1 Samuel 1 - Sermon Outline
Text: 1 Samuel 1
Title: Sufficiency of the Son
Observations:
· This narrative seems to focus on the discontent, prayers, hope and fulfillment of Hannah as she faces the shame and guilt of being barren. Even with the blessings of a loving and caring husband, she is found discontent with not having a child. The pressure of child-bearing must be understood and expressed in relation to this narrative.
· The first climax (strangely) seems to be after Eli has pronounced his blessing upon her. With this blessing, she is the given the hope of a child and is no longer in despair. Her response is worship. This may be likened to the hope we have in Christ’s accomplished work and the hope of his completion of the Kingdom. She praises God even though the hope has not yet been fulfilled with a son.
· After Samuel is born, she sets aside for God the very thing she had prayed for, her son. This may be a shadow of our response of praise when Christ comes again to bring the new heavens and the new earth. We should be willing to give everything we care for to God and the expansion of the Kingdom, including our lives.
Introduction: We often find ourselves in times of discontentment with our situation, circumstances, and even ourselves. We look for fulfillment in the idols we create for ourselves. Where does our sufficiency lie?
Big Idea: As Hannah’s contentment was found in hope and birth of her son, we see a shadow of our sufficiency in the Son of God. The Son delivers us from guilt and shame.
1. Contentment with God’s sufficiency. ( 1 Samuel:1-8 ) We should find contentment in the blessings of God, but not be content in our shame and guilt. Hannah overlooks those blessing she has through her husband. She feels the guilt and shame shown by Penninah in not having a child. The social and cultural stigma of not having a child should be illustrated.
2. Petitions for God’s sufficiency. ( 1 Samuel:9-12 ) Our prayer should be finding our fulfillment in the Son of God as Hannah prayed for the fulfillment of her seed. Her prayers were not selfish desires, but her desires were so she could set him aside for God’s purposes. We may bring our desires before the throne of God in prayer according to His will. We may lift our prayers and confessions of guilt before the throne of mercy.
3. Hope revealed of God’s sufficiency. ( 1 Samuel:13-19 ) Eli provides hope through his words of the blessing of a son. We find hope in the Word of God of a Son that will bring complete fulfillment and sufficiency. The Old Testament brings us hope for a savior that will crush the serpent’s head and relinquish the shame and guilt of sin. As Hannah responded with worship and praise, we should too in the hope that is revealed in Scripture.
4. The promise fulfilled of God’s sufficiency. ( 1 Samuel:20-28 ) Hannah finds her hope fulfilled through the birth of her son. We find the hope of Scripture fulfilled in the birth of Christ, the Son of God. Hannah is now freed from the guilt and shame of not having a son. We are freed from the guilt and shame of sin with the death and resurrection of Jesus. He is our atonement and is sufficient to save us.
5. Hope continued in God’s sufficiency. We can apply the pattern of “hope and hope fulfilled” eschatologically. The sufficiency of God is revealed through the atoning death of Christ but there is still sin in the world. Christ released us from the guilt and shame of sin and gave us the deposit of the Holy Spirit that secures our hope in the day Christ will come again with the new heavens and new earth. At that time all evil will be destroyed and we will worship for eternity. We can continue to hope in the promises of God who is our sufficiency.
Conclusion: With this continued hope in the past, present, and future hope of Christ, we must be willing to present our lives to his kingdom, even up to death.