19 Then they rose early in the morning and worshiped before the LORD, and returned and came to their house at Ramah. And Elkanah knew Hannah his wife, and the LORD remembered her. 20 So it came to pass in the process of time that Hannah conceived and bore a son, and called his name Samuel, saying, "Because I have asked for him from the LORD." 21 Now the man Elkanah and all his house went up to offer to the LORD the yearly sacrifice and his vow. 22 But Hannah did not go up, for she said to her husband, "Not until the child is weaned; then I will take him, that he may appear before the LORD and remain there forever." 23 And Elkanah her husband said to her, "Do what seems best to you; wait until you have weaned him. Only let the LORD establish His word." So the woman stayed and nursed her son until she had weaned him. 24 Now when she had weaned him, she took him up with her, with three bulls, one ephah of flour, and a skin of wine, and brought him to the house of the LORD in Shiloh. And the child was young. 25 Then they slaughtered a bull, and brought the child to Eli. 26 And she said, "O my lord! As your soul lives, my lord, I am the woman who stood by you here, praying to the LORD. 27 "For this child I prayed, and the LORD has granted me my petition which I asked of Him. 28 "Therefore I also have lent him to the LORD; as long as he lives he shall be lent to the LORD." So they worshiped the LORD there.
The Blessings of the Worshipping Family
Before All Else, Worship the Lord
Only by faith will we continue to worship the Lord when our trials intensify. We see this in Job’s life – at his lowest moment, when the Lord took everything away from him, he worshipped – not forced or for show, but crushed to the ground, he saw the Lord’s hand in all his troubles and recognized the Lord’s right, love, and wisdom to take away from him what he possessed only on loan. Faith learns to see the Lord’s hand in all our troubles and to give him praise. Whatever else happens to us, the Lord deserves our worship. He is not to be praised less because our hearts are broken, or our burdens are heavy. We are not mercenary friends of God, which is what Satan believes about us. Quite the opposite, the child of God worships the Lord in the fiery furnace, and there he finds peace. Elkanah had been a little frustrated with Hannah, but they worshipped together early the next morning. Everything is not always perfect in this life, and we can be at odds with those we love most. Still, we must worship the Lord. This is the quiet heart of these lines. Verse 19 begins the section with worship, and verse 28 concludes it with worship. In hard times and good, empty and full times, we must worship the Lord. Our trials lead us to praise him as our refuge; our blessings call us to worship him as the Giver of every gift. If at all possible, we must worship as families each day. It is what marks us out as a Christian family: that we give to the Lord the glory due unto his name – in health or sickness, in marital bliss or frustration, quiet children or toddler bedlam – we bless the Lord for his goodness.
The Birth of Samuel: His Name is God
Worship was the rhythm of Elkanah’s family, and it helped restore their relationship. Soon after they returned home, Hannah conceived! Barren for many years, Elkanah loved her still, and “the Lord remembered her.” Had the Lord forgotten Hannah? No. “Remember” is the language of covenant (Ex. 2:24). For the Lord to remember is to bring his promises to fruition, usually in response to our prayers, always because he is faithful to his covenant. It may seem to us that he has forgotten us, but how can he, for our names are engraved upon his hands (Isa. 49:15-16). Ah, the language of lovers – not so much Elkanah and Hannah, but the Lord and Hannah. She had poured out her heart to her Lord, and he answered her. He knew her soul’s agony, saw her tears, her brokenness, that she desired a son to give back to him, not simply for herself. He loved her the whole time she was barren; he loved to give her a child. His love is not always uniform in its working and effects. It is far beyond our capacity to trace out, for we are very broken, and his love must heal us in all our dark corners in which we are afraid to look, but that he will search out and cleanse.
To celebrate the Lord’s love and faithfulness, she named her son Samuel – which most likely means “His name is God.” Baby names are important, and we should give our children names that remind us and them of who the Lord is, or what our duty is toward him, or how he has blessed us. Names should direct the child to a great future in the Lord’s love. To call her son “His name is God” is to give him all the glory for hearing her cries and to recognize that he was the answer to her prayers – God was the answer – his faithfulness to hear her and his faithfulness to give her a son. Whenever we are sick or healthy, we should turn to the Lord and remember him. When he gives us a child or takes away a child, we should know that he remembers us and loves us. Whatever happens to us, “His name is God.” He is the powerful, faithful, and loving God and Father who walks with us. It is the leading part of the Holy Spirit’s teaching and comfort to drive this truth to our hearts – that our Father loves us, our Savior is praying for us, and that nothing can separate us from God’s love – even our tears, pain, and losses. His name is God, and he will remember us for good. Let us remember him and love him.
Prayers Answered and Unanswered
It is hard to worship the Lord when he does not answer our prayers. Not all barren women conceive. The Lord does not heal all sick children but sometimes takes them to heaven. Sometimes we struggle with sins and personal failures all our lives. Perhaps we should take this occasion to consider a few reasons that our prayers seem not to be answered, although we must remember that we do not see all answers and that often the Lord answers our prayers in the next life. But, if we ask for something with the wrong spirit, as James wrote, we are not likely to receive what we ask (James 4:3). We might pray for something selfishly, as perhaps Hannah did before the Lord humbled her. This does not fit well with the Lord’s holy purposes of this life – we should ask for things that help us honor him better and serve others more selflessly. We might ask for something that would actually hurt us, which, surprisingly, would have happened to Paul, if the Lord had taken away his “thorn” (2 Cor. 12:8-9). Sometimes the Lord does not answer our prayers because we need to learn the discipline of patience, or we pray too mindlessly or haphazardly, so that if he answered us, we would not recognize that he answered us, and thus rob him of his glory and us of the chief joy of answered prayer – praising him for his goodness. The Lord may not answer our prayers because it is not the right or best time to answer them, as in Hannah’s case – she needed to learn more about herself and about her Lord first.
We must not talk about answered and unanswered prayer without considering two other things. First, we are completely unable to discern what is actually best for us. Therefore, even if we are praying for something that is in accordance with our Father’s revealed will, we must always defer to his wisdom, timing, and purposes in their specific application to us. Second, we must pray in faith. Always, always, our Father will be known as the “rewarder of those who diligently seek him” (Heb. 11:6). Faith in his love, in his goodness, and in his promises is very pleasing to him and often gains what we ask. Our Savior said the same. When we pray, we must believe that our Father hears and answers us (Mark 11:24). Persuaded of his love, we must continue coming to him as our Father, trusting his goodness and his intention to bless us with so many gifts that we will never be able to recount all of his love and faithfulness to us, but must praise him forever with increasing joy and wonder.
The Wisdom of a Christian Husband
His Constant Attendance upon Public Worship
It was time for worship again! In our rootless age, our family foundations must be in Mount Zion, the New Jerusalem and Heavenly City that have been inaugurated for us by the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Elkanah took his entire household to worship. Not attending worship was not an option. How easily men look for excuses to absent themselves from God’s house and its stated services, or attend haphazardly and carelessly, or allow older children to make excuses or work on the Lord’s Day. Not Elkanah. Nor must we “forsake the assembling of ourselves together,” for the fellowship we enjoy with the Lord is different when we assemble for corporate worship. There, Jesus Christ parts the veil so that we enter by faith together and see him on his throne. In his living temple, he comes by the Spirit and preaches the gospel to us and sings hymns of praise. Let us not insult the Spirit of grace or quench him by reproaching the preaching of God’s word by inattention and disdain for the one who brings the word to us. Instead, let us receive it in faith, pray earnestly for our ministers that the Lord might work in and through them by his Spirit, and plow up our hearts to receive the good seed and bring forth much fruit to our Father’s glory. Elkanah went to worship to pay his vow – we might say that Hannah’s vow had become his, for he assumed its responsibilities and supported her in the fulfillment of what she had promised.
His Humble Support of His Godly Wife
Thus, when Hannah indicated she was not going up to worship that year, Elkanah supported her decision. She would not go up until Samuel was weaned, likely around three years of age. She fully intended to keep her vow and would spend these precious years with her son, loving and bonding with him. This might make her giving Samuel up to the Lord’s service seem harder to do, but she would give to the Lord what she loved and had carefully nourished. In yielding to her, Elkanah shows us that a tender and godly husband fully supports his wife in her godly promises and activities. He is a co-heir with her of the grace of life; the legitimate promises and endeavors of one are shared together. It was no small gift for Elkanah to give up his firstborn son from Hannah, but he recognized that the Lord had higher claims upon his son. He did not sulk quietly and yield to Hannah with reproaches but gave the matter to her to handle as she thought best. The important thing, he told her, was for the Lord to “establish his word.” That it, as the Lord had given them Samuel in answer to their prayers and Hannah’s vow, so he desired the Lord to fulfill all his purposes for giving the child. He did not want to get in the way. His “male ego” did not complain because the idea was not his or as if his wife had no will or voice or value except through him. Hannah thus remained home the next three years under the blessing of her husband and with his loving support.
The Consecration of Our Children to the Lord
When They Are Young
Three was young for Hannah to be separated from Samuel, and this was special in their case. What is common is that it is never too young to be devoted to Jesus Christ and for parents to consecrate them to the Lord. We do this, first, by presenting them for baptism as members of God’s covenant and heirs of God’s promises. But this is not all that is required. There must be a conscious devoting of them over to the Lord and intentional instruction to them – not burdensome or guilt-laden but gracious and appropriate to their age – that the Lord has special purposes for them. Accordingly, parental instruction is not for behavioral control purposes but to treat them as those who have a special future and must show how to obtain that future by faith. They are not children of this world but children of his covenant. They must be born again, to be sure, and covenant is never equivalent to election (Rom. 2:28). It is, however, an incredible grace to be marked out as belonging to the Lord, heirs of his kingdom, and in such close proximity to his word so that like Timothy they know the Scriptures from their earliest days.
Our children learn to serve the Lord by watching us serve him. They are sinners, and the world will tug on their hearts. But we have more powerful weapons – the word of God and prayer. We must use these in faith and with joy, for children will eventually grow weary of morose and sad parents, for whom godliness seems more like a burden than a pleasure. Thus, our children must see us fervently serving the Lord, not complaining. We must grow in love for Jesus Christ so that we can speak of him lovingly and thus endear their young hearts to him. There is much to frustrate and weary when it comes to raising children, but there is more to remember with thankfulness and faith. As we abide in Christ and walk in his Spirit, the Lord will make our parenting bear much fruit. It will be his grace, not our wisdom.
Not without Blood and Prayers
When Hannah and Elkanah brought Samuel to the tabernacle, they also brought sacrifices. Our children are not born innocent. The seed of sin lies within them, and nothing but the blood of Jesus Christ can cleanse them. Impress this upon them – that they must bury their guilt in the wounds of Jesus Christ and see how much he loved them to give himself for them. Children are won with his love, not emotional manipulation or robotic training. For every word of instruction, pour out a thousand words in prayer to the Lord for them. Be able to say for your child as Hannah could of hers to Eli: “I prayed for this child. He is the fruit of my prayers. He is God’s answer to my prayers.” I credit not my parenting but my Savior. Too many souls are injured by soulless parenting, scolding without gospel compassion, discipline without tenderness, and prayer-mute parenting. Samuel was the fruit of prayer – which means that David’s righteous reign was the fruit of prayer – and that the coming of Jesus Christ into the world and our salvation by him are the fruit of prayer. All good we hope to receive we draw down from heaven by praying. When needed, consecrate special seasons to prayer for your children. The Lord well likes it when we depend upon him to give what he has promised, when we ask him in faith, so that when he gives, we might rejoice in his goodness. He will be known as generous and loving and faithful.
Lent to the Lord, So They Might Worship the Lord
Hannah asked for this child, and the Lord heard her request. Now, Hannah will lend him to the Lord’s service. Four times the Hebrew verb sha’al is used – close to the form of Saul, the first King of Israel, who was not consecrated to the Lord. Samuel, however, is God’s answer to their need for a righteous King – his word is his answer. Samuel is devoted to the Lord as long as he lived, and “he worshipped there.” The lesson of these centuries of struggle was for God’s people to pray and worship. Almost five centuries from Moses to David – and many struggles, false starts, and dead ends, were due to cold hearts that did not call upon the Lord in faith and ask him. This is the rule of his kingdom: Ask. Every godly child is the fruit of such prayers. The reason God answers what we ask is that we might give it back to him in worship. In worship, he fellowships with us. In worship, the Spirit teaches, comforts, and unites. In worship, our Savior comes and proclaims his Father’s name. In worship, by faith, we are caught up to heaven. We anticipate and, in a measure, enjoy a foretaste of our life with him forever.
コメント