1 Samuel chapter 1, and we're going to read most of verses 4 through 18, but keep your fingers right there if you would and go with me to the book of James chapter 5. James chapter 5 is, I've studied this, this verse of scripture struck me with regards to an old prophet. And I just see this kind of wording about Hannah here in the book of 1 Samuel. The same kind of words could be used about her, could be used about us as every believer.

And here in the book of James chapter 5, James chapter 5 and verse 17, it mentions about this Elijah the prophet and The Lord didn't have to put this, but he purposed to put it there. Elijah was a man subject to like passions as we are. In other words, Elijah's just like you and I. Now, a lot of people have put Saul of Tarsus on a pedestal. They put the prophets on a pedestal. They've lifted up the apostles and put them on a pedestal. And from a preaching standpoint, that may be okay. but from a standpoint of relationship between the people, they are subject to like passions as we are. So they're just folks God has saved by his grace. Noah was a man subject to like passions as we are. All of the saints throughout the Old Testament.

So when we get to Hannah, we're gonna find out that she has some like passions as we have. She's going to have some thoughts about her situation and the positive or maybe the negative thing about them being brought out in the Bible is we know what she's thinking. Sometimes we don't share with people what we're thinking. what we're thinking about God's situation for us. We just don't do that, but we're gonna find that out.

So, Elijah was a man of subject to like passions as we are, and he prayed earnestly that it might not rain and it rained not on the earth for the space of three years and six months. He prayed again and the heaven gave rain and the earth brought forth her fruit. So, Elijah was a man subject to like passions just like you and I are, and yet God used him to pray, and it shut the windows of heaven. Now, Elijah's prayer didn't shut the windows of heaven. God shut the windows of heaven, but He led him to pray in such a manner that this would be known in the land. That man over there prayed that we have this right now. So, he was a prophet of God, and he is instrumental in bringing the knowledge of God and the greatness of God to Israel.

All right, travel with me, if you would, on your way back to the book of Joshua for just a moment as we get there to this subject of Hannah and her prayer, her husband, her adversary living in the same home. In the book of Joshua, and we read this a couple times recently as we've gone through the book of Judges and here now in the book of 1 Samuel, but in Joshua chapter 24, Joshua chapter 24. We read this in regard to Abraham. Abraham was a man subject to like passions as we are. And he is brought out of the same place that we're brought out from. Here it tells us in the book of Judges chapter 24, and I've mentioned this in the past, that if we ever, or if Israel ever got to thinking too highly of Abraham, Joshua brings up this subject about him. He's just a man saved by grace. He's called out of our other Caldees by Almighty God the God of glory in Joshua chapter 24 verses 1 2 & 3 3 we read this and Joshua gathered all the tribes of Israel to Shechem and called for the elders of Israel and for their heads and for their judges and for their officers and they presented themselves before God and Joshua said unto all the people thus saith the Lord God of Israel your fathers dwelt on the other side of the flood in old time. Now this is not the other side of the flood of Noah's time, this is on the other side of the Tigris or Euphrates River. They're down there in Ur of the Chaldees, where we read so much about the history of mankind down in that area.

Your fathers dwelt on the other side of the flood in old time, even Terah, the father of Abraham, and the father of Nacor, and they served other gods. And I took your father Abraham from the other side of the flood. Now that's God speaking here. I took him left to himself. He would not have left. You know, it's interesting when we read about Lot and his two daughters getting out of Sodom, they did not leave on their own. They were lifted out. of that place and brought out. And that's just what God has to do for us when He saves us. He has to lift us out of the horrible pit that we're in.

So the father Abraham and the father Nacar, they served other gods. And I took your father Abraham from the other side of the flood and led him throughout all the land of Cana. and multiplied his seed and gave him Isaac." So this is what God has done for Abraham, brought him out of a terrible place, a place of idolatry, just like we came from. That's a place of sin, just like we came from. A town just like we came from. So he's no different, just like Elijah, no different. Don't put him on a pedestal when it comes to grace. Just look at him as God saving a man by his grace, and that's given him the message. And we just delight in that verse of scripture, for by grace are you saved through faith, and that not of yourselves.

So, all right, let's travel over here now to the book of 1 Samuel and pick this account up here. We're going to have the birth of Samuel coming, and then he's going to be very important in the book of 1 Samuel for quite a few chapters. But prior to that, we have these things said in the book of 1 Samuel, and I'm going to start reading with verse 4. And when the time was that Elkina offered, he gave to Penanna, his wife, and to all her sons and her daughters, portions. But unto Hannah he gave a worthy portion, for he loved Hannah. But the Lord had shut up her womb." Now, it's interesting that wordage. The Lord has done this. She is having a problem with herself, and we're going to read a little bit more about that, because the Lord has shut up her womb. And she has been put into a home with another woman that has a number of children, and we're going to read Elkina say, are I not better than 10 sons? Well, a lot of the commentators said that's the number of sons that his other wife had. And so aren't I better than that? Well, we'll get there in just a moment.

The wife, he loved Hannah. He had given her portions proportionate to his love for her, but the Lord had shut up her womb. Now it's going to be a while, but Brother Mike is going to get to these verses in the book of Psalm 119. I'd like to read, sometime just read through there. That's a very good Psalm to read. Now it takes you more than three minutes, but it's a good Psalm. But here in the book of Psalm 119, there are four verses I'd like to read that deal with this subject of affliction. Now she's gonna bring up, she's been afflicted. She has been afflicted by God. She does not have the ability of bearing children, and she's feeling really bad about that. And here in Psalm 119, verse 67, we read this. Psalm 119, verse 67, we have this, and then we're gonna move just a little bit here in Psalm 119 to three other verses. Psalm 119 verse 67, the word of the Lord says this, Psalm 109 verse 67, before I was afflicted, I went astray, but now have I kept thy word.

Now, the things that God brings into our life are not by mistake. they are on purpose. Now whether it causes us to be as she did, fret, And that word is translated two or three times, thundered. I mean, this, she is fretting about the situation. And then when we read about her prayer, she brings this up. So before I was, God has brought her to this point before I was afflicted.

Now, when we get in the 119th Psalm, like most of the Psalms, we could easily turn this and look at this as a Messianic Psalm. And that's the way we should look at most of it. But once in a while, we find verses like this, and truly, before I was afflicted, I went astray. But God, in His purpose of grace, has brought me to where? My knees, to prayer. to his word, and that's a blessing, and we're gonna see that with Hannah.

All right, in that same Psalm, Psalm 119, verse 71, it is good for me that I should be afflicted, that I might learn thy statutes. Now, he's not saying that I learn your 10 commandments. I appreciate that passage Mike brought out and covered all of those terms that are found in the book of 119th Psalm, and they don't mean just law. They mean the entire word of God. And so this affliction brought her to cry out to the Lord.

Now, it's so different than natural man will do. They'll just cry out, but she goes to where she knows she can get help. She goes to the Lord. Now, whether she ever has children or not, that's not the point. The point is she going to the right place. Now, the Lord's gonna give her a son by the name of Samuel. And if we followed that through just a little bit, she's gonna have two more sons and two daughters. or three sons and two daughters. She's gonna have some more family that's given to her.

All right, before I was afflicted, well, here it says in verse 71, it was good for me that I have been afflicted. And then in verse 75 of this, they that fear thee will be glad when they see me because I have hoped in thy word. Verse 75, I know, O Lord, that thy judgments are right. and that thou in thy faithfulness has afflicted me. I know your word is right. I know your purposes are good. I know all of this about you, but how we learn during these periods of time. I was thankful that you afflicted me, that brought me to my knees and brought me to your word. I was afflicted. I came to hear the Word of God preached, however it goes.

And then the last one we want to look at is found in verse 107 of this 119th Psalm, and it says here, I am afflicted very much. Quicken me, O Lord. Where does life come from? Quicken me, Lord. Bring me out of this. Lift me up according to Thy Word. So he's never going to leave his people nor forsake his people. He has promised that along the way there may be these afflictions that he brings, but the purpose of that is to bring us to prayer and it is to bring us to his word. He's going to do that with Hannah.

Now we're going to notice what happens here. I'm afflicted. We do not know what Hannah would have been like without this, that the Lord brought on her. this barrenness. We don't know what she'd have been like if he had left her alone. But we know a little about what she and her husband were like with this affliction. And we're going to notice that with Hannah's prayer. Sometimes husbands make very poor comforters. I thought of that as I read verse 8. Let's go over here to the book of 1 Samuel chapter 1. 1 Samuel chapter 1 and I just sometimes I just plead what I read over there in the book of Ephesians. Husbands love your wives as Christ loved the church and gave himself for it.

Here we have in the book of 1 Samuel chapter 1 verse 8. Then said Elkanah, her husband to her, Hannah, why weepest thou? And why eatest thou not? And why is thy heart grieved? And then he leaves this final sentence. Now God left it here on purpose. We find out, am not I better to thee than 10 sons. Now, it's left here for our benefit, but sometimes that's not the best thing that could have been said.

Lord, give me wisdom to answer this rightly. He puts himself in a little bit of position that, aren't I just as good as the 10 sons that the Lord has given my other wife? Well, Hannah didn't think so. As we read here, she's going to be weeping about it. And then there in Ephesians chapter 5 and verse 25, it says, husbands love your wives. Even as Christ loved the church. Now that is impossibility for a human husband to love his wife that much. We have the goal. When I was teaching government up at the high school, people say, well, we haven't quite got to this point. And I says, we're striving for it. And that's just all I can do when it comes to being that kind of husband is I'm striving for it. I will never make that kind of husband that Jesus Christ is to the church. He gave his life for it. And he went through terrible, terrible agony to die for his church, this imputed sin that was put on him as the father did this for him.

Now, there is only one person that can truly say, am I not better? Now, Elk kind of said it, but it might have been better if he'd not have. But there is only one that can say, am I not better? Now, when we follow the Lord Jesus, we find that the Lord Jesus Christ can say that because he can say, am I not better than all the sacrifices of the Old Testament? And you know, the church will say instantly, yes, I don't have to go through that anymore. I cannot imagine the time spent in the sacrifices in the Old Testament, and many of them were required of just you and I, sinners, to bring to the priest and have those sacrifices. But the Lord Jesus could say, am I not better than all these sacrifices? And the church would say, yes and amen, thank you.

Am I not better than the tabernacle or the temple Now there, from a building standpoint, I don't know if there was anything as ornate and beautiful as that temple was. We read through there when we were studying that section of scripture and the planks of cedar and the gold and all of the blues and reds and all of that. It was a magnificent building. And yet the Lord says a greater than the temple is here. Or am I not better than Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Moses, Aaron, Joshua, Caleb, or even Samuel? Am I not better? Yes, so much better than all of those Old Testament saints. Am I not better than all your works of righteousness? Am I not better? He can say, am I not better? And we, the church, can say, yes, you are.

Now, I don't know what Hannah had to say about the comment her husband made to her about the other lady's 10 sons, but I know the comment the Lord Jesus Christ could make, the church would say, yes, you are. So much better. Am I not better than any worldly Savior? Am I not better than any angel? Am I not better than anything that is in this world? And the answer is always yes.

Now, it's interesting, when we go over to the book of Hebrews, this very subject is brought out several times in the book of Hebrews. Turn with me, if you would, to the book of Hebrews chapter 1. In Hebrews chapter 1, as we think of the words of Elkina, and then we see them fulfilled in the Lord Jesus Christ, when He could simply have said, Am I not better than all these Old Testament pictures, types, and shadows? Am I not better than all of the priests? all of the prophets, all of those Old Testament kings, am I not better? And the church would say, absolutely you are.

Well, here in the book of Hebrews, we read over in the New Testament that this is a subject that is brought up here in the book of Hebrews several times. Chapter 1 and verse 4 of the book of Hebrews, he says, being made so much better than the angels. as he hath by inheritance obtained a more excellent name than they." There were people at the time, and there may still be people, I don't know, that worship angels. But here we have the true angel of the Lord is the one we are to worship, the Lord Jesus Christ. He is so much better than the angels.

And then in chapter 7 and verse 19, chapter 7 and verse 19, we read this about Him being better than. Elkinah says, Am I not better than ten sons? And we read with regard to the Lord Jesus, He is so much better. In fact, What did the daughters of Jerusalem say about? What makes you so attracted to him? And she goes through that in the last line, just he's all together lovely. There is nothing about him that is negative. Even when He brings trials and tests, He is altogether lovely.

So here in the book of Hebrews chapter 7, Hebrews chapter 7 and verse 19, we read this, For the law made nothing perfect, but the bringing in of a better hope did. Who's that? That's the Lord. by the which we draw nigh unto God, a better hope, a better covenant, a better, better, better. Am I not better? And he was able to put away sin that all of the sacrifices throughout all the Old Testament could not put away.

Sunday, the Lord willing, will come to the Lord's table. And you know, that is the only ongoing picture type shadow that we have in our era to observe. There's no death of a lamb. There's no death of a cow. There's no death except a picture of the death of our Savior, the Lord Jesus, which all of those foreshadow to. So I'm so thankful, this is all we have. We go through baptism once, we go through the communion service as oft as we want to.

All right. In the book of Hebrews chapter 8, turn there with me if you would, Hebrews chapter 8, and there in verse 6, But now hath he obtained a more excellent ministry, by how much also he is a mediator of a better covenant." Am I not better? This is a better covenant. This covenant cannot be broken. This covenant cannot fall. This covenant cannot fail. This covenant is between the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. This covenant was made before the creation of man, before there was a fall. This covenant, the everlasting covenant, is a permanent covenant that God is going to keep.

Now, we are only the beneficiaries of that covenant. When we go back to the Old Testament, to the Old Covenant, we find out that there were a group of people, the Jews, that agreed to keep it. It hasn't been until recent when we were going through the book of Judges that it struck me how how long Suffering God was with that covenant with a bunch of liars Year after year Decade after decade, millennium after millennium, he put up with them. And finally, he said, that is enough. And he had the dispersion. So that covenant is no longer in effect. It wasn't in effect the second that Israel agreed to do it, but he continued to show them that that covenant could not be kept by them. This covenant doesn't have to be kept by us because it's kept by God. And we just rest in that shadow. It's kept by God.

All right. As we look at this, we notice there that Elkina brings up that subject, and then I'm not sure about Elkina and what he had to say about this. But we find out that when he mentioned ten sons, he's also making a statement about how many sons his other wife has, not to mention all the harassment Hannah took from the other wife. Turn with me to the book of 1 Samuel 1, verse 6. 1 Samuel 1, verse 6, and we read this, that this is what Hannah is going through, and she's going to be bringing up in prayer.

In the book of 1 Samuel 1, verse 6, we read this, and her adversary also provoked her sore. I was reading a little bit by another preacher. He says, you cannot find a dual marriage in the Bible that was good. when a man married two or more wives. It was just not good. Jealousy. says there, her adversary also provoked her for to make her fret because the Lord had shut up her womb. The Lord had done this, and the adversary, the other wife, makes fun of her because she's not able to have any children. This word fret, as I mentioned, means to thunder. And in verse 7, it says, and as she did so year by year.

So this is just an ongoing thing. over the years as Elkina continues to go up to Shiloh where the tabernacle is set up and where Eli is the priest and he is the judge, goes up there year after year. Now we don't read about many people going up there, But we do read about Elkina and his two wives and their children going up there year after year, and the same response is brought out of Elkina's other wife. It is, what do we read here? Her adversary provoked her, and in verse 7, and as he did so year by year, when she went up to the house of the Lord, so she provoked her, therefore she wept and did not eat. She is concerned. She's not happy with her situation. We find here, and I was just thinking about this, the two types, these two ladies are the type of the Bride of Christ, prior to the new birth, after the new birth. There is some resemblance here. You know, Paul brings out, even after he was saved, the things I would do, I do not. And the things I would not do, those things I do. And he's saying it in such a manner that we understand what he's talking about because we have the same issue.

Now here is one wife is constantly nagging the other wife because she doesn't have any children and driving this other wife to tears. But you know what? The first wife never ever prays about this. The second wife is driven to prayer by this. This is in God's good time is going to bring this about. Going to verse 9 of this, verse 8, and then Elkina said that, what we read, verse 9. So Hannah rose up after they had eaten in Shiloh and after they had drunk. Now Eli the priest sat upon a seat by the post of the temple of the Lord. This should have been tabernacle. Temple is going to be built many, many years later. This is that traveling. place to meet. This is the tabernacle that was constructed during the children of Israel's time in the wilderness. It's been brought here into the promised land. It's been set up at Shiloh, and it is where people come and worship and offer sacrifices throughout the year.

Hannah goes to the tabernacle. It says in verse 9, So Hannah rose up after she had eaten in Shiloh, and after they had drunk. Now Eli the priest sat upon a seat by the post of the temple of the tabernacle of the Lord.

Now we read here about Hannah. She was in bitterness. Have you ever been there? Believers have bitterness. I'm so thankful that even in that the Lord does not remove grace. Aren't you glad? And I was in the wrong book. I was reminded of that. The last book of the Old Testament. I change not. Therefore you sons of Jacob are not consumed. I'm so glad that when Hannah had a period of thundering and a period of bitterness, that the grace of God was not removed from her. She was a child of the king, and she still had that flesh bleed through from time to time that we read about here. But she knew where to go. And we find that most people have no idea where to go with that. She knows where to go. She knows to go to the Lord. She knows that this is the place to lay down her petitions, to lay down her requests, to lay down anything that would come between her and God. Lay it before Him and let Him deal with it.

Hannah came to the tabernacle. She is showing us to go to Christ. Go to Christ.

Hannah's prayer, verse 10, she was in bitterness of soul. You ever been around a bitter person? Yeah, Christians would be bitter. Hannah is a wonderful example of a safe person, and yet she's bitter about the situation she gets poked at every day. by that other wife. And we can get poked every day by other people. And what do we do about it? Let's just do what Hannah did. Let's go to Christ with that. She tells us there in verse 11, she wept sore. She's crying there before the tabernacle. She's crying in front of Eli. She's gone to church and she is serious. And here it tells us there in verse 11, and she vowed a vow and said, Lord of hosts.

Now we've run into that name of God quite a number of times here in the Old Testament. First time we found it was in this chapter, verse chapter one or verse two, first time this term is used. Now, if you ever want a meaning of it, go over to Daniel chapter Four, in the king's comment about the king, about the Lord, His power, that's the meaning of this. Lord of armies, He is the ruler of the army of heaven, the inhabitants of the earth. None can stay His hand or say what, do this, that. That's who she is approaching. She's not coming before a little God in her own mind, she's coming before the Lord God. It says, She vowed a vow and said, Lord of hosts, if thou wilt indeed look on the affliction of thy handmaid, if thou wilt.

Now, that's a passage that we find in other places in the Bible. Turn with me, if you would, over to the book of Matthew. The book of Matthew chapter 8. What a statement is made here by a leper. Matthew chapter 8, verse 1. Jesus come down from the mountain with a great many folks that followed him. Verse 1. And behold, there came a leper and worshipped him, saying, Lord, if thou wilt. Now, what is this he's bringing up? Thou canst make me clean. Now, he's not demanding it, but he is requesting, if you will. you can do this. Now this man has something been given to him by Almighty God that the normal average person born into this world does not have. And that is a knowledge about God, and God is in charge, and He is king, and He is ruler, and anything that happens, He has to be in charge of it.

If thou wilt, thou can make me clean. And Jesus put forth His hand and touched him, saying, I will. Be thou clean. And immediately his leprosy was cleansed." Now, this is the terminology that Hannah used, praying there before God.

Now, there's another place in the book of Matthew I want to look at, and this has to do with Peter. Would you turn with me to the book of Matthew chapter 17? Matthew chapter 17. This is when the Lord Jesus goes up onto the mountain. and is transfigured before his disciples, a few of them, not all of them. The Lord continuously shows us that he is the author of election. Even those that were his disciples, all of them, 12 of them, there was just a few that got to go up on this mount and see him transfigured.

Book of Matthew, chapter 17. And after six days, Jesus taketh Peter, James, and John, his brother, and bringeth them up into a high mountain apart, and was transfigured before them. And his face did shine as the sun, and his raiment was white as light. And behold, there appeared unto them Moses and Elias talking with him."

Now, one of the other places in the New Testament, one of the other gospels says about his demise, talking about his death, they are encouraging him. One of them was a prophet, one of them was in charge of the law, and they all agreed, this is the Christ. This is the Christ.

Now, look at verse four. I'd never noticed this before. Do you ever find verses that words are in it that you didn't recognize? The other day I was quoting a verse of scripture to myself and read it, and I said, I've been quoting this wrong all this time. And the word I was leaving out is so important, and don't ask me which verse it was. But look, notice this. Then answered Peter, and we're always after Peter, but notice what he had to say here. I've never included these words when I've talked about Peter on that mountain.

Lord, it is good for us to be here if thou wilt. He's not immediately ready to build some tabernacles there. Lord, if it is your purpose, if you want us to, if this is what you want us to do, we'll be glad to do this. Now, whether he should have said that or not, I'm not going to get involved in it. But I like what he had to say because he is saying what Anna had to say, and he is saying what that guy that had leprosy had to say, Lord, you're in charge of this. Whatever you want, Lord, if thou wilt, let us make here three tabernacles, one for thee, one for Moses, and one for Elias.

And while he spoke, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them, and behold, a voice out of the cloud which said, this is my beloved son in whom I am well pleased, hear ye him. So those guys are important, but this guy is important. The law was important, it was to show the church you cannot attain righteousness by your doings. The prophet, what is his prophecy? There is someone that is coming that will take care of this.

All right, so if thou wilt the Lord comments on this from from glory He's my beloved son and here whom I'm well pleased here ye him so the Lord of hosts if thou wilt

Let's go back for just a moment to the book of first Samuel chapter 1 verse 11 first Samuel chapter 1 verse 11 and it says here and she vowed a vow and said Oh Lord, Jehovah of armies, Jehovah of hosts, Lord of hosts. 1 Samuel 1 verse 11, Oh Lord of hosts, if thou will indeed look on the affliction of thy handmaid, I'm yours. And she recognized where this affliction had come from. And remember me and not forget thy handmaid. but will give unto thy handmaid a man child. Then will I give him unto the Lord all the days of his life, and he will be a Nazarite. And there shall no razor come upon his head.

And it came to pass, as she continued praying before the Lord, that Eli marked her mouth. Now, she's not praying out loud. You know, I was at a table the other day and someone mentioned prayer, and I says, closets where we should pray. That's where prayer takes place. That's where real conversation is. And it may be very short, but that's where we pray. Now it's not going into a room, that's not what the Lord is saying. He's saying alone prayers, not for show. He had a lot to do about those guys that stand on the corner and pray. He mentioned that. He said, that's not prayer. Enter your closet. Well, it may be many places that the Lord has given to us that we are in prayer quietly and silently, and that's what real prayer is.

She says here, I'll give him unto the Lord all the days of his life. It came to pass in verse 12, as she continued praying before the Lord that Eli marked her mouth, and he's going to accuse her of being drunk in church. Now Hannah, she spake in her heart, Only her lips moved, but her voice was not heard. Therefore Eli thought she had been drunken. Now we're going to leave it right there. And Lord willing, we'll pick this up next time.

The woman thought to be drunk in church. Thank you for joining us.