1 Samuel chapter 1 beginning at verse 1 reading through verse 19. And as you are able please rise for the reading and hearing of God's Word. Now there was a certain man of Ramathayim, Zophim, of the mountains of Ephraim, and his name was Elkanah, the son of Jehoram, the son of Elihu, the son of Tohu, the son of Zuth, an Ephraimite. And he had two wives. The name of the one was Hannah, and the name of the other Peninnah. Peninnah had children, but Hannah had no children. This man went up from his city yearly to worship and sacrifice to the Lord of Hosts in Shiloh. Also, the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, the priests of the Lord, were there. And whenever the time came for Elkanah to make an offering, he would give portions to Peninnah, his wife, and to her sons and daughters. But to Hannah, he would give a double portion, for he loved Hannah, although the Lord had closed her womb. And her rival also provoked her severely to make her miserable, because the Lord had closed her womb. 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. Then Elkanah, her husband, said to her, Hannah, why do you weep? Why do you not eat? And why is your heart grieved? Am I not better to you than ten sons?" So Hannah arose after they had finished eating and drinking in Shiloh. Now Eli the priest was sitting on the seat by the doorpost of the tabernacle of the Lord. And she was in bitterness of soul, and prayed to the Lord, and wept in anguish. Then she made a vow, and said, O Lord of hosts, if you will 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 to the Lord all the days of his life, and no razor shall come upon his head. And it happened as she continued praying before the Lord that Eli watched her mouth. Now Hannah spoke in her heart, only her lips moved, but her voice was not heard. Therefore, Eli thought she was drunk. So Eli said to her, how long will you be drunk? Put your wine away from you. But 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. Do not consider your maid servant a wicked woman, for out of the abundance of my complaint and grief, I have spoken until now. And Eli answered and said, go in peace and the God of Israel grant your petition, which you have asked of him. And she said, let your maid servant find favor in your sight. So the woman went her way and ate and her face was no longer sad. Then they arose early in the morning and worshiped before the Lord and returned and came to their house at Ramah. And Elkanah knew his wife and the Lord remembered her. Thus far, the reading of God's holy word. You may be seated. Men and women are filled with many longings. We long for safety and security. We long for love and solid relationships, for friendships. We long for meaningful employment and food and shelter. It doesn't take too long when you look at the sorts of things that might be classified as entertainment to see that in many cases there is a great longing for something that someone does not have. you would notice that men and women do many things in order to satisfy those longings. And sometimes what they do are not really good and godly things to be doing in order to satisfy those longings. Perhaps somebody wants riches and what do they do? They long to be rich and so they steal. Or they long to have something to eat and so they take the food from the store without paying for it. All sorts of ways that people seek to satisfy their longings. But what sort of longings do you have? What sort of things do you long for? And how have you gone about fulfilling them? And have those needs been satisfied? And when those needs were satisfied, were they as satisfactory as you had imagined? In our text, you'll see a woman who was filled with a great longing, who poured out her requests to the Lord, and in his sovereignty saw fit to hear her and fulfill her request. We're beginning our look at the book of 1 Samuel. The book of 1 Samuel is called 1 Samuel because of one of the key figures in this book, the prophet Samuel. Samuel was not the author of this book, and the book was written about 1,000 BC, 1,000 years before Christ. It is, as you look at the book, we find it in the grouping of books that we call the historical books. But in the Old Testament, the books are divided somewhat differently. They're divided into the law, the Pentateuch, the prophets, which are divided into the former prophets and the latter prophets, and the writing, which are the poetical books. 1 and 2 Samuel are included in the section of the former prophets, which include Joshua and Judges. and First Kings and Second Kings and First and Second Chronicles. The book of Samuel is a theological narrative of the history of Israel from their entrance into the Promised Land to the time of King Zedekiah. Actually, that's not just... The first Samuel is part of that context, but the former prophets described the entry of the people of Israel into the promised land to the time of the exile at King Zedekiah. You'll find Samuel, first Samuel and second Samuel included in our English books, ordered chronologically. And so you see that as we have looked at Joshua, and we have looked at Judges, and we paused in a sense to look at Ruth, and as those events took place within the context of the Book of Judges, now we continue on that look of God's work of redemptive history in the life of His people. Judges, the book of Judges has ended and do you remember how the book of Judges ended? It ended with that refrain, every man did what was right in his own sight. not a very encouraging conclusion to the history of the account of God's people as he had worked through them many mighty miracles to bring them into the promised land. That refrain from judges is almost, in one sense, it brings about a sense of hopelessness. Is there any hope for God's people? Is there anyone who continues to worship God, who desires to worship God? And then we come to the book of 1 Samuel. It is, and in it you read about the very first character, a man by the name of Elkanah, who loved the Lord and who was faithful. There are glimmers of hope, even in the dark context of that refrain, every man did what was right in his own eyes. Though Israel had become pretty lawless, particularly with regards to God's law, there were still those whom God had preserved and kept. And that is where we find ourselves here at the beginning of 1 Samuel. I want to show you by God's grace that God uses the difficulties of great longings to teach his people to trust him. You'll see great fidelity, great provocation, and great prayer. There was a certain man of Ramathayim, Sophim, of the mountains of Ephraim, and his name was Elkanah, the son of Jehoram, the son of Elihu, the son of Tohu, the son of Zuth, Zuth, an Ephraimite. You are immediately introduced to Elkanah. And you will see that Elkanah was faithful in leading his family in godliness and in worshiping God. But where was Elkanah from? He was from the tribe of Ephraim. He was from the city of Ramathiam Zophim, which has also been called Ramah. And you'll see that later on in verses 18 and 19, that Elkanah and Hannah and the family returned to Ramah. Ramah was located about five miles north of Jerusalem, and it is situated between Jerusalem and Bethel. Elkanah lived in the hill country. He was not one who was in one of the great cities, but he was one who seemed to have some power and some influence, for he had two wives. Ephraim, the tribe of Ephraim, was an important tribe, and Samaria was located in the northern part of this territory. And you'll remember that as we look through the book of Judges, that Ephraim was often at odds with the rest of the people of Israel, particularly with Gideon. You will remember that when Gideon went to fight against the Midianites, the Ephraimites were not called and they were ready to go fight because They were not called to the battle. Yet Gideon says, hey, you have obtained this victory for us by cutting off the escape of the Midianites. Ephraim was a powerful tribe. And I haven't quite figured this out, but you'll see that Ephraim is frequently mentioned throughout the scriptures as a description of the people of Israel. Now, Elkanah's immediate family, he had two wives. The name of his first wife was Hannah, and the name of his second was Peninnah. You see, polygamy was practiced, but it has never been condoned in the scripture. We might look at that and say, well, how can that be that Elkanah, a godly man, could have two wives. Well, let me remind you about a man by the name of Abraham. Remember Abraham, he had two wives, Sarah and Hagar. Now, why did Abraham take to himself Hagar? It was because he could not, or Sarah could not bear him a child, an heir. And I believe that this is the similar sort of thing that was happening here. Alcanna loved Hannah, as you will see, but she was unable to bear him an heir, someone to inherit the inheritance that they had been given by God. And so he takes for himself a second wife in order that he might have an heir. but you notice the strife and the struggle that takes place. And every time you read of polygamous marriages in the scripture, you read of the strife and unrest that occurred within those families. Think even of David. How many wives did David have? He had a number of wives and they could not get along. So that even when David was old and could no longer rule, Bathsheba had to fight in order that her son Solomon might be king. Polygamous marriages, they were never in God's plan. For what does God say in Genesis chapter two? For God gave the man to the woman and the two shall become one. He didn't say the three shall become one. That God ordained, planned for marriage is between a man and a woman. And so you see, we are introduced to Alcanna. But the polygamous marriage is really not the focus. It is the strife that is caused because of that situation in which they find themselves. Hannah, her name means, was a gracious woman, and her name means gracious. And we're not sure what Peninnah means. It may mean something like pearl. But Hannah, who was gracious, was barren. She had no children. Peninnah, on the other hand, apparently had multiple children. She had many children. And so there was this strife and this friction between the two. But notice that Elkanah was a faithful man. He was faithful in worshiping the Lord. This man went up from a city yearly to worship and to sacrifice to the Lord of hosts in Shiloh. Shiloh was a city about 12 miles north of Bethel. It was the center of the Israelite worship. It was here in Shiloh that Joshua set up the tabernacle when the people of Israel crossed over the Jordan River. And it was there that the people of Israel would go to worship God, to offer their sacrifices. There the Ark of the Covenant was. There the altar was upon which the sacrifices were made. Elkanah was a devout man. He would go yearly, year by year, to sacrifice to the Lord of hosts. This is so unlike what we read in the book of Judges. It seemed that the worship of the Lord had been forgotten, but not by all. Elkanah was a godly man. He was the kind of father we'd like to have, or we ourselves would like to be, godly, faithful, and loving. Not only did Alcanna go to Shiloh, but also Eli the priest and his two sons, Hophni and Phinehas were there. And it's interesting that we're introduced to Eli by means of his sons. As you'll see later on, his sons were anything but godly and devout Israelites. And Eli the priest was there serving in Shiloh. You'll learn that Eli was an ineffective leader who permitted his sons, his boys to do whatever they wanted to do with only a minor rebuke. My boys, my sons, this should not be. That was the extent of his discipline. And you begin to see this contrast between Elkanah and Eli. But Elkanah loved Hannah deeply, though he had had to marry a second woman or so he believed. And why? Why was Hannah barren? Because the Lord had closed Hannah's womb. Now, you might think, well, okay, well, that's what it is. But what I want you to see and to understand is that though the Lord had closed Hannah's womb, he did so because he had a special work and a special purpose for the Lord. Sometimes the Lord closes the womb and it remains closed. Sometimes he opens the womb after a time of barrenness. And in both cases, the Lord has a purpose for it, even if you and I cannot see it. God's ways are not our ways. You see, God uses the difficulties of great longings to teach his people to trust in him. And it is this barrenness of Hannah that is her greatest source of strife and distress. But notice the great provocation. And her rival, literally her rival wife, also provoked her severely to make her miserable because the Lord had closed her womb. Peninnah provoked Hannah to grief and great misery because Hannah had no children. Her rival wife provoked her severely. It wasn't that she mentioned it once in a while. She mentioned it over and over and over again. And notice they were rivals. They were rivals, not friends, vying for the affection and the attention of their husband. Notice that the one is loved, Hannah, while the other is tolerated, accepted, Peninnah. And Peninnah having been granted to have children provoked Hannah severely. She sought to hurt her, to make her angry, to upset her, to make her miserable. That was her purpose in life, for she had the children. She had produced heirs for Elkanah and not Hannah. And this was an ongoing strife. You see, there is a purpose for everything that comes our way, even if we don't understand it. And this ongoing strife is there for a purpose. Ongoing, year by year, verse seven says, this was the regular practice, year by year, when she went up to the house of the Lord, that she provoked her, therefore she wept and did not eat. So she referring to Hannah in the first place, and that she provoked her, referring to Peninnah, and that she wept and did not eat, referring to Hannah once again. It seemed like every time they would go to the house of the Lord, that this rivalry was exaggerated. It seemed that it would come to the forefront just at that time when there ought to have been the greatest of rejoicing. When they had come to worship God and enter into his presence, there was the greatest strife and struggle. It reminds me of how Satan seeks to attack the church. Isn't it that during the week, you find yourself that things are okay, and then come the Lord's day, something comes up, perhaps as you're going to church and your children say something, and there's this blow up in terms of the relationships, or you and your wife have this argument, or whatever it happens to be. Just as you're preparing for worship, as you're preparing to meet with God's people, Satan comes because he wants to turn your attention away from the living and the true God and to sit and be focused upon the misery and the longing and the difficulty and the distress that you have. And that's what seemed to be happening here every time, year by year, the time of great rejoicing when they enter into the presence of the Almighty God. There is great sorrow and sadness and strife provocation by Hannah because by Peninnah. There is great sorrow of heart. Notice that it was so great that she wept. She didn't rejoice. She wept and did not eat. She had no appetite to partake in the feast of the sacrificial offering that had been given. You see, they would come year by year to remember God's presence, the one who had led them out of Egypt, who had led them through the wilderness and into the promised land. And yet all that was the attention was turned from that. to Hannah's barrenness. I have children and you don't." And notice Eli's consternation. He asks a series of questions which reveals his deep love for her. Then Elkanah, her husband, said to her, Hannah, why do you weep? Why do you not eat? And why is your heart grieved? Am I not better to you than 10 sons?" You see, Elkanah seems to be at a loss as to know the reason for Hannah's misery. Why are you weeping? Why is it that every time we come into the presence of the Lord, there is nothing but sorrow in our midst? Why are you crying? Now, surely Elkanah knew Hannah's longing for a child. He would have wanted that, but he does not seem to understand all that is going on behind the scenes, as it were, behind his back. He does not seem to understand that Peninnah is prodding and poking Hannah and bringing her to this point of great, great grief. Why do you not eat? Why do you not eat? You see, that Elkanah would give to Hannah the choicest of the sacrifices. Why is your heart grieved? Elkanah could see no reason for Hannah's misery, for her sadness, nor could he see any reason for Peninnah's jealousy, for that matter. You see, these three questions demonstrate the ignorance of Elkanah concerning the state of affairs, this godly man even, in his own home. It disturbed him. It was unpleasant. It ought to have been joyful, but it was miserable. And try as he might, There was this dark cloud that hung over this glorious celebration. And it was taking place between his wives. This illustrates the point that no matter how godly a family or how godly a father a man might be or have, he is still a man, a sinful man, with his faults and mistakes. If you are looking for a perfect family, you won't find it here, this side of heaven. In heaven, however, you will be part of the perfect family of God in Christ alone. Our families are not and will not be perfect and do not expect otherwise. On the other hand, do not cease striving for godly perfection either. We can't use our sinfulness as an excuse to let our families fall apart. There is no excuses to not seek godliness within our families. Fathers, strive to be godly examples of love to your spouse and to your children. Demonstrate true love and what it looks like to your children. And each one of you believers strive to love others in Christ as fellow believers, as fellow brothers and sisters in the Lord Jesus Christ. And notice Elkanah's fourth question. Am I not better to you than ten sons? This expresses Elkanah's deep love for Hannah. Do you not know that I love you? Do I not show you more love and compassion? Can I not provide you with what you seek in spite of your barrenness? Is my love not enough? Am I not better than 10 sons? Reminiscent of Jacob's 10 sons by his wives other than Rachel. You see, sometimes we fixate on what we don't have instead of focusing on what we do have. Be sure to thank God for what He's given you, rather than lamenting what you do not have. Lamenting what we don't have leads to misery for ourselves and for others. Be thankful for what God has given you, and thankfulness leads to contentment, peace, and joy. You see, God uses the difficulties of great longings to teach his people to trust him. You've seen the great fidelity of Elkanah, the great provocation of Peninnah concerning Hannah, but now notice Hannah's great prayer. Hannah, in great distress, brings her petition to the Lord and departs assured of his having heard her prayer. And so, after they had eaten and drank at Shiloh, Hannah arose. Now Eli the priest was sitting by the seat, by the doorpost of the tabernacle of the Lord. It was enough. The feast was over. Hannah couldn't bear it anymore, and she left the feast. And where did she go? Did she run back home? No, she ran to the tabernacle, to the place where God met with his people, the place where the yearly sacrifice was offered. And there she poured out her heart to the Lord. But notice the other detail that we find that Eli was sitting before the tabernacle. He was sitting at the door, the entrance. Here we are reintroduced to the old priest who was not actively serving, not actively offering the sacrifices. He sat at the door to judge the people and to guard the sanctity of the sanctuary. And it's ironic that he would sit there to guard the sanctity of the sanctuary, considering the sins that his son perpetuated in the tabernacle itself. But there you can picture Eli sitting at the door of the tabernacle, and this woman comes running up, and she falls down on her knees, and she begins to pray, and she begins to heave, and her lips are quivering. She's pouring out her heart to the Lord. And she in bitterness of soul prayed to the Lord and wept in anguish. She was filled with great emotion. She was filled with great grief. She was greatly troubled. And what did she do? She held it all in, right? No. She poured it out to the Lord. She poured it out to the King of kings and the Lord of lords. And notice her prayer and her vow. Then she made a vow and said, O Lord of hosts. Notice that word, Lord of hosts. That is the word in the original, Lord Sabbath oath. the Lord of the hosts. She went before the Lord, the ruler and the commander of the army of God's people. And there she poured out the bitterness of her heart. Her heart was heavy. She wept bitterly. Have you ever wept and brought your desires to the Lord in the bitterness of the soul? Did the struggles of this life grieve you? Bring them to the Lord. Hannah knew where to turn in her grief. Too often in trials, people turn from the Lord. They run from Him. They don't bring it to Him because they do not believe that He is the Lord of hosts, the commander of the heavenly armies of God, who is able to hear and answer their prayer. You see, trials clearly reveal what lies in the heart of the person, whether one rests truly and fully in the Lord or not. And Hannah trusted in the Lord. And we're told she made a vow, vowing. She promised to give this child, a male child, to the Lord if he would bless her with a child. If you will indeed look on the affliction of your maidservant and remember me, and forget not your maidservant, but will give your maidservant a male child, then I will give him to the Lord all the days of his life and no razor shall come upon his head." She makes this vow and she says, Lord, if you will see my misery, please remember me and give me the desire of my heart. Give me a male child. That is her request. And what is her promise? I will give him to the Lord. This child will be dedicated to the service of God. The razor shall not come upon his head." Now, some think that this is a vow of the Nazirite, that Nazirite vow. Remember Samson, that he was a Nazirite, that before he was born, his mother was told that you may not eat strong drink. And when this child is born, he may not have his hair cut. It's interesting that when we look and you do a search for that term Nazirite, it occurs in two places only in the Old Testament. It occurs in Numbers chapter six, where the Nazirite vow is mentioned and in Judges chapter seven, in Judges chapter 13 in the description of Samson. And we find here that though Hannah promises that no razor will go on his head, the second part of that Nazarite vow, the refraining from strong drink, is not made. She may have been familiar with that Nazarite vow, But the point is that she is dedicating her son, separating her son as a child for the service of the Lord. That's what's in view. That's what she promises to the Lord. And it happened as she continued praying before the Lord that Eli watched her mouth. Now, notice Eli's rebuke. Hannah prayed continually. She prayed a long time. She made a literally continual prayer. She brought her need to the Lord in fervent, lasting prayer. She wrestled with the Lord, as it were. She made her need well known. Brothers and sisters, what are our prayers like? Are they a continual wrestling before the Lord? I have no doubt that for some of you, that's exactly what your prayers are like. Don't stop. The Lord will answer in time according to His will. He may not answer according to the way that you desire, but His answer will be good no matter what. But far too often, our prayers are short, trite, simple, void of emotion, more like a prepared statement than bringing our deepest needs before the Lord Sabaoth. Bring your needs before the Lord. He wants to hear them. That demonstrates also the importance of our prayer meetings, that we pray not only for the physical needs of the people, but for the spiritual needs of one another and for the growth and advancement of the kingdom of God. What are our prayers like? Let us take Hannah's prayer as an example and as a guide, for she spoke in her heart. She spoke from the depths of her concern, from the depths of her difficulty, but she spoke in her heart. Only her lips moved, literally her lips quivered, and her voice was not heard. So fervent was her prayer that you could not hear the words. They were shaking, trembling with emotion, angst, turmoil, fervency. And what was Eli's impression? Eli thought she was drunk. Therefore, Eli thought she was drunk. She had come to the temple. She hadn't even gone inside, and there she was at the gate, trembling and just there for a long time, speaking. But no sound was coming out. And there Eli sat, watching, watching, watching. She had remained a long time. How many times had Eli witnessed this? Perhaps many times. Why would he think that she was drunk? Well, remember that at the time of the sacrifice, it was a time of feasting, that those who offered the sacrifices would eat of the sacrificial meal and included in that would be wine or strong drink. And so Eli had seen many people, no doubt, that had been intoxicated there before the temple. He certainly recognized some of those signs. And so he says to her, how long will you be drunk? Put away your wine from you. That's his rebuke. He reprimands her, but he has no idea what is going on in her heart. He has no idea of what her struggle is. Here is a man who was supposed to be the man of God who could not even discern the difference between the spiritual struggle of one of God's children and a drunken person. You see, he assumed that she was drunk without actually asking and ascertaining what it was, whether she was or not. And notice Hannah's response. 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." Her voice wept with emotion. She was a woman of sorrowful spirit, literally a woman of heavy spirit. Her heart was weighed down with grief and sorrow. I have not had wine or strong drink, wine being fermented fruit, and the strong drink here referring to fermented grain. I have not indulged in intoxicating spirits, but I have poured myself my heart out before the Lord." You see, she understood better. than Eli, what the Apostle Peter would say later on. She came to the temple casting all her cares upon the Lord because he cares for you. She was bearing her soul before the Lord because the weight was very heavy. How much more ought you and I to unburden our souls to God who cares for us? Your greatest need, your deepest fear, it is safe to bring them to the Lord who hears. And that's what Hannah was doing. I have poured out my soul before the Lord. Do not consider your maidservant a wicked woman. Literally, do not put your maidservant in the manner of the daughters of the worthless, of the daughters of Belial. Don't classify me with ungodly, wicked women who become drunk." She begs Eli to be charitable to her. She isn't a wicked woman. She is anything but a wicked woman. She is a faithful woman who is struggling with the burden of the provocation of her rival wife, Peninnah. She said, I have poured out the abundance of my complaint and grief I have spoken until now. "'I have been so weighed down "'that I have not been repeating myself, "'but I have given to the Lord everything. "'There is an abundance, a great burden, "'that she was offloading before the Lord. "'And part of that was a complaint "'against the treatment and provocation and sorrow "'that she had received until now. "'The burden was great. "'There was much to bring to the Lord, "'and that is exactly what she had done.'" And notice Eli's response. Go in peace, and the God of Israel grant your petition which you have asked of him." The moment Hannah opened her mouth to speak, she dispelled all thought that she was drunk. And what does Eli do? He says, go in peace. Go and find the quiet calm in the midst of the raging storm. Go with the quiet conscience grounded in the firm trust in the promises of God. For you see, peace is the presence of God, not the absence of conflict. And even in the presence of that conflict, as long as God was with her, she could have peace grounded in the firm promises of God. And he says, Go in peace. The God of Israel, grant your petition which you have asked of Him. And notice what he says. Eli says, May the God of Israel give you your request. He had no idea what she was requesting. He had no idea what her struggle was. And yet he says, May God of Israel give you that request. It sounds pretty good and pretty pious, doesn't it? But when you look at, in the original, in what he says, he uses that phrase or that term, God of Israel. He does not use that God's covenant name, Yahweh. And of the seven times that Hannah uses God's name, every single time, it is that covenant name, Yahweh. I am that I am. You see, Eli, He knew God in a formal sense. He had a formal association with God because of his duties in the house of God. But Hannah was praying to the God whom she knew as the Lord of hosts, the commander of the heavenly armies of God. You see, brothers and sisters, there's a warning here. And especially for those who grew up in the church, it is very easy for us to have a merely formal knowledge, an association of God. That we know God because, well, we've gone to church and we're Christians because we've gone to church all our lives. And we continue to go to church because that's the sort of thing that we do. And so we don't know the power of the Lord of hosts, and we see Him as the God of the church, the God of my father or the God of my mother. But there is also a warning for those who serve the church in her offices, a warning about falling into a merely formal administration of the service of God. To truly serve God, you must know Him as God, the Lord of hosts. You must know Him in the person of His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ. And without Jesus, your knowledge of God will be only a formal knowledge at best. For in Christ all the fullness of the deity dwells. In Christ you meet with God incarnate. In Christ you meet the Lord of hosts, the commander of God's armies. And if you do not know Christ, then you do not know and will not know the power of God. Let us beware that our knowledge of God is not merely a formal knowledge, a knowledge that we have because of our association with the Church, but let it be a knowledge that comes from a heart that loves God. You see, the worship for Eli, his formal association with God because of his duties in the house of God, he addressed Him, because of that reason, he addressed God as the God of Israel. The God whom all Israel comes to worship, but did he know his power? For you see, the worship of God is a matter of the heart, not the art of worship. You see, we worship God from the heart. It is not simply an art of what we do. And Hannah leaves with renewed confidence. She says, let your maidservant find favor in your sight. So the woman went her way and ate, and her face was no longer sad. That word, maidservant, interestingly in the original, is a different term than all of the other times in the translations you find maidservant. Here, that word has the idea of the lowest of the maidservants, a girl who is not free and whose primary duty is to serve the mistress. The other term in which she refers to herself, for example, in the prayer to the Lord, if you'll indeed look on the affliction of your maidservant, there that term refers to a woman who is not free, but who could be the wife of one who was bound like her in service. In the scriptures, those words are often used interchangeably without great distinction. But you see, Hannah refers to herself as one who is bound in service to God like Eli. But when the Lord answers her prayer, she recognizes that she is the lowest of the servants. She is not worthy of the Lord's answer. She is not worthy that the Lord would hear her plea and be pleased to provide her request. And she desires that Eli's words would come true. But you notice something. She came to the temple to bear her soul before the Lord, to pour out the anguish of her situation. And she leaves. with a light step. She leaves filled with joy. She rose, went, ate, and was no longer sad. She leaves opposite of the way that she had been, for she believed and trusted that the Lord would answer her plea. You see, God uses the difficulties of great longings to teach his people to trust in him. And that's exactly what Hannah was now beginning to do. She was trusting in the Lord. You see, God was using Hannah's trial to accomplish His purpose. He was using her trial to accomplish His redemptive purpose in the life of His people. For you see, this child that Hannah requested, though she had no idea at the time, was the child whom God would use to transition the people of Israel from a nation where every man did what was right in his own sight into a nation under the monarchy of a king whom God himself would establish upon the throne. She'd been barren for a time, and this barrenness, this struggle, this strife, the Lord used in order that she would be willing to give up this child. How many of you, if you had a longing that you wanted to fulfill such as this, would, once it's been received, once you've received it, would say, I give it to you, I give it away. But you see, Hannah understood the mercy of the Lord. She understood that he brought her through various trials to teach her and to test her, and the Lord brings you and me through various trials to teach us and to test us whether or not we will trust in the Lord. So trust in the Lord. Trust God through the trials. You never know what the Lord intends to do through your struggles. You never know what He intends to accomplish in the trials that you face. Trust Him. If He doesn't answer, He will in His time and in His way. Trust Him no matter what. When all seems hopeless, when you've got nothing left to give, you have hope because of what God did in His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ. For you see, your greatest need, my greatest need, is not to have a child. Our greatest need is reconciliation with the Lord, with the God of heaven and earth. And that reconciliation was effected by His Son, our Savior, the Lord Jesus. Bring your burdens to the Lord because He cares for you. You have a Savior who knows your weakness, who cares for you, who will take your burden. Don't forget that when things are well, you have no less need of bringing your petitions before the Lord. The winds of affliction may not be blowing over the lake of your life now, but all it takes is for one small breeze to turn into a gale force wind of affliction to make you realize that you have great need of the Lord. But if you do not know the Lord of hosts, then you do not know the power of God's transforming love and grace. You will have no place to turn when the storm strikes, and you will capsize in despair. But put your trice in Christ. He'll calm the storm and bring you through those rough seas. One day, all the longings of God's children will be fulfilled. His children long for that day when they will see their Savior face to face. Are you longing for that day? Do you desire to meet with Christ, to bow before the throne of Almighty God and there see the Lamb that was slain before the foundation of the world? And what are our sorrows and trials of this life? They will be as nothing compared with that wondrous fulfillment of God's perfect plan in the Lord Jesus Christ. Maranatha, come quickly, Lord Jesus.