Somebody Loves You

Raul Ries: When you really pray, when you really mean business, God is there to answer your prayers because He loves you. He cares for us. He's going to give you something that you'll rejoice, you'll give Him all the glory and all the honor. But if you don't do that, how are you going to honor God when you continue in your sin and you don't have a heart that has repented? God can't use you.

Guest (Male): Welcome to Somebody Loves You Radio, the Bible teaching ministry of Raul Ries in Diamond Bar, California. Today's lesson concludes our focus on the spiritual responsibility and eternal influence of Christian mothers. It's easy to forget we only have our kids on loan from the Lord, but today Raul will encourage us to fully surrender them to God. Stay with us for inspiration from Old Testament mom Hannah, who entrusted her son to God's will and persevered in prayer for his life. Today's study is titled, "A Mother's Prayer and Sacrifice." Here's Raul Ries in 1 Samuel chapter 1.

Raul Ries: As I was reading this, I was thinking about how God chooses a mother and God gives His will to that mother. God's will is always for a mother and a father to put God first. Not your kids, not your grandkids; God first. When we seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness, all these things will be added unto us, all these things that God has for us.

You don't choose God; He chose you. He loves you, and He cares for us. God's will for a mother is always to be loving and kind to her children and making sure that they're heading in the right way, always. When you study this chapter, you have to go back to the Book of Judges because in the Book of Joshua, Joshua is ending that generation. Remember that we studied that before: "As for me and my house, we're going to serve the Lord. Choose you this day who you're going to serve."

So you turn the page in your Bible and you go to the Book of Judges. In Judges, it says when that generation died, there arose another generation that did not know the Lord. What's incredible as you read it is, "And when all that generation had been gathered to their fathers, another generation arose after them who did not know the Lord, nor the work which He had done for Israel." At that particular moment, Israel went another way. They went down the hill.

At the end of Judges, it only has 21 chapters. You come to the end of the chapter and two times he says this: "And in those days there was no king in Israel. Everyone did what was right in their own eyes." They did whatever they wanted. It sounds like today. He says again, "And in those days there was no king in Israel. Everyone did what was right in his own eyes." So when you come to the Book of Samuel, the nation needs a king. But God, instead of giving them a king, He gives them a prophet by the name of Samuel.

This prophet is going to be used by God in such a powerful way. As I was reading and studying, it was just incredible. In chapter 1, it starts out in the first eight verses that the problem was divided homes. He starts in verse 1: "Now there was a certain man of Ramathaim-Zophim, of the mountains of Ephraim, and his name was Elkanah," which is Samuel's father, "the son of Jeroham, the son of Elihu, the son of Tohu, and the son of Zuph, an Ephraimite."

He's giving you these names because Samuel's father was married already to a woman. You'll see in a moment that one of them had already a lot of kids, but Hannah had no kids at all. In that culture, when you don't have babies, you were like a secondary person. If you had a little girl, they'd go home. If you had a little boy, they'd throw a big party. Women were not treated the way they are today. Regarding plurality of wives, at this particular time God did not approve it, but they did it.

Hannah was in that home and every time this woman made fun of her because she had no children. It says in verse 2: "And he had two wives: the name of one was Hannah," which means grace, "and the name of the other, Peninnah," which means ruby. Peninnah had children, but Hannah had no children at all. She became not only hurt because this other woman made fun of her every single day. Imagine how you would feel when people make fun of you. That causes a lot of sorrow.

In verses 3 to 8, we see the sorrow that Hannah had. She had a broken heart because not only was she being made fun of because she had no children, but something is really interesting here. Even though Peninnah had children and Hannah had no children, her husband loved Hannah more than the other woman. Verse 3 says this man went up from the city every year to worship and sacrifice to the Lord of Hosts, the God of the armies, in Shiloh. Also the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, the priests of the Lord, were there. Shiloh was the religious center of the Jews, 20 miles north of Jerusalem in Ephraim.

In verse 4, whenever the time came for Elkanah to make an offering, he would give portions to Peninnah, his wife, and to all her sons and daughters. A peace offering was given to her, and Hannah was there. Verse 5 says, "But to Hannah he would give a double portion," for she was his favorite. He gave her a double portion for he loved Hannah, although the Lord had closed her womb. Check this out: Who is in control? The Lord is. You have to understand that God is in control of our lives and we need to listen to what God says in His word.

Hannah was without any children, while on the other side were children and another wife, and yet the Lord had closed her womb by Divine Providence. God is in control. Hannah is suffering, she is bummed out, and she is going through all these things in her life while on the other side she is being mocked by this woman. Verse 6 shows the ridicule by Peninnah: "And her rival also provoked her severely to make her miserable because the Lord had closed her womb." Note that it was God's will to not have kids at this particular time.

Verse 7 says, "So it was, year by year, when she went up to the house of the Lord, that she provoked her; therefore she wept and did not eat." She was tired of this. She would go up to the temple and all of a sudden Peninnah would be there mocking her. So what did she do? She didn't eat at that time and she fasted. She brought it to the Lord. She was fasting, denying herself, and weeping because her heart was broken.

Then in verse 8, Elkanah, her husband, said to her, "Hannah, why do you weep?" He was insensitive to her. Like most of us, we're not sensitive to our wives. "Why are you weeping? What is the problem? Don't worry about it." Watch this: "Why do you not eat? Why is your heart grieved? Am I not better to you than ten sons?" Is it true? You women know the answer is no. He thought that she thought that way. Her heart was totally broken.

The answer is in verses 9 through 18. Hannah visited the tabernacle. "So Hannah got up after they had finished eating and drinking in Shiloh," where the temple was. "And now Eli the priest was sitting on the seat by the doorpost of the tabernacle of the Lord." The tabernacle is there, he's sitting outside, and they're all getting ready to go in. Verse 10 says, "And she was in bitterness of soul and prayed to the Lord and wept in anguish." He's sitting outside, she comes outside, and she stands there without her lips moving while tears come down.

Eli the priest thinks she is drunk. Hannah has no pride here; she is hurting. She is praying and weeping in anguish. She is just sobbing. In verse 11, she made a vow and said, "O Lord of Hosts, if You indeed look on the affliction of Your maidservant and remember me and not forget Your maidservant but will give Your maidservant a male child, then I will give him back to the Lord all the days of his life and no razor shall come upon his head." That's an incredible prayer.

She is already committing the child that's never been born. She will have him and keep him as she weans him, and then she will take him to the temple and leave him there to the Lord for the rest of his life. That's a committed woman. It wasn't about fulfilling her own life. She wanted God to use her life to bring glory and honor to the Lord because the Lord was in need of a man to lead Israel, and she's going to have that leader.

Guest (Male): You're listening to Somebody Loves You Radio with Raul Ries. If you have any Bible questions or prayer needs that you'd like to share with Raul, you can email him anytime at PastorRaul@SomebodyLovesYou.com. You can also connect with us anytime at SomebodyLovesYou.com for resources to direct you in God's ways. Let's continue now with more in our study from 1 Samuel chapter 1.

Raul Ries: He goes on to the protest in verses 12 to 16. Eli's condemnation is in verses 12 through 14. Verse 12 says, "And it came to pass, as she continued praying before the Lord, that Eli watched her mouth." So Eli is watching her. She's sobbing, but there's no movement of her mouth. Verse 13 says, "And now Hannah spoke in her heart; only her lips moved, but her voice was not heard; therefore Eli thought that she was drunk." He was misjudging her.

He was a spiritual leader; he should have known. He should have had discernment. When a person has the Holy Spirit and is loving and serving God, they're going to have discernment. The Bible says that. Verse 15 says, "And Hannah answered and said, 'No, my lord. I am a woman of sorrowful spirit. I have drunk neither wine nor intoxicating drink, but have poured out my soul before the Lord.'" There is grape juice and there is wine that is fermented. They didn't drink fermented wine.

They make it very clear here that she had not drunk wine or intoxicating drink but had poured out her soul before the Lord. She was pouring her soul out to God. She didn't need anything to drink to pour herself out to God. Remember, she's a spiritual woman, not a carnal woman. Peninnah was a carnal woman. God was not only speaking to Hannah, God was preparing her for what would happen in the future. Her son would become a prophet over the whole nation. He would see Saul the king and David the king. He would see all these things happen in Israel until the day he went to be with the Lord.

A lot of times we have kids in our lives that are not right with the Lord. My son Ryan was on drugs, while my other two sons never took drugs. Ryan was on drugs for 17 years, and we prayed and prayed for him. We thought he was going to die. You know the story. One evening when they called us from Panama City, one of the skateboarders said your son is going to die here. We dropped to our knees and prayed. Ryan went back to his room, opened the drawer, and there was a Gideons Bible. He opened it up, and in the morning he woke up and took the Bible.

Then on the airplane, he sat on one side and read the Bible until he got to L.A. He called me and said, "Dad, I need to go to rehab." I said, "You don't need to go to rehab. Come up here and you can hear Chuck." He never went to rehab. God called him in the Garden of Gethsemane. We couldn't find him; he was in a corner there praying. As he prayed, God called him and said, "You're going to serve Me for the rest of your life."

Mothers and fathers, don't give up. I don't care what your kids are going through. With God, nothing's impossible. Maybe before your kids can come back to the Lord, you've got to get your life right so that God can hear your prayers. That is really of importance. She was a godly woman. She went to the house of the Lord with all her heart. She was crying because she was hurt by this other woman and she was angry, and she had to take care of it so her heart was right before the Lord.

She goes on in verse 16: "Do not consider your maidservant a wicked woman, for out of the abundance of my complaint and grief I have spoken until now." Eli asks the Lord for the request in verse 17: "And then Eli answered and said, 'Go in peace, and the God of Israel grant your petition which you have asked of Him.'" He gets in the Spirit and tells Hannah to go home and that they would pray that God would give her a child.

She goes home, she gets pregnant, and she has a child. Verse 18 says, "And she said, 'Let your maidservant find favor in your sight.' And so the woman went her way, ate, and her face was no longer sad." By faith she believed. She never fasted again. She ate and became healthy, waiting upon God. Before the year was up, she got pregnant and the next year she brought the baby to the temple.

God answers prayer in His time, not yours. These are the blessings of the Lord that come upon our lives. Verse 19 says, "And then they rose up early in the morning and worshipped before the Lord." Notice, God was first. They returned and came to their house at Ramah, and Elkanah knew Hannah, his wife, and she became pregnant because the Lord remembered her. Forget the other stuff; the Lord remembered her. She prayed, and God answered.

God answers prayer. When you really pray and mean business, God is there to answer your prayers because He loves you. He cares for us. He doesn't want to give you something that is going to hurt you. He's going to give you something that you'll rejoice in and give Him all the glory and honor. But if you don't do that, how are you going to honor God when you continue in your sin and you don't have a heart that has repented? God can't use you. He will deal with you because He loves you.

He says in verse 20: "And so it came to pass in the process of time that Hannah conceived and bore a son and he called his name Samuel." His name means "name of God" or "heard by God." He heard her prayer. She asked of God and He gave her a male child because she had asked for him from the Lord. God hears prayers. He will hear your prayer. Examine your heart and say, "Lord, here is my life. What am I lacking? What am I going through? What do you want me to get rid of so I can be a vessel that can be used for Your glory?"

He goes on in verse 21: "And now the man Elkanah and all his house went up to offer to the Lord the yearly sacrifice and his vow." So they go back now to the temple. But verse 22 says, "But Hannah did not go up, for she said to her husband, 'Not until the child is weaned and then I will take him that he may appear before the Lord and remain there forever.'" God gave her this child, and she wanted to give him back to the Lord.

She didn't stop being a mother. She wanted to give him back to the Lord so that God could use that son. He became a prophet, and God used him for the nation of Israel. Who knows what God has for your children? Only He knows, but you've got to be submitted to Him. 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." Everything was about God. Whatever God wanted, they would do.

The woman stayed and nursed her son until he had been weaned. When she had weaned him, she took him up with her with three bulls, an ephah of flour, and a skin of wine, and brought him to the house of the Lord in Shiloh. The child was young. They slaughtered a bull and they brought the child to Eli. She said, "O my lord, as your soul lives, I am the woman who stood here praying to the Lord. For this child I prayed and the Lord has granted me the petition which I asked of Him. Therefore, I also have lent him to the Lord."

The gift that He gave to her, she gave back to Him. It's a gift from God. "Lord, here is the gift You gave me, and here it is back to You." She lent him to the Lord, and as long as he lives, he shall be lent to the Lord. They worshipped the Lord there. They couldn't do anything else but worship the Lord.

Guest (Male): No matter what season of life you're in as a parent, it's good to be reminded that you can confidently entrust your kids to God, knowing that He is faithful, mighty, and loving in His care for their lives. You're listening to Somebody Loves You Radio with Raul Ries. Today's study was titled, "A Mother's Prayer and Sacrifice."

We'll be happy to send you a copy with much more teaching for a donation of five dollars or more. To get a copy, just call 800-634-9165. We'd also like to equip you with additional reassurance from Raul's six-part series for mothers. Available on CD and USB, this study includes today's lesson as well as five others that underscore the value of daily prayer as you seek the best for your kids' hearts and spiritual well-being.

You'll find that as you follow in Hannah's footsteps of faith-filled surrender, God will fill you with the wisdom and peace you need to parent your child. Visit SomebodyLovesYou.com or call 800-634-9165 to order Raul's six-lesson mother's study. We'll send you the CD set for twenty dollars or the thumb drive for just twelve dollars. That's 800-634-9165.

Our mailing address is Somebody Loves You Radio, Post Office Box 4440, Diamond Bar, California 91765. Don't forget, we're a listener-supported ministry and we're always grateful for your continued partnership. Your gifts help us reach more people with the good news of Jesus Christ. Next time, we'll begin a new series exploring the realities of life after death. We hope you'll join us. The Bible is clear that Heaven and Hell are actual destinations. Don't miss this eye-opening study. Now with a closing comment, here's Raul once again.

Raul Ries: When you get home tonight, read the rest of Samuel; it will blow your mind. It will speak to you. Read 2 Samuel; it will blow your mind as well. This is a book for today. We need to pray for godly people. Mothers, young mothers that get pregnant, and young men that are married, pray that God will give you godly kids. He'll give you what He wants, not what you want. What does God want to give to you? May everything I do be according to Your will, O God.