Nepaug Bible Church - http://www.nepaugchurch.org - Pastor's Evening Sermon Notes - http://www.nepaugchurch.org/ev/ev20011230.htm

1 AND 2 SAMUEL: GOD'S SOLUTIONS TO PROBLEMS IN OVERSIGHT
Part IX: God's National Blessing From A Godly Mother's Influential Prayer Life
(1 Samuel 7:3-17)
  1. Introduction
    1. As we learn from Scripture a godly woman's "place" is to be submissive to her husband and spiritual leaders, a temptation exists for her to think she is doomed for ineffectiveness in her Christian life.
    2. Yet, in such proper submission, a woman can still be greatly effective as 1 Samuel 7:3-17 shows:
  2. God's National Blessing From A Godly Mother's Influential Prayer Life, 1 Samuel 7:3-17.
    1. On the surface, God's blessing on Israel in 1 Samuel 7:3-17 is due to the faith of the godly Samuel:
      1. Samuel called the beleaguered nation of Israel to forsake its false gods and serve the Lord alone so God could bless the people in delivering them from Philistine oppression, 1 Samuel 7:3.
      2. Israel obeyed Samuel, so he called the nation to gather at Mizpeh to beseech God's help, 1 Sam. 7:4-6.
      3. In the process, the Philistines heard Israel had assembled, and, thinking there was a possible military attack coming, planned their own preemptive strike against Israel, 1 Samuel 7:7a.
      4. When Israel heard about the Philistines' plans, they were afraid of the Philistines, and asked Samuel to pray to the Lord for deliverance from their Philistine enemies, 1 Samuel 7:7b-8.
      5. Samuel offered a burnt offering for the nation, and called upon the Lord for national deliverance, 7:9a.
      6. The Lord hearkened unto Samuel and delivered the nation in a remarkable way, 1 Samuel 7:9b-14:
        1. While Samuel was offering up his sacrifice, the Lord hearkened unto his prayer, 1 Samuel 7:9b.
        2. Another event in progress was the assembly of the Philistines at Mizpeh to attack Israel, 7:10a.
        3. However, upon hearing Samuel and Israel's request, the Lord thundered a great thunder against the Philistines, something that would have terrified these worshippers of Baal, the god of thunder, as Israel's God was demonstrating His sovereignty over their own protective deity, and that to their threat, 1 Samuel 7:10b! (cf. Zond. Pict. Ency. of the Bible, vol. One, p. 431-433)
        4. Consequently, the Philistines fled, with Israel following them and slaying them, 1 Samuel 7:10c-11.
        5. Samuel then erected a stone, calling it "Eben-ezer," or "stone of help" to testify that the Lord had helped Israel in answer to their prayer for deliverance, 1 Samuel 7:12.
        6. The results of this event were long-lasting and full of blessing for Israel: (a) The Philistines were subdued, (b) no longer invading Israel's territory, 1 Samuel 7:13a, b. (b) God's hand afflicted the Philistines all of Samuel's judgeship, 1 Samuel 7:13c. (c) All of the cities the Philistines had formerly taken from Israel in Ekron, Gath and the hamlet around them were recaptured, and (d) the Philistines, called Amorites, lived peacefully with Israel during Samuel's days, 1 Samuel 7:14. (e) Samuel judged Israel all of his life, meaning that as long as Samuel lived, this blessing regarding the Philistines belonged to Israel under the Lord's goodness, 1 Samuel 7:15.
    2. Yet, beneath these uplifting events, the influence of godly Hannah, Samuel's mother is clearly evident:
      1. Samuel's leadership over Israel was administered in a circuit-riding way: he traveled from Ramah, his hometown, to Bethel, Gilgal and then Mizpeh before returning to Ramah to judge Israel, 7:16-17a.
      2. At Ramah, Samuel built an altar unto the Lord for calling upon Him in prayer, 1 Samuel 7:17b.
      3. Well, Ramah was where Hannah had lived, the woman who had born Samuel, cf. 1 Sam. 1:1, 19.
      4. Also, the repeated emphasis on PRAYER in Samuel's life follows his mother's example of 1 Sam. 1:
        1. Samuel's altar at Ramah for a life of prayer follows the emphasis of Hannah's 1 Sam. 1 prayer.
        2. Samuel's calling on the Lord for help re: the Philistines in 1 Samuel 7:5 mimics the initial call of Hannah in prayer for divine help for a son, cf. 1 Samuel 1:10-11!
        3. Israel's request for Samuel to pray for help from the Philistines in 1 Samuel 7:8 falls in line with Samuel's statement to them about such a prayer in 1 Samuel 7:5, and Samuel's focus on prayer lines up with the emphasis on prayer for help in his mother's initial example of 1 Samuel 1:10-11.
Lesson: Hannah's EMPHASIS on seeking GOD'S help in PRAYER influenced her son, SAMUEL in a LIFE of prayer, and that had wonderful repercussions for ISRAEL'S welfare in Samuel's leadership!

Application: A GODLY woman with an effective PRAYER LIFE can impact MANY PEOPLE through the EFFECT of her EXAMPLE! May all Christian women live GODLY lives and PRAY!!