1 Samuel 1:15-18 Poured out my soul before the Lord!

 But Hannah answered and said, “No, my lord, I am a woman of sorrowful spirit. I have drunk neither wine nor intoxicating drink, but have poured out my soul before the LORD. “Do not consider your maidservant a wicked woman, for out of the abundance of my complaint and grief I have spoken until now.” Then Eli answered and said, “Go in peace, and the God of Israel grant your petition which you have asked of Him.” And 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.

a. No, my lord: Hannah did not accept Eli’s accusation, but she did not respond in a haughty or arrogant tone. She would explain herself, but she did it remembering that he was her high priest.

b. Have poured out my soul before the LORD: This is exactly what Hannah needed to do. Instead of keeping the bitterness of soul and the anguish in her heart, she poured it out of her soul before the LORD.

c. The God of Israel grant your petition: Eli may have spoken this only as a kind wish, but it was in fact a word from the LORD.

d. Her face was no longer sad: The change in Hannah’s countenance shows that she received the promise with faith, something necessary if we will inherit the promises of God (Hebrews 6:12).

i. Hannah shows how we can regain the joy of fellowship in the house of the LORD again: by pouring out our heart before the LORD and by receiving His word with faith.

Poured out my soul before the Lord!

B.I.B.L.E.

Basic Instructions Before Leaving Earth!

The Bible is full of godly instructions and Hanna’s experience has given us instructions what to do when we are deeply distressed, pour out your soul before the Lord!

I have and when it’s within His will, He answers!

Blessings 

1 Samuel 1:12-14 Drunk, Drunken, Drunkenness!

 ”And it happened, as she continued praying before the Lord, that Eli watched her mouth. Now Hannah spoke in her heart; only her lips moved, but her voice was not heard. Therefore Eli thought she was drunk. So Eli said to her, “How long will you be drunk? Put your wine away from you!” ‭‭I Samuel‬ ‭1‬:‭12‬-‭14‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

a. As she continued praying: This is literally, “as she multiplied to pray.” We only have recorded a bare summary of Hannah’s prayer.

b. Now Hannah spoke in her heart; only her lips moved, but her voice was not heard: It is often good to pray aloud because it can help us to better focus our thoughts. Yet this passage shows that prevailing prayer doesn’t need to be vocal. Effective prayer can be silent and in the heart.

c. How long will you be drunk? Eli misunderstood Hannah, but the fact that he suspected that she was drunk shows that it may not have been unusual for people to become drunk at the “fellowship meals” with the LORD at the tabernacle. The fact that Eli suspected Hannah of drunkenness doesn’t speak well for what went on around the tabernacle.

“The fact that Eli supposed her to be drunken, and the other of the conduct of Eli’s sons already mentioned, prove that religion was at this time at a very low ebb in Shiloh; for it seems drunken women did come to the place, and lewd women were to be found there.” (Clarke)

Drunk, Drunken, Drunkenness!

Recently in the news an actor was removed from an airplane flight because he refused to sit next to a passenger that was wearing a mask. He said he was drinking but wasn’t drunk and in his social media post, he repeated this comment, I was drinking but I wasn’t drunk. 

I wasn’t there but….. I suspect he was removed because he was belligerent and they thought he was drunk. 

After reading the article I thought he needed a 12 Step program like the Life Recovery Bible and Jesus!

”Wine is a mocker, Strong drink is a brawler, And whoever is led astray by it is not wise.“ ‭‭Proverbs‬ ‭20‬:‭1‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

”Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to reckless indiscretion. Instead, be filled with the Spirit.“ ‭‭Ephesians‬ ‭5‬:‭18‬ ‭BSB‬‬

The Bible is clear on this subject and I’ve been guilty of this sin in my past!

Have you?

Blessings 

Life Recovery Bible Introduction

1 Samuel 1:8-11 Prayed to the Lord!

 ”Hannah, why are you crying?” her husband Elkanah asked. “Why won’t you eat? Why is your heart so grieved? Am I not better to you than ten sons?” So after they had finished eating and drinking in Shiloh, Hannah stood up. Now Eli the priest was sitting on a chair by the doorpost of the temple of the Lord. In her bitter distress, Hannah prayed to the Lord and wept with many tears. And she made a vow, pleading, “O Lord of Hosts, if only You will look upon the affliction of Your maidservant and remember me, not forgetting Your maidservant but giving her a son, then I will dedicate him to the Lord all the days of his life, and no razor shall ever come over his head.” ‭‭1 Samuel‬ ‭1‬:‭8‬-‭11‬ ‭BSB‬‬

a. Hannah, why do you weep?.... Am I not better to you than ten sons? In Elkanah’s response to Hannah’s sorrow, we see that he did love her; yet like many men he was insensitive. He did not recognize that she had needs he could not fulfill (such as the desire to be a mother).

b. Prayed to the LORD: Hannah was in bitterness of soul and great anguish, yet she did the right thing. Hannah took those bitter and anguished feelings to God honestly in prayer.

c. O LORD of hosts: Hannah began her prayer by calling on the LORD of hosts.This title is used some 260 times in the Old Testament and has the idea “LORD of Mighty Armies.” Hannah felt attacked by her rival, so she called on the LORD of Mighty Armies to be her protector.

d. She made a vow: Hannah promised her son to the work of the LORD, vowing he would be a Nazirite from birth.

e. I will give him to the LORD all the days of his life: The child was already dedicated as a Levite because God regarded the tribe of Levi as His own special possession. But the time of a Levite’s special dedication to the LORD only lasted from the age of 30 to 50 (Numbers 4:2-3). Hannah took something that already belonged to the LORD and gave it again to Him in a greater way – for his whole life, and in the dedication of a Nazirite, which was a greater consecration than a Levite.

i. Even so, we may be dedicated to the LORD – but it is possible to give God a greater dedication. It would be easy for Hannah to say, “I don’t need to dedicate my child to the LORD because he is already dedicated.” But there was a deeper dedication for the LORD to draw out of Hannah.

Made a vow!

Who hasn’t made a vow and tried to bargain with the Lord? 

”And when you do ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may squander it on your pleasures.“ James‬ ‭4‬:‭3‬ ‭BSB‬‬

Let Hanna be a lesson for us, “prayed to the Lord and wept with many tears”. 

Her prayer was from a grieving heart! 

Pray from your heart at the foot of the cross and if your prayer is in His will, with correct motives, He may grant it and if He doesn’t keep on asking. 

Will God answer my prayer? Blessings 

https://www.gotquestions.org/does-God-answer-prayers.html

1 Samuel 1:3-7 The Lord Is In Charge!

 ”This man went up from his city yearly to worship and sacrifice to the Lord of hosts in Shiloh. Also the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, the priests of the Lord, were there. And whenever the time came for Elkanah to make an offering, he would give portions to Peninnah his wife and to all her sons and daughters. But to Hannah he would give a double portion, for he loved Hannah, although the Lord had closed her womb. And her rival also provoked her severely, to make her miserable, because the Lord had closed her womb. So it was, year by year, when she went up to the house of the Lord, that she provoked her; therefore she wept and did not eat.“ ‭‭I Samuel‬ ‭1‬:‭3‬-‭7‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

a. This man went up from his city: According to the Law of Moses, Israelites could not worship God through sacrifices at any time and in any way they pleased. They were to bring sacrifices to the tabernacle and the priests, which at this time were at Shiloh.

b. Also the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, the priests of the LORD, were there: These priests are mentioned by name because they were known as notoriously wicked priests (1 Samuel 2:17, 24). Their mention here shows how godly Elkanah was. Even though the priests were wicked, he still offered sacrifices to the LORD, knowing that the wickedness of the priest did not make his own service to the LORD invalid.

c. He would give portions: As Elkanah brought his family each year to the tabernacle for the sacrifice he ate a ceremonial meal at the tabernacle with his family, giving portions to his wives and their children. He showed his favor and love to Hannah by giving her a double portion.

d. She wept and did not eat: Because of the conflict between the two wives, Hannah could not enjoy this display of love and favor from Elkanah.

i. It is possible for problems at home to make your time at the house of God miserable. Hannah is at the house of the LORD with a blessed double portion in front of her and she can’t enjoy it.

e. The LORD had closed her womb: Beyond Hannah’s painful trial there was a purpose of God. God used the trial of a closed womb to accomplish something great in her life and to further the whole plan of salvation. Even though things were hard God was still in charge.

i. It seems strange that Peninnah (who seems of a bad character) was blessed with children and Hannah (who seems of a good character) was cursed with barrenness. Often, we don’t understand God’s ways until He completes His plan. (Guzik)

The Lord is In Charge

When times get tough sometimes it’s hard to remember that the Lord is in charge and has a plan. 

Proverbs 21 CEV is an interesting version about the Lord being in charge, enjoy!

Blessings 

Proverbs 21 CEV

The Lord Is In Charge

21 

The Lord controls rulers,
just as he determines
    the course of rivers.

2 

We may think we are doing
    the right thing,
but the Lord always knows
    what is in our hearts.

3 

Doing what is right and fair
pleases the Lord
    more than an offering.

4 

Evil people are proud
    and arrogant,
but sin is the only crop
    they produce.[a]

5 

If you plan and work hard,
    you will have plenty;
if you hurry to get rich,
    you will end up poor.

6 

Cheating to get rich
is a foolish dream
    and no less than suicide.[b]

7 

You destroy yourself
by being cruel and violent
    and refusing to live right.

8 

All crooks are liars,
but anyone who is innocent
    will do right.

9 

It's better to stay outside
    on the roof of your house
than to live inside
    with a nagging wife.

10 

Evil people want to do wrong,
    even to their friends.

11 

An ignorant fool learns
    by seeing others punished;
a sensible person learns
    by being instructed.

12 

God is always fair!
He knows what the wicked do
    and will punish them.

13 

If you won't help the poor,
don't expect to be heard
    when you cry out for help.

14 

A secret bribe will save you
    from someone's fierce anger.

15 

When justice is done,
good citizens are glad
    and crooks are terrified.

16 

If you stop using good sense,
you will find yourself
    in the grave.

17 

Heavy drinkers and others
who live only for pleasure
    will lose all they have.

18 

God's people will escape,
but all who are wicked
    will pay the price.

19 

It's better out in the desert
than at home with a nagging,
    complaining wife.

20 

Be sensible and store up
    precious treasures—
don't waste them
    like a fool.

21 

If you try to be kind and good,
you will be blessed with life
    and goodness and honor.

22 

One wise person can defeat
a city full of soldiers
    and capture their fortress.

23 

Watching what you say
can save you
    a lot of trouble.

24 

If you are proud and conceited,
everyone will say,
    “You're a snob!”

25 

If you want too much
and are too lazy to work,
    it could be fatal.

26 

But people who obey God
    are always generous.

27 

The Lord despises the offerings
of wicked people
    with evil motives.

28 

If you tell lies in court,
    you are done for;
only a reliable witness
    can do the job.

29 

Wicked people bluff their way,
but God's people think
    before they take a step.

30 

No matter how much you know
or what plans you make,
    you can't defeat the Lord.

31 

Even if your army has horses
ready for battle,
    the Lord will always win.