The Birth of Samuel

1Samuel 1:1-28

INTRODUCTION: This story occurs at the later years of the time of the Judges. Every man is doing that which is right in his own eyes. But just as in the days of Noah, there are some exceptions. Through one man (Elkanah) who remains faithful and one woman (Hannah) who cries out to God with all her heart, God brings a man into the world who will begin to bring Israel back to God. That man is Samuel.

1. INTRODUCTION TO THE BOOK
   1. Title of the Book
      1. The First Book of Samuel – First and Second Samuel are so-named because these books tell the story of Samuel’s life and of the reigns of Saul and David who were both anointed by Samuel (1Samuel 10:1; 16:13)
      2. The First Book of the Kings
         1. 1Samuel through 2Kings are also known as the Four Books of the Kings
         2. These books tell a continuous story of the time of the monarchy (kingly rule) of Israel
         3. They begin with the birth of Samuel who anointed the first kings and end with the Babylonian captivity of the southern kingdom of Judah
         4. When the kingdom divides into northern Israel and southern Judah, the books of the kings continue to tell the stories of both kingdoms; the books of Chronicles tell the story from the viewpoint of Judah alone.

   2. Author of the Book – Unknown
   2. Outline of 1Samuel
      1. The Rule of Samuel (chapters 1-7)
      2. The Reign of Saul (chapters 8-15)
      3. The Rise of David (chapters 16-31)

   3. Chapters of Note
      1. Chapter 1 – Birth of Samuel
      2. Chapter 3 – Call of Samuel
      3. Chapter 10 – Anointing of Saul
      4. Chapter 15 – Rejection of Saul
      5. Chapter 16 – Anointing of David
      6. Chapter 17 – David and Goliath
      7. Chapter 28 – The Witch of Endor
      8. Chapter 31 – Death of Saul

   4. Statistics for the Book
      1. Number of chapters – 31
      2. Number of verses – 810
      3. Number of words – 25,061

   5. Time Spans in the Books of the Kings
      1. 1Samuel – 115 years from Samuel’s birth to Saul’s death
      2. 2Samuel – 40 years matching the reign of David
      3. 1Kings – 120 years from Solomon’s coronation to Jehoshaphat’s death
      4. 2Kings – 300 years from Elijah’s translation to the Babylonian captivity

2. THE AFFLICTION OF HANNAH (1:1-8)
   1. Her Husband: Elkanah (v.1-3)
      1. His heritage: of mount Ephraim (v.1)
      2. His two wives (v.2; allowed under the law – Deuteronomy 21:15; but not God’s original plan – Matthew 19:4-5)
         1. Peninnah
         2. Hannah
      3. His devotion to God (v.3)
         1. Went yearly (Luke 2:41)
         2. To Shiloh (Joshua 18:1)

   2. Her Womb (v.4-5)
      1. The support of her husband (v.4-5a)
      2. The shutting of her womb (v.5b)

   3. Her Adversary (v.6-7; see 1Peter 5:8)
      1. Provoked because she had no children (v.6)
      2. Provoked continually by her adversary (v.7)
      3. Hannah’s adversary is a "she" and is certainly Peninnah (cp. Genesis 16:4)

   4. Her Sorrow (v.8)

    

3. THE PRAYER OF HANNAH (1:9-18)
   1. Her Bitterness of Soul (v.9-10; Job 7:11)
   2. Her Vow to the Lord (v.11)
      1. Her condition: a man child
      2. Her promise
         1. To give him to the Lord
         2. To let no razor touch his head (Judges 13:5; Numbers 6:2, 5)

   3. Her False Accusation (v.12-16)
      1. Eli’s lack of spiritual discernment (v.12-14)
      2. Hannah’s defense of her conduct (v.15-16)

   4. Her Request Granted (v.17-18; 1John 5:14-15)

    

4. THE BIRTH OF SAMUEL (1:19-23)
   1. The Child Given (v.19-20)
      1. The Lord remembered Hannah (v.19; see v.11; Genesis 8:1)
      2. The child was named Samuel (v.20); meaning asked of God

   2. The Child Weaned (v.21-23)
      1. Hannah’s Request (v.21-22)
      2. Elkanah’s permission (v.23)
      3. The Lord’s word (v.23; 2Samuel 7:25)

       

5. THE GIVING OF SAMUEL (1:24-28)
   1. Brought to the House of the Lord (v.24)
   2. Brought to the Priest of the Lord (v.25-27)
   3. Given to the Service of the Lord (v.28)

    

6. PRACTICAL OUTLINE: THE FAITHFULNESS OF ELKANAH
   1. Faithful in his Worship (v.3, 21)
      1. Faithful in his effort; "up out of his city" (v.3)
      2. Faithful in his attendance; "yearly" (v.3, 21)
      3. Faithful in his participation; "to worship and to sacrifice" (v.3)
      4. Faithful to bring his family; "and all his house" (v.21; Genesis 18:19; Joshua 24:15; Ephesians 6:4)

   2. Faithful to his Wife (v.5, 8)
      1. Faithful in material needs (v.5; 1Timothy 5:8)
      2. Faithful in encouraging words (v.8; Colossians 3:19)
      3. Faithful to establish her purpose (v.22-23; 2:11, 18-20)

   3. Faithful to his Word
      1. He took Hannah’s vow as his own (see v.11 with Numbers 30:1-16; Genesis 3:16)
      2. Faithful to God’s Word (v.23; Titus 1:9)
      3. Faithful in keeping his word (v.24-28; 2:11)

7. PRACTICAL OUTLINE: HANNAH’S STORY OF GRACE (the name Hannah means grace)

   1. Hannah’s Affliction (v.2, 5, 10-11); the Lord had shut up her womb

   2. Hannah’s Adversary (v.2, 4, 6-7); Peninnah provoked her because she had not children

   3. Hannah’s Appeal (v.9-11); she went to the right person with the right spirit

   4. Hannah’s Answer (v.12-20); she poured out her heart, received God’s promise and left in peace and assurance

   5. Hannah’s Agreement (v.11, 21-28); she lent her son to the Lord

   6. Hannah’s Adoration (1Samuel 2:1-10); she praised God for His goodness

   7. Hannah’s Award (1Samuel 2:11, 18-21, 26)

CONCLUSION: This chapter gives wonderful examples of both faithfulness (Elkanah) and faith (Hannah). They had the excuse that they lived in a wicked age but did not use it. We can live the same way today if we will trust in the Lord.

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