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1 Samuel 1:3-22

There's Purpose In His Plan

  • Samuel Wilson
  • Weekend Messages
  • May 12, 2019

  • Sermon Notes
  • Scripture

There’s Purpose in His Plan

1 Samuel 1:3-22 

Intro – Not the way I planned it.

Proverbs 19:21, Many are the plans in a person’s heart,

but it is the Lord’s purpose that prevails.

This morning we are going to pick up in 1 Samuel chapter 1 as we see a soon to be mother name Hannah who after years of difficulty, was blessed as she found purpose in the Lord’s plan.

Hannah was one of two wives married to a man named Elkanah. Each year, Elkanah would take Hannah, along with Penninah his other wife, and her children to Shiloh where he would worship and sacrifice to the Lord. Penninah had children, but Hannah did not.

Year after year, Penninah would taunt and provoke Hannah bitterly because she did not have children. Year after year and every time she went, being given a continual reminder of what she did not have, yet, so deeply desired. The Lord had a purpose in His plan, and though it was difficult see, the Lord was moving Hannah closer, to the place He needed her to be.

Read: 1 Samuel 1:3-22

As we begin this chapter, we see that Hannah is hurting while Penninah is blessed, which only brings great turmoil to Hannah as she was taunted and provoked by the one who had been given an abundance of what she desires. Her husband would try to fill the void by giving more of what he could to Hannah, but whatever he gave simply would not do. Her deep desire was all part of the Lords purpose and plan, which no matter how hard he tried, it could not be fulfilled by the plan of her man.

Perhaps there are areas in your life where you have longed, or lacked and today you wait and wonder if the desires of your heart will ever be established. Like Hannah, I encourage you to make the Lord your portion, the one you truly need in the midst of whatever you face…

I. Persist Toward the Proper Portion

1 Samuel 1:4-7

  • Year after year, as they headed to the place of worship, Hannah was provoked and reminded of was lacking in her life.
  • The deep desire she had was all a part of the Lord’s plan for her, the child she would have would be a part of the purpose for which she had been created.
  • Each time Elkanah would sacrifice to the Lord, he would give portions of the sacrifice to Penninah and her children, but to Hannah, he would give a double portion.
  • It seems that the offering being given was a peace offering, since they were eating a portion of the offering (Lev. 7:11-18). The scene was anything but peaceful, however.
  • Elkanah was giving a double portion to Hannah in front of Penninah.This seems to have bothered Penninah as she would then provoke Hannah, but Hannah would be so upset, she would not eat…
  • Regarding Hannah, Elkanah thought that he could potentially be the solution to what was causing her pain.
  • In verse 8, he even asks her a question, “Why do you not eat and why is your heart sad? Am I not better to you than 10 sons? vs. 8″ …Hannah did not respond.
  • While marriage is an incredible union, established by God, there was a destiny in store for Hannah, her coming son was a part of purpose for which she had been created, she could not let it go.
  • Had Hannah looked for the affirmation of people in her affliction, she would have missed out on making the Lord her only portion. Her husband tried, gave her a double portion of food, but it wasn’t enough.
  • In short, her husband was not better to her than 10 sons…Why? Because the son she was seeking was part of God’s plan.
  • So easy it is to assume when others are struggling that we can make it all better for them…Or when our heart is hurting, or our life is lacking that the weight of the burden can be lifted by a person, the plan of man, by busying ourselves with a position, or pursuing a double portion of what will satisfy temporarily.
  • There are places where the Scriptures use metaphors to describe God and our relationship to Him. God is described as our rock (Psalm 18:2), refuge (Ps. 46:1), stronghold (Ps. 18:2), shield (Ps. 18:2), shepherd (Ps. 23), light (1 John 1:5), fortress (ps. 18:2) to name few…But one powerful metaphor for God is portion.
  • The Hebrew word for portion is “Cheleq” which is inclusive of portion, share, award, territory, inheritance. This term is found 68 times in the Old Testament.

flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.

Psalm 142:3-5, When my spirit was overwhelmed within me, You knew my path. In the way where I walk they have hidden a trap for me. Look to the right and see; for there is no one who regards me; there is no escape for me; no one cares for my soul. I cried out to You, O Lord; I said, “You are my refuge, My portion…”

Lamentations 3:24, “The Lord is my portion,” says my soul, “Therefore I have hope in Him.”

Illus. I can’t eat that stuff, because I have had the real thing.

  • If you let portions, or double portions of the things of this world to satisfy you, it will keep you from getting to place whereby the Lord can bring about His will and plan, whereby He becomes your portion and you trust him to be more than enough.
  1. Draw near
  • Upon being provoked, Hannah could easily have gone back at Penninah and torn her down because Elkanah seems to have loved her more.
  • He gave her a double portion from the sacrifice, this was obvious and for all to see…
  • Instead of retaliating or finding ways to get back at Penninah, Hannah went to the place of prayer.
  • There is a great lesson here. Many people find themselves in a difficult dispute or in an unjust situation. Some respond by trying to hurt others with their bitter words, but Hannah did not allow herself to go there.
  • Where you go when you’ve been brought low is critical in your pursuit of God’s best in your life.

Illus. – Who are you talking to?

James 4:8, Draw near to God and He will draw near to you.

Philippians 4:6-7, Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

  • In our relationship with God, it is vital to understand that difficulties in our lives can be used to build up our relationship with the Lord, drawing near to Him.

Jeremiah 17:7-8, But blessed is the one who trusts in the Lord, whose confidence is in Him. They will be like a tree planted by the water that sends out its roots by the stream. It does not fear when heat comes; its leaves are always green. It has no worries in a year of drought and never fails to bear fruit.

  • If you put your hope in the Lord, drawing near, and drawing from Him and His word, you’ll be like a tree who sends it roots out to the water…always bearing fruit!
  • So often we want to pray about the fruit in the issue, but let’s be a people who dig deeper and pray about root of the issue.
  • To draw near is to come near to, to approach, to join together with.
  • Hannah did just that…Hannah was drawing near to and drawing from the Lord. The fruit in her life did not compute…She knew there was more, so she sought to extend her roots to the very source of life.

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 son, then I will give him to the Lord all the days of his life, and a razor shall never come on his head.”

  • “Lord, if you give me a son, he will be yours.”
  • Year after year that Hannah was provoked, to the point of weeping and a loss of appetite.
  • Though her appetite was gone for the things of this world, her hunger for the child God would give increased all the more. No doubt she had prayed many times, but at it was at this time, that her prayer would be answered.
  • The Lord heard her prayers each time she called upon Him (Psalm 34:17, 69:33; Proverbs 15:29), yet this time her heart was in line with His divine plan that her son would be given to the Lord all the days of his life.
  • As she prayed year after year, it seems that the Lord was waiting for her alignment with His assignment.

And Hannah vowed to the Lord that she would…

  1. B.Dedicate what He delivers
  • There are times where the Lord wants to do something larger than your prayer.
  • Sometimes the Lord allows extended seasons of waiting so that we might be drawn to a place we otherwise would not have come.

Illus. Crying out.

  • Often times, my prayers grow and change. Ans as I get before the Lord I am reminded that my prayers are not about getting the Lord to do my will, but about getting me in line with His will.

Jesus, told us to pray…

Matthew 6:10, Your will be done.

He also modeled it..

Luke 22:42, Father, if you are willing, take this cup from me; yet not my will, but yours be done.

  • Hannah kept her vow to the Lord, and what was delivered remained dedicated to Him. Hannah took that which already belonged to God and gave it an even greater dedication.

1 Samuel 1:22, But Hannah did not go up, for she said to her husband, “I will not go up until the child is weaned; then I will bring him, that he may appear before the Lord and stay there forever.”

James 1:17, Every good thing given and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shifting shadow.

  • Hannah remembered that the delivery of her son was in response to her prayer nine months prior. She dedicated what He delivered trusting that is was a part of the purpose in His plan.
  • God was wanting a man that would change the nation and allowed Hannah’s prayers to be delayed until she was ready to trust God completely by dedicating her son to the Lord fully.
  • The name Samuel, means “asked of God, or, God heard by God.”

The time Hannah would have raising her son would be uncommonly precious, she would have around 3 years with him. Knowing each day that she would give him over to be raised in the house of God very soon. Most realize that the “heavy lifting” of parenting ends sometime between 17 and 19 years old. Certainly, for those with small children this seems far off, yet once lived, it seems like the “blink of an eye.” Let’s choose to live each day with a heart of thankfulness for what God has given, and in seasons of waiting, being reminded continually there is purpose in His plan.

1 Samuel 1:3-22

Now this man would go up from his city yearly to worship and to sacrifice to the Lord of hosts in Shiloh. And the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, were priests to the Lord there. When the day came that Elkanah sacrificed, he would give portions to Peninnah his wife and to all her sons and her daughters; but to Hannah he would give a double portion, for he loved Hannah, but the Lord had closed her womb. Her rival, however, would provoke her bitterly to irritate her, because the Lord had closed her womb. It happened year after year, as often as she went up to the house of the Lord, she would provoke her; so she wept and would not eat. Then Elkanah her husband said to her, “Hannah, why do you weep and why do you not eat and why is your heart sad? Am I not better to you than ten sons?” Then Hannah rose after eating and drinking in Shiloh. Now Eli the priest was sitting on the seat by the doorpost of the temple of the Lord. She, greatly distressed, prayed to the Lord and wept bitterly. 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 son, then I will give him to the Lord all the days of his life, and a razor shall never come on his head.” Now it came about, as she continued praying before the Lord, that Eli was watching her mouth. As for Hannah, she was speaking in her heart, only her lips were moving, but her voice was not heard. So Eli thought she was drunk. Then Eli said to her, “How long will you make yourself drunk? Put away your wine from you.”  But Hannah replied, “No, my lord, I am a woman oppressed in spirit; I have drunk neither wine nor strong drink, but I have poured out my soul before the Lord. Do not consider your maidservant as a worthless woman, for I have spoken until now out of my great concern and provocation.” Then Eli answered and said, “Go in peace; and may the God of Israel grant your petition that you have asked of Him.” 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. Then they arose early in the morning and worshiped before the Lord, and returned again to their house in Ramah. And Elkanah had relations with Hannah his wife, and the Lord remembered her. It came about in due time, after Hannah had conceived, that she gave birth to a son; and she named him Samuel, saying, “Because I have asked him of the Lord.” Then the man Elkanah went up with all his household to offer to the Lord the yearly sacrifice and pay his vow. But Hannah did not go up, for she said to her husband, “I will not go up until the child is weaned; then I will bring him, that he may appear before the Lord and stay there forever.”

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