Lessons from 1 Samuel: Sinful Humans and a Sovereign God

The nation of Israel was in a spiritual drought in most of 1 Samuel. Throughout this book of the Bible, one can see a corrupt nation slowly start to turn their hearts to God. You see people searching for a king while the one true King is pursuing their hearts the entire time. The end of this book displays the devastating personal and public effects of sin while also displaying the sovereignty of God. The Old Testament often feels foreign and unrelatable to the modern day believer of Christ, including myself. However, while studying 1 Samuel I could see the sinful nature of these biblical characters mirroring my own heart. The live’s of Samuel, Saul, David, and many others show how God uses imperfect people to carry out His perfect plans.

In 1 Samuel 1 Hannah, Elkanah’s wife was in great distress and was found weeping because she wanted a child so badly. Hannah called out to the Lord asking for Him to bless her with a child and vowed that she would give her son to the Lord all the days of the child’s life.

The Lord remembered Hannah and soon after, she conceived a child and gave birth to Samuel. Hannah then responds to God in chapter 2 with a joyful prayer and and gives her son over to Eli, the priest, just as she had promised in obedience to God.

Through this story, we can see that Hannah had been faithful in prayer to God in times of trouble but continued to pray to God with thankfulness after He blessed her with a son. As humans, we naturally cling to God in times of need or trouble as Hannah did. While we need to cling to him at our lowest, we must also reach out to God with thankfulness in times of joy as well.

God met Hannah in her brokenness, and He will meet you in yours today. Not only did He meet her there, but God knew Hannah’s heart and what was caused distress. God listened to Hannah and He also provided for her. He blessed her with a son to carry out His great plans. God’s plan for our lives is always so much greater than we can ever fathom. God was with Hannah while she was hurting and when she felt joy. He is with us through every single step and uses our pain, sorrow, and joy to carry out His plan.

God is a comforter, a provider, and holds all power.

Hannah’s prayer reflects a strong faith in God and confidence in His power. Hannah’s relationship with God and prayer life is a great example of how we should be bold, persistent, and confident in prayer every single day. We must remember that every good thing is from the Lord. With this being said, Hannah displays great obedience as she gives her son back to the Lord.

As Samuel grew up, he continued to walk in favor with the Lord. When he was a child, he was sleeping in the temple one night when he heard a voice call out multiple times. He assumed that it was Eli and went to Eli’s room all three times. Eli told Samuel that it was not him, and it must be the Lord and commanded Samuel to say, “Speak, Lord, for your servant is listening”. The fourth time the Lord called out, Samuel did just as Eli had told him and the Lord revealed himself to Samuel and told Him that Eli and his family would face consequences due to their blasphemy.

There are two things I learned from this story:

1. God can use EVERYONE. If God would reveal himself to a child after not speaking to anyone for a very long time, then He can use even you and me.
2. God’s plan is not for our own benefit, but for the benefit of the kingdom. The news that God revealed to Samuel was actually disappointing and heartbreaking to Samuel and the family of Eli. However, it was for the good of God’s people and used to glorify Him.

In 1 Samuel 3:20 it says, “All Israel from Dan to Beersheba knew that Samuel was confirmed as a prophet to the Lord”.

Samuel’s life was dedicated solely to pursuing the Lord and he was known for his Godly character. The Lord knew Samuel and Samuel pursued the Lord daily. Samuel wasn’t known as “a good guy” or “nice”. He was known as one of God’s own. In our daily walks of life we all strive to be known as something or for something. We strive to be known as being smart, kind, beautiful, talented and so much more. Striving to be known for earthly titles leaves you feeling exhausted and empty at the end of the day. When we truly give our lives over to the Lord we feel whole and joyful. When we fully surrender to God we stop worrying about these earthly titles and start fulfilling God’s plan for our lives. When we start pursuing Kingdom work, non-believers see our hearts for the Lord and crave that same joy as well. Being known as a follower of God leads others to know Him as well.

In 1 Samuel 8 the people of Israel pleaded for a King and the elders brought their concerns to Samuel. Samuel responded by not making a decision based on his fleshly desires, but instead he went to the Lord in prayer and voiced his concerns to Him. God responded to Samuel and instructed Him to first listen to the people. Often times I find myself doing the exact opposite of what Samuel was instructed and did in times of trouble. I tend to react based upon my emotions in the moment rather than listening to what other’s have to say or before coming to God with the conflict.

We will not find peace in conflict if we make rash decisions on our own. Peace comes from bringing our concerns to the Lord and asking Him for guidance. God will provide peace and His word gives us a direct path on how to deal with conflict:

Matthew 18:15-17

Romans 12:19

Colossians 3:13

Ephesians 4:26, 31-32

James 1:19

The Lord then commanded Samuel to appoint the people a King and revealed to him that a man from the tribe of Benjamin would be coming the next day.

In 1 Samuel 1 9:16 it says, “About this time tomorrow I will send you a man from the land of Benjamin, and you shall anoint him to be prince over My people Israel: and he will deliver My people from the hand of the Philistines. For I have regarded My people because their cry has come to me”.

While reading this I thought to myself, “Wow! God really does hear us and care about us”. Not only does God hear our concerns, but he responds to them. Whatever your prayer is today voice it to the Lord. Whether it is something small or something really big that has been weighing on your heart take it to the Lord in prayer. God hears you. God listened to his people then and He will listen to His people now. God loved them and He loves us. God made a way to help the Israelites and he will make a way to help you today.

God is an all powerful and perfect God, but he uses imperfect sinful humans to help carry out His plans. Saul was an extremely tall and handsome man for his time, but he was a sinner just as you and I are. He was from the clan of Benjamin but was nothing more than a farmer. Saul did not have to be perfect for God to use him as a leader. Saul’s early reign involved a victory over the Ammonites, but before Saul was chosen to be King he was an ordinary human just as we are. Saul was not a perfect King or a perfect man, yet God did not call him or expect him to be either of these. God used him as he was already- pride, greed, sinful desires and all.

In the same way that God uses Saul, He can use us as well. I am guilty of trying to “fix” myself before I come to God. I think to myself “oh, I need to read more of the Bible or serve in my church more before God can use me”. This is the enemy creeping into my thoughts and heart. God can use you exactly where you are in your walk.

While we will never be good enough, God will always be great enough. It has never been about us and it never will be about us. God’s glory outshines our sin and He can use our mistakes to bring others to Him.

In chapter 13 as the Philistines gathered to fight Israel, Samuel instructed Saul to wait seven days and he would come and make an offering for the Lord before the battle. The people began to scatter on the 7th day which made Saul anxious. Saul then took matters into his own hands and made the sacrifice before Samuel arrived.

Saul’s disobedience is a direct reflection of his pride and lack of faith in God. It also shows how the pressures of the world affect us. The temptations of the world can cause us to stumble in our faith. We must have patience and also depend on our Rock and Cornerstone in times of trouble.

In chapter 15, Samuel commands Saul to kill every living soul, yet Saul spares the king as well as the best of the livestock. Samuel then asks Saul why he went against him and Saul admits that it is because of his fear of man. While this story is very intense, it shows how as humans we try to depend on our own decisions rather than listening to God. It shows that the fear of what others might think gets in the way of glorifying God. We can not let what other sinful humans might think of us get in the way of praising God and leading others to Him.

The fear of man leads to disobendice.

Today you might be in a spiritual drought just as the Israelites.

The Lord wants you and wants your heart.

Come to Him today with your bitterness, sorrow, anger, or joy.

Come to Him and He will meet you where you are.

Not only will He meet you, but He will use you.

He will use you, even in your sin, to glorify Him and build His kingdom.

Give your heart to Him and be known for loving Him.

Be bold in your faith and persistent in prayer as Hannah was.

Look for His guidance in times of trouble as Samuel did.

Learn from Saul and be patient and obedient.

But most of all, come to know Him and know His son.

Surrender your life to a Sovereign God.