We will judge you if your sin is out loud. If we can see it, it's not. Yes, I murdered everybody. Don't judge me. See, it doesn't.
We know that. It's the kooky ones. We're so shocked by them daring to say that, we're almost alive. I don't have an answer for that. Only a really stupid person would have that kind of a defense.
Don't judge me. Well, I will judge you because you're hurting people. Could you imagine Panino saying, don't judge me? He's like, no, we will, sorry. And that's not mean.
It's the desire is to correct it. You're listening to Cross-Reference Radio with our pastor and teacher, Rick Gaston. Rick is the pastor of Calvary Chapel, Mechanicsville. Pastor Rick is currently teaching through the book of 1 Samuel. Please stay with us after today's message to hear more information about cross-reference radio, specifically how you can get a free copy of this teaching.
Today, Pastor Rick will continue teaching through the first chapter of 1 Samuel on this edition of Cross-Reference Radio. It says here, when she went up to the house of the Lord, that she provoked her. Here you go Going to church. It says it just like that. They went up to the house of the Lord.
I'm in verse 7. that she provoked her. Tormented by a church goer. for years. Panina never figured it out.
She didn't want to. It felt too good to hate on somebody, to be mean to them. It just felt too good to her flesh. There are some who believe that the house of God is a good place to make trouble. A good church will filter them out.
The people will do much of that. and probably more than the pastors. There are those that feel that a church is a place to criticize and to argue and to sow seeds of discord. And they seem to get away with it in so many circles.
Some people think they're just such great Christians because they're playing the con on them. Elkinah might have thought Penina was just a great wife-in-law. Because again, we never read of Hannah saying, he's going to ask, what's wrong with you? And she's not going to say, Panina, that's what's wrong with me. She doesn't do it.
One pastor from years ago said he had a threefold criteria. When I say years ago, like 200 years ago. Threefold criteria for a sermon. And Christians need to listen to this. I believe.
Or are you going to harden yourself up? And the pastor becomes the boogeyman, Does, when he prepares this sermon, does it exalt the Lord Jesus Christ?
Okay. Many Christians can accept that one. Does it humble the sinner? How many does it take out? And church is on a Sunday morning.
More likely a Sunday morning than a Wednesday evening or midweek study because Of course, on a Sunday morning, you have those who just not all of them, but you have a higher number of those who aren't as devout, as hungry. That's the word I want. As a rule, That's why Sunday service is handled differently. Three Does it promote holiness? Does it exalt the Lord?
Does it humble the sinner? Does it promote holiness? What a wonderful criteria. Is it appreciated? If he steps into the pulpit and he exalts the Lord.
And in giving the truth about the flesh, it humbles the sinner, not slays them. And does it End up with solutions towards holiness. Here's Panina, she's going to the temple, and none of these things are registering with her. She's enjoying, she's eating the sacrifices, she's playing the game. But she is vicious.
On the way to worship. She finds it acceptable to take opportunity to be cruel. She wasn't commanded to go to worship. But she wouldn't miss a chance. To pour the salt in, to twist the knife, she wouldn't miss a chance.
Therefore, it says here in verse 7. She wept and did not eat. That's Hannah. Sure, she's shoved into depression. How can she eat the things she wants so much and no appetite?
God is using Panina to create in Hannah a heart. That is going to be extraordinary. You don't get Hannah's prayer in chapter 2. by just having a wonderful life. It was squeezed out of her.
And we'll get to that, of course, at some point in 2020. But in verse 18, then Elkanah, her husband, said to her, Hannah, why do you weep? Why do you not eat? And why is your heart grieved? Am I not better to you than ten sons?
You see what he did? He's he's he's look. Is it me? Am I. What am I, what's wrong here?
He doesn't know what's happening. She's not ratted out the rat.
Okay, we should we show some love towards Panina.
Okay, done. It's not lovelessness towards her, it's her behavior we're focusing on, not the person, it's the behavior. If you think it's the person, then you're missing the points. Elkhaner her husband said to her, Why? These four rapid questions, no answer given.
She's trapped. She feels trapped. Why tell him? And it just makes things worse. He can't help this situation.
She's stuck. Her time at God's house was ruined. Insert a psi. Ah. Right there.
Real important. Because there are too many professed Christians who pulled this devil's stunt. to this day, and they have been doing it for ages. They seem to get away with it, too. Verse 9.
So Hannah rose after they had finished eating and drinking in Shiloh.
Now Eli the priest was sitting on the seat by the doorpost of the tabernacle of Yahweh.
Now, this pain she's feeling drives her to the house of God and it's going to cause her to pray fervently. Panina must have been in rare form this day. She must have hit all the nerves. And Hannah, just after a year, just at the end of herself. Verse 10.
And she was in bitterness of soul. and prayed to Yahweh and wept in anguish. She is boo-hooing. This is not a pretty sight in days before tissues. I mean, she's just a a a wreck.
It's intense, it's not fabricated. Ungranted prayer I have learned As much as I don't like it, It is not meaningless to God. In fact, I think it carries extra weight with him. To pray to God and not get what you really want. and a continued To serve him and seek him.
It's what Jesus taught us. Nevertheless, not my will, but your will be done.
Okay, I don't want to be crucified. But if I'm going to be crucified, in your will, then let's let's have it done. And that was what that so much comes out of that prayer. Verse 11. Then she made a vow and said, O Yahweh of hosts, if you will indeed look on the affliction of your maidservant and remember me, and not forget your maidservant.
but will give your maidservant a male child. Child. Then I will give him to Yahweh all the days of his life, and no razor shall come upon his head. She specifically asked for a male child. And this is, she's saying, I will give him back to you.
I would devote him to be devoted to you, which is exactly what ends up happening. And it is Elkanah doesn't know about this. Yet. And it's another Point for Elkinah because he can stop this when he does find out, but he supports her. He's just a great man.
And these little shots we get of him, you know, these little opportunities for him to be a creep. Or just to be kind of the bullheaded guy, maybe not that far to a creep. He's not. is very cooperative. He acts like he loves her.
Because he does. And so this prayer of hers, again, is being squeezed out. In verse 12, and it happened as she continued praying before Yahweh that Eli watched her mouth. The tabernacle for Hannah was a point of contact to God. During the week, when I'm in the building, I love coming into the sanctuary and praying.
I'll sit in one of the pews. And and just it's just it's it's It's isolated. It's different from a lot of places. And I would love to, I like to open the doors up to the sanctuary. I would love people to be able to come in and just sit and pray.
But people won't cooperate. They bring their dogs with them, they won't do that. They may try once. But you know, just we but still we would love to. And if somebody were to call and say, I'd like to come to the sanctuary and just sit for a while, and if they're if I was here, I w I would let them do that if if if I could.
And it here I so I can identify with this. Maybe you can too. On Sunday mornings, we we try to keep a sanctuary where you can just come in and sit for a while by yourself before the service starts. Not that This room is any closer to God than any other room. But We are still people and there are things that sometimes facilitate worship.
They don't always, they're not consistent, but they do from time to time. Anyway, here she speaks in verse 13.
Now, Hannah spoke in her heart, only her lips moved, but her voice was not heard. Therefore, Eli thought she was drunk. Intense but not inebriated. Others came with burnt offerings, and she shared in that. and she came with a broken heart.
Contrite heart, broken Lord. Why? What am I doing? You know how many times she had to ask herself. What have I done?
to bring this on me. and to which God would say nothing. Nothing, because if you, Hannah, did something to bring this on you, there are a lot of Panina was in line first. I should be really slamming Panina. It doesn't work that way all the time.
She doesn't rebuke God in her prayers. Eli the priest, he lacks discernment. Because he lacked obedience. He refused to deal with his thug sons who were priests. All he had to do was fire them.
All he had to do is say, don't come back to the temple. He doesn't. And God, of course, we know the story. God's going to deal with Eli on that. His sons routinely sinned, and he routinely looked the other way.
And their sins were large, they were not little sins. They were big. And so we link his lack of discernment with his lack of obedience.
Now, this praying on her part with her lips moving in passion like this, and words not coming out, sobs mingled in. It's not a license to be nutty. She was praying fervently, not uncontrollably. She was praying fervently, not ridiculously. She was laying out her heart before the Lord.
She was pouring it all out. Eli was either not used to seeing a woman pray so fervently. or he was used to seeing women drunk at the temple, Or he was just totally, just had no discernment whatsoever, or a combination of the three. In verse 14, so Eli said to her, How long will you be drunk? Put your wine away from you.
You have to pause here and say Uh cough coffee lie. What about that plank in your eye? What about your sons? You're turning on this woman. You're calling for her to be moral.
What about your sons? Proverbs 29, 20, Do you see a man hasty in his words? There is more hope for a fool than him.
So he's quick to rebuke innocent Hannah while she's praying, ignoring his wicked sons. Matthew 7, verse 5: Hypocrite, first remove the plank from your own eye, then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother's eye.
Now, this does not mean that only perfect people can correct imperfect people. But it does mean That when you conveniently excuse your sins as though they don't exist. And the other person's sins becomes the focal point. And now you have a plank sticking in your eye, trying to remove Comparatively under those Terms a speck from someone else's eye. Those who are guilty, who try to say, Don't judge me, it doesn't work that way.
We will judge you if your sin is out loud, if we can see it. Yes, I murdered everybody. Don't judge me. See, it doesn't, we know that. It's the kooky ones.
We're so shocked by them daring to say that, we almost, I don't have an answer for that. Only a really stupid person would have that kind of a defense. Don't judge me. Well, I will judge you because you're hurting people Could you imagine Panino saying, don't judge me? He's like, no, we will.
Sorry. And that's not mean. It's the desire is to correct it. Parents, what would you do if your child just blatantly disobeyed you? You said, Don't judge me.
I know what I do. Yes, I'm not. Yeah. 34 waist. Belt size.
Anyway. Um Oh, oh, sorry, 32. Yeah. But Hannah answered and said verse 15, no my Lord. I am a woman of sorrowful spirit.
I have drunk neither wine nor intoxicating drink, but have poured out my soul before Yahweh. She's courteous and she's firm. She's already had enough of being judged, dealt with with Panina. She's standing up to him, but she's doing it very respectfully. The last place.
She would have presumed to be attacked as in the house of God by the priest. And here he is criticizing her, accusing her of being a worthless woman, a demonic woman. There's a very strong language he uses against her. A woman of Belial. That's what he is saying.
She just can't catch a break. I have drunk neither wine nor intoxicating drink. You know, the apostles were in their praise of God, they were accused, these men are drunk on the day of Pentecost. And of course, Peter stands up. Come on, it's nine o'clock in the morning.
You don't even do that. Stop charging us with this. But have poured out my soul before Yahweh. There's nothing left, she's saying. Verse 16, Do not consider your maidservant a wicked woman, that daughter of Belial.
It's a very powerful word there in the Hebrew. For out of the abundance of my complaint, and grief I have spoken until now.
So, out of the abundance of my complaint, being falsely accused, being incessantly attacked, now being called drunk and worthless, When does it stop, Lord? It's going to stop soon now. Verse 17: Then Eli answered and said, Go in peace. And God Of Israel, grant your petition. which you have asked him.
The colloquial way would be, oop, my bad. Yeah. I know I feel goofy even saying it, but it's what it is. Uh he so Eli he Both of his requests are granted by God incidentally. Go in peace.
She's going to go in peace. We'll read that in a moment. And God is going to grant her petition. But he again, he's still a spiritual underachiever. And it's These kind of moves You know, the lack of discernment, and then all of a sudden, this reversal and this blessing that God answers.
He could have been a great man in Israel. Or at least he could not have would not have had the The end that he gets. Samuel's first sermon. Is going to be against Eli and is going to be brutal. But Eli takes it in stride.
Verse 18, and she said, Let your maidservant find favor in your sight.
So the woman went her way and ate, and her face was no longer sad.
So now she's got peace just like that. She left the house of God stronger than when she came in this time.
So many other times she came to God's house looking for hope. She got nothing. More grief, more sorrow, more attacks. This day was different. What would have happened if she gave up a long time ago?
I'm not going this year, you go. The men have to go, I don't have to go. Ab, you just give me a break from Panina. No, she doesn't. She keeps going.
In verse 19 And they rose early in the morning and worshipped before Yahweh and returned and came to their house in Ramah. And Elkanah knew Hannah his wife, and the LORD remembered her. And so church before traveling. Doesn't that stand out? Look at the first clause at verse 19.
And they rose early in the morning and worshiped before Yahweh. I mean, those are the kind of things you look for, and a man like Elkanah is doing them.
So many other men in Scripture aren't.
Some are.
Some are not. Rama is a short shortened name for Ramathian Zofim.
Sounds like a drug. What did your doctor give you? Ramathium Zofen. And I'm feeling pretty good right now.
So Yahweh remembered her. That means he turns his attention on her now, and things are changing. He's now going to start answering her prayers. Verse 20.
So it came to pass in the process of time, Hannah. Conceived and bore a son, called his name Samuel, saying, Because I have asked for him from the Lord. Samuel means answered prayer. That's the shortened what it means. And that's the idea behind it.
And for years, he threatened to be the child who was not going to be. And there he is. He's on the scene now, and this is nice. Verse 21.
Now the man Elkanah and all his house went up to offer. To Yahweh, the yearly sacrifice, and his vow. We pause there. We see him again every time we see this guy, it has something to do with worship. He's um Yeah, I I don't expect any of you moms to start naming your boys Elkanah.
But it's good to remember he's not a bad guy. Verse 22, but Hannah did not go up. For she said to her husband, Not until the child is weaned. Then I will take him. that he may appear before Yahweh and remained there for ever.
Uh She doesn't we don't read of her gloating. Panina, what I got here? Baby? Yeah, a baby. Yeah.
She doesn't do that. Perhaps he's three years old. We know this from 2 Chronicles 31. Besides those males from three years old and up who were written in the genealogy, They distributed to everyone who entered the house of Yahweh his daily portion for the work of his service by his division.
So that might be a sort of an indication when they're three, they're weaned, and he may have been. that young. Certainly not younger. Um Verse 23, so Elkanah her husband said to her, Do what seems best to you. Wait until you have weaned him, only let Yahweh establish his word.
Then the woman stayed with her nurse, stayed and nursed her son until she had weaned him.
So there's Elkanah again. Fine. That's what he just trusts her judgment. She is a Proverbs 31 woman, and he is the man in the Proverbs 31 that says, you know, he just trusts his wife with this thing. It's it's hard, I know, life is hard sometimes.
You come to the Bible and we hold up the ideal. And we say, I try to be like Elkanah, I try to be like David, and I fail. And the women may look at the female guy, I try to be like Naomi, and it is hard. But it's that continued effort that makes the difference and wins the day.
Well, uh anyway he Makes good on the vow. He could have stopped it, and he does not. Verse 24.
Now, when she had weaned him, she took him up with her. with three bowls. One efoth of flour, a skin of wine, And brought him to the house of Yahweh in Shiloh and the child. was young. She also brought free Wi-Fi service for all the priests.
Okay. She's bringing a lot of stuff, which again tells us Elkanah was pretty well to do. Um Imagine you taking your baby up to the establishment. Here you go. What kind of trust in God does this woman have?
I can't, I mean, she just was something that was intense with her. And it never diminished. Even after the child was given, she didn't say, oh, never mind, God. Nature took its course. She doesn't do that.
She knows this is the Lord is all over this. She will have other children. Verse 25. Then they slaughtered a bull and brought the child to Eli.
Now it tells us, I don't know what verse it was in, that Eli. Three three bulls were brought. But here it is singular, and the idea may be that he may have. brought a three-year-old Bull, or he brought three bulls. If he brought three, he's very wealthy, it doesn't matter that he brought a One bull indicates he had money, he could have brought a lamb or, you know.
turtle dove or something.
So um Here's a well-to-do man like Boaz who knows how to behave. Wealth is no excuse for unrighteousness because there are men who have wealth and they remain righteous. Even though money is a root, Uh those men know how to chop that root out. And the child was young. Verse 26: We better hurry up before the children's workers riot.
And she said, Oh, my Lord, as your soul lives, my Lord, I am the woman who stood by you here praying to Yahweh. For this child I prayed. And Yahweh has granted me my petition which I ask of him. Vivid. It was right here in this spot.
That's what she tells him. Look at verse 26 again. I am the woman who stood by you here praying to Yahweh. She never forgot that spot. And she's holding it up now.
You might not remember. But it is so real to me. I wrestled for this child and I prevailed. And man, because you just, it's just a powerful moment. that the words can't really get it out for us.
She said, I petitioned God, and you were here witness to that. Verse 28. Therefore I also have lent him to Yahweh. As long as he lives, he shall be lent to Yahweh.
So they worshipped. Yahweh there. That word Lent of course How do you loan something forever? Not a loan, it's a gift then. But that's not the idea.
It is I have yielded. I'm yielding, I'm making good on this.
So it says, so they worshiped Yahweh there. Again, the parents, it closes this section with them worshiping. It started off with them worshiping. The birth of a prophet. It's God's reminder that God is at work.
That's what's going on here. This is the family Samuel was born into. What's he going to do with it? What's he gonna do? Remember Samson.
He had solid parents too. What did he do with it? The question is for all of us. You know, if you're born into a solid family, What you can do? It's not automatic.
If you think it, I'll tell you what's automatic: Satan attacking you. That's what's automatic. You being righteous, it's not automatic. It takes hard work and endurance, which takes guts and desire. Two Have love.
Uh Thanks for joining us for today's edition of Cross-Reference Radio. This is the daily radio ministry of Pastor Rick Gaston of Calvary Chapel, Mechanicsville, in Virginia. Currently, Pastor Rick is in the book of 1 Samuel. If you'd like to listen again to this or other messages or share it with someone you know, please visit Crossreference Radio.com. Here, you can also listen to interviews with Pastor Rick to learn more about his life and ministry.
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