How to Respond in Desperate Times | 1 Samuel 1:1-28
Mother’s Day
Title: How to respond in desperate times
Scripture: 1 Samuel 1:1-28, 2 NIV
Bottom line: The point of Hannah’s story is not that if you trust God and ask for things long enough or desperately enough, he will give you what you ask for. (Though a great model) The point is surrender to God and he will meet you there.
INTRODUCTION
CONTEXT
SERMON OUTLINE
CONCLUSION
NOTES
QUESTIONS TO CONSIDER
OUTLINES
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
MAIN REFERENCES USED
INTRODUCTION
Happy Mother’s Day! I chose this passage because I think there are times when we feel like God doesn’t see us or hear us. I believe he does and that this story shows that. He sees our pain.
In this passage, we’re going to see that Hannah is looking for her security, stability and significance in a son. Her hopes are low because she’s unable to have children (so far).
She’s living at a time in Israel’s history when the nation is looking for its security, stability and significance in a king.
The answer to both is in a son—but not just any son. In The Son of God, King of kings.
Let’s dig in!
CONTEXT
Israel is looking for a king. 350 years of cycles of rebellion and deliverance has Israel looking for a king. Judges weren’t getting it done as they looked at the other nations. They wanted to be like other nations and get a king. God was their king but they didn’t trust him. They wanted an earthly king. They wanted stability, security and significance. And they thought an earthly king was the answer when God was the answer.
At the same time, Hannah is looking for a son. And for the same reasons. She knew that without a son to care for her when her husband couldn’t, she’d suffer losing stability, security and significance.
We do the same thing. All people do.
Lost people look for something instead of Jesus.
Church people look for something in addition to Jesus.
God plus nothing = everything. Do we believe this? Really believe this?
You know how you know? When you lose something or someone, how do you respond? That tells you all you need to know.
SERMON OUTLINE (created by Claude.ai) Note: I don’t use this outline in my sermon as I tend to just walk through the passage chronologically. It’s here for your reference.
Here's a concise outline for 1 Samuel 1-2:
1 Samuel 1
I. Hannah's Barrenness (vv. 1-8)
II. Hannah's Prayer for a Son (vv. 9-18)
A. Her Vow (vv. 9-11)
B. Eli's Blessing (vv. 12-18)
III. Samuel's Birth (vv. 19-28)
A. Conception (vv. 19-20)
B. Dedication to God (vv. 21-28)
1 Samuel 2
I. Hannah's Prayer (vv. 1-10)
A. Rejoicing in God (vv. 1-3)
B. God's Justice/Sovereignty (vv. 4-8)
C. Prayer for the King (vv. 9-10)
II. Samuel's Service (vv. 11-26)
A. Eli's Wicked Sons (vv. 11-17)
B. Samuel's Growth (vv. 18-21)
C. Word Against Eli's House (vv. 22-26)
III. Prophecy Against Eli (vv. 27-36)
CONCLUSION
Very recently, my cousin lost her only son at 42 years old. He was involved in that shooting in Charlotte that left 4 officers dead. You think this is hard Mother’s Day for her? She can pray and pray and pray to God to bring her son back. But that isn’t going to happen.
So what does God say to her in this passage?
So while the point that when we approach God persistently, desperately and faithfully in prayer, he loves to answer those prayers, the truth is he doesn’t always answer our prayers like we ask him to. Sometimes he say yes, sometimes not yet, and sometimes he says no. Never.
My cousin will not get her son back no matter how much she asks God for him. What does Hannah say to that?
Hannah gives us clues in 1 Samuel 2. Bottom line: God is enough. As our sovereign Creator, he not only has the right to answer however he wants, because he is good, all-powerful and holy, he will only do what is good and pure. But that won’t always be with the answer we ask for.
What he will provide is himself. God + 0 = Everything.
What are you despairing over? What are you trying to add to Jesus to find peace? Security? Significance? Stability?
Jesus is enough. God is enough.
The question is do you believe this?
Bottom line: The point of Hannah’s story is not that if you trust God and ask for things long enough or desperately enough, he will give you what you ask for. (Though a great model) The point is surrender to God and he will meet you there.
On your index card, write what God is saying to you personally right now?
Here are the two questions for you to consider:
What is God saying to me right now?
What am I going to do about it? Write this down on a sheet of paper.
What I hear you saying to me, Lord, is ____________________________________.
What I hear you telling me to do, Lord, is _________________________________.
Finally, share this with your Home or Mission group this week when you gather as a testimony about what God is doing in your life. You don’t have to get too specific to give him praise.
Let’s pray for my cousin today.
Let’s pray for each of us as we learn to rest fully in Christ alone for all that we need.
Pray
NOTES
“You're absolutely right, the passage and my previous explanation don't directly address the situation when God doesn't answer prayer in the way we hope, even after persistent, faithful prayer like Hannah's. That's an important perspective to consider. A couple of points we can draw from this passage and its surrounding context:
1) Hannah's experience shows that sometimes God does answer with the desire of our hearts after long periods of waiting and praying. However, the Bible is also clear that sometimes God's answer is "no" or "not yet" according to His perfect wisdom and timing.
2) In 1 Samuel 2, Hannah's prayer/song of praise highlights God's sovereignty over life circumstances - "The LORD sends poverty and wealth; he humbles and he exalts" (v.7). This indicates that whether our prayers are answered affirmatively or not, we must ultimately submit to God's will and reign over our lives.
3) Hannah's prayer also extols God's justice and care for the needy (vv. 4-8). Even when our personal desires go unfulfilled, we can trust that God sees our affliction and will make things right in His way and time. His ways are higher than ours (Isaiah 55:8-9).
4) The courage, patience, and faith Hannah displayed in the midst of her unanswered prayers model an attitude of persevering hope and trust in the Lord's character and purposes, rather than doubting His goodness when prayers go unanswered as we want.
So while Hannah's story highlights God's faithfulness in answering one prayer ultimately, it doesn't negate the reality of God sometimes saying "no" or "wait." In those times, we must hold onto His perfect wisdom, justice, sovereignty and love.”
QUESTIONS TO CONSIDER
Let’s ask some summary questions:
Q. What do I want them to know?
A. That God is enough no matter what they’re going through.
Q. Why do I want them to know it?
A. Because there will be times when they won’t get the answer to their prayers that they want.
Q. What do I want them to do about it?
A. Repent of pursuing the things of this world to be their savior and instead seek Jesus as their significance, security and stability in life.
Q. Why do I want them to do it?
A. Because nothing else can be your king or savior like Jesus can.
Q. How can they begin to do this?
A. Stand up like Hannah did. Get to the place where Jesus is more than enough.
Who is God (according to this passage)?
The one we worship; one true God
The one we sacrifice for and obey
Sovereign God over life; source and sustainer of life
The one who allows us to suffer at times
The one who brings us peace and perspective
The one we hear and obey
The one who sees/hears all we experience and empathizes with us
“Lord almighty” = master we obey; all powerful one who guides, provides and protects.
Faithful one
Generous one
What has God done?
Heard her prayer
Seen her pain
Remembered her prayers and pain and need
Worked through imperfect priest
Sovereignly worked on Hannah’s behalf (and Israel’s)
Allowed Hannah to be barren for a season
Allowed Hannah to be one of two wives
Opened Hannah’s eyes to the only one who could offer her true stability, significance and security
Listened to her desperate prayers and collected her tears
Empathized with Hannah’s pain and feelings of forsakenness
Showed up for Hannah
Answered her prayers
Blessed her in the wake of her surrender to his will
Who am I (Who is Hannah?)?
The one who silently suffered despair because she feels unable to fulfill her calling as wife and mother
The one who needs and receives God’s perspective because of her prayers
The one who prayed early and often, desperately, through tears, believing she’d be heard and receive mercy
Believed that even God answer with no children that she’d be provided for and protected by God
Who endured slander, persecution and shame from her enemy (and others) and was misunderstood—but eventually vindicated because she didn’t stop believing
What do I do (what does Hannah do?)?
Surrender; she surrendered Samuel before she even knew his name; then surrendered him afterwards
She prayed asking for a miracle (significance, security, stability—a son)
She birthed Samuel and named him to honor the Lord hearing her prayers
She followed through and surrendered Samuel who at that time was her future provision and protection knowing that surrendering to the Lord led to that and her future provision and protection without Samuel
Pray believing, desperate prayers to a good, faithful God who hears, sees, and remembers in what we’re in
Pray believing that no matter how God answers, he is with us and for us and will ultimate provide all that we really need.
OUTLINES
Here's an outline of 1 Samuel 1: (by Claude.ai)
I. Introduction (vv. 1-8)
A. Characters introduced: Elkanah, Hannah, Peninnah
B. Hannah's childlessness and Peninnah's taunting
II. Hannah's Prayer for a Son (vv. 9-18)
A. Hannah's vow to the Lord (vv. 9-11)
B. Eli's misunderstanding and Hannah's explanation (vv. 12-16)
C. Eli's blessing (v. 17)
D. Hannah's faith and peace (v. 18)
III. The Birth of Samuel (vv. 19-28)
A. The Lord's remembrance of Hannah (vv. 19-20)
B. Hannah's vow fulfilled (vv. 21-28)
1. Weaning and presenting Samuel to Eli (vv. 21-24)
2. Hannah's prayer of thanksgiving (vv. 25-28)
And here's an outline for a sermon on 1 Samuel 1, with applications as the major points:
I. Trust in God's Timing (vv. 1-8, 19-20)
Application: Wait patiently for the Lord's answer to your prayers, even when it seems delayed.
II. Pray with Persistence and Faith (vv. 9-18)
Application: Pour out your heart to God in prayer, even in difficult circumstances, believing that He hears and will answer.
III. Keep Your Vows to the Lord (vv. 21-28)
Application: When God answers your prayers, fulfill any vows or commitments you made to Him.
IV. Give Thanks and Praise to God (vv. 25-28)
Application: Express gratitude and worship to God for His faithfulness and blessings.
V. Entrust Your Children to God's Service (vv. 27-28)
Application: Dedicate your children to the Lord and encourage them to serve Him wholeheartedly.
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
Discovery Bible Study process: https://www.dbsguide.org/
Retell the story in your own words.
Discovery the story
What does this story tell me about God?
What does this story tell me about people?
If this is really true, what should I do?
What is God saying to you right now? (Write this down)
What are you going to do about it? (Write this down)
Who am I going to tell about this?
Find our sermons, podcasts, discussion questions and notes at https://www.gracetoday.net/podcast
Alternate Discussion Questions (by Jeff Vanderstelt): Based on this passage:
Who is God?
What has he done/is he doing/is he going to do?
Who am I? (In light of 1 & 2)
What do I get to do? (In light of who I am)
How do I do it?
Final Questions (Write this down)
What is God saying to you right now?
What are you going to do about it?
MAIN REFERENCES USED
Exalting Jesus in 1 & 2 Samuel, Thomas & Greear
“Look at the Book” by John Piper (LATB)
“The Visual Word,” Patrick Schreiner (VW)
“The Bible Knowledge Commentary” by Walvoord, Zuck (BKC)
“The Bible Exposition Commentary” by Warren Wiersbe (BEC)
Outline Bible, D Willmington (OB)
Willmington’s Bible Handbook, D Willmington (WBH)
NIV Study Bible (NIVSB) https://www.biblica.com/resources/scholar-notes/niv-study-bible/
Chronological Life Application Study Bible (NLT)
ESV Study Bible (ESVSB) https://www.esv.org
“The Bible in One Year 2023 with Nicky Gumbel” bible reading plan on YouVersion app (BIOY)
ChatGPT https://openai.com/blog/chatgpt