Giving Our Children to the Lord

5/9/10 | Brian Bill | 1 Samuel 1-2 | Listen
Series: Hope For Your Home

Parents, it’s a challenge to make sure we’re teaching our children correctly, isn’t it? Someone sent me an email from a child who was asked to write a book report on the Bible.

In the beginning, which occurred near the start, there was nothing but God… He split the Adam and made Eve. Adam and Eve were naked, but they weren't embarrassed because mirrors hadn’t been invented yet…One of the next important people was Noah, who was a good guy, but one of his kids was kind of a Ham. Noah built a large boat and put his family and some animals on it. He asked some other people to join him, but they said they would have to take a rain check.

Another important Bible guy is Moses, whose real name was Charlton Heston. Moses led the Israel Lights out of Egypt and away from the evil Pharaoh after God sent ten plagues…These plagues included frogs, mice, lice, bowels, and no cable. God fed the Israel Lights every day with manicotti. Then he gave them His Top Ten Commandments. These include: don’t lie, cheat, smoke, dance, or covet your neighbors wife. Oh, yeah, I just thought of one more: Humor thy father and thy mother.

Joshua fought the battle of Geritol and the fence fell over on the town. After Joshua came David. He got to be king by killing a giant with a slingshot. He had a son named Solomon who had about 300 wives and 500 porcupines. My teacher says he was wise, but that doesn’t sound very wise to me. After Solomon there were a bunch of major league prophets. One of these was Jonah, who was swallowed by a big whale and then barfed up on the shore. There were also some minor league prophets, but I guess we don't have to worry about them.

After the Old Testament came the New Testament. Jesus is the star of The New. He was born in Bethlehem in a barn. (I wish I had been born in a barn too, because my mom is always saying to me, ‘Close the door! Were you born in a barn?’ It would be nice to say, ‘As a matter of fact, I was.’) Jesus also had twelve opossums. The worst one was Judas Asparagus. Judas was so evil that they named a terrible vegetable after him. Jesus was a great man. He healed many leopards and even preached to some Germans on the Mount. Anyways, Jesus died for our sins, then came back to life again. He went up to Heaven but will be back at the end of the Aluminum. His return is foretold in the book of Revolution.

It’s not easy being a mom, is it? A mother was talking to an old college friend and said, “I remember before I was married that I had three theories about raising children. Now I have three children and no theories.” Almost 90 years ago, by an act of Congress, President Woodrow Wilson proclaimed the second Sunday in May as Mother’s Day. He established the day as a time for “public expression of our love and reverence for the mothers of our country.” It’s certainly true that no nation is ever greater than its mothers, for they are the makers of the next generation. One popular poem, written almost 150 years ago, says that “The hand that rocks the cradle is the hand that rules the world.” Actually, the hand that rocks the cradle is usually attached to someone who isn’t getting enough sleep!

And so, today we want to honor moms. We applaud not only your efforts, but who you are. Having said that, some of you probably didn’t want to come to church on Mother’s Day because your mother is no longer alive and you really miss her. Others of you don’t care much for your mom and you’re a bit turned off by all the syrupy sentiments in Hallmark cards. Some of you may have a mother who is very sick right now and you wonder how much longer she’s going to be with you. Maybe you’re a single dad and hurt for your kids as they struggle to find out why their mother has hurt them so much. A handful of you have experienced the devastating loss of a child’s death. There are probably some mothers here this morning that wish they didn’t have kids and I know there are women here who would give anything just to have a child. Others of you are grieving the direction your child is taking.

Moms Matter

MOPS, or Mothers of Preschoolers, surveyed more than 1,000 mothers some time ago to find out what their nine biggest needs are. The results are spelled out in a book called, “What Every Mom Needs.” The number one need is the need for significance. Moms want to know that they matter, that they are making a difference. I want to draw our attention this morning to five ways that moms matter.

In our series so far, we’ve not encountered many role models. But we will today as we honor a mom worth modeling – her name is Hannah. Before we jump into Hannah’s story, turn to the very last verse of the Book of Judges. In our English Bibles, the Book of Ruth comes after Judges, but in the Hebrew Bible, 1 Samuel follows immediately after Judges. The situation is bleak. The nation of Israel is torn apart by a lack of leadership and a pervasive perversity. According to Judges 21:25, “In those days Israel had no king; everyone did as they saw fit.”

1. Moms matter when they have problems (1:1-8). Life is filled with problems and is complicated by messy marriages, blended families and trying to balance work and family. Hannah was in a very tough situation as well.

In 1 Samuel 1, we’re introduced to a man named Elkanah. Verse 2 tells us that “He had two wives; one was called Hannah and the other Penninah. Penninah had children, but Hannah had none.” The wife’s chief role in those days was to provide children. A barren womb was considered a curse and Hannah would have been looked down upon.

Verse 3 tells us that Elkanah and his two wives made a yearly visit to Shiloh, about a twenty-mile journey, to worship the Lord. When the whole culture was headed south spiritually, this man swam against the tide of apathy, and took his family to worship. He worked hard to get to the place of worship. Some of us are so consistent with this! Others of us may need some help so that no matter what, barring sickness, vacation, or being out of town, we are here, fully prepared for prayer, praise and preaching.

Verses 4-5 tells us that he gave portions of the sacrificial meat to Penninah and her children, “But to Hannah he gave a double portion because he loved her…” This sacrifice was a thank offering, which allowed the worshipers to eat the part that was not offered to God. This “double” portion literally means, “to show the face.” He showed his face to her, indicating that she was worthy and that he cared deeply for her. In that culture, honored guests were given a “super-sized” meal and the choicest cut.

Elkanah was devout in his walk with God and devoted to Hannah, but he had a divided family. The original cause of this division was his decision to marry two wives, which was not God’s original intent for marriage. Though the Bible records the polygamous relationships of some of the patriarchs, it never endorses it. God’s Word teaches the “one wife for life” rule.

Verse 6 describes the character and personality of Penninah: “…her rival kept provoking her in order to irritate her.” She couldn’t just be thankful that she had children but felt the need to needle and harass Hannah. The word “provoke” literally means, “to cause her thunder.” She’s trying to get Hannah to blow her top! The word “irritate” refers to being stirred up inwardly. This bothered Hannah so much that she would weep and not be able to eat. This word means that she mourned deeply with so much agony that she lost her appetite. Some of you are in the middle of this kind of anguish right now as you feel beaten down and discouraged.

In verse 8, Elkanah tries his best to comfort his wife: “Hannah, why are you weeping? Why don’t you eat? Why are you downhearted? Don’t I mean more to you than ten sons?” While it’s significant that a husband would even notice a wife’s sadness and want to find out why she’s crying, I wonder if his attempt at empathy was appreciated.

Some of you have been hit with some insensitive comments, either from your dad, your husband, or from others. God understands your pain and you matter even though you have some problems.

2. Moms matter when they pray (1:9-18). Hannah had some problems but she didn’t shut down or lash out at those around her. Our problems should drive us to prayer. Look at verses 10-11: “In bitterness of soul Hannah wept much and prayed to the LORD. And she made a vow, saying, ‘O LORD Almighty, if you will only look upon your servant’s misery and remember me, and not forget your servant but give her a son, then I will give him to the LORD for all the days of his life, and no razor will ever be used on his head.’” Prayer was her secret weapon.

Her weeping led to worship as her tears mingled with her prayers. The kind of prayer that arises from the bitterness of the soul is far different than the dry prayers that I sometimes utter. When tears are in our eyes, our prayer comes from the heart. Alan Redpath has said, “When God has an impossible task, he takes an impossible person and crushes her.” Hannah is definitely broken. The description of God as “The Lord Almighty” means, “The Lord of Hosts.” The hosts refer to all the armies of heaven. She is appealing to His power and authority, because she knows there is nothing she can do.

As part of her prayer, she is making a vow that if she’s given a son, he will be dedicated to the Lord for his entire life. Her son would become a Levitical priest, serving in the temple as a Nazirite. A Nazirite was bound by a vow to be set apart to the Lord’s service and had to abstain from the fruit of the vine, was forbidden to cut his hair, and was not allowed to get near any dead body. Samson was another Old Testament character who had taken this vow. Having worked through years of barrenness, and the problems that this caused, Hannah now realizes a very important truth: children are not just for parents; they’re for the Lord.

It’s significant that verse 12 says, “she kept on praying to the Lord.” This wasn’t just a quick popcorn prayer. This was a repeated request, bathed in tears. Notice also that she prayed this prayer in her heart, not audibly like most Hebrews prayed. Her quiet prayer had an unfortunate consequence when Eli, the priest, accused her of being drunk. That says a lot about the culture at that time – there were probably drunken people around the temple and Eli thought she was one of them. She wasn’t pouring herself a drink; she was pouring out her soul to God.

When she had the opportunity to explain herself, Eli answered in verse 17: “Go in peace, and may the God of Israel grant you what you have asked of Him.” This benediction was a huge blessing to Hannah. Her whole countenance changed in verse 18 when we read that “…she went away and ate something, and her face was no longer downcast.” This is really cool. After spending time in prayer, her face was no longer sad. She had left her concerns with the Lord and now she’s experiencing the “peace that passes all understanding.”

Moms matter when they have problems and when they pray. That leads to a third way that moms matter…

3. Moms who matter look for God’s provision (1:19-20). A short time later, Hannah conceived and give birth to a son, naming him Samuel. His name sounds like the Hebrew for “heard of God.” Every time she said his name she was reminded of his origin and destiny.

I want to be careful here. Just because Hannah’s prayers for a son were answered, that doesn’t necessarily mean that your requests will be answered just because you’ve prayed. But you will receive God’s provision, one way or another. He loves to give good gifts to His children according to Matthew 7:11: “…how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him!” God gives us what we need but not always what we want or what we expect.

Did you know that one out of 10 couples have a difficult time conceiving? God answered Hannah’s prayer but not just so she could have a baby. God needed a special prophet He could work through. He allowed a time of barrenness in Hannah’s life to bring a greater blessing than she could ever imagine.

4. Moms matter when they keep their promises (1:21-28). After Samuel was born, she dedicated herself to her child,nursing and nurturing him, knowing that when he is able to eat on his own, she “…will take him and present him before the Lord, and he will live there always.” Many people make promises to God, only to forget them once time passes. Not so with Hannah. She fully intended to keep her promise because she knew that Samuel did not really belong to her anyway. Ecclesiastes 5:4-5: “When you make a vow to God, do not delay in fulfilling it. He has no pleasure in fools; fulfill your vow. It is better not to vow than to make a vow and not fulfill it.”

She then brings Samuel to the house of the Lord when he was around three and says in verse 28: “So now I give him to the LORD. For his whole life he will be given over to the LORD…” She repeated this twice as if to cement her commitment, knowing that she will never revoke it.While she gave Samuel to her Savior, she never bailed on her responsibility. Look at 2:19: “Each year his mother made him a little robe and took it to him when she went up with her husband to offer the annual sacrifice.”

Verse 28 ends with a glimpse into young Samuel’s heart: “And he worshiped the LORD there.” Even at three-years-old, he was able to worship. How do you think he learned how to do this? Hannah no doubt took the exhortation of Deuteronomy 6:6-7 seriously: “These commandments that I give you today are to be upon your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up.”

Moms have incredible opportunities to take advantage of ‘teachable moments’ all the time. Here are some things my mother taught me…

· My mother taught me religion: “You better pray that comes out of the carpet!”

· My mother taught me logic: “Because I said so. That’s why.”

· My mother taught me about stamina: “You’ll sit there until you eat your spinach.”

· My mother taught me genetics: “You’re just like your father.”

· My mother taught me about justice: “One day you’ll have kids, and I hope they turn out just like you!”

I recently came across a true story that happened during the Holocaust. Solomon Rosenberg, his wife and their two sons were arrested and placed in a concentration camp. The rules were simple. As long as they did their work, they were permitted to live. When they became too weak to work, they would be exterminated.

Rosenberg watched as his own father and mother were marched off to their deaths and he knew that his youngest son David would be next because he had always been a frail child. Every evening Rosenberg came back into the barracks after his hours of hard labor and searched for the faces of his family. When he found them they would huddle together, embrace one another and thank God for another day of life.

One day he came back and didn’t see those familiar faces. He finally discovered his oldest son, Joshua, in a corner sobbing and praying. “Josh, tell me it’s not true.” Joshua turned to his dad and said, “It’s true. Today David was not strong enough to do his work and so they took him away.” Mr. Rosenberg then asked, “But where is your mother?” Joshua could barely speak and finally uttered, “When they came for David, he was afraid and cried and so mom took his hand and went with him.”

That’s the kind of love that Hannah had for Samuel. She was willing to sacrifice herself for the sake of her son. She loved him so much that she was willing to forgo a mother’s greatest joy – that of bringing up her son and having him around her. She was committed to do whatever it took for him to reach his godly potential.

Moms who matter have problems, they pray, the recognize God’s provision, they keep their promises and finally...

5. Moms who matter explode with praise (2:1-11). We don’t have time this morning to plumb the depths of Hannah’s beautiful psalm of praise, but I do want to point out that there is no element of sadness here at all. She has just dropped off Samuel at the temple and now she breaks out into praise. She was thrilled to be able to parent a prophet!

Listen to verses 1-2: “My heart rejoices in the LORD; in the LORD my horn is lifted high. My mouth boasts over my enemies, for I delight in your deliverance. There is no one holy like the LORD; there is no one besides you; there is no Rock like our God.”

Notice that she doesn’t brag about how handsome Samuel is, or how smart he is, or how athletic he is, or how neat it is that he can say prayers at his young age. She overlooks the gift and gives praise to the Giver. There is no one else who is holy like the Lord and no one else who will be her Rock through the storms of life.

In verse 3 she focuses on God’s wisdom and knowledge, recognizing that He’s the one who weighs the actions of men and women. We shouldn’t brag about we have or what we do, because God knows our hearts. In verse 6, she acknowledges God’s ability to bring death and to make alive. In verse 7, God is the one who sends poverty and wealth; He humbles and exalts.

Hannah is an example of a woman of faith. She endures years of silent suffering because of her barrenness and the cruel harassment at the hand of her rival. She goes to the place of worship, knowing how painful it is. She faithfully worships, pouring out her tears and petitions. And when God answers her prayers, she not only keeps her promise, she explodes with praise.

Closing Thoughts

1. Women, you are of great worth in God’s sight whether or not you have a child. Lift up your head and realize that God loves you for who you are, not for what you do. He understands your sorrow and your pain and He’ll meet you right where you are.

2. God may open other doors. Perhaps God would have you pursue adoption, foster care, having step-children, or teaching, caring, coaching or mentoring children. I really respect what Dan and Christi Ucherek are doing as they strive to live out James 1:27: “Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.” They are seeking to adopt a child or two from Ethiopia. If you’d like to support them in any way, I’m sure they’d love to talk with you. When I asked Christi this week if I could share a bit about their journey, this is what she said…

“Our heart is for this journey to bring glory to God…not to us. It’s honestly a bit difficult when people are giving us glory thinking that we are ‘doing a good thing’…when that has nothing to do with it…it’s not about us WANTING a child…honestly, it would be MUCH easier for us to just try to conceive…but this is not an act of what we want, this is God’s plan A for our family…this whole journey is an act of faith and obedience.” (To follow their journey, check out their blog: http://godetchedyourname.blogspot.com).

3. Motherhood matters. It’s a noble aspiration to give oneself to the ministry of mothering! I was intrigued to read these lines from the poem I reference I earlier, “She who rocks the cradle rocks the world.”

Woman, how divine your mission Here upon our natal sod! Keep, oh, keep the young heart open Always to the breath of God!

I received an email from a PBC mother this week about a plaque she came across some time ago: “This made me feel very special when I read this at a time when I wasn’t feeling so good about myself and thought that maybe I should be working instead of a stay at home Mom. I thought it would make me a better person. So this writing has done wonders for me. I feel proud knowing God gave me this wonderful experience to raise his children!!!!” It’s called, “Continue On.”

A woman once fretted over the usefulness of her life. She feared she was wasting her potential being a devoted wife and mother. She wondered if the time and energy she invested in her husband and children would make a difference. At times she got discouraged because so much of what she did seemed to go unnoticed and unappreciated. “Is it worth it?” she often wondered. “Is there something better that I could be doing with my time?”

It was during one of these moments of questioning that she heard the still small voice of her heavenly Father speak to her heart. “You are a wife and mother because that is what I have called you to be. Much of what you do is hidden from the public eye. But I notice. Most of what you give is done without remuneration. But I am your reward…Your children are precious to Me. Even more precious than they are to you. I have entrusted them to your care to raise for me. What you invest in them is an offering to me. You may never be in the public spotlight. But your obedience shines as a bright light before Me. Continue on. Remember you are my servant. Do all to please Me.”

4. Mothers, make it your mission to give your children to the Lord for a lifetime of dedicated service. There’s no greater purpose, and no higher honor, than to have your children give their lives in surrendered service to the Lord of Hosts. In 1 Samuel 1:22 we read, “…I will take him and present him before the Lord, and he will live there always.” Drop down to verse 28: “So now I give him to the Lord. For his whole life he will be given over to the Lord.”

Many years ago I was doing a funeral and for some reason I imagined what it would be like to have Beth and the girls in a casket. My eyes immediately filled with tears as I pondered this awful thought. But then it hit me that God wants me to offer my bride and my beautiful daughters to Him, no strings attached. And I did so right there in the funeral home. They belong to Him, not to me. Parents, we are stewards and therefore we must continually surrender them to them to the Lord for His service.

5. Consider mentoring other moms. Titus 2:4 tells the older women to “train the younger women to love their husbands and children.” I love the Apples of Gold ministry that we have here. Since 2005, a total of 18 mentors have ministered to 67 women. The next class will begin this Fall on Thursday nights.

6. One of the lessons from the life of Hannah is that each of us needs to be growing in our own relationship with God. If you want your kids to learn about God, and to love Him with all they’ve got, it’s first got to be real in your life. I was struck by this when one mother told me this week what her and her husband have decided to stop drinking alcohol because they don’t want to set that model for their kids.

David Dalton, a mother who lives in California, wrote about something that happened between her and her young child.

“It was a busy day in our home. But then, with 10 children and another one on the way, every day was a bit hectic. On this particular day, however, I was having trouble doing even routine chores—all because of one little boy. Len, who was three at the time, was on my heels no matter where I went. Whenever I stopped to do something and turned around, I would trip over him. Several times I patiently suggested fun activities to keep him occupied. ‘Wouldn’t you like to play on the swing set?’ I asked again.

But he simply smiled an innocent smile and said, ‘Oh, that’s all right, Mommy. I’d rather be in here with you.’ Then he continued to bounce happily along behind me. After stepping on his toes for the fifth time, I began to lose patience and insisted that he go outside to play with the other children. He still wouldn’t go. When I asked him why he was acting this way, he looked up at me with sweet green eyes and said, ‘Well, Mommy, in Sunday School my teacher told me to walk in Jesus’ footsteps. But I can’t see Him, so I’m walking in yours.’”