1 Samuel tonight as we get into the study of this great and glorious book that covers so many very valuable, very important, blessed things in this book of 1 Samuel. And we're going to read a few verses here in 1 Samuel, and then we want to make some comments as the Lord opens the doors for them. Every verse is full for these verses of Scripture, particularly when we get up into Samuel's birth and Hannah's great prayer that she gives. It's just so much in those passages of Scripture.

But it tells us in 1 Samuel, chapter 1, verse 1, Now there was a certain man of Ramethim Zolphim of Mount Ephraim, and his name was Elkanah. the son of Jerahom, the son of Elihu, the son of Tohu, the son of Zuf and Ephraim. And he had two wives. The name of the one was Hannah. The name of the other was Penanna. And Penanna had children, but Hannah had no children. And this man went out of his city yearly to worship and to sacrifice unto the Lord of Hosts in Shiloh. And the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, the priests of the Lord, were there. And when the time was that Elkinah offered, he gave unto Hananah his wife and all her sons and their daughters' portions. But unto Hannah he gave a worthy portion, for he loved Hannah, but the Lord had shut up her womb, and her adversary also provoked her sore. for it made her fret because the Lord had shut up her womb. And as he did so year by year, when he went up to the house of the Lord, so she provoked her. Therefore, she wept and did not eat.

Well, we're going to stop there for now and pick up a few of these verses of scripture that we've already looked at here. And one of the thoughts that come right to me is the description that we have in verse one could only mean one person in all the world. He gives us his ancestry, gives us his name, gives us where he's from, and all of those important vital facts about him, but it identifies him as an individual. And in fact, we find that it was given to us that he is a certain man, a certain man. Now we have the name of this certain man, and many times, and we'll look at a couple other verses of scripture, many times we don't have names when it says a certain man or a certain woman. Here we do. Once in a while we find that the person is identified. There's a certain man. And this word certain carries with it the meaning of one person. In fact, most of the time that this particular word is translated in the Old Testament, it is the word O-N-E, one. But as we look at it from this standpoint, we find out that eight times it's mentioned as certain. And that word carries with it the meaning of one person, an individual alone, separated from all the rest. This is the sovereign way of the sovereign king, one out of many.

Now, we remember many times, but one of them that came to my mind is over in the book of John chapter 5. If you join me in John chapter 5, here again we use this, we find this word certain, and it's so important here that we notice that out of all there is one that the Lord deals with and that's found here in John chapter 5 and we're going to start reading with verse 1. In John chapter 5 and verse 1 we find here about the Lord being in the right place at the right time according to his eternal purpose And there is a certain man, and there is one certain man out of many individuals. Now many individuals have a problem, health issues. And there is a certain man that the Lord goes to talk to. Now this certain man doesn't necessarily just catch the Lord's eye and he says, I think I'll deal with this. This goes before the foundation of the world, goes before time that he purposed to do what we read he's going to do. and has done.

So in John chapter five, verse one, it says, after this, there was a feast of the Jews and Jesus went up to Jerusalem. Now he had a purpose ongoing. We're gonna find out part of what that purpose is as we read further.

Now there is at Jerusalem by the sheep market, a pool, which is called in the Hebrew tongue Bethesda, having five porches. And in, In these lay a great multitude," now underline that, in your mind at least, it is a great multitude. It does not tell us how many, but it is a great multitude of impotent folk. There's a lot of people here that have health issues. This is the place that they feel that if they get into the water first, after the angel stirs the water, and I'm not going to get into a discussion about whether that actually happened. I just think that it probably did. I'm foolish enough to just believe the word on that.

But anyway, it goes on and says, there was a great multitude of impotent folk. A blind halt withered, waiting for the moving of the water. For an angel went down at a certain season into the pool and troubled the water. Whosoever then first after the troubling of the water stepped in was made whole of whatsoever disease he had."

Notice verse five with me. and a certain man was there." Now, I think it's so valuable to contrast the verse that says, there was a multitude. of impotent folk, multitude of sick folk. And out of all that multitude, we have a certain man. Now this certain man is the man that the Lord Jesus Christ is gonna deal with, and this is the only man that Jesus Christ is gonna deal with there. And we kind of look at that as we go back to the book of 1 Samuel, what a value it was for God to deal with a certain man. It doesn't take us long in reading 1 Samuel or the judges to find out what the conditions were in Israel at that time. So if God would be pleased to call out a certain man, then we're gonna have a very special gracious opportunity for that individual.

Well, let's read on here. It says, a certain man was there, which had an infirmity 38 years. When Jesus saw him lie and knew that he had been now a long time in that case, he said unto him, wilt thou be made whole? Now the man answers in the only way he can. You know, sometimes we think that people could answer in a more spiritual way, but it's an impossibility. Unless we've had the gospel revealed unto us, there's nothing that we can grasp that's spiritual. We may say we believe the Bible and we believe all the Bible and everything about the Bible, but it is so difficult. There's nothing there that we can grasp or understand from the spiritual context.

So it says, the impotent man answered him, sir, I have no man. When the water is troubled, to put me into the pool. But while I am coming, another steppeth down before me. Jesus saith unto him, Rise, take up thy bed, and walk. And immediately the man was made whole, and stood up his bed, and walked. And on the same day was the Sabbath.

Now here we have that very special term that was used. We find it with regard to Hannah's husband, a certain man. Here we have a certain man among a multitude of people that the Lord Jesus Christ healed. Now we have no other record on this day that Jesus did anything for anybody else. But this man left rejoicing. He was healed instantly. God, the Holy Spirit, God the Son, and God the Father, they all spoke upon, or came upon him, and he immediately was made whole. God healed him from his problem. God knew all about his problem, ever since he had the problem, and even before he had the problem, before he was born. God knew about this, and God purposed to do something about it.

Back up one chapter, if you would, in the book of John, John chapter four, John chapter four, there in verse 46, and let us read again about this word, certain. It's so important when we find it in the scriptures, how that God chooses out of many a one. Here it tells us in the book of John chapter four, verse 46, So Jesus came again into Canaan of Galilee where he made the water wine. And there was a certain noble man whose son was sick at Capernaum. And when he heard that Jesus was come out of Galilee, or excuse me, out of Judea into Galilee, he went into him and besought him that he would come down and heal his son for he was at the point of death. And we could read the rest of that. But here we have, again, there was a certain man, no name is mentioned, but the very important relationship that God had with this certain man.

You know, even Lazarus is called by that word. Over in the book of John 11, in John 11, we read this about Lazarus. Here in this passage of scripture, we have that his name, John chapter 11, and there in verse one, it says, now a certain man was sick named Lazarus. John chapter 11, verse one, of Bethany, the town of Mary and her sister Martha. Now we know the rest of the story and we know that the Lord Jesus Christ went to that town and he raised Lazarus from the physical dead, making a picture for us of how important it is that only God can raise anybody from the spiritual dead.

But it's a certain man. God never intended to heal everybody. If he had a, he had great opportunity at Bethesda and he only healed one man. There were many that were sick in the time of Lazarus. In fact, by the time he got there, there's many dead people in the grave when Jesus Christ was upon this earth. And we find there was one man called out of the tomb. His name was Lazarus. We recognize that the scriptures teaches that there were two other people, but they had not been buried yet. This man had been buried.

So a certain man, you know, as we think about this, this certain man, this description of this man, as it's listed there in the book of 1 Samuel 1, the different ways that God gives to us who this certain man was, where he's from, his parents, grandparents, great-grandparents, and so forth, and last week we went over to the Book of First Chronicles, and we read there about him as they could trace his line clear back to Abraham. But Korah was right there in the way, and all of Korah's family except the sons, it appears, was taken down into the pit. So this man is a demonstration of God's great grace in delivering him to this point.

It could be said that every person in the world may have this same kind of statement made about them. They are individuals. They are certain in many ways. They have different places of birth. They have different parents. Just like we find that this man, Samuel's dad, had. They're certain they have this with regards to where they are, which province, which country, and so forth. And what makes all the difference to the church is this tagline added to every one of those lists of things that make us individuals. in Christ before the foundation of the world. Now that's the first thing that could be listed with regard to the church. They're in Christ before the foundation of the world.

All right, now, this one's gonna be born in Lakeview, Oregon, to a couple that have a little farm. And I got to grow up as a Californian. and the rest of the story. We find that how God deals with it, he dealt with this person, he dealt with Elkina, he dealt with me, but the blessed part of it is this part of that very special relationship in Christ before the foundation of the world.

There is therefore now no condemnation to them that are in Christ. And then we read that in Christ, we are a new creation in Christ Jesus. So what a blessed position that is. And we read about Samuel's father having that position.

Now, as we go back over here, we find in the book of, well, turn with me, if you would, to the book of Revelation for just a moment. There is another great identifying list made here in the book of Revelation. I think it's chapter one. As we find that list with regard to Elkina, here in the book of Revelation chapter one, and in verse 12, as we find John has been called on to write this great revelation of Jesus Christ.

Revelation chapter 1 and verse 12 and I turned to see the voice that spake with me and being turned I saw seven golden candlesticks and in the midst of the seven candlesticks one like unto the Son of Man. Now when we read down through here there's only one in all the universe that can fulfill every one of these qualifications or descriptions. One like the son of man, clothed with a garment down to the foot, gird about the paps with a golden girdle, His head and his hairs were white like wool, as white as snow, and his eyes were as a flame of fire, his feet like undefined brass, as if they burned in a furnace, and his voice was as the sound of many waters.

And he had in his right hand seven stars, and out of his mouth went a sharp two-edged sword, and his countenance was like as the sun shineth in his dreams. Who is this? In this description there is only one that this description ever has fit. No man could come up to this that's described here. Only God the Son. Only Jesus Christ. And what a beautiful picture we have. A beautiful description of Him.

Now to Elkina over there in the Old Testament, for him to go and say, well, I am Elkina, my father was this person, my grandfather was this person, I live at this place, and I'm going down to Shiloh to worship. So he's given a description of his person. Here we have this description of our Savior, the Lord Jesus, and nobody could fill Elkina's place, and no one could fill your place, and no one could fill the Lord Jesus Christ's place. The description is so clear and so descriptive as it goes on here.

Now, it tells us that this man had two wives and a lot of the commentaries that I read says, oh my, asking for trouble. We're going to skip that for right now and go to verse three. And this man went up out of his city yearly to worship and to sacrifice unto the Lord of Hosts in Shiloh. Now it's interesting that this is the first time in the Bible that this particular name of God is used. Now we found it when we were studying in other places in the Old Testament and the name is the Lord of Hosts or Jehovah Sabaoth, which means the Lord of armies, the Lord of hosts. This is a powerful biblical title of God, meaning the Lord of all armies. Heavenly hosts, angels in all creation, signifying his supreme sovereign power over all things and that he is God's divine warrior and protector of his people.

Now when this word is used, this name is used by Elkina or by in this passage of scripture, he is going up to Shiloh to worship this one. Now we have to say he's worshiping the right God. And the only way he could be worshiping the right God is this right God was revealed to him. We have him going up to a place of worship.

Now we're going to look at Shiloh in just a minute, but let's look at this title that was mentioned here for the first time in the Bible. Now we're going to find it many, many times from here to the end of the book of Malachi many times. I think when we were in the book of Zechariah we found that there was like 18 times in that single book alone this title is used. And it's sharing with us that the one who is dealing with natural man and dealing with man and dealing with the church is the Lord God Almighty. This is not a Baal. This is not some golden God or silver God or stone God. This is the God of heaven. This is the God that rules over all things.

This title emphasizes God's rule over all spiritual and earthly forces. The armies of heaven. The inhabitants of the earth. And you know where that came from. Daniel chapter four. As bad as the situation was in Israel, God revealed himself as the Lord of hosts to these two at least. I'm not so sure about his first wife. She's a mean lady. She's just mean. She reminds me of that servant woman that Abraham had a child by. And you know, when we get to the book of Galatians, we find out that her son is a picture of unbelievers today persecuting believers. And Paul was used to write, and that's happening right now. So I think that we have here a picture of that.

Here is Hannah, a humble, sweet lady, loves the Lord. She doesn't get upset when she is even in church and accused of being a drunk. She doesn't throw it up in the preacher's face. She just says, no, I'm not drunk. and explains what's going on, and we'll get there in time.

This title of Lord of Hosts emphasizes God's rule over all spiritual and earthly forces. He's the commander of the armies. refers to the mass assemblies of armies, including all celestial beings. I'm reminded what the Lord had to say when they were trying to convince him not to go to the cross. He said, you know, I could call 12 legions of angels. They were at his disposal. And yet, no, this is my purpose in doing this.

Would you travel with me over to the book of Daniel chapter four? Daniel chapter four is a wonderful illustration of what we mean by Lord of hosts, because in this verse of scripture, we find that word army is mentioned. Daniel chapter 4, verse 34, we read this about the Lord of Hosts. Now, he's not called that in this passage, but he certainly is illustrated in this passage as the Lord of Hosts. It tells us here in the book of Daniel chapter 4, beginning with verse 34, it says, at the end of days, I, Nebuchadnezzar, lifted up my eyes unto heaven. Now, forgive me if I read this last week, but I'll probably read it next time too. This is so powerful about the God, the Lord of hosts, Lord of armies, Lord Sabaoth, Jehovah Sabaoth. It tells us there in Daniel 4, verse 34, it says, I bless the Most High, I praise and honor Him that liveth forever, whose dominion is an everlasting dominion, and His kingdom is from generation to generation. And all the inhabitants of the earth are reputed as nothing. And he doeth according to his will in the army of heaven and among the inhabitants of the earth. He does his will among the army of heaven. He is Lord of armies.

Now, if he has control over the armies of heaven, the army of heaven, there is no question that he has control over this earth. Those are celestial beings. We are not. We are human. They are a special creation. And it says he is in charge of them. And it goes on to tell us the army of heaven and then among the inhabitants of the earth and none can stay his hand or say unto him, what doest thou? So he has absolute control. He has absolute command.

And isn't it a blessing that this is the one that this family went down to Shiloh to worship. the Lord of hosts, the Lord of armies. Now, to our great comfort, we find out the Lord of hosts is our Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ. And this is brought out over again in the book of Revelation chapter 19. Would you turn there with me?

In Revelation chapter 19, it is so comforting to find out that Jesus is identified by this title, that the Lord of Hosts in the Old Testament speaks directly about the great power of our Savior, the Lord Jesus, that he has absolute control over all things. Nothing went by him that he did not purpose. He made no mistakes. Everyone did exactly as they were supposed to. They met at the proper place. Everyone said the thing that God purposed them to say. And the Lord Jesus Christ answered them as God alone could answer them. He is Lord of hosts.

And that's who this family, among all the families of Israel, and by and large, most of them stayed home. Very few of them went down to Shiloh to worship. This is the only one that we have knowledge of at this time. Now we can go back into the book of Judges and find out that there were a few in the book of Judges that worshiped the Lord God Almighty, the Lord of hosts.

Well, here in the book of Revelation chapter 19, beginning with verse 11, Revelation chapter 19 and verse 11, and I saw heaven opened and behold a white horse. He that sat upon him was called faithful and true. Now there's only one that fulfills those words. Out of all the words that could be used, only one fulfills those words. And in righteousness he doth judge and make war. I'm so thankful that his battles, he has chosen his battles well, and every battle that he goes into battle over is a victory. And when it comes to saving his people from their sin, it is going to be an absolute victory. He will lose none.

All right, it goes on here. It tells us here in Revelation chapter 19 verse 12, his eyes were as a flame of fire, his head were many crowns, and he had a name written that no man knew but he himself. And he was clothed with a vesture dipped in blood, and his name is called the Word Well, that just takes us right back over to the Old Testament where, who is this that cometh from Eden with dyed garments from Basra? Who is this? And it goes on to say, the one that's mighty to save.

All right, now look at this. In verse 14, and the armies which were in heaven followed him. upon white horses, clothed in fine linen, white and clean. What does the Lord of hosts mean? Lord of armies. And these armies follow Him. The armies of heaven follow Him, as we read there in verse 14. And out of His mouth goeth a sharp sword, that with it he should smite the nations. How does he smite the nations with that sharp sword? That's the word of God. The sharp sword is the word of God. He is Lord of hosts. And his sword is so specific. It goes to exactly where he intends for that sword of the word to go to. And he treadeth the winepress of the fierceness of the wrath of almighty God. and he hath on his vesture and on his thigh a name written, King of Kings and Lord of Lords."

We could say without reservation that when this family went down to Shiloh to worship, they're worshiping this God, the Lord God Almighty. They're worshiping Messiah. They're worshiping the Lord of hosts. That's who is their worship.

Now, as we go back over there to the book of 1 Samuel, we find out that they go to a specific place over here. A specific place. There in the book of 1 Samuel chapter 1. 1 Samuel chapter 1. Now this man, a certain man, has these different statements made about him. Nobody else could fulfill this that he has fulfilled. Nobody else has this name. Now they may have his name, but they don't have his pedigree. They don't have where he lives. and they don't have his purpose in mind.

So as we look at this in 1 Samuel 1, it tells us here in verse 3, this man went up out of his city yearly to worship and to sacrifice unto the Lord of hosts. Now at this time, to worship the Lord of hosts meant you had some animal sacrifice. But it's only pictorial, it's only typical. when they're worshiping the Lord of hosts, they're worshiping the Lord of hosts with their spirit. They have been quickened. They have this knowledge about him. And it tells us here that they went up to Shiloh.

Now, Shiloh is a very interesting place. We're gonna find out several verses of scripture that share with us about Shiloh and about how valuable it was that this be the particular place where they would worship. In the book of Judges, excuse me, the book of Joshua, excuse me, go to the book of Joshua, if you would, Joshua chapter 18. In Joshua chapter 18, we read about this place. We read about this place. Now this place is named after a person. We're gonna read about that in just a moment.

But in the book of Joshua chapter 18, Joshua chapter 18 and there in verse 1 the children of Israel have conquered the land They have a tabernacle and it's going to be quite a number of years before that tabernacle is going to be put into disuse and the parts of that tabernacle that are in the Holy of Holies are going to be placed into a temple, a permanent place in Jerusalem, City of Peace.

Well, Shiloh is here and it tells us here in Joshua chapter 18 and verse 1, And the whole congregation of the children of Israel assembled together at Shiloh and set up the tabernacle of the congregation there. Now we know that the whole assembly did not participate in putting up that tabernacle. It was very specifically given to the tribe of Levi and the parts, the different things that went on were given to different parts of the tribe of Levi. Some took care of the carriage of it over there. Some took care of this part of it, and some took care of that part of it, and you can go over to the book of Numbers and Leviticus and find out what parts they had to do.

Well, here we find that in Shiloh, in Joshua chapter 18, verse one, it says, they set up the tabernacle of the congregation there, and the land was subdued before them. They assembled together at Shiloh, a specific place that God had given to them to set up the tabernacle, and it was going to be there for quite a while. There's going to be some time between here, Joshua, and David, or Solomon, when the temple was built. All right, move ahead one chapter, Joshua chapter 19.

In Joshua chapter 19, verse 51, Now this word Shiloh means a place of rest. Shiloh means a place of rest. Isn't it wonderful to travel up from your city and go to a place of rest? And there worship the Lord of hosts, the Lord of armies, the sovereign king of all things, the creator of heaven and earth, worship Him in spirit and in truth, to know Him intimately in our soul, to have faith given to us by Him so that we could come and be at peace and at rest at Shiloh.

Well, here in the book of Joshua chapter 19 and verse 51, we have this record given to us, Joshua chapter 19 and verse 51. And these are the inheritance which Eliezer the priest, and Joshua the son of Nun, and the heads of the fathers of the tribes of children of Israel, divided for an inheritance by lot in Shiloh before the Lord. So this whole division of the property there was taking place at Shiloh before the Lord at the tabernacle. It goes on to say, at the door of the tabernacle of the congregation. So they made an end of dividing the country. How important it is to see this, that the Lord was overseeing all of this. That it wasn't just a group of men over here deciding we're gonna take a line of demarcation like they did with Portugal and the rest of South America. But here we have God authorizing everything that is going on there.

Now, there is a prophecy made in the book of Genesis that just makes this come alive, and it's found in Genesis chapter 49. Would you turn with me to the book of Genesis? The place Shiloh means a place of rest. A place of rest. And here, the mercy seat came to a rest. Here, all of the labors, all of the the altars, all of those things came to a rest and it was set up there after travel for 38 years in the wilderness, brought across the Jordan River, brought into the promised land, set up at Shiloh, and now there's a reflection on this over in the book of Genesis chapter 49.

In Genesis chapter 49 verse 10. Now it's an interesting thing that this great patriarch was able to do He was able to look at his sons and say, this is what's going to happen in your lives. Well, this one verse, Genesis chapter 49 and verse 10, it says here, the scepter shall not depart. Now let's back up. Judah is a lion's wealth. Read over the book of Revelation. Our savior is the lion of the tribe of Judah. From the prey, my son, thou art gone up. He stooped down, he couched as a lion, as an old lion, who shall rouse him up. The scepter shall not depart from Judah, nor a lawgiver from between his feet until. Now this is a person, this isn't a place. When this family went up to Shiloh to worship, they went to a place that's symbolic of a person. Here it tells us, until Shiloh come and until him shall the gathering of the people be. So we're talking about a person here. We're having someone down the line that's brought up in this passage of scripture and his name is Shiloh or a place of rest.

Now, In Hebrews chapter 4, turn there with me, rest is found only in the finished work of Christ. That's the only place that we find true rest, is in the finished work of Christ. Much is said about Shiloh when we speak of rest. When we speak of rest, when we speak of Shiloh, we're speaking about the rest that is given us in Christ Jesus. And here in the book of Hebrews chapter four, we read about this great subject of Shiloh or rest, a place of rest. And it is mentioned here, Hebrews chapter four, I wanna begin reading with verse eight. and read just a few verses here, Hebrews chapter four, verse eight.

Just think about a certain man with his family, traveled up to Shiloh to worship the Lord of hosts. And you know that's where we get to worship. The Lord of hosts is at this place of rest. God has given us rest.

In the book of Hebrews chapter four, verse eight, For if Jesus, now that should have been translated Joshua. And you probably have that note. If Jesus had given them rest, it should be Joshua. If Joshua had been able to give them rest, then would he not afterward have spoken of another day? If he could have done it, there's no need for him to talk about another day.

There remaineth therefore a rest to the people of God. For he that is entered into his rest, he also has ceased from his own works as God did from his. That's one of the key things about this place of rest. When God saves us and brings us to this place of rest, we cease from our works.

And we have a great illustrator about this. Go back to Genesis and read that he rested the seventh day. That's not because he was tired, but he left to us a wonderful picture that when the work was done, he rested. When Jesus Christ went to the cross and finished the work, it is our place to rest. We cease from our works as God did from his.

Let us labor, therefore, to enter into that rest, lest any man should fall after the same example of unbelief. For the word of God is quick and powerful and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.

Now notice verse nine there one more time. There remaineth therefore a rest. a place of rest to the people of God. And that place of rest is Shiloh. And that Shiloh is Jesus Christ, the righteous. So we have the ability given to us by God Almighty to go up to Shiloh and worship the Lord of hosts.

Let's go back over here to the book of 1 Samuel for just a moment. We do want to notice there was a certain man and his two wives and his first wife's children went up there. We don't have their names. We have her name and we have Anna's name. But it is a very limited group of people that are going to go up there.

How many times Eli is visited by people coming up to Shiloh to worship the Lord, the host? He may have been able to count it on one hand, maybe less, I don't know. But there was not that many people went up there. We have a certain man going up there with his two wives and his children. And they go up there, it tells us in verse three, and this man went up out of his city yearly to worship and to sacrifice unto the Lord of Hosts in Shiloh. the Lord of armies, the Lord Jehovah Saba in Shiloh, a place of rest.

So we have this place of rest. We have this Lord of hosts, the armies of heaven follow him. He does his will in the army of heaven among the inhabitants of the earth and none can stay his hand or say what do us so. What does he do for those whose first note about them in Christ before the foundation of the world? He makes sure they hear the good news of a place to rest and that place of rest is in charge by the Lord of hosts, a true, great, glorious savior of his people that will not let go. It's no wonder he could say to his children, to his sheep, I will lose none of them. Why? He has great power. He has the power of heaven that remains now. this place of rest.

For he that is entered into rest, he also hath ceased from his own works as God did from his." If we have to continue working to keep where we are, then we have not been to Shiloh. When we've been to Shiloh, we rest. We'll stop there for tonight and the seventh day of January, Lord willing, we'll pick this up and go on.