1. This Congregation meets at: Sunday Bible Class at 10:00 am. Sunday Worship Service at 11:00 am. Sunday Night Worship service at 6:00 pm. Wednesday Night Bible Class at 7:00 pm. Please be so kind to turn off your cell phone. Let’s be reverent. We are worshipping God.

4. March 4 2007 Lesson # 26

5. 1.Adam 7. Isaac. 13.Joseph 22. Phinehas 2. Cain 8. Jacob. 14. Aaron 23. Barak 3. Abel 9. Esau. 15. Nadab and … 24. Balaam 4. Enoch 10. Reuben. 16. Moses 25. Achan 5. Noah 11. Simeon. 17. Joshua 26?? 6. Abraham 12. Judah 18. Caleb 19. Gideon 19. Gideon 20. Samson 20. Samson 21. Jephthah 21. Jephthah We already studied:

6. Let’s Talk about

7. Was Samuel a man of faith? Hebrews 11:32… “And what more shall I say? For the time would fail me to tell of Gideon and Barak and Samson and Jephthah, also of David and Samuel and the prophets:

8. Who was Samuel? Samuel is the Son of Hannah and a man named Elkanah. Samuel is the Son of Hannah and a man named Elkanah. The meaning of his name is: heard of God. His job: Priest and Judge of Israel. He was from the tribe of Ephraim. Key words in his life: “Speak for your servant hears”.

9. The circumstances in the life of Samuel… The peculiar circumstances connected with his birth are recorded in 1 Sam. 1:20 “20 So it came to pass in the process of time that Hannah conceived and bore a son, and called his name Samuel, saying, "Because I have asked for him from the Lord." Hannah, one of the two wives of Elkanah, who came up to Shiloh to worship before the Lord, earnestly prayed to God that she might become the mother of a son. Her prayer was graciously granted; and after the child was weaned she brought him to Shiloh and consecrated him to the Lord as a perpetual Nazarite (1:23-2:11).

10. Hannah’s promise to God: 1 Samuel 1:11… "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." Here his bodily wants and training were attended to by the women who served in the tabernacle, while Eli cared for his religious culture. Thus, probably, twelve years of his life passed away.

11. Did Hannah keep her promise to God? Can you imagine, as a mother, having no child, then praying to God for one. He then grants you the child but then you give him back to God. What was the deal? The deal was that she wanted to be a mother, and yes, Hannah kept what she promised to the Lord. 1 Samuel 1:25-28… “25 Then they slaughtered a bull, and brought the child to Eli. 26 And she said, "O my lord! As your soul lives, my lord, I am the woman who stood by you here, praying to the Lord. 27 For this child I prayed, and the Lord has granted me my petition which I asked of Him. 28 Therefore I also have lent him to the Lord; as long as he lives he shall be lent to the Lord." So they worshiped the Lord there.

12. Parents this evening we need to understand that our children are for the Lord. They are our children but this is for a moment, eternally they are for God and they will serve God. They will never ever serve Satan. Timothy, Tito, Ruth Benjamin, Nahum, Damaris Erika, Julie, Gabriel, Hunter, Ethan, Emily, Julia, Nathan, Emma, Camille, Patrick, Austin, Michaela, Alexandra, Abigail, Genesis, Sarah, Erica, Brittany, Chloe, Kelsey-Lynne, Shaan, Chase.

13. Samuel was a Child when his mother left them with Eli. All we can see in the record is that he was a child: How old is a child 8, 10, 12? Samuel was a child. 1 Samuel 2:11… “11 Then Elkanah went to his house at Ramah. But the child ministered to the Lord before Eli the priest. 1 Samuel 2:18-20… “18 But Samuel ministered before the Lord, even as a child, wearing a linen ephod. 19 Moreover his mother used to make him a little robe, and bring it to him year by year when she came up with her husband to offer the yearly sacrifice. 20 And Eli would bless Elkanah and his wife, and say, "The Lord give you descendants from this woman for the loan that was given to the Lord." Then they would go to their own home.

14. The Bible plainly and clearly says that the word of the Lord was “very rare” at that time. Eli and his sons were not worthy enough to hear the voice of the Lord, so God is preparing somebody pure and worthy of His commands. 1 Samuel 3:1… “1 Then the boy Samuel ministered to the Lord before Eli. And the word of the Lord was rare in those days; there was no widespread revelation. Keep in mind that there is no communication from God to men at this time. There is no one worth talking to that could spread the Word of the Lord to men. God is always looking for good men who can serve His purpose and plans.

15. At this time, new communications from God began to be made to the little child. A mysterious voice came to him in the night, calling him by name. Of course, the little child didn’t understand the voice for this was the first time that God spoke to him. 1 Samuel 3:2-5… “2 And it came to pass at that time, while Eli was lying down in his place, and when his eyes had begun to grow so dim that he could not see, 3 and before the lamp of God went out in the tabernacle of the Lord where the ark of God was, and while Samuel was lying down, 4 that the Lord called Samuel. And he answered, "Here I am!" 5 So he ran to Eli and said, "Here I am, for you called me." And he said, "I did not call; lie down again." And he went and lay down.

16. 1 Samuel 3:6-7… “6 Then the Lord called yet again, "Samuel!" So Samuel arose and went to Eli, and said, "Here I am, for you called me." He answered, "I did not call, my son; lie down again." 7 (Now Samuel did not yet know the Lord, nor was the word of the Lord yet revealed to him.) Not even Eli knew that the one calling Samuel was the Lord. You can tell that the Word of the Lord was so rare that they were not familiar with Him for a while. 1 Samuel 3:8-10… “8 And the Lord called Samuel again the third time. Then he arose and went to Eli, and said, "Here I am, for you did call me." Then Eli perceived that the Lord had called the boy. 9 Therefore Eli said to Samuel, "Go, lie down; and it shall be, if He calls you, that you must say, 'Speak, Lord, for Your servant hears.' " So Samuel went and lay down in his place.

17. This time Eli knew and he said to Samuel, if he calls you again you lie down, don’t move, and say: 'Speak, Lord, for Your servant hears.' 1 Samuel 3:10-20 Now the Lord came and stood and called as at other times, "Samuel! Samuel!" And Samuel answered, "Speak, for Your servant hears." 11 Then the Lord said to Samuel: "Behold, I will do something in Israel at which both ears of everyone who hears it will tingle. 12 In that day I will perform against Eli all that I have spoken concerning his house, from beginning to end. 13 For I have told him that I will judge his house forever for the iniquity which he knows, because his sons made themselves vile, and he did not restrain them. 14 And therefore I have sworn to the house of Eli that the iniquity of Eli's house shall not be atoned for by sacrifice or offering forever." 15 So Samuel lay down until morning, and opened the doors of the house of the Lord. And Samuel was afraid to tell Eli the vision. 16 Then Eli called Samuel and said, "Samuel, my son!" And he answered, "Here I am." 17 And he said, "What is the word that the Lord spoke to you? Please do not hide it from me. God do so to you, and more also, if you hide anything from me of all the things that He said to you." 18 Then Samuel told him everything, and hid nothing from him. And he said, "It is the Lord. Let Him do what seems good to Him." 19 So Samuel grew, and the Lord was with him and let none of his words fall to the ground. 20 And all Israel from Dan to Beersheba knew that Samuel had been established as a prophet of the Lord. 21 Then the Lord appeared again in Shiloh. For the Lord revealed Himself to Samuel in Shiloh by the word of the Lord.

18. 1 Samuel 7:3… “3 Then Samuel spoke to all the house of Israel, saying, "If you return to the Lord with all your hearts, then put away the foreign gods and the Ashtoreths from among you, and prepare your hearts for the Lord, and serve Him only; and He will deliver you from the hand of the Philistines." The Lord knew this man and He also knew that Samuel would be the one that would bring His people back again to the obedience and love to the Word.

19. SAMUEL AND ELI 1 Samuel 1-3 1 Samuel 1-3 · A child who served well (2:11, 18; 3:1) · A student who grew under Eli's training (2:26) · A prophet who announced God's judgment against the house of Eli (3:11-18) · Samuel was established as a prophet in Israel (3:19-4:1) Concerning the life of Samuel we can also say:

20. SAMUEL AND THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL 1 Samuel 4-8 · Philistines defeated Israel and took the ark of the covenant (4:1- 11) · The death of Eli (4:12-22) · The Philistines and the ark (5:1- 7:2) · Israel defeated the Philistines and Samuel judged Israel (7:2- 17) · Israel demanded a king (8:1-22) Concerning the life of Samuel we can also say:

21. SAMUEL AND SAUL 1 Samuel 9-15, 28 · Samuel meets and anoints Saul (9:1-10:1) · Samuel instructs Saul and proclaims him king over Israel (10:2-27) · Samuel's address at Saul's coronation (12:1-25) · Samuel announced God's rejection of Saul as king (15:1- 35) · Samuel appeared to Saul after his death (28:1-25) Concerning the life of Samuel we can also say:

22. SAMUEL AND DAVID SAMUEL AND DAVID 1 Samuel 16 · Samuel sent to the house of Jesse to anoint a new king (16:1) · Samuel's fear is eased (16:2-5) · Samuel anointed David (16:6- 13) Concerning the life of Samuel we can also say:

23. SAMUEL'S CHARACTER · Devoted, holy servant of God (1:11) · Faithful and favored (2:26; Heb. 11:32) · Truthful (3:18) · Honorable (9:6) · Courageous (15:10-33) · Humble (Psa. 99:6) Concerning the life of Samuel we can also say:

24. · When we are troubled we should turn to the Lord. · God hears and answers prayers. We should receive God's blessings with thanksgiving.We should receive God's blessings with thanksgiving. We can sometimes judge others unfairly (1 Sam. 1:14).We can sometimes judge others unfairly (1 Sam. 1:14). We should grow in favor with both the Lord and men (1 Sam. 2:26).We should grow in favor with both the Lord and men (1 Sam. 2:26). Like Samuel, we must listen and heed the word of the Lord.Like Samuel, we must listen and heed the word of the Lord. God's word is truth and will not fail.God's word is truth and will not fail. Faithful servants of God are recognized by others.Faithful servants of God are recognized by others. God sees men's hearts.God sees men's hearts. LESSONS FROM SAMUEL