{"id":32630,"date":"2024-09-26T22:00:02","date_gmt":"2024-09-27T05:00:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ocbf.ca\/2019\/acts-28_17-31-copy\/"},"modified":"2024-08-09T12:58:32","modified_gmt":"2024-08-09T19:58:32","slug":"1-samuel-1_1-18","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ocbf.ca\/2019\/1-samuel-1_1-18\/","title":{"rendered":"Taking a Stand for a Brighter Tomorrow"},"content":{"rendered":"

1 Samuel 1:1-18 \u00a0(CLICK HERE FOR\u00a0BIBLE VERSES)<\/a><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Hi GAMErs,<\/p>\n

Today we begin the book of\u00a01\u00a0Samuel.\u00a0 I’ve got some powerful lessons to share with you from\u00a01\u00a0Samuel\u00a01:1-18.\u00a0 But before we do that, here is some background on\u00a01\u00a0Samuel\u00a0for those of you who are curious.<\/p>\n

Some Background on\u00a01\u00a0Samuel<\/strong><\/p>\n

– Together\u00a01\u00a0Samuel\u00a0and 2\u00a0Samuel\u00a0tell the story of how Israel came to be ruled by kings. \u00a01\u00a0Samuel\u00a0and 2\u00a0Samuel\u00a0focus on the lives of three of the most significant rulers in Israel’s history who, one after another, led Israel during this “early monarchy” period: first, the prophet and judge\u00a0Samuel; second, Israel’s first king Saul; and third, Saul’s successor David who would become Israel’s most celebrated king and against whom all other kings of Israel would be measured.<\/p>\n

–\u00a01\u00a0Samuel\u00a0and 2\u00a0Samuel\u00a0together cover a period of approximately 150 years, beginning with\u00a0Samuel’s birth in about 1120 B.C. and ending in approximately 971 B.C. with an aging David preparing to hand the throne to his son Solomon in approximately 971 B.C.<\/p>\n

– While many scholars believe\u00a0Samuel\u00a0played an important role in recording some of the material in\u00a01\u00a0Samuel\u00a0and 2\u00a0Samuel, exactly who wrote\u00a01\u00a0Samuel\u00a0and 2\u00a0Samuel\u00a0remains a mystery. Nevertheless,\u00a01\u00a0Samuel\u00a0and 2\u00a0Samuel\u00a0play a vital role in the Bible and are filled with powerful life lessons for all of us today.<\/p>\n

Today\u2019s passage is 1 Samuel 1:1-18.\u00a0 As usual,\u00a0I encourage you to read the passage yourself first and see what you can glean with the Holy Spirit\u2019s help, then read the GAME sharing below.\u00a0 Let’s go!<\/p>\n

1 Samuel 1:1-2 (NIV)<\/strong>
\n1\u00a0<\/sup>\u00a0There was a certain man from Ramathaim, a Zuphite from the hill country of Ephraim, whose name was Elkanah son of Jeroham, the son of Elihu, the son of Tohu, the son of Zuph, an Ephraimite.
\n2\u00a0<\/sup>\u00a0He had two wives; one was called Hannah and the other Peninnah. Peninnah had children, but Hannah had none.\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n

On verses 1-2:\u00a0 Though polygamy was tolerated in ancient Israel, in so many instances where the Bible mentions a polygamous family, the result is not more happiness or fulfillment for the parties involved, but rather more discord, strife, and rivalry.\u00a0 We\u2019ll certainly see that here in 1 Samuel 1.<\/p>\n

1 Samuel 1:3-5 (NIV)<\/strong>
\n3\u00a0<\/sup>\u00a0Year after year this man went up from his town to worship and sacrifice to the\u00a0LORD\u00a0Almighty at Shiloh, where Hophni and Phinehas, the two sons of Eli, were priests of the\u00a0LORD.
\n4\u00a0<\/sup>\u00a0Whenever the day came for Elkanah to sacrifice, he would give portions of the meat to his wife Peninnah and to all her sons and daughters.
\n5\u00a0<\/sup>\u00a0But to Hannah he gave a double portion because he loved her, and the\u00a0LORD\u00a0had closed her womb.<\/em><\/p>\n

On verses 3-5:\u00a0 According to Leviticus 7, when you sacrificed certain offerings such as a freewill offering or a fellowship offering,\u00a0you would get back a substantial part of the meat that you sacrificed, at least some of this meat was to be eaten the same day that it was sacrificed.\u00a0 That is why when Elkanah goes up to Shiloh to make his annual sacrifice to God, he would come back with meat from the sacrifice to feed his family.<\/strong><\/p>\n

To me it\u2019s a reminder that when we freely offer what we have to God, we don\u2019t leave empty handed, but rather we bring back a blessing to share with those closest to us.<\/strong><\/p>\n

1 Samuel 1:6 (NIV)<\/strong>
\n6\u00a0<\/sup>\u00a0And because the\u00a0LORD\u00a0had closed her womb, her rival kept provoking her in order to irritate her.<\/em><\/p>\n

On verse 6:\u00a0 I could hear Penninah now, \u201cHey\u00a0Hannah, why are you so tired?\u00a0 It\u2019s not like you have kids take care of.\u201d\u00a0 \u201cSorry I\u2019m late Hannah.\u00a0 I\u2019ve just been so busy taking care of my kids, but I guess you\u2019d need to be a mother to understand that, wouldn\u2019t you?\u201d<\/p>\n

1 Samuel 1:7 (NIV)<\/em><\/strong>
\n7\u00a0<\/sup>\u00a0This went on year after year. Whenever Hannah went up to the house of the\u00a0LORD, her rival provoked her till she wept and would not eat.
\n<\/em>
\nOn verse 7: \u00a0Barren Hannah faced ridicule and opposition from her rival every time she would go to the house of God.<\/p>\n

Likewise,\u00a0you and I have a rival, an enemy who will try to discourage you from going to church.<\/strong>\u00a0\u00a0 Your enemy, Satan, might try to convince you that you\u2019re too busy to go to church, or that you\u00a0don’t need church.\u00a0 He might try to remind you of all the ways you have failed and make you wonder, \u201cHow could someone like you go to church?\u201d\u00a0 As we will see below, how you respond to your enemy is crucial.<\/p>\n

1 Samuel 1:8-9 (NIV)<\/strong>
\n8\u00a0<\/sup>\u00a0Elkanah her husband would say to her, “Hannah, why are you weeping? Why don’t you eat? Why are you downhearted? Don’t I mean more to you than ten sons?”
\n9\u00a0<\/sup>\u00a0Once 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\u00a0LORD’s temple.<\/em><\/p>\n

On verse 9: \u00a0For years, Hannah would just let her rival step all over her and get the best of her, preventing her from worshiping, praying or enjoying God’s presence.\u00a0 Finally,one day Hannah decided to — literally —\u00a0stand up<\/em>\u00a0to her rival.<\/p>\n

Similarly,\u00a0there comes a time when enough is enough, when you must stop letting Satan keep discouraging you, delaying you and distracting you from God’s destiny for your life<\/strong>.\u00a0 Like Hannah, you need to stand up to your enemy.\u00a0 Just like Paul writes in Ephesians 6:11, “Put on the full armor of God so that you can\u00a0take your stand\u00a0<\/em>against the devil’s schemes…so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to\u00a0stand your ground<\/em>, and after you have done everything,\u00a0to stand<\/em>.<\/p>\n

1 Samuel 1:10 (NIV)<\/strong>
\n10\u00a0<\/sup>\u00a0In bitterness of soul Hannah wept much and prayed to the\u00a0LORD.<\/em><\/p>\n

On verse 10:\u00a0 How did Hannah stand up to her rival?\u00a0 Not by talking trash about her or physically assaulting her.\u00a0 Rather, Hannah took her stand by going to the house of God and pouring her heart to God.<\/p>\n

This might sound ironic, but\u00a0if you want to\u00a0stand up<\/em>\u00a0to your enemy, the best thing you can do is get\u00a0on your knees<\/em><\/strong>.\u00a0 Like Hannah, if you want to silence the enemy, the best thing you can do is to cry out to God.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s one thing to weep as Hannah did in verse 7.\u00a0 It\u2019s another thing to weep and pray and bring your burdens to God.\u00a0 The first kind of weeping is more just a pity party, you\u2019re not moving forward, you\u2019re just feeling sorry for yourself and wallowing in your frustration and self-pity.\u00a0 Persist in that kind of weeping and you\u2019ll find it won\u2019t help you or anyone else.\u00a0 But there\u2019s another kind of weeping: it\u2019s when you weep and bring your pain to God, where you invite God to enter into your pain, to meet you where you\u2019re at.\u00a0 That kind of weeping is powerful.\u00a0 You\u2019re giving God room to work in your life when you weep that way.\u00a0\u00a0 See the effect on Hannah when she prayed this way: \u201cher face was no longer downcast\u201d (v18).\u00a0 You feel better after you give your burdens to God.<\/p>\n

1 Samuel 1:11 (NIV)<\/strong>
\n11\u00a0<\/sup>\u00a0And she made a vow, saying, “O\u00a0LORD\u00a0Almighty, if you will only look upon your servant’s misery and remember me, and not forget your servant but give her a son, then I will give him to the\u00a0LORD\u00a0for all the days of his life, and no razor will ever be used on his head.”<\/em><\/p>\n

On verse 11: \u00a0God loves it when we bet on Him with faith.\u00a0 And that’s what Hannah did.\u00a0 She trusted God to do what man couldn’t do.\u00a0 She believed that what was impossible for people was possible for God, and so she cried out to God for the impossible.\u00a0 In fact, when Hannah prays, she refers to God as \u201cO LORD Almighty\u201d, or more literally, \u201cLord of hosts\u201d or \u201cLord of armies\u201d.\u00a0 By speaking to God this way, Hannah was reminding herself that God has infinite power.<\/p>\n

On the surface it might seem like Hannah was taking a transactional approach to God: i.e. \u201cGod, if you do A, B and C for me, then I\u2019ll do X, Y and Z for you\u201d.\u00a0 Here\u2019s why a transactional approach to God is unhealthy:\u00a0 when you take a transactional approach to God, you assume that you are on the same level God and you\u2019re demanding that God meets you on your terms.\u00a0 But God is so much bigger than you or I could ever be.\u00a0 We\u2019re not on God\u2019s level.<\/p>\n

Not only is God so much bigger than we are, God is also incredibly loving.\u00a0 When we were separated from God because of our sins, God saw our misery, remembered us and gave us a Son \u2013 Jesus \u2013 to save us.\u00a0 That\u2019s why a transactional approach to God doesn\u2019t make sense.\u00a0 For long before you ever thought about giving anything for\u00a0God, God already gave everything for you.
\nIn Hannah\u2019s case I don\u2019t believe her attitude was driven by a transactional approach to God.\u00a0 Hannah was committed to following God no matter what.\u00a0 In making this vow, Hannah was declaring her intention to honour God in a new situation she hoped to be in.<\/p>\n

We ought to have the same attitude as Hannah toward any new opportunity we receive or hope to receive: \u201cGod, when I get that job, I\u2019m going to do it for your glory.\u00a0\u00a0God, when I get married, I want to do it for your glory.\u00a0\u00a0God, today, I intend to live for your glory.\u201d\u00a0\u00a0When you desire to honour God with your life, declaring your intention is a powerful thing.<\/strong><\/p>\n

1 Samuel 1:12-16 (NIV)<\/strong>
\n12\u00a0<\/sup>\u00a0As she kept on praying to the\u00a0LORD, Eli observed her mouth.
\n13\u00a0<\/sup>\u00a0Hannah was praying in her heart, and her lips were moving but her voice was not heard. Eli thought she was drunk
\n14\u00a0<\/sup>\u00a0and said to her, “How long will you keep on getting drunk? Get rid of your wine.”
\n15\u00a0<\/sup>\u00a0“Not so, my lord,” Hannah replied, “I am a woman who is deeply troubled. I have not been drinking wine or beer; I was pouring out my soul to the\u00a0LORD.
\n16\u00a0<\/sup>\u00a0Do not take your servant for a wicked woman; I have been praying here out of my great anguish and grief.”<\/em><\/p>\n

On verses 12-16: \u00a0Hannah\u2019s name literally means \u201cgrace\u201d, and here Hannah shows Eli incredible grace (kindness) when Eli all too quickly judges her as a drunkard.\u00a0\u00a0Unlike Eli, don\u2019t jump to conclusions about other people; rather take the time to listen and understand<\/strong>.\u00a0\u00a0Like Hannah, when people misjudge you, remember that your worth is not decided by what foolish people say, but by the cross where Jesus the Son of God died for you.<\/strong>\u00a0 So don\u2019t let yourself be overly affected by people\u2019s comments.\u00a0 You just keep being you and hanging on to love and faithfulness, and then you will win the favour of those whose opinions \u2013 both in heaven and on earth \u2013 matter the most.<\/p>\n

1 Samuel 1:17-18 (NIV)<\/strong>
\n17\u00a0<\/sup>\u00a0Eli answered, “Go in peace, and may the God of Israel grant you what you have asked of him.”
\n18\u00a0<\/sup>\u00a0She said, “May your servant find favor in your eyes.” Then she went her way and ate something, and her face was no longer downcast.<\/em><\/p>\n

On verses 17-18: \u00a0Why was Hannah\u2019s face no longer downcast?\u00a0 Is it because she ate something?\u00a0 Maybe.\u00a0 But even more, I believe it\u2019s because she prayed.<\/p>\n

Likewise, you weren’t meant to hang on to worries, burdens, and bitterness by yourself.<\/strong>\u00a0That’s why our bodies get sick when we do.\u00a0 Instead, God invites, encourages, even urges us to come to Him with our burdens (Matthew 11:28-30) and, like Hannah, to pour our hearts out to Him (Psalm 62:8).<\/p>\n

So whenever you’re going through problems, worries or stress, don’t let the problems and the worries get the best of you.\u00a0 Stand up to your enemy by going to God.\u00a0\u00a0Let God be the first person you go to.\u00a0 Give your burdens to God.\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

Thank You Father that my worth is not decided by what others say about me, but by what Jesus did on the cross for me.\u00a0 Thank You that the best place I can go when I am troubled is to Your presence and that in You I find all I need.\u00a0 In Jesus\u2019 name, AMEN!\u00a0\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n

Copyright \u00a9 2022 Justin Lim. All rights reserved.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/section><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Hi GAMErs,<\/p>\n

Today we begin the book of\u00a01\u00a0Samuel.\u00a0 I’ve got some powerful lessons to share with you from\u00a01\u00a0Samuel\u00a01:1-18.\u00a0 But before we do that, here is some background on\u00a01\u00a0Samuel\u00a0for those of you who are curious.<\/p>\n

Some Background on\u00a01\u00a0Samuel<\/p>\n

– Together\u00a01\u00a0Samuel\u00a0and 2\u00a0Samuel\u00a0tell the story of how Israel came to be ruled by kings. \u00a01\u00a0Samuel\u00a0and 2\u00a0Samuel\u00a0focus on the lives of three of the most significant rulers in Israel’s history who, one after another, led Israel during this “early monarchy” period: first, the prophet and judge\u00a0Samuel; second, Israel’s first king Saul; and third, Saul’s successor David who would become Israel’s most celebrated king and against whom all other kings of Israel would be measured.<\/p>\n

–\u00a01\u00a0Samuel\u00a0and 2\u00a0Samuel\u00a0together cover a period of approximately 150 years, beginning with\u00a0Samuel’s birth in about 1120 B.C. and ending in approximately 971 B.C. with an aging David preparing to hand the throne to his son Solomon in approximately 971 B.C.<\/p>\n

– While many scholars believe\u00a0Samuel\u00a0played an important role in recording some of the material in\u00a01\u00a0Samuel\u00a0and 2\u00a0Samuel, exactly who wrote\u00a01\u00a0Samuel\u00a0and 2\u00a0Samuel\u00a0remains a mystery. Nevertheless,\u00a01\u00a0Samuel\u00a0and 2\u00a0Samuel\u00a0play a vital role in the Bible and are filled with powerful life lessons for all of us today.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":32632,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[28],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-32630","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-gametime-sharing"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/ocbf.ca\/2019\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/32630","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/ocbf.ca\/2019\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/ocbf.ca\/2019\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ocbf.ca\/2019\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ocbf.ca\/2019\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=32630"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/ocbf.ca\/2019\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/32630\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":32633,"href":"https:\/\/ocbf.ca\/2019\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/32630\/revisions\/32633"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ocbf.ca\/2019\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/32632"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/ocbf.ca\/2019\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=32630"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ocbf.ca\/2019\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=32630"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ocbf.ca\/2019\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=32630"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}