1 Samuel 1-7 (Catching up)

This is just an amazing story of recognition of the Lord’s provision. Hannah, was a woman who was so loved by her husband that even though she could not have children, he loved her even more. He honestly didn’t care whether she could have children or not. Hannah’s desire to provide her husband with a son, was secondary to her desire to have a son that served the Lord.
She continued to seek God…she didn’t grow hard, or mad, or worry….she just kept seeking God, and praying. She begged God for a son…to serve in the temple. She devoted him to service even before his birth.
When the Lord finally gave her a son, she didn’t forget her promise
1 Samuel 1:27 I prayed for this child, and the LORD has granted me what I asked of him. 28 So now I give him to the LORD. For his whole life he will be given over to the LORD." And he worshiped the LORD there.

1 Samuel 3:7 Now Samuel did not yet know the LORD : The word of the LORD had not yet been revealed to him.
I was thinking about the message Jen gave about the sheep knowing the shepherds voice. Each shepherd had a call that was VERY recognizable to the sheep….even individual sheep would have a certain call, that was specific to them. Samuel who had been serving in the temple, had not yet heard the voice of God or known what it would sound like because;
1 Samuel 1:1b In those days the word of the LORD was rare; there were not many visions.
But because of his faithfulness with the word of God….
1 Samuel 3:21 The LORD continued to appear at Shiloh, and there he revealed himself to Samuel through his word.

In chapter 4 Eli’s sons were killed in battle, as the lord had told Samuel, Eli died because he was heavy and old and he fell off his chair when he heard that the Ark had been captured by the Philistines.

The Philistines places the Ark (where God dwelled) in Dagons temple. Dagon was the god of choice for the Philistines. They came to pay homage to him.
1 Samuel 5:3 When the people of Ashdod rose early the next day, there was Dagon, fallen on his face on the ground before the ark of the LORD! They took Dagon and put him back in his place. 4 But the following morning when they rose, there was Dagon, fallen on his face on the ground before the ark of the LORD! His head and hands had been broken off and were lying on the threshold; only his body remained.

Eventually after being assed from tribe to tribe…the Philistines decided it would be better to return the Ark to the Israelites than to risk being killed by the God of the Israelites.

1 Samuel 7:12 Then Samuel took a stone and set it up between Mizpah and Shen. He named it Ebenezer, saying, "Thus far has the LORD helped us." 13 So the Philistines were subdued and did not invade Israelite territory again.

This verse was captured in a Hymn (Come thou Fount) we sing from time to time.
Here I raise my Ebenezer;

Here by Thy great help I’ve come;

And I hope, by Thy good pleasure,

Safely to arrive at home.

Ebenezer was known, or named this because it was the stone of help. It memorialized God helping the Israelites, and literally means, “thus far, God has led us”.
When we sing the old hymn, we should understand we are acknowledging God help in our own lives.