wonderful story is such a powerful picture of how simple people, who know and love God deeply, who seek God in heartfelt and earnest prayer, can experience the creation of a very special Legacy that God does In and With our Family. When we first meet Hannah on the pages of Scripture, in I Samuel 1, we learn that she was deeply loved by her husband Elkanah but she was childless. She loved the Lord God with all her heart and enjoyed a wonderful relationship with her husband Elkanah. But she longed to have a child and more specifically she wanted a son but she could not conceive. She and her husband were faithful worshipers. Every year they went to the tabernacle at Shiloh to worship and make sacrifices there. As a worshiper she was well aware of what the Scriptures teach regarding the Blessing Children are to a family. She longed to experience that blessing! She knew the truth that God absolutely loves children. The Bible teaches that children are considered to be a Gift from God: Genesis 33:5 Then Esau looked up and saw the women and children. Who are these with you? He asked. Jacob answered, They are the children God has graciously given your servant. Genesis 48:9 They are the sons God has given me here, Joseph said to his father. Then Israel said, Bring them to me so I may bless them. Psalm 127:3 5: Sons are a heritage from the Lord, children a reward from him. Like arrows in the hands of a warrior are sons born in one s youth. Blessed is the man whose quiver is full of them. They will not be put to shame when they contend with their enemies in the gate. Hannah also knew the truth that God Cares for little children Isaiah 40:11 He tends his flock like a shepherd: He gathers the lambs in his arms and carries them close to his heart; he gently leads those that have young. Jesus stated this same truth another way. He taught us that little children actually have guardian angels assigned to them. Matthew 18:10: See that you do not look down on one of these little ones. For I tell you that their angels in heaven always see the face of my Father in heaven. As we have studied the Gospel of John we have been learning the truth that Jesus was the Son of God, who came into the world. He shows us what God is like. Jesus absolutely loved 1

2 being around children and they loved being around him. You can tell a lot about the character of an adult by how they are with children and how children respond to them. Children can spot a grumpy person from across the room. They know someone who is taking them for a ride from miles away. Children loved to be with Jesus! Hannah knew the truth about how much God loves children. She knew they are considered to be blessings from the Lord on a man and woman who love God. She knew the promises of God and it grieved her and broke her heart that it seemed to be true for everyone but her. Why was she childless? Was this the punishment of God for something she had done? What had she done to deserve this? I. The Picture a Woman Desperate For a Godly Legacy: I Samuel 1:1 5 There was a certain man from Ramathaim, a Zuphite from the hill country of Ephraim, whose name was Elkanah He had two wives; one was called Hannah and the other Peninnah. Peninnah had children, but Hannah had none. Year after year this man went up from his town to worship and sacrifice to the Lord Almighty at Shiloh, where Hophni and Phinehas, the two sons of Eli, were priests of the Lord. Whenever the day came for Elkanah to sacrifice, he would give portions of meat to his wife Peninnah and to all her sons and daughters. But to Hannah he gave a double portion because he loved her and the Lord had closed her womb. Many people can read this story and miss something that is tremendously important for us to know. As the story unfolds it appears that Samuel is a descendent of the tribe of Ephraim. But that is not the case at all. Back in Deuteronomy we learn that the Kohathite Levite clan was assigned to be given land in the tribal areas of Ephraim, Manasseh, and Dan. In I Chronicles 6:26 28 when the writer is recalling the family history of the Levites who became the temple singers and worship leaders under king David, Elkanah and Samuel are listed in that record of Levites. That makes Samuel a man who was Called to Serve the Ministry of Worship at the Tabernacle. As a matter of fact Samuel s dad is the fourth Elkanah listed in the family tree of Kohath. Here is why that is an important piece of information for us to understand. It was one thing to be an Israelite from Ephraim and not be able to conceive and bring a boy into the world. It was another thing entirely to be a Levite woman married to a Levite man and be without a son. The entire purpose for a Levite man to marry a Levite woman was to have little Levite boys who would serve the Lord in the worship rites of the tabernacle, then later in the temple. To be unable to do so was considered to be a divine act of punishment. So for Hannah to be a Levite wife who was unable to conceive and give birth to a son was hard enough on her maternal instincts and desires as a woman. But spiritually speaking, as people looked on at her barrenness they believed she was under the punishment of God for something that was unseen. 2

3 Then we get to double the sense of cursing and heartache she was feeling because she was also in a marriage to a man who had another wife named Peninnah. Let s make a point here from this issue of polygamy. It was permitted under the law of the time, the Code of Hammurabi. But just because something is Legal doesn t make it Moral nor does it insure that it is the best way to live, nor even a good way to live. What a word for we who live in this culture in North America that is legalizing wickedness and calling it good! The rival wife had no trouble conceiving and birthing little Levite boys and girls at all. She also has not trouble in letting Hannah know who the better wife is because she has had sons and daughters for Elkanah while Hannah had none! Let s look in on the story of how Peninnah acted toward Hannah. Women, take notice of the crushing effect this is having on this dear woman s broken heart and soul. I Samuel 1:6, 7 And because the Lord had closed her womb, her rival kept provoking her in order to irritate her. This went on year after year. Whenever Hannah went up to the house of the Lord, her rival provoked her till she wept and would not eat. To be a Levite woman who could not conceive a son for her husband was bad enough. But to go to the place of worship each year, knowing how desperately she longed for the blessing of God to be able to have children, she tried so hard to worship this God who hadn t given her the ability to conceive. Then to have her rival wife Provoke her, Ridicule her, and Call her Character into question in the place of worship had to be overwhelming to her! I Samuel 1:8 Elkanah her husband would say to her, Hannah, why are you weeping? Why don t you eat? Why are you so downhearted? Don t I mean more to you than ten sons? Now dear brothers, there is a message here for us in Elkanah s response to his wife Hannah s broken and grieving heart. We need to get a picture here of what is happening in this dear woman so that we can engage with our wives and daughters and granddaughters when they are feeling similarly. Asking a female who has a broken heart a series of questions that begin with the word why regarding her negative emotions is completely Insensitive and reveals an incredible lack of Awareness! Then the dear brother tops it off by asking a question of her that points her to the fact that he is really all she will ever need in life to be happy! Talk about being unaware of her feminine needs and emotions! Come on Hannah pull yourself together. You don t need a son because you have me! II. Hannah a Woman of Desperation in Prayer: I Samuel 1:9 11 Once when they had finished eating and drinking in Shiloh, Hannah stood up. Now Eli the priest was sitting on a chair by the doorpost of the Lord s temple. In bitterness of soul Hannah wept much and prayed to the Lord. And she made a vow, saying, O Lord Almighty, if you will only look on your servant s misery and remember me, and not forget your servant but give her a son, then I will give him to the Lord for all the days of his life, and no razor will ever be used on his head. 3

4 In her heart she knew the son born to her would be set apart as a Nazirite from his birth! Hannah went to the Lord God with her broken heart, and Poured out her Heart and Soul to the Lord in Prayer. My personal conviction is that the Lord had been waiting for this prayer to pour out of this precious woman s broken heart for years. He knew that the people of Israel were going through a terrible time of not hearing the Word of the Lord alive among them. The reason was that Eli and his sons were sinful, self-indulgent, and were obese from overeating. Eli s sons Hophni and Phinehas, although from the tribe of Levi and called to be men of God, were overtly wicked men, thieves, and adulterers. God Almighty knew that the need of the hour was for a man to come on the scene in Israel who could Hear the Word of the Lord and then Speak it out to others with integrity and passion. So God knew before Hannah started praying that He was going to put a boy named Samuel in her womb, bring him to term, and what Samuel would become! God had been waiting for her prayer to Fulfill His Plans to send them a True Spiritual Leader! He saw powerful passion in her heart, for her to conceive a son. She pled with God because she had so much love in her heart and wanted to lavish it on a son. That moved God s heart to want to help her. When the Lord God Almighty sees Desperate Praying it touches Him deeply. She is praying so passionately that her whole being is engaged in the emotion of the moment. Eli the priest saw what was happening to her and thought that she was drunk and rebuked her for it. Not your best day on the job there Eli! Her Reverent Submission for the Lord and His great purposes for Israel moved Him to want to help her. She came and knelt before Him and cried out to Him for help, with a full knowledge that she desperately needed God s help for her to conceive and give birth to a son. Her words are revealing the heart of a woman who passionately desires to experience the Lord God doing a holy interference on earth in her life and family. Lord God, If you will give me a son I will give him to you! She Believed God had heard her prayer and ultimately she Received her miracle. When she went home she had a renewed interest in intimacy with Elkanah. She knew that this time something would be different. The Lord God used Hannah s faith to bring into existence a person who only existed in God s heart and Hannah s passionate praying: Samuel the next great prophet of God, who would lead Israel back to worship of Yahweh! The heart of God for us is steadfast and faithful love for the good of His people. The Lord specializes in using as models of His great grace people like Hannah. The truth is that through the passionate prayer of a godly mother named Hannah, the Lord God revealed His Nature, His Love, and His work to us. Her prayers model two very powerful things for us that we all need to see and put into practice regardless of our gender: 1. She prayed with passionate heart-cry to the Lord God from a deep and Holy Desperation! Hannah s desperate heart-cry to God moved her to pray until God acted on her behalf. From my seat as a man who longs to experience God s presence and power in our church life, this is a heart attitude that we need here at Cedar Grove. For whom are you 4

5 praying and is God waiting for you and me to become so desperate that we can t go on until He acts in that life? 2. She prayed as an Empty Vessel waiting for the promise of God to be Fulfilled! One of the clear things about walking with the Lord God is that He does not fill people who are already full of our own selfish motives, self-interest, and who glory in our own accomplishments. God fills empty men and women who know how desperately we need Him to act on earth in our lives! So how empty are you in terms of your own will and ways, and how full of His Spirit is your heart? III. Hannah: Creating a God-Bestowed Legacy: I Samuel 1:19, 20 Early the next morning they arose and worshiped before the Lord and then went back to Ramah. Elkanah lay with Hannah his wife, and the Lord remembered her. So in the course of time Hannah conceived and gave birth to a son. She named him Samuel, saying, Because I asked the Lord for him. I Samuel 1:26b 28 I am the woman who stood here beside you praying to the Lord. I prayed for this child, and the Lord has granted me what I asked of him. So now I give him to the Lord. For his whole life he will be given over to the Lord. The truth is the Lord used this precious woman Hannah s desperate heart crying out to Him in prayer to create a God-given legacy Hannah prayed into existence that day at the Tabernacle at Shiloh. The second chapter tells us that Hannah praised God with a powerful prayer of praise for what the Lord had done in her life. Then it says that Samuel grew up there in the tabernacle community of Shiloh under the mentorship of Eli. We have already noted that Eli raised two sons who were horribly wicked. And yet, the Scriptures tell us that Samuel grew to be a man of God under Eli s training. The big difference between Eli s sons Hophni and Phinehas and the boy Samuel, is that Samuel was birthed and Prayed for mightily by a Godly Mom named Hannah! The Scriptures differentiate between Eli s two sons living such wicked lives and Samuel s life. Let s read together I Samuel 2:17, 18 This sin of the young men was very great in the Lord s sight, for they were treating the Lord s offering with contempt. But Samuel was ministering before the Lord a boy wearing a linen ephod. Each year his mother made him a little robe and took it to him when she went up with her husband to offer the annual sacrifice. I Samuel 2:21b Meanwhile, the boy Samuel grew up in the presence of the Lord. Verse 26 And the boy Samuel continued to grow in stature and in favor with the Lord and with men. The third chapter gives us another glimpse of how God worked in the life of the child Samuel, as a result of his mother praying for the work of God in his life and ministry. Samuel heard the word of the Lord as a child in a time when the word of the Lord given to people was rare because of the awful lives the priests were living. 5

6 The Lord called to the boy Samuel. He thought it was Eli calling him so he went to Eli. Finally on the third time God spoke to Samuel Eli realized it was God speaking to the child Samuel, so he told him, Go and lie down, and if he calls you, say, Speak Lord for your servant is listening. The Lord used Eli s words to confirm it was the voice of the Lord being spoken to the boy Samuel. What Samuel heard was a clear word of judgment on Eli s household. As a young child, Samuel though afraid to do so, told Eli exactly what God had said to him, word for word. There are tremendous words about Samuel s life and ministry found in the third chapter of this book, verses 19 21: The Lord was with Samuel as he grew up, and he let none of his words fall to the ground. And all Israel from Dan to Beersheba recognized that Samuel was attested as a prophet of the Lord. The Lord continued to appear at Shiloh, and there he revealed himself to Samuel through his word. Another truly beautiful thing about this story of Samuel as a man of God who led Israel is this truth. After touring Israel and ministering the word of the Lord Samuel always went home to Ramah the place where his mom gave him birth, Prayed for him, and Taught him to be a man of God. Samuel chose his mom s hometown as his home base for carrying on his ministry as prophet and leader. Just in case you are wondering if God did any other great things creating a God-bestowed legacy for Hannah, the Scriptures are clear in this regard too. Because of her praying heart and passion for God, God gave her other children for her legacy. Let s read aloud I Samuel 2:20 21a: Eli would bless Elkanah and his wife, saying, May the Lord give you children by this woman to take the place of the one she prayed for and gave to the Lord. And the Lord was gracious to Hannah; she conceived and gave birth to three sons and two daughters. One more picture of the wonderful legacy God bestowed on Hannah s family. In I Chronicles 6 we have the genealogical record of the Levites. In that passage we learn of Samuel s Levite heritage and family after him. I Chronicles 6:26 28 we read, Eliab his son, Elkanah his son, Samuel his son. The sons of Samuel: Joel the firstborn and Abijah the second son. In I Samuel 8:1 3 we learn that Samuel appointed his two sons Joel and Abijah to serve in the seat of godly judges, as Levites. We learn these two sons of Samuel were not men of God like their dad was. They accepted bribes from people and because they did they perverted justice in the land. The godly legacy of their praying grandmother Hannah appears to have been severed by the lack of character and righteousness in these two men. But God isn t finished with this family yet! Hannah will become the great-grandmother of a famous worship leader in Israel! I Chronicles 6:33 we learn that Joel had a son named Heman, who was a gifted Levitical worship leader, percussion musician, and choir leader. He led the people of God in dynamic praise music and was a man who prophesied in worship. Listen to the Scriptures describe the ongoing manifestation of the God-bestowed legacy Hannah prayed into existence when she was still childless. 6

7 I Chronicles 25:4 6 As for Heman, from his sons All these were sons of Heman the king s seer. They were given him through the promises of God to exalt him. God gave Heman fourteen sons and three daughters. All these men were under the supervision of their fathers for the music of the temple of the Lord, with cymbals, lyres, and harps, for the ministry at the house of /god. 7

8 June 11, 2017 Creating a God-Bestowed Legacy Psalm 127:1 5; 1 Samuel 1 3 (selected) Introduction: Today is Children s Day The wonderful story of Hannah, Samuel s mother, is a story of how simple people who love God can experience the creation of a spiritual L God does I and W our F. When we first meet Hannah, she is loved by her husband Elkanah, but she is childless. As a worshiper she knew the Scriptures teach children are a B from God and a G from God to a family. Genesis 33:5; 48:9; Psalm 127:3 5 Hannah also knew the Scriptures teach how God C about children. Isaiah 40:11 Knowing all of these things to be true Hannah had serious questions I. The Picture of a Woman Desperate for a Godly Legacy: 1 Samuel 1:1 5 The story of Hannah, Elkanah, and their family tribe: 1 Chronicles 6: That makes Elkanah and his sons to be men C to serve in the M of W at the Tabernacle. Hannah is living with the stigma of being a Levite and not being able to have a son. This was considered to be an act of divine punishment! She was also in a marriage in which her husband had another wife. This was legal in this era, but just because it is legal doesn t make it M or even G. To go to the place of worship and attempt to worship the God who had not blessed her was hard. 1 Samuel 1:6 7 To have Peninnah P, R and C her C into question had to be overwhelming to her! Her husband Elkanah s why questions were I. II. Hannah s Holy Desperation in Prayer: 1 Samuel 1:9 11 8

9 Hannah went to the Lord with her broken heart and P out her heart and soul in passionate P God knew the need of the hour in Israel was for a man who could H His Word and then S it to others with integrity and zeal. He saw her D P in her heart for a son. That moved the heart of God to want to grant her request. Her R S to the Lord s great purposes for Israel moved Him to want to help her. Through Hannah s passionate heart-cry to God He revealed His nature, love, and work on earth. She models two great things for our praying: 1. She prayed from deep, H D. 2. She prayed as an E V awaiting His fulfillment. III. Hannah Creating a God-Bestowed Legacy That Lives On: 1 Samuel 1:19 20; 2:21 The pictures we see of Hannah and the boy Samuel, her act of worship and surrendering him to the Lord... Samuel grew up in the same household as Hophni and Phinehas, but the difference between them is Samuel was B and P for by a godly mother, Hannah. The Lord began to speak to Samuel when he was just a boy, in a time when the Word of the Lord was rare. Listen to the tremendous words about Samuel s life and ministry in 1 Samuel 3: Though he took many tours of Israel he always returned to his home base of R, the place where his mom birthed him and prayed for him. Hannah s legacy of other children after Samuel was born: 1 Samuel 2: Samuel s sons Joel and Abijah appear to break the God-bestowed legacy of godliness, but then we read 1 Chronicles 6:33; 25:4 6. One of the greatest worship leaders of Israel s history was Heman. 9

10 Discussion Starter Questions for Home Groups 1. Why do you think the Lord God speaks so much about His love for and care for children in the Scriptures? 2. As you think about people in your sphere of influence, do you see them as concerned about creating a spiritual legacy of godliness in their family? 3. Have you ever been in a situation where you felt judged by people for something you had no control over? What could you do about it? 4. Hannah, being a Levite s wife and childless, had a social stigma placed on her. What do you think Hannah was feeling inside as she tried to worship at Shiloh and heard the provoking and ridiculing comments? 5. What is the significance pointing out the difference between Eli s two biological sons and Samuel; that they had different mothers? 6. Why does the Lord often include words like, sincere, earnest, passionate, cries of the heart in the Scriptures when He is describing prayer that is heard and answered in heaven? 7. Why is it important for us to press on in prayer even though what we can see in the physical arena is discouraging or even heartbreaking? 8. Read together aloud the parable of the persistent widow, Luke 18:1 14. Discuss insights you have regarding passionate, sincere prayer. 9. Read together aloud Acts 4: Discuss insights you have regarding prayer from the believers prayer gathering. 10. For what or whom are you praying that requires passionate, sincere, heart-cries to heaven, an act of God for which you are desperate? 10