Ben Stuart begins a new collection that will walk you through 1 and 2 Samuel. This week focuses on God’s opposition of the proud and the grace He gives to the humble.
Key Takeaway
In a world that seems to be growing ever darker, God is still in complete control. God is preserving His Glory and is constantly at work. Regardless of the direction the world is headed, the Lord reigns over all nations.
1) Hannah took her pain to the Lord.
She prayed to God about her circumstances and waited for Him to move, recognizing that He was sovereign over her life and the lives around her. She did not try to control the situation but sought God first to work on her behalf.
2) Hannah's song speaks not only of how God has worked in her life personally but to who God is and how he works overall.
Her song has 4 major themes that will direct the rest of the book.
- The Lord reigns even on a dark day.
- The humble will be lifted up.
- The proud will be brought low.
- God will raise up his anointed king.
3) The Lord will tolerate arrogance, sin against Him, and hypocrisy in His Church for a time.
He is patient and with a merciful hand is offering time for repentance. However, if repentance is refused, God will expose everything.
Hophni and Phinehas were actively disobeying God's commandments by violating the rules of sacrifice and sleeping with the women who served in the Tabernacle. 1 Samuel 2:12 calls the sons "worthless men".
Eli, the priest, was engaging in passive disobedience. In 1 Samuel 2:25, he gently rebukes his sons, but the rebuke does not match their constant actions. What they were doing was well-known and persistent; Eli was fully aware yet allowed it to continue and did nothing about it.
4) While things kept getting worse and worse for God's people, Samuel was growing.
That means that there is always hope. Nothing that is going on in the world is a surprise to God and he never leaves his people without hope. Samuel continued to grow in humility, wisdom, and in his relationship with God. He desires your heart, not just for you to "do the right thing" outwardly, but to grow in your walk with Him. Through this humility, God can use you to bring Himself glory.
Discussion Questions
- Ben Stuart pointed out the many times that God used barren women to usher in a miracle for His people. "Her pain had potential locked up in it...He tends to make our total inability His starting point." How have you experienced this in your own life?
- Can you give examples from the message that would have been considered humble and who was operating out of pride?
- Hannah's song is not just about her own life, but the overture of the entire book. Ben Stuart mentions how she influenced Mary, the mother of Jesus as well. Do you see the similarities between 1 Samuel 2:1-10 and Luke 1:46-55?
- Before God wants to change a nation, He wants to renovate His Church. What examples were given of the hypocrisy that was happening within the people of God?
- Why did God confront Eli about his sons' actions instead of going after Hophni and Phinehas?
- What does humility look like? What does pride look like?
- Ben Stuart shared how he was not picked to be a leader at a church and instead was made an assistant to the leader. Quickly, he realized that it was because he lacked character at that time. What experiences have shaped your character in you? Where have you failed? Grown?
- God's people put on the external adornments that they thought would win them favor with God, yet kept living in a way contrary to the way God had set up for them to flourish. Because of this, God allowed them to be massively defeated. 1 Samuel 2:26 and 3:19 speak to Samuel growing in the Lord. In what way does this point to hope and righteous living?
- We are made in the image of God, so we also oppose the proud and love the humble. Read Philippians 2:7-9, in what ways is Jesus the perfect example of a humble servant?
- On a practical level, Ben Stuart challenged us to pray more than we post and before we post. How much do you bring your pain to the Lord in prayer before you consult others about it?
Scripture References
