She was heartbroken, all she had ever wanted to be was a mother and it seemed as if that was the one thing she’d never be. She lived in a society where children were considered to be a blessing from God and the greatest honour that could be bestowed upon a woman was motherhood. She had a loving and supportive husband but no children. Her name was Hannah and her heart was broken because she had no children. From the very core of her being she cried to God asking for the gift of a child.
One day when her husband went to the tabernacle to worship God (remember this was before the temple was built and the tabernacle was like a temporary church kind of like worshipping in a community centre) Hannah went with him and after supper when the tabernacle was empty she went in and began to pour out her heart to God. On her knees she wept as cried to the Lord “If you give me a son, then I will give him back to you and he will be yours for his entire life.”
Off in the corner of the Tabernacle was the Priest, a Godly man name Eli and as he watched Hannah pray, he was a little confused. The Tabernacle wasn’t a place that women normally came and here was a lady obviously beside herself, weeping and seemingly talking to herself, her lips were moving but there were no words coming out. And so Eli went over and told her to get a grip on herself, to go home and sober up, he assumed that she’d been drinking, and you know what happens when you assume? That’s right sometimes you’re wrong!
Hannah, wiped away her tears and bared her heart to the man of God telling him how much she wanted children, she spoke of her prayers and her passion. And when she was done he said “ok, no problem, God will take care of it.” And if you know your bible then you know that God did take care of it. That Hannah eventually gave birth to a son she named Samuel who became a great man of God and then she had two more sons and a daughter. But it is Samuel that we know about.
Let’s take a look at the background of this book. 1 Samuel is the first part of a pair of books, the second one coincidently is called 2 Samuel and they are the 9th and 10th book of the bible respectively. Actually for the first 2500 years that they were around they were one book. It was around the 15th century that they were split into two volumes. The most logical and accepted theory as to why is that the it takes almost double the amount of space to write something in Greek as it does in Hebrew. Kind of like when they make the announcements on the plane in English and then repeat it in French, it seems to take much longer. I was always afraid that they were adding additional information like: Don’t tell the Anglophones but the front emergency exits don’t really work, go to the ones at the back of the plane.
Anyway that was simply an aside. Because it took more space when the text were translated into the Greek it required more scrolls and when the they were translated into the Latin and subsequently into English the scrolls were seen as dividing points.
Although Samuel has been mentioned in the titles for three thousand years authorship was never attributed to him and the actual author remains a mystery. Scholars estimate that the books were written around 900 BC shortly after Israel was divided into the Northern and Southern Kingdom. Why was 1 Samuel written? It continues the history of the Israelites, connecting the time of the Judges to the time of the Kings.
So what are we learning about today? We are learning about faith, in particular the faith of Hannah. Faith is a vital ingredient in our relationship with God, the very foundation of Christianity rests on faith. We need to have faith to believe that Jesus is God’s son, that he was born of a virgin and that he rose from the dead. If we don’t have the faith to believe those things then we might as well walk away because there is nothing left that will give us eternal life.
In the New Testament book of Hebrews it is spelled out very clearly when it says: Hebrews 11:6 So, you see, it is impossible to please God without faith. Anyone who wants to come to him must believe that there is a God and that he rewards those who sincerely seek him.
“But Denn” you say “I want to follow Christ but I only believe what I understand.” Well, Sir Thomas Browne summed it up when he said “To believe only possibilities is not faith, but mere philosophy.”
So what type of faith did Hannah have that was rewarded?
Let’s go back to the story, 1 Samuel 1:10 Hannah was in deep anguish, crying bitterly as she prayed to the Lord. First of all a) It was A Passionate Faith. This wasn’t simply a matter of “It’d be nice if I had a child.” Hannah was passionate in her desire to be a mother. In the story we are told that Hannah was reduced to tears and would stop eating because of her anguish. Her husband did was husbands try do to and make her feel better and he didn’t understand women anymore then we do guys because he said 1 Samuel 1:8 “What’s the matter, Hannah?” Elkanah would ask. “Why aren’t you eating? Why be so sad just because you have no children? You have me—isn’t that better than having ten sons?” Sounds like a guy. Think about it, you guys out there are thinking, “Well yeah, makes sense to me.” And you ladies are wishing that Elkanah was close enough to slap. Venus and Mars.
Hannah didn’t just want this a little bit it was an all consuming passion for her. What are you passionate about? Because until you get passionate about it, it probably aint gonna happen.
Are you passionate about your relationship with God? You should be, He’s passionate about His relationship with you. In Exodus 34:14 we read You must worship no other gods, but only the Lord, for he is a God who is passionate about his relationship with you. How passionate is He? The Old Testament Prophet Isaiah spoke of the coming Messiah and this is what he writes Isaiah 9:7 His ever expanding, peaceful government will never end. He will rule forever with fairness and justice from the throne of his ancestor David. The passionate commitment of the Lord Almighty will guarantee this! And in fulfilment of that prophecy we read in John 3:16 For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life.
If you think I’m passionate about us having a permanent church facility you’re right. And there are some reasons for that. In April we will have been worshipping in rented facilities for 9 years that’s 470 Sundays and in that nine years I’ve missed 30 Sundays and so I will have set up church 430 times. And if you want to get more passionate about having a permanent facility then I’m here at about 7:45 most Sunday mornings come and join me and the six volunteers who rotate with me on set up.
But it’s more then that because I know and those in leadership know the ministry opportunities that we’ve missed through the years because we don’t have a place of our own. And there are people in Bedford and the surrounding area that would never consider attending church in a community centre and if we are going to reach them and offer them the gift of eternal life it will only happen when we have a church building. And I’m passionate about reaching those people.
Same scripture as before 1 Samuel 1:10 Hannah was in deep anguish, crying bitterly as she prayed to the Lord. b) It was A Praying Faith. Notice that it wasn’t a hoping faith or a wishing faith it was a praying faith. And there’s a difference. Sometimes we hope or wish for something and somehow we think that wishful thinking is the same as praying. “Well if God knows everything then he knows what I want.” Yeah but that’s not the way it works.” In the book of James, God’s word says James 4:2 . . . And yet the reason you don’t have what you want is that you don’t ask God for it.
Your relationship with God is like any other relationship it requires communication. Hannah heart was broken because she couldn’t have children, they had tried and it just didn’t work. She knew that she had done everything she could do so now she was asking God to do what she couldn’t do. She was asking for a miracle.
If this church is going to be everything that God wants it to be it will only become that way through prayer. Have you prayed for BCC lately? For it’s vision, leadership and Pastor? I hope so, most of you made a commitment last week to pray for the church daily and many of you agreed to fast one meal a week and spend that time in prayer for our future. As we move ahead first with our capital fund and then we our building project it will only see success when we turn it over to God. Prayer needs to be a major focus during this time, we aren’t going to be able to do it ourselves we will only do it through the power of God.
The twelve hour prayer vigil that is going to happen on Feb. 20th will be a time of concentrated prayer. Prayer for the capital campaign, prayer for the building project and prayer for the people who make up our church family and I think that every believer in the church needs to be on the list to come and pray at the office as some point during that 12 hours. We’ve tried to make it as convenient for you as possible. It’s starting at noon time, and for some the best time will be that afternoon, for others it will be in the evening or later on. But you need to take the time out of your day and come to the office and pray. Some people will choose to pray aloud, others will choose to pray silently the secret though is to pray. If you haven’t signed up yet why not take the time to slot yourself in before you leave today.
1 Samuel 1:9 Once when they were at Shiloh, Hannah went over to the Tabernacle after supper to pray to the Lord. c) It was a Persevering Faith Hannah didn’t just pray once and say “Well I’ve prayed about it! So I don’t have to pray again.” She was persistent in her prayers. Although it’s not spelled out in the scriptures I think it’s fair for God to ask “How much do you want this? How persistent are you going to be?” Jesus tell two stories to illustrate this point, both of them illustrate the pray-er. In the book of Luke Jesus tells a story about a widow who was appealing to a local judge for justice in a certain case. In the story the Judge originally ignored the woman but she kept coming back and back and back. Until finally he says “This woman is driving me crazy, I’ll grant her request just to get her off my back.” And Jesus says “If even an evil judge gives into persistence think of how much more God wants to answer our prayers if we are persistent.”
In Luke chapter 11 he tells his disciples another story to illustrate the same principal listen to the words of the master story teller: Luke 11:5-10 Then, teaching them more about prayer, he used this illustration: “ Suppose you went to a friend’s house at midnight, wanting to borrow three loaves of bread. You would say to him, ‘A friend of mine has just arrived for a visit, and I have nothing for him to eat. ’ He would call out from his bedroom, ‘Don’t bother me. The door is locked for the night, and we are all in bed. I can’t help you this time. ’ But I tell you this—though he won’t do it as a friend, if you keep knocking long enough, he will get up and give you what you want so his reputation won’t be damaged.
“And so I tell you, keep on asking, and you will be given what you ask for. Keep on looking, and you will find. Keep on knocking, and the door will be opened. For everyone who asks, receives. Everyone who seeks, finds. And the door is opened to everyone who knocks.”
Don’t give up.
Back to the story, she prayed, Eli the priest questioned her, she told him why she was praying and he says in 1 Samuel 1:17 “In that case,” Eli said, “cheer up! May the God of Israel grant the request you have asked of him.” The bible says she thanked him began to eat again and was no longer sad. But more then that listen to what happens. 1 Samuel 1:19 The entire family got up early the next morning and went to worship the Lord once more. Then they returned home to Ramah. When Elkanah slept with Hannah, the Lord remembered her request, d) It was a Participating Faith. I’m not sure how to put this daintily but she was willing to do her part. She could have gone home and said “I’m going to have a baby, God is going to give me a baby” and then waited for the baby to magically appear but that wasn’t what she did. God sometimes steps outside of the natural laws, but often he works within them. St. Augustine said “Pray as though everything depended on God. Work as though everything depended on you.”
Hannah did what she could to make a baby and she depended on God to do the rest. We can fall into two errors: one is to not expect God to do anything, which is a lack of faith. The second is to expect God to do everything, which is a lack of wisdom.
I do not believe that we will have success in our building program without God. We do not have enough resources. However I do not believe we will have success in our building program without doing everything we can do. Our faith needs to be a participating faith, we need to believe that God can move the mountain but we ought to keep pushing at the same time. God, save Noah and his family, after Noah built the ark. God parted the red sea, after Moses raised his rod. God brought down Jericho but only after Joshua and the people of Israel marched around the city for seven days.
Jesus feed the five thousand, after the little boy gave his fish and loaves. Do you see the pattern? Do your part and God will do his part.
Back to the story 1 Samuel 1:20 and in due time she gave birth to a son. She named him Samuel, for she said, “I asked the Lord for him.” e) It was a Proven Faith. You’ve heard the statement the proof is in the pudding. In this case the proof was in the Samuel. God answers prayer. No not all the time and that is a good thing, think back on all the things you’ve prayed for through your life and think about what the results would have been if every prayer request was answered. Sometimes we just need to trust God. And once again people who have problems programming their VCRs shouldn’t think they are smarter then the creator of the universe.
But God is a prayer answering God. If we are passionate in our faith, if we pray in faith, if you participate and if we do everything we can do to make our dream a reality then I truly believe that God will do his part. I believe that God has led us this far and I believe that God will take us the rest of the way. Do you believe that?
Let’s go back to the story again 1 Samuel 1:20 and in due time she gave birth to a son. She named him Samuel, for she said, “I asked the Lord for him.” f) It was a Praising Faith. How often have you prayed for something and received it and never thought to mention it again. Didn’t your Grandmother teach you anything, like saying thank-you?
I’ve been guilty of that and I’m sure that you’ve been guilty of that. I don’t know how many times I’ve prayed for someone specifically for something; a job, a healing something. And when they got the job or a favourable report from the doctor they would say and I quote “boy I was lucky.” Hello?
But at least in this instance Hannah wasn’t guilty of that. She knew that before God stepped in that she had been unable to have children. She knew she wasn’t lucky, that it wasn’t a fluke it didn’t just happen that her son was an answer to prayer. And because of that she named him Samuel which in Hebrew sounds like “asked of God” or “heard by God”.
Let us not be guilty either individually or corporately of forgetting God’s part in the success of our project. On February 20th we are spending 12 hours in prayer and a part of that will be for our new building. When we are in our building we’d better be sure to have a prayer vigil to thank God for our building.
So where are you at this morning? What is it that you are passionate about?
Hope you enjoyed the message. PowerPoint is available for this message contact me at denn@bccnet.ca or visit www.powerpoint4preaching.com
