1 Samuel
Chapter 1
Background
 1 Samuel – Samuel (Final Judge), Saul and David covering about 120 years (~1170 BC to 1050 BC)
o Represents a change from a Theocracy to a Monarchy
 II Samuel – David’s Reign
 Samuel was a prophet, a priest (of the tribe of Levi) and an anointer of kings (Saul and David) and judge
o Prophet
 And all Israel from Dan even to Beersheba knew that Samuel [was] established [to be] a prophet of the
LORD. (1 Samuel 3:20)
o Priest (Tribe of Levi)
 27 Eliab his son, Jeroham his son, Elkanah his son. 28 And the sons of Samuel; the firstborn Vashni, and
Abiah. (1 Chronicles 6:27-28)
o King (Anointer)
 Saul
 Samuel also said unto Saul, The LORD sent me to anoint thee [to be] king over his people, over
Israel: now therefore hearken thou unto the voice of the words of the LORD. (1 Samuel 15:1)
 David
 And he sent, and brought him in. Now he [was] ruddy, [and] withal of a beautiful countenance, and
goodly to look to. And the LORD said, Arise, anoint him: for this [is] he. (1 Samuel 16:12)
o Judge
 15 And Samuel judged Israel all the days of his life. 16 And he went from year to year in circuit to Bethel,
and Gilgal, and Mizpeh, and judged Israel in all those places. 17 And his return [was] to Ramah; for there
[was] his house; and there he judged Israel; and there he built an altar unto the LORD. (1 Samuel 7:15-17)
 Samuel means “asked of the LORD”
o Wherefore it came to pass, when the time was come about after Hannah had conceived, that she bare a son, and
called his name Samuel, [saying], Because I have asked him of the LORD. (1 Samuel 1:20)
 God established instruction for kings in Deuteronomy
o 14 ¶ When thou art come unto the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee, and shalt possess it, and shalt dwell
therein, and shalt say, I will set a king over me, like as all the nations that [are] about me; 15 Thou shalt in any wise
set [him] king over thee, whom the LORD thy God shall choose: [one] from among thy brethren shalt thou set king
over thee: thou mayest not set a stranger over thee, which [is] not thy brother. 16 But he shall not multiply horses to
himself, nor cause the people to return to Egypt, to the end that he should multiply horses: forasmuch as the LORD
hath said unto you, Ye shall henceforth return no more that way. 17 Neither shall he multiply wives to himself, that
his heart turn not away: neither shall he greatly multiply to himself silver and gold. 18 And it shall be, when he
sitteth upon the throne of his kingdom, that he shall write him a copy of this law in a book out of [that which is]
before the priests the Levites: 19 And it shall be with him, and he shall read therein all the days of his life: that he
may learn to fear the LORD his God, to keep all the words of this law and these statutes, to do them: 20 That his
heart be not lifted up above his brethren, and that he turn not aside from the commandment, [to] the right hand, or
[to] the left: to the end that he may prolong [his] days in his kingdom, he, and his children, in the midst of Israel.
(Deuteronomy 17:14-20)
Consequences of Disobedience
 Disobedience - Polygamy
 Consequences - For the believer
o NOTE: There is no mention of chastisement or difficulty with Peninnah
1. Our fruitfulness is greatly impacted
o But unto Hannah he gave a worthy portion; for he loved Hannah: but the LORD had shut up her womb. (1 Sam 1:5)
o For if these things be in you, and abound, they make [you that ye shall] neither [be] barren nor unfruitful in the
knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. (2 Peter 1:8)
2. We are provoked and fret (v 6)
o And her adversary also provoked her sore, for to make her fret, because the LORD had shut up her womb.(1Sam1:6)
3. Sorrow and loss of appetite (v7)
o And [as] he did so year by year, when she went up to the house of the LORD, so she provoked her; therefore she
wept, and did not eat. (1 Samuel 1:7)
4. Bitterness of Soul
o And she [was] in bitterness of soul, and prayed unto the LORD, and wept sore. (1 Samuel 1:10)
REASON: God Brings this to Pass – That We Will Turn to Him!
 Other examples:
o And Isaac intreated the LORD for his wife, because she [was] barren: and the LORD was intreated of him, and
Rebekah his wife conceived. (Genesis 25:21)
o And God remembered Rachel, and God hearkened to her, and opened her womb. (Genesis 30:22)
o If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from
their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land. (2 Chronicles
7:14)
o 15 ¶ The horseleach hath two daughters, [crying], Give, give. There are three [things that] are never satisfied, [yea],
four [things] say not, [It is] enough: 16 The grave; and the barren womb; the earth [that] is not filled with water; and
the fire [that] saith not, [It is] enough. (Proverbs 30:15-16)
Hannah’s Prayer (v 11)
1. Look on the affliction of thine handmaid
2. Remember me and not forget thine handmaid
 Samson
 And Samson called unto the LORD, and said, O Lord GOD, remember me, I pray thee, and strengthen me, I
pray thee, only this once, O God, that I may be at once avenged of the Philistines for my two eyes. (Judges
16:28)
 Thief on the cross
 And he said unto Jesus, Lord, remember me when thou comest into thy kingdom. (Luke 23:42_
 NOTE: The LORD remembered her
 And they rose up in the morning early, and worshipped before the LORD, and returned, and came to their house to
Ramah: and Elkanah knew Hannah his wife; and the LORD remembered her. (1 Samuel 1:19)
3. Request – Give unto thine handmaid a man child
4. Vow
 I will give him unto the LORD
 No razor shall come upon his head
NOTE: Her countenance was no more sad (v 18)
NOTE: She fulfilled her vow
 26 And she said, Oh my lord, [as] thy soul liveth, my lord, I [am] the woman that stood by thee here, praying unto the
LORD. 27 For this child I prayed; and the LORD hath given me my petition which I asked of him: 28 Therefore also I have
lent him to the LORD; as long as he liveth he shall be lent to the LORD. And he worshipped the LORD there. (1 Sam 1:2628)