THE PRAYER AND THE BIRTH OF SAMUEL

“Then 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 male child, then I will give him to the LORD all the days of his life, and no razor shall come upon his head" (1 Sam. 1:11 NKJV).

Society had become a pit of depravity and corruption, when Samuel was born. His day was a time when people had slipped into immorality and lawlessness. But in the midst of such an immoral and lawless society, there were a few persons who lived for God. They loved the Lord and obeyed Him. Such a person was Hannah, Samuel’s mother.

The circumstances for Samuel – “Hannah had no children... the Lord had shut up her womb” (1 Sam. 2:2, 5). This condition was a great burden to Hannah. In Bible days, children were considered a great blessing from God (Psalm 127:3-5), and to be childless was a great reproach for a woman (Luke 1:24, 25). Many great women in the Bible experienced childlessness for an extended period of time - Sarah, Isaac’s mother; Rachel, Joseph’s mother; and Elizabeth, John the Baptist’s mother. However, the character of their famous sons says quality is better than quantity.

The crying for Samuel - Hannah prayed to God to end her barrenness. “She was in bitterness of soul, and prayed to the LORD and wept in anguish” (1 Sam. 1:10). The weeping says, Hannah literally cried this prayer to God. Hannah was praying near where the priest was sitting. This is why he was able to observe Hannah in her praying. We can pray anywhere but there are some places more conducive to praying than other places.

The coming of Samuel - “Hannah... conceived... bare a son” (1 Sam. 1:20). Hannah’s prayer was answered. She called her son Samuel. It means ‘heard of God.’ In giving the child this name, Hannah exalted the Lord in the choosing of the name. Hannah asked for a blessing, and when she got it, she took care of it. The reason many do not get the blessings they ask for is because they are a poor steward of what they already have.

The consecration of Samuel - After Samuel was weaned, he was taken to “the house of the Lord in Shiloh” (1 Sam. 1:24), to fulfill his consecration to the Lord. He was consecrated to the Lord at a young age. Today we get our children into little league sports at younger and younger ages but protest giving them any religious training until they are older. Hannah knew better. If you want your children consecrated to the Lord, you must start early.

(Adapted from POSB Commentary)

Soli Deo Gloria (To God Alone Be The Glory)

Quotation of the Week

“The rod and rebuke give wisdom, but a child left to himself brings shame to his mother!”

Proverb 29:15 (NKJV)

Word Study

Seized

In Acts 6:12 we read, “And they stirred up the people, the elders, and the scribes; and they came upon him, seized him, and brought him to the council” (NKJV).

Seized is the Greek word sunarpazō (συναρπάζω = soon-ar-pad'-zo). It is made up of two words – “sun” which means with and intensifies the meaning, and “harpazō” which means to seize suddenly and violently; it is to grasp with great violence. In our verse, Stephen’s opponents seized him (rather than caught him) and took him before the council. The rioting crowd in Ephesus seized Paul’s companions and rushed them to the town theater (Acts 19:29). The ship carrying Paul to Rome was seized by a tempestuous wind and carried by the storm (Acts 27:15).

Prophecies Fulfilled by Jesus

Old Testament Prophecy – Messiah not killed for Himself (Dan. 9:26)

New Testament Fulfillment – Matt. 20:28

Bible Facts

Life is more than matter and energy (Gen. 2:7; Job 12:7-10). We know that if a creature is denied air it dies. Even though its body may be perfectly intact, and air and energy are reintroduced to spark life, the body remains dead. Scripture agrees with the observable evidence when it states that only God can give the breath of life. Life cannot be explained by raw materials, time, and chance alone as evolutionists would lead us to believe.

Bible Quiz

Solomon judged a dispute between two mothers about whose baby boy had died. What did one mother say had caused the death of the child?

**Answer to last week’s trivia: What happened when Belshazzar and his guests drank wine from the gold and silver cups taken from the temple of the Jews? A hand appeared and wrote on the wall (Dan. 5:5).

That’s in the Bible

"Heap coals of fire on one’s head”

“For so you will heap coals of fire on his head, and the LORD will reward you” (Prov. 25:22 NKJV).

“Heap coals of fire on one’s head” - The expression “heap coals of fire on one’s head” carries the idea of doing good to your enemies. Doing good to an enemy is a difficult and unnatural response. Scripture generally enjoins doing good to everyone, even enemies. The best way to defeat an enemy is to smother him with kindness. The basic command is to overcome evil with good. The consequence of kindness to those in need is the Lord’s blessing.

Did You Know - Christian History

Evangeline Cory Booth, was born December 25, 1865 in South Hackney, London, England. She was a British theologist and the 4th General of The Salvation Army from 1934 to 1939. She was the first woman to hold the post of General.

At 15 she was a Sergeant selling the Army’s paper The War Cry in the slums of east London, and at 21 years of age she became the officer of the corps in Marylebone. Where ever trouble threatened, General Booth’s solution was invariably the same, ‘Send Eva!’

As Field Commissioner from 1888 to 1891, Evangeline courageously faced riotous crowds in Great Britain. From 1891 until 1896 she was in charge of Officer Training. And when an American break-away group led by her brother Ballington and his wife attempted to sway American Salvationists away from The Salvation Army and into a rival group called Volunteers of America, General Booth sent Evangeline to New York.

She was appointed temporary Territorial Commander of the United States, then Territorial Commander of Canada. In the aftermath of the 1906 San Francisco earthquake, she led a mass meeting in Union Square, New York, and raised over $12,000 for Salvation Army relief work amongst the victims of the disaster. For her work in support of the American Expeditionary Forces, Booth was awarded the Distinguished Service Medal by the U.S. Army. Booth was one of only a very few civilian women to be so honored for service during the First World War.

Elected General in 1934, the Salvation Army’s work greatly prospered during Evangeline Booth’s leadership, with Salvation Army activities being commenced in Singapore, Algeria, Egypt, French Equatorial Africa, the Philippines, Mexico, and Penang (Malaya).

Evangeline also wrote several books, including Toward a Better World and Songs of the Evangel. The Salvation Army Evangeline Booth College in Atlanta, GA is named after her, as is The Evangeline Booth Lodge in Chicago which is a haven for families and the homeless. Evangeline Booth lived in Hartsdale, NY until her death at the age of 84.

A Little Humor

Sayings of Mothers in the Bible - “Judas! Have you been in my purse again?”

Thought Provoking Church Sign

“Salvation changes our heritage from a living death to a deathless life!”