February 16, 2020
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1 Samuel 2:12-4:1
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exposition
Did you know that God wants to reveal Himself to you? He wants you to know Him. God isn’t hiding. That’s what we tend to do. Since the time of Adam and Eve, who hid from God when they sinned, humanity has had a tendency to hide. Are you hiding from God? He wants to reveal Himself to you, but you must come out of hiding to hear and know Him.
In our reading today, the name LORD or Yahweh appears 34 times. As we’ve said before, the Bible is primarily a book about God. God desires to reveal Himself to us through His Word.
In the book of 1 Samuel, the LORD called young Samuel to be His prophet, revealing Himself by His Word. We can recognize the LORD’s desire to reveal Himself to us by His Word.
February 9, 2020
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1 Samuel 1:1 - 2:11
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exposition
When we try to take the throne of our own lives, trying to be in control, it always ends with a feeling of barrenness. We feel empty, fruitless, depleted, or broken. Perhaps, you feel this today. The things you do at work feel fruitless or unimportant. You feel depleted at home like you are losing the battle for your marriage or the battle for your children. Maybe you feel stuck, like you have no purpose. Maybe you feel abandoned or like you are fighting through life alone. And as you look to others for help and leadership, whether it’s politicians, priests, or preachers, you have often been disappointed. When we feel this pain it is hard to imagine that turning our lives over to God could make a difference.
May 8, 2016
This verse about how Samuel grew is very similar to the one in Luke 2:52 that described how Jesus grew. Samuel was a wanted child. His mother, Hannah, had been barren, but she prayed to God for a son, promising to give him back to the Lord. And God heard her prayer. When Samuel was weaned, Hannah presented him to the priest, Eli, to raise. So, Samuel grew up serving in the Tabernacle of the Lord (1 Sam. 3:1). In contrast to Eli’s own rebellious sons, his adopted son, Samuel, was called of God. It’s amazing how God used a mother’s love and prayers to bring forth a deliverer in Israel like Samuel, a man who grew up like Jesus did. Hannah’s love and faith should still inspire mothers today!
Happy Mother’s Day!
May 7, 2014
In contrast to Eli’s grown sons, young Samuel served the Lord. Samuel was given to Eli to raise as his own by his mother Hannah. She had been barren and promised to give the Lord her firstborn son if He allowed her to conceive. Eli was a permissive and passive father. His sons were evidence of his parenting failure. Yet, like many today, he was a better grandfather to Samuel than he was a father to his own sons. Hannah gave her son to the Lord. He grew up in God’s presence. From his youth until his death, Samuel was faithful to God. He was the last of Israel’s judges. He was a transitional figure who acted with all three titles of prophet, priest and judge, before anointing the first two kings of Israel.
June 3, 2012
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1 Samuel 2
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family
Pastor Gary Combs begins a 6-week sermon series entitled “Family Feud” with this message from 1 Samuel he calls “Facing the Family Crisis.” In the book of 1 Samuel the high priest Eli is a success at work, but a failure at home. There are three warning signs that his family is in crisis, but he ignores them. This message shows us how to recognize and respond to the crises facing our family today. Also, includes a duet by Gary and Robin Combs of the song, “Show Me Thy Ways” (written by Gary Combs). (Special thanks to our game show contestants, Stuart and Paula Haste!)
April 19, 2009
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1 Samuel 2:12-26
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family, parenting