1 Samuel

John F. MacArthur

• Publisher: HarperChristian Resources
• Year: 2016
• ISBN:
  9780718034863
• Topic: Theology & Religion
• Subtopic: Biblical Studies

The time of the judges were turbulent days in Israel's history, marked by a continuing cycle of sin, oppression, repentance, and deliverance. In time, the people decided they would do better under the leadership of a king, and they demanded that God provide them with one.

Samuel, God's anointed prophet, warned they would be getting more than they bargained for, but they continued to insist. The Lord finally provided a king in the person of Saul, and Samuel's warnings came to pass.

In this study, pastor John MacArthur will guide you through an in-depth look at this historical period beginning with the miraculous birth of Samuel, continuing through Saul's crowning as Israel's first king, and concluding with his tragic death.

Studies include close-up examinations of Hannah, Eli, Saul, David, and Jonathan, as well as careful considerations of doctrinal themes such as "Slaying a Giant" and "Respecting God's Anointed."

—ABOUT THE SERIES—

The MacArthur Bible Study series is designed to help you study the Word of God with guidance from widely respected pastor and author John MacArthur. Each guide provides intriguing examinations of the whole of Scripture by examining its parts and incorporates:

• Extensive, but straight-forward commentary on the text.
• Detailed observations on overriding themes, timelines, history, and context.
• Word and phrase studies to help you unlock the broader meaning and apply it to your life.
• Probing, interactive questions with plenty of space to write down your response and thoughts.

1

HANNAH’S VOW
1 Samuel 1:1–2:21

DRAWING NEAR

What are some types of “vows” that people make to God? In what kinds of situations do they tend to make these vows?

[Your Response]

THE CONTEXT

We open our study at the close of the time known in Israel as the period of the judges. The judges were individuals whom the Lord raised up at various times and places during a period of some 350 years, beginning soon after Joshua led the people into Canaan. The judges exercised limited authority over portions of Israel, with most of them only dealing with one or two of the twelve tribes. They frequently led Israel into battle against political enemies, and some acted as judges in civil disputes as well.

As we will see in future studies, a man named Samuel would become Israel’s final judge and God’s prophet to His people. He would be a great man of God and serve the Lord faithfully from his earliest childhood until the day he died. But where did such a man come from? What shaped him to become a great man of God? As the old saying goes, the apple does not fall far from the tree; so who were the parents who prepared him for a lifetime of service?

In this study, we will meet Samuel’s parents—notably his mother, Hannah. In Samuel’s day, it was considered a disgrace for a woman to be barren. People understood children to be a gift from God, and they took that concept a step further to assume that a wife who bore no children must be under the Lord’s discipline for some sin. This assumption was not true (at least not in Hannah’s case), but that did not stop people from treating her with contempt when she found herself unable to bear children to her husband.

To make matters much worse, Hannah’s husband had two wives—and the other wife had borne him many sons and daughters. As was common in such polygamous households, the two wives began to resent one another, and “the other woman” took every opportunity to ridicule Hannah for her inability to produce an heir. In general, Hannah found herself the object of great scorn and verbal abuse because of her barrenness, and her heart was filled with grief. But then, one day, she took her sorrows to the Lord—and that changed everything.

KEYS TO THE TEXT

Read 1 Samuel 1:1–2:11, noting the key words and phrases indicated below.

AN UNHAPPY FAMILY: Elkanah has two wives, Hannah and Peninnah. Peninnah has numerous children, but Hannah is barren. This produces strife in the home.

1:1. A CERTAIN MAN: This verse is similar to the one that introduces the birth of Samson (see Judges 13:2). The strong comparison also highlights the similarities between the lives of Samson and Samuel. Both men were judges over Israel, fighters of the Philistines, and lifelong Nazirites.

RAMATHAIM ZOPHIM: Also called Ramah, located just south of Mizpah.

ELKANAH: Meaning “God has created.”

2. HE HAD TWO WIVES: Monogamy was God’s intention for mankind from the time of creation (see Genesis 2:24). Polygamy was a common practice in the ancient Middle East, but the Scriptures never endorse it.

HANNAH HAD NO CHILDREN: Hannah’s name means “grace,” and her life became a model of God’s grace. It was considered a disgrace in her day for a woman to be childless, as it was interpreted by the world at large as a sign of God’s disfavor. It only made Hannah’s burden greater to be forced to live with another woman who had borne her husband numerous children. The same situation caused much grief in Jacob’s household (see Genesis 29–30).

PENINNAH: Her name means “ruby.”

3. THIS MAN WENT UP FROM HIS CITY YEARLY: All Israelite men were required to attend three annual feasts at the central sanctuary (see Deuteronomy 16:1–17).

THE LORD OF HOSTS: The word hosts can refer to human armies (see Exodus 7:4), celestial bodies (see Deuteronomy 4:19), or heavenly creatures (see Joshua 5:14). The name emphasizes God’s sovereignty over all creation, including the daily affairs of human beings.

IN SHILOH: Located about twenty miles north of Jerusalem in Ephraim. The tabernacle and ark of the covenant resided there.

5. A DOUBLE PORTION: This was a public display of favor and honor. Elkanah may have been intending to comfort Hannah in her barrenness, but such blatant favoritism could only produce more problems within the home.

THE LORD HAD CLOSED HER WOMB: The Lord had deliberately prevented Hannah from bearing children, just as He had done with Sarah and Rachel. He is sovereign over every event in our lives, even those things we might ascribe to natural causes.

6. HER RIVAL: That is, Peninnah. It is telling that she is not described as “Elkanah’s other wife” or “Hannah’s family member.” As this situation shows, disregarding the Lord’s intended family structure only brings heartache and rivalry. Peninnah probably taunted and provoked Hannah because their husband was so open in his favoritism.

HANNAH TURNS TO THE LORD: Elkanah takes his entire family to the temple in Shiloh to attend one of the annual festivals. While there, Hannah pours out her grief before the Lord.

7. SHE WENT UP TO THE HOUSE OF THE LORD: The law demanded all men of Israel to appear before the Lord at His temple on three occasions each year. Many took their families with them, though they were not required to do so. The fact that Elkanah also provided offerings for his wives, sons, and daughters indicates he was a godly man who taught his children the ways of the Lord.

8. WHY DO YOU WEEP: Elkanah probably intended to comfort and encourage his wife, yet he could hardly have comprehended her sense of sadness and despair. His love undoubtedly did comfort her, yet it was also a cause of the tension between her and Peninnah. In the long run, Elkanah’s role as a loving husband did not remove Hannah’s longing for a son.

10. BITTERNESS OF SOUL: Hannah’s sorrow was so great that her life felt like a bitter burden. She did not make a public display of her sorrow, however, but poured out her heart in prayer to the Lord, the only One who could heal her heartache. Notice also she “wept in anguish” in God’s presence, rather than attempting some level of stoicism. The Lord wants His children to pour out their hearts to Him honestly, even when they are filled with sorrow.

11. SHE MADE A VOW: It is a serious thing to make a vow to the Lord. It should not be undertaken lightly, for God expects His people to fulfill their vows.

NO RAZOR SHALL COME UPON HIS HEAD: Hannah was referring to the vows of a Nazirite, a young man who voluntarily took on specific strictures for a time of dedicated service to the Lord. The Nazirite did not cut his hair, refrained from wine, and avoided any contact with dead bodies. The Nazirite vows were usually taken for several weeks or even a few months at most. Hannah was dedicating her unborn son to a lifetime Nazirite vow—dedicating him fully to the Lord’s service and voluntarily giving up her rights and expectations as the boy’s mother.

13. ELI THOUGHT SHE WAS DRUNK: This is a sad introduction to Eli, the high priest at Shiloh. He should have expected that the people who gathered in the temple were there to worship the Lord. However, his own sons had corrupted the temple with their wickedness, and it may even have been fairly common for Eli to see people acting with irreverence during times of worship. He assumed the worst because his own heart was not dedicated to the Lord’s service.

15. I AM A WOMAN OF SORROWFUL SPIRIT: It is tragic that Hannah was forced to defend her private prayers before the high priest himself—the one man who ought to have been her intercessor and defender.

16. OUT OF THE ABUNDANCE OF MY COMPLAINT: Hannah was doing exactly what the Lord wanted her to do by pouring out her heart’s burden before Him. God wants the same from us today. What’s more, as Christians we have the full assistance of the Holy Spirit in pouring out our concerns to the Father (see Romans 8:26).

THE LORD ANSWERS: Once Eli understands the situation, he blesses Hannah, and she takes that as a promise from the Lord that He will grant her plea.

18. HER FACE WAS NO LONGER SAD: Hannah demonstrated great faith at this moment. She had poured out her heart to the Lord and had received an answer. She accepted Eli’s word of blessing as a promise from the Lord, demonstrating her own faith in His faithful character. In this she was like Abraham, who believed the promise of God that he would receive a son.

20. SAMUEL: The name means “name of God,” but it also sounds similar to the Hebrew word meaning “heard of God.” Hannah recognized that her son was a direct gift from the Lord; that He had heard her prayer and had granted her request. She also did not forget her vow, and she fulfilled it faithfully.

21. AND HIS VOW: Elkanah had the power to nullify his wife’s vow according to God’s law (see Numbers 30:6–15), yet here we find he knew of her vow and supported it fully. In God’s eyes, Hannah’s vow became binding on her husband as well, and Elkanah recognized his solemn responsibility to see that it was fulfilled. In this, he demonstrated his deep love for his wife far more than his words of encouragement could have done.

22. NOT UNTIL THE CHILD IS WEANED: Jewish custom at the time was to breastfeed a child until he was two or three years old.

REMAIN THERE FOREVER: Notice Hannah did not say, “He will remain in the Lord’s presence all his life.” She understood the Lord’s children will be in His presence far beyond this earthly life and enjoy His company for all eternity.

24. THE CHILD WAS YOUNG: Samuel was probably around three years old when he entered the Lord’s service at the temple.

28. I ALSO HAVE LENT HIM TO THE LORD: This does not mean Hannah was permitting the Lord to borrow her son for a time but that she was devoting him fully to the Lord’s service wit...

Table of contents

• Cover Page
• Title Page
• Copyright Page
• Ebook Instructions
• Contents
• Introduction
• 1. Hannah’s Vow: 1 Samuel 1:1–2:21
• 2. A Visit from God: 1 Samuel 3:1–21
• 3. The Ark Is Captured: 1 Samuel 4:1–6:21
• 4. The Last Judge: 1 Samuel 7:1–17
• 5. The People Demand a King: 1 Samuel 8:1–22
• 6. Saul Comes to Power: 1 Samuel 9:1–10:27
• 7. Saul’s Failure As King: 1 Samuel 13:1–15; 15:1–35
• 8. Transfer of Power: 1 Samuel 16:1–23
• 9. Slaying a Giant: 1 Samuel 17:1–51
• 10. David and Jonathan: 1 Samuel 20:1–42
• 11. Saul’s Final Days: 1 Samuel 24:1–22; 28:1–20
• 12. Reviewing Key Principles