Chapter 1

1 Samuel 1:2  And he had two wives; the name of the one was Hannah, and the name of the other Peninnah: and Peninnah had children, but Hannah had no children.

But Hannah had no children. Sad. Frown. Bummer. No big deal now. This is the desire now of alot of women; to not have children. They’re inconvenient, expensive, unplanned… But Hannah desired children.

1 Samuel 1:3  And this man went up out of his city yearly to worship and to sacrifice unto the LORD of hosts in Shiloh. And the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, the priests of the LORD, were there.

Compare Phinehas of Dueteronomy and Joshua to the Phinehas of 1 Samuel. Eleazar to Eli.

Note: We’re still talking tabernacle.

Hophni and Phinehas were there. There they are. They were there.

1 Samuel 1:5  But unto Hannah he gave a worthy portion; for he loved Hannah: but the LORD had shut up her womb.

The Lord had shut up her womb. It’s God who brings forth children. We can get scientific about all this, but if it’s appointed unto man once to die, then you can believe the it is appointed unto man once to live; to be born. God knew who your parents were before they were even born. And God breathed into him the breath of life. Sometimes God’s will is just later, not no. We want a yes or no and he gives us a wait.

1 Samuel 1:6-7  And her adversary also provoked her sore, for to make her fret, because the LORD had shut up her womb.  (7)  And as he did so year by year, when she went up to the house of the LORD, so she provoked her; therefore she wept, and did not eat.

Peninnah was the adversary.

He did so year by year? Eli went up for sacrifice? The Lord shutting up her womb? The adversary provoked her? Not sure. Could be two provokers; two adversaries

1 Samuel 1:11  And she vowed a vow, and said, O LORD of hosts, if thou wilt indeed look on the affliction of thine handmaid, and remember me, and not forget thine handmaid, but wilt give unto thine handmaid a man child, then I will give him unto the LORD all the days of his life, and there shall no razor come upon his head.

Vowed a vow. Whump there it is. Vows. Vows. Vows. We need to study vows. We need to perform vows. First study them, then make them, then perform them.

1 Samuel 1:15  And Hannah answered and said, No, my lord, I am a woman of a sorrowful spirit: I have drunk neither wine nor strong drink, but have poured out my soul before the LORD.

Don’t pour in strong drink, rather pour out your soul.

1 Samuel 1:18  And she said, Let thine handmaid find grace in thy sight. So the woman went her way, and did eat, and her countenance was no more sad.

No more sad. I like that. Weeping endures through the night, but joy comes in the morning. But no weeping, no joy.

1 Samuel 1:21  And the man Elkanah, and all his house, went up to offer unto the LORD the yearly sacrifice, and his vow.

His vow? What was Elkanah’s vow. But there it is again. Vows are like fasting. Nobody does them or talk about them.

Came across a message on Hannah by Brother Ballew coincidentally, took some notes:

Brother Ballew’s Hannah’s Faith Promise Outline

Becoming what I became, possessing my possession.

“You can doubt and do without, or you can believe and receive!”

You can summarize her story in one statement, “I wish I could, but it’s beyond me.”

Don’t accept the status quo.

“God, if you will, I will.”

  1. Her Pathetic Condition
    1. She was Barren, vs 5,6
    2. She was Broken, vs 7
    3. She’s Bewildered, vs 8
  2. Her Prayer for a Child, vs 10,11
    1. It was Sincere
    2. It was Specific
    3. It was Supernatural
  3. Her Promise of Commitment, vs 11
    1. A Promise Initiated
    2. A Personal Involvement
  4. The Promise of the Child, vs 17
  5. The Presentation of the Child, vs 20
    1.  Her Plan, 21-23
  6. The Pattern Continues, 2:18,19
  7.  Her Paycheck, 2:20,21

Chapter 2

1 Samuel 2:9  He will keep the feet of his saints, and the wicked shall be silent in darkness; for by strength shall no man prevail.

Silent in darkness? Hell?

1 Samuel 2:11  And Elkanah went to Ramah to his house. And the child did minister unto the LORD before Eli the priest.

3 years olds can work and serve no doubt. I assume he was weaned by 3. Not really sure though.

1 Samuel 2:13-14  And the priests’ custom with the people was, that, when any man offered sacrifice, the priest’s servant came, while the flesh was in seething, with a fleshhook of three teeth in his hand;  (14)  And he struck it into the pan, or kettle, or caldron, or pot; all that the fleshhook brought up the priest took for himself. So they did in Shiloh unto all the Israelites that came thither.

I would really like to examine this and understand what they were doing wrong. Compare it to the actual levitcal law.

1 Samuel 2:17  Wherefore the sin of the young men was very great before the LORD: for men abhorred the offering of the LORD.

Men abhorred the offering because of those young men. You wonder why people abhor church? Maybe it’s us? Maybe that can’t stand us.

1 Samuel 2:22  Now Eli was very old, and heard all that his sons did unto all Israel; and how they lay with the women that assembled at the door of the tabernacle of the congregation.

This is nuts. Both on his sons and the women. Why would you go to the tabernacle for this? No wonder people abhorred the offering.

1 Samuel 2:27-29  And there came a man of God unto Eli, and said unto him, Thus saith the LORD, Did I plainly appear unto the house of thy father, when they were in Egypt in Pharaoh’s house?  (28)  And did I choose him out of all the tribes of Israel to be my priest, to offer upon mine altar, to burn incense, to wear an ephod before me? and did I give unto the house of thy father all the offerings made by fire of the children of Israel?  (29)  Wherefore kick ye at my sacrifice and at mine offering, which I have commanded in my habitation; and honourest thy sons above me, to make yourselves fat with the chiefest of all the offerings of Israel my people?

Man of God out there knows more than the high priest. Man of God out there rebuke high priest. Doesn’t seem right to me. It ought not to be like that. Eli really messed up.

1 Samuel 2:31-34  Behold, the days come, that I will cut off thine arm, and the arm of thy father’s house, that there shall not be an old man in thine house.  (32)  And thou shalt see an enemy in my habitation, in all the wealth which God shall give Israel: and there shall not be an old man in thine house for ever.  (33)  And the man of thine, whom I shall not cut off from mine altar, shall be to consume thine eyes, and to grieve thine heart: and all the increase of thine house shall die in the flower of their age.  (34)  And this shall be a sign unto thee, that shall come upon thy two sons, on Hophni and Phinehas; in one day they shall die both of them.

Why didn’t Eli do anything about all this?

1 Samuel 2:35  And I will raise me up a faithful priest, that shall do according to that which is in mine heart and in my mind: and I will build him a sure house; and he shall walk before mine anointed for ever.

The priesthood of every believer. I want to be a faithful priest. A royal priesthood, a chosen generation.

Chapter 3

1 Samuel 3:1  And the child Samuel ministered unto the LORD before Eli. And the word of the LORD was precious in those days; there was no open vision.

That man of God had a vision! What was meant by this? Precious meant rare, highly valued, and few had it. Is the word of the Lord precious today. It was precious but that doesn’t mean that it was precious to the people of God.

1 Samuel 3:2-3  And it came to pass at that time, when Eli was laid down in his place, and his eyes began to wax dim, that he could not see;  (3)  And ere the lamp of God went out in the temple of the LORD, where the ark of God was, and Samuel was laid down to sleep;

Was this the first time it had gone out? What’s the sig? Keep your eyes open! Keep your eyes on the light.

1 Samuel 3:7  Now Samuel did not yet know the LORD, neither was the word of the LORD yet revealed unto him.

Know the LORD, saved? Revealed unto him? Holy Spirit. Did all priest enjoy these benefits?

1 Samuel 3:9  Therefore Eli said unto Samuel, Go, lie down: and it shall be, if he call thee, that thou shalt say, Speak, LORD; for thy servant heareth. So Samuel went and lay down in his place.

Maybe when we pray, we ought to try this instead of us talking. Just say “Speak, LORD, for thy servant heareth…” And just listen to what God says to us.

1 Samuel 3:11  And the LORD said to Samuel, Behold, I will do a thing in Israel, at which both the ears of every one that heareth it shall tingle.

Tingling ears in the New Testament… Jingle Lingle Lingle with a Tingle Lingle Lingle.

1 Samuel 3:12  In that day I will perform against Eli all things which I have spoken concerning his house: when I begin, I will also make an end.

I’ve always liked this verse. Life is the cessation of death as death is the cessation of life.

1 Samuel 3:13  For I have told him that I will judge his house for ever for the iniquity which he knoweth; because his sons made themselves vile, and he restrained them not.

God would not have been wroth with Eli if he hadn’t made it within his reach to restrain his children. Eli could have done it, but chose not to.

1 Samuel 3:17  And he said, What is the thing that the LORD hath said unto thee? I pray thee hide it not from me: God do so to thee, and more also, if thou hide any thing from me of all the things that he said unto thee.

God do so to thee…. He’s threatening Samuel. He knows that what the Lord hath said was not good for him.

1 Samuel 3:19  And Samuel grew, and the LORD was with him, and did let none of his words fall to the ground.

No idle words. Set a watch about my mouth. Good advice. Study to be quiet.

1 Samuel 3:20  And all Israel from Dan even to Beersheba knew that Samuel was established to be a prophet of the LORD.

Can you imagine how that made Hannah feel to hear how people felt about her son.

1 Samuel 3:21  And the LORD appeared again in Shiloh: for the LORD revealed himself to Samuel in Shiloh by the word of the LORD.

By the word of the LORD. God can still do that today. God still does that today. Read the word. Preach the word. Feed the word. Lead by the word. Deed the word. Bleed the word. Greed the word. Seed the word. Need the word. Heed the word. Weed the word.

I have to believe this. In vain do I work if this is not true. God can reveal himself through the word of the Lord.

Chapter 4

1 Samuel 4:1  And the word of Samuel came to all Israel. Now Israel went out against the Philistines to battle, and pitched beside Ebenezer: and the Philistines pitched in Aphek.

Ebenezer? What was that again. The Lord helped us? Getting ahead of myself. That’s in chapter 7. It was a stone. I got into it with the stone of Bohan.

1 Samuel 4:3  And when the people were come into the camp, the elders of Israel said, Wherefore hath the LORD smitten us to day before the Philistines? Let us fetch the ark of the covenant of the LORD out of Shiloh unto us, that, when it cometh among us, it may save us out of the hand of our enemies.

Bad idea.

1 Samuel 4:5  And when the ark of the covenant of the LORD came into the camp, all Israel shouted with a great shout, so that the earth rang again.

They were so fooled. They rejoiced and praised God and shouted, yet never had a hope. Can people do this today. You betcha. They go to church, they sing, got the praise team, the whole earth rings! But never had a hope.

1 Samuel 4:13  And when he came, lo, Eli sat upon a seat by the wayside watching: for his heart trembled for the ark of God. And when the man came into the city, and told it, all the city cried out.

That was HIS responsibility. He trembled at his own folly.

1 Samuel 4:17  And the messenger answered and said, Israel is fled before the Philistines, and there hath been also a great slaughter among the people, and thy two sons also, Hophni and Phinehas, are dead, and the ark of God is taken.

There’s an outline here. We need alliteration. Help Brother Ballew!

1 Samuel 4:20-22  And about the time of her death the women that stood by her said unto her, Fear not; for thou hast born a son. But she answered not, neither did she regard it.  (21)  And she named the child Ichabod, saying, The glory is departed from Israel: because the ark of God was taken, and because of her father in law and her husband.  (22)  And she said, The glory is departed from Israel: for the ark of God is taken.

This is so sad. She was with child. Her husband slept around. She dies. Just sad. So sad.

Chapter 5

1 Samuel 5:3  And when they of Ashdod arose early on the morrow, behold, Dagon was fallen upon his face to the earth before the ark of the LORD. And they took Dagon, and set him in his place again.

Dagon was worshipping God.

1 Samuel 5:4  And when they arose early on the morrow morning, behold, Dagon was fallen upon his face to the ground before the ark of the LORD; and the head of Dagon and both the palms of his hands were cut off upon the threshold; only the stump of Dagon was left to him.

New Testament, it’s better to enter heaven maimed that have your hands and eyes and legs and arms and go to hell. Dagon knew what he was doing.

1 Samuel 5:9  And it was so, that, after they had carried it about, the hand of the LORD was against the city with a very great destruction: and he smote the men of the city, both small and great, and they had emerods in their secret parts.

Ouchy!