Sermon Tone Analysis

1 Samuel 1:1-2:11

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Stephen Caswell © 2000

Mother

 

Countless times each day a mother does what no one else can do quite as well.

She wipes away a tear, whispers a word of hope, eases a child's fear.

She teaches, ministers, loves, and nurtures the next generation of citizens.

And she challenges and cajoles her kids to do their best and be the best.

But no editorials praise these accomplishments-where is the coverage our mothers rightfully deserve?

/- James C. Dobson/

 

/Ÿ  /Let your home be your parish, your little brood your congregation, your living room a sanctuary, and your knee a sacred altar.

/- Billy Graham (1918- ) /

/Ÿ  /Motherhood is the greatest privilege of life.

/-  May R. Coker /

Ÿ  No gift to your mother can ever equal her gift to you - life.

/Ÿ  /No man is poor who has had a godly mother.

/- Abraham Lincoln (1809-1865) /

 

Introduction

 

Today is Mothers' Day and it would be wrong for me not to take the opportunity to speak about motherhood.

Motherhood today is regarded in many quarters as nothing more than slavery.

The media often presents motherhood as the role of ladies who accept second best for their life.

The Bible nowhere teaches such things.

The role of a mother in the home is very important.

Millions of children today are crying out for their mothers love and attention.

But their cries fall on deaf ears as their mothers work at furthering their career.

The mother I would like to look at today is Hannah.

The story we will look at this morning reveals 4 phases that Hannah went through in fulfilling her dreams.

I.

Barren               II.

Broken               III.

Blessed              IV.

Blessing

     

I.

Barren

* *

*1 Samuel 1:1-5* /Now there was a certain man of Ramathaim Zophim, of the mountains of Ephraim, and his name was Elkanah the son of Jeroham, the son of Elihu, the son of Tohu, the son of Zuph, an Ephraimite.

And he had two wives: the name of one was Hannah, and the name of the other Peninnah.

Peninnah had children, *but Hannah had* *no children*.

This man went up from his city yearly to worship and sacrifice to the Lord of hosts in Shiloh.

Also the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, the priests of the Lord, were there.

And whenever the time came for Elkanah to make an offering, he would give portions to Peninnah his *wife and to all her sons and daughters*.

But to Hannah he would give a double portion, for he loved Hannah, although* the Lord had closed her womb.*/

*/ /*

The first thing we learn about Hannah is that she was married to Elkanah.

The Bible tells us that she had no children.

In Biblical terms she was barren.

Today that might not seem to be such a problem.

But in Israel children were very important.

The son would carry the family name to the next generation.

Children received the family inheritance and the land they owned.

It was very sad for wives to be barren.

The fact that Elkanah had two wives probably relates to this.

Hannah was his first wife, but because she was barren he married again.

The second wife then had both sons and daughters.

This made Hannah feel even worse, even though her husband loved her more than Penninah.

Ever since creation God's command was to be fruitful and multiply.

In *Deuteronomy 7:13-14* God promised to bless Israel if they obeyed His Law.

One of the blessings was the fruit of the womb, children.

To be barren was shameful and considered to be a curse from God.

This was not always right.

Nevertheless that's the way people thought.

Verse 5 tells us that /the Lord had indeed closed her womb/.

This was not because of Hannah's sin but to accomplish something wonderful through Hannah.

The Lord had special plans for Hannah and her long awaited son.

Hannah wanted to have the joy of being a mother.

Of looking after the home and raising children.

Hannah recognized that motherhood was indeed a blessing from God.

These longings are God given and not to be despised.

God has ordained that women will be fulfilled in this role.

The role of wife and mother was very important in Israel and it is just as important today.

*Titus 2:4-5* *speaks on this:* /That the older women admonish the younger women to love their husbands, to love their children, to be discreet, chaste, homemakers, good, obedient to their own husbands, that the word of God may not be blasphemed./

/ /

Application

 

There are so many women today who can't have children.

They long to know the joy of motherhood but can't achieve this.

These ladies are very sad.

They long to be fulfilled in the role that God has ordained for them, but can't be.

/Mothers do you realize how blessed you are to have children?

Do you realize that they are a gift from God? Do you thank the Lord for your children?

Are you devoting yourself to the task of bringing them up?

How godly the next generation turns out rests largely with the parents?

And mothers have a greater influence here than fathers?/

They can if they invest their lives into their children.

/Where are you seeking fulfillment, in the home or in the office?/

/With your children or in possessions?/

II.

Broken

 

*1 Samuel 1:6-11* /And her rival also *provoked her severely*, to make her miserable,* because the Lord had closed her womb.*

So it was, year by year, when she went up to the house of the Lord, that *she provoked her*; *therefore she wept and did not eat*.

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?*”

So Hannah arose 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 the Lord.

And *she was in bitterness of soul*, and *prayed to the Lord and wept in anguish.*

Then she made a vow and said, “O Lord 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, then I will give him to the Lord all the days of his life, and no razor shall come upon his head.”/

To make things worse Elkanah's second wife provoked her continually.

She probably told her that God was punishing her and that was why she didn't have any children.

When they went up to the temple Peninnah provoked her severely and made her life more miserable.

This went on every year and Hannah was so miserable that she wept and wouldn't eat.

Unless you have been in that situation you won't understand this pain.

Hannah was broken in spirit from the continual provocation of Peninnah and her empty life because she was barren.

She longed for a family of her own.