Sunday Recap for 6/4/17:  How is God hope for the hopeless?

Sunday Recap for 6/4/17:  How is God hope for the hopeless?

Sunday, 6/4/17, we looked at this Big Picture Question:

How is God hope for the hopeless?

And we lookd at 1 Samuel 1:1-8 to answer our question:

1 There was a certain man of Ramathaim-zophim of the hill country of Ephraim whose name was Elkanah the son of Jeroham, son of Elihu, son of Tohu, son of Zuph, an Ephrathite. 2 He had two wives. The name of the one was Hannah, and the name of the other, Peninnah. And Peninnah had children, but Hannah had no children.

3 Now this man used to go up year by year from his city to worship and to sacrifice to the Lord of hosts at Shiloh, where the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, were priests of the Lord.

4 On the day when Elkanah sacrificed, he would give portions to Peninnah his wife and to all her sons and daughters. 5 But to Hannah he gave a double portion, because he loved her, though the Lord had closed her womb.

6 And her rival used to provoke her grievously to irritate her, because the Lord had closed her womb. 7 So it went on year by year. As often as she went up to the house of the Lord, she used to provoke her. Therefore Hannah wept and would not eat.

8 And Elkanah, her husband, said to her, “Hannah, why do you weep? And why do you not eat? And why is your heart sad? Am I not more to you than ten sons?”

And we found these 3 answers to the Big Picture Question:

How is God hope for the hopeless?

  • God is compassionate.
  • God is sovereign.
  • God knows the heart.

God is compassionate.

1 Samuel 1:1 There was a certain man of Ramathaim-zophim of the hill country of Ephraim whose name was Elkanah the son of Jeroham, son of Elihu, son of Tohu, son of Zuph, an Ephrathite. 2 He had two wives. The name of the one was Hannah, and the name of the other, Peninnah. And Peninnah had children, but Hannah had no children.

3 Now this man used to go up year by year from his city to worship and to sacrifice to the Lord of hosts at Shiloh, where the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, were priests of the Lord.

4 On the day when Elkanah sacrificed, he would give portions to Peninnah his wife and to all her sons and daughters. 5 But to Hannah he gave a double portion, because he loved her, though the Lord had closed her womb.

God is compassionate. And Hannah has a compassionate husband. Hannah wants to have children badly, but she can’t. So, as her husband offers this sacrifice each year, he takes a double portion of the food and gives it to Hannah because of her sadness. And all of this is part of worship. You see, God demonstrates His compassion to us in worship, and He often uses his people, like Elkanah, to give that compassion to one another.

God is sovereign.

1 Samuel 1:6 And her rival used to provoke her grievously to irritate her, because the Lord had closed her womb. 7 So it went on year by year. As often as she went up to the house of the Lord, she used to provoke her. Therefore Hannah wept and would not eat.

The scriptures are clear. Hannah couldn’t have children, and it was God who closed her womb. This is important for us to embrace. For us to fully embrace the hope of God, we must fully embrace that God is the one who ordains our circumstances. If He doesn’t ordain, what hope comes from one who is powerless? But as the one who ordains our steps, He is the one who gives them purpose along with our comfort.

God knows the heart.

1 Samuel 1:8 And Elkanah, her husband, said to her, “Hannah, why do you weep? And why do you not eat? And why is your heart sad? Am I not more to you than ten sons?”

While Elkanah compassionately gave His wife a double portion he cluelessly says these things. Friends, here is where we trust that only God knows the heart. And we like Elkanah, sometimes get it wrong when we try to comfort. But God knows the heart, and that is why were are not alone.

Big Picture Question: How is God hope for the hopeless?

Truth: God sovereignly gives hope to the hopeless through His compassionate knowing of the human heart.

Application: Live knowing that you are known by a sovereign God who constantly places His word and His people

Action: Ask God to make your hopeless situation an avenue of worship. Then, ask that He would use it to give hope to others who need it.

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