Samuel - RSV

Samuel Came along When the Time of the Judges was Nearly over and the Kings Were Beginning. He was a Miracle Child, a Gift from God to a Mother Who Badly Wanted a Child, but Had Not Been Able Thus Far. After His Mother Weaned Him and Brought Him to Eli, the High Priest Who Did a Better Job Raising Him than He Had Done with His Own Sons. Samuel's Mother Said, I Have Lent Him to the Lord as Long as He Lives.

1. Hannah Loved the Lord and She Loved Her Husband. But This was Not Enough for Her. She Wanted a Child.

1 Samuel 1:1-2 There was a certain man of Ramatha'im-zo'phim of the hill country of E'phraim, whose name was Elka'nah the son of Jero'ham, son of Eli'hu, son of Tohu, son of Zuph, an E'phraimite. [2] He had two wives; the name of the one was Hannah, and the name of the other Penin'nah. And Penin'nah had children, but Hannah had no children.

1 Samuel 1:3-5 Now this man used to go up year by year from his city to worship and to ________________ to the LORD of hosts at Shiloh, where the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phin'ehas, were priests of the LORD. [4] On the day when Elka'nah ________________d, he would give portions to Penin'nah his wife and to all her sons and ________________; [5] and, ______________ he loved Hannah, he would give Hannah only one portion, because the LORD had closed her womb.

1 Samuel 1:6-7 And her rival used to provoke her sorely, to ______________ 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. ________________ __________ wept and would not eat.

1 Samuel 1:8 And Elka'nah, her ____________, 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?"

1) Why was Hannah so sad? _______________________________

2) Elkanah said to Hannah, why do you _________? Am I not better to you than _______ sons?

2. God Answers Hannah's Prayer.

1 Samuel 1:9-12 After they had eaten and drunk in Shiloh, Hannah rose. Now Eli the priest was sitting on the seat beside the ______________ of the temple of the LORD. [10] She was deeply __________________ and prayed to the LORD, and wept ______________. [11] And she vowed a vow and said, "O LORD of hosts, if thou wilt indeed look on the affliction of thy maidservant, and ______________ me, and not forget thy maidservant, but wilt give to thy maidservant a son, then I will give him to the LORD all the days of his life, and no razor shall touch his head." [12] As she ________________ praying before the LORD, Eli ______________ her mouth.

1 Samuel 1:13-15 Hannah was ______________ in her heart; only her lips moved, and her voice was not heard; therefore Eli took her to be a drunken woman. [14] And Eli said to her, "How long will you be drunken? Put away your wine from you." [15] But Hannah answered, "No, my lord, I am a woman sorely ______________; I have drunk ____________ wine nor strong drink, but I have been ____________ out my soul before the LORD.

1 Samuel 1:17-18 Then Eli answered, "Go in peace, and the God of Israel grant your ______________ which you have made to him." [18] And she said, "Let your ___________________ find favor in your eyes." Then the woman went her way and ate, and her ___________________ was no longer sad.

1 Samuel 1:19-20 They rose early in the morning and ________________ before the LORD; then they went back to their house at Ramah. And Elka'nah knew Hannah his wife, and the LORD __________________ her; [20] and in due time Hannah ________________ and bore a son, and she called his name Samuel, for she said, "I have asked him of the LORD."

1) What did Eli the priest think as he watched Hannah's lips move without making any sound? _____________________________

2) What was the vow Hannah made to the Lord if He would give her a son? ____________________________

3) Did Hannah have a son? _____________

4) What did she name him? _________________

3. Hannah Took Samuel to Stay with Eli the High Priest. As She Had Said She Would, She Gave Him to Serve the Lord.

1 Samuel 1:21-22 And the man Elka'nah and all his house went up to offer to the LORD the yearly ________________, and to pay his vow. [22] But Hannah did not go up, for she said to her ____________, "As soon as the child is weaned, I will bring him, that he may appear in the ______________ of the LORD, and abide there for ever."

1 Samuel 1:24-28 And when she had weaned him, she took him up with her, along with a three-year-old bull, an ephah of flour, and a skin of wine; and she brought him to the house of the LORD at Shiloh; and the child was young. [25] Then they slew the bull, and they brought the child to Eli. [26] And she said, "Oh, my lord! As you live, my lord, I am the woman who was ______________ here in your ______________, ____________ to the LORD. [27] For this child I __________; and the LORD has ____________ me my ______________ which I made to him. [28] Therefore I have lent him to the LORD; as long as he lives, he is lent to the LORD." And they ________________ the LORD there.

1 Samuel 2:11 Then Elka'nah went home to Ramah. And the boy __________________ to the LORD, in the ______________ of Eli the priest.

1) Hannah said she would not go with her husband to the yearly sacrifice until what happened? __________________________ (verse 22)

2) Hannah said that she had dedicated Samuel to the Lord for as long as he __________. (Verse 28).

4. Samuel Lived with Eli and Learned from Him.

1 Samuel 3:1-4 Now the boy Samuel was ___________________ to the LORD under Eli. And the word of the LORD was rare in those days; there was no ______________ vision. [2] At that time Eli, whose ______________ had begun to grow dim, so that he could not see, was lying down in his own place; [3] the lamp of God had not yet gone out, and Samuel was lying down within the __________ of the LORD, where the ark of God was. [4] Then the LORD __________, "Samuel! Samuel!" and he said, "Here I am!"

1 Samuel 3:5-6 And ran to Eli, and said, "Here I am, for you called me." But he said, "I did not call; lie down again." So he went and _____ down. [6] And the _______ called again, "Samuel!" And Samuel _________ and went to Eli, and said, "Here I am, for you called me." But he said, "I did not call, my _____; lie down again."

1 Samuel 3:7-9 Now Samuel did not yet know the LORD, and the word of the LORD had not yet been ______________ to him. [8] And the LORD called Samuel again the third time. And he arose and went to Eli, and said, "Here I am, for you called me." Then Eli ________________ that the LORD was ____________ the boy. [9] ________________ Eli said to Samuel, "Go, lie down; and if he calls you, you shall say, 'Speak, LORD, for thy ____________ hears.'" So Samuel went and lay down in his place.

1 Samuel 3:10-14 And the LORD came and stood forth, calling as at other times, "Samuel! Samuel!" And Samuel said, "Speak, for thy servant hears." [11] Then the LORD said to Samuel, "Behold, I am about to do a thing in Israel, at which the two ears of every one that hears it will tingle. [12] On that day I will fulfil against Eli all that I have spoken __________________ his house, from ________________ to end. [13] And I tell him that I am about to punish his house for ever, for the iniquity which he knew, because his sons were ___________________ God, and he did not ______________ them. [14] ________________ I swear to the house of Eli that the iniquity of Eli's house shall not be ______________ by ________________ or ______________ for ever."

1) When Eli had lain down for the night and Samuel had too, he heard a voice. Whose voice was it? ________

2) When Eli realized that God was talking to Samuel, he told Samuel to answer the Lord by saying: Speak Lord, for your ____________ hears You.

3) God said that He was putting a curse on Eli and his sons because they had sinned and Eli had not _____________ them.

5. Samuel Had to Tell Eli the Message the Lord Had Given Him.

1 Samuel 3:15 Samuel lay until ____________; then he opened the doors of the house of the LORD. And Samuel was afraid to tell the __________ to Eli.

1 Samuel 3:16-18 But Eli called Samuel and said, "Samuel, my son." And he said, "Here I am." [17] And Eli said, "What was it that he told you? Do not hide it from me. May God do so to you and more also, if you hide ______________ from me of all that he told you." [18] So Samuel told him __________________ and hid ____________ from him. And he said, "It is the LORD; let him do what _________ _______ to him."

1 Samuel 3:19-20 And Samuel grew, and the LORD was with him and let none of his words fall to the ground. [20] And all Israel from Dan to Beer-sheba knew that Samuel was ___________________ as a ____________ of the LORD.

1) Samuel afraid to tell Eli what the Lord had told him? __________

2) Did Eli accept the message as from the Lord? __________

3) Did all of Israel come to understand that Samuel was God's prophet with messages from God? _______________.

Samuel was a judge and a prophet. Judges had ruled Israel for about four hundred years since the time of Moses. When the people asked for a king, Samuel felt rejected. God said to him, the people have not rejected you, but Me. As the time of the judges was closing, kings replaced judges as rulers of Israel. Samuel anointed the first two kings, Saul and David.

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