Nepaug Bible Church - http://www.nepaugchurch.org - Pastor's Evening Sermon Notes - http://www.nepaugchurch.org/ev/ev20011104.htm

1 AND 2 SAMUEL: GOD'S SOLUTIONS TO PROBLEMS IN OVERSIGHT
Part III: Using Biblical Contextual Precedents To Know How To Act In Baffling Issues
(1 Samuel 1:20-23)
  1. Introduction
    1. There are times when very serious decisions need to be made in life relative to following God's will, but where knowing just WHAT decision to make seems "unreachable" even due to a baffling Scripture verse.
    2. Even in such times of "tough" calls on knowing God's will, we have a wonderful guideline in Scripture:
  2. Using Biblical Contextual Precedents To Know How To Act In Baffling Issues, 1 Samuel 1:20-23.
    1. When God answered Hannah's vow and prayer for a son, a critical Biblical challenge arose re: that vow:
      1. Hannah's prayer had been couched in a vow to give her son to God as a lifelong Nazarite, 1 Sam. 1:11.
      2. Accordingly, since Elkanah had not challenged this vow when she gave it, both Hannah and her husband were liable to God to keep that vow and give Samuel to God all his days, Num. 30:1-2, 6-7.
      3. Well, Hannah felt she could not in practicality leave her unweaned, helpless infant at the temple.
      4. However, Hannah's VOW covered all of Samuel's LIFE, including his pre-weaned INFANCY!
    2. Concern over this conflict appeared in the discussion between Hannah and Elkanah in 1 Samuel 1:21-23:
      1. Elkanah was required of the Scriptures as a man to make several trips per year before the Lord at the Lord's dwelling place, the tabernacle at Shiloh (at the time), cf. Exodus 23:17.
      2. As such, he initially intended to offer his sacrifice of the vow for Samuel's lifelong Nazarite dedication that he had upheld as Hannah's husband when she had prayed for him, 1 Sam. 1:21; Num. 15:8.
      3. Yet, he was concerned about offering this vow sacrifice if Samuel would not then be given to the priest as a lifelong Nazarite, something his statement in 1 Sam. 1:23 reveals, cf. B.K.C., O.T., p. 433.
      4. As the Hebrew child was weaned from its mother in about three years (cf. 2 Maccabees 7:27 as cited in Ryrie Study Bible, KJV, ftn. to 1 Sam. 1:22), Hannah expressed confidence God would allow her to take the time necessary to wean Samuel at home before leaving him at the temple. Hence, she told her husband she would stay home until she could logistically turn her son over to the temple, 1 Sam. 1:22.
      5. Hannah's confidence in her DELAY in FULFILLING her VOW regardless of the BIBLICAL demands on her were based upon her KNOWLEDGE of BIBLICAL PRECEDENTS as follows:
        1. Though she might have at first wondered at God's righteousness in leaving her barren as a godly woman versus the Law dispensation's promise of Deut. 7:12-14, Hannah would have recalled God allowed a former likewise relatively godly wife of Manoah at first to be barren, cf. Judges 13:1-3.
        2. Hannah thus knew the Lord had allowed the innocent wife of Manoah to be stressed by barrenness to motivate her to keep herself from wine and strong drink while carrying Samson so he could be readied to save Israel from the Philistines as a lifelong Nazarite, Judges 13:4-5.
        3. Apparently, this had led to Hannah's figuring God had also similarly stressed her as a godly woman to be likewise barren, and thus had prayed with her vow that copied the Judges 13 case!
        4. Well, another man used of God to save Israel was MOSES, and Hannah knew MOSES had been nursed by his birth mother en route to his development into a man for God's use, cf. Exodus 2:1-6, 7-10. [Note how Ryrie's footnote at Exodus 2:10 relates Moses became a "member of the royal household" when he "was weaned, at 2 or 3 years of age," Ibid., Ryrie Study Bible, KJV.]
        5. Apparently, Hannah had come to believe that, due to the similarity in Biblical precedents, her own experience to date, including her initial unexplained barrenness as a godly Hebrew under the Law, and her answer to prayer with her lifelong Nazarite vow all pointed to God showing He planned to use Samuel to save Israel. Hence, as Moses was another man God used from his birth likewise to save Israel, and he had been weaned by his birth mother before going to Pharaoh's "finishing" court, Hannah used Moses' case as confidence she should wean Samuel before taking him to the temple!
Lesson: Knowing BIBLICAL PRECEDENTS through her extensive Bible knowledge gave Hannah the INSIGHT she needed know the ANSWER to in BAFFLING issue raised in her life!

Application: It really pays dividends in terms of DISCERNMENT for us to READ our Bibles so we can get a feel for precedents that answer BAFFLING issues in our lives!