Marks of a Great Mother

What she does is she takes her sorrow of heart. And she pours it out before the Lord and look at verse 11, which he calls God Lord of hosts. The frequent designation for God in the Bible in order means Lord of hosts, literally means you are the master commander of heaven's army. She is appealing to God based on God's character of authority and sovereignty. You can find amazing women of faith as heroes of the Bible is often God accomplishes great things through women. Today we continue our countdown of scripts top 40 messages only connect with Skip Titan YouTube channel in the number 12 spot is the message marks of a great mother where Skip shares about God's love from others in hopes of invaluable insight to know is your relationship with the Lord to tell you about resource knowledge of God's word even more. There's a top 10 list for just about everything. What about a top 10 list they can actually impact your faith by six top 10 messages will really make a mark as a sample from what most people don't know about heaven. Somebody wants Heather Gardner to be at least three surprises in heaven. First of all, who is there that you thought would never make it. Second, who's not fair that you are sure would make it in the number three. The fact that you yourself are there by God's great excuse to get teach on heaven, hell, and the enzymes and topics like the Holy Spirit through happiness you give $35 or more today will also send you reload love, Linda Heights expect about the founding of the ministry that's been helping children victim Terry for nearly 2 decades visit connectwithskip.com to give today to get Skip's top 10 messages on Sunday. Bless your copy of reload love filing Heights call 892 1880. First Samuel chapter is rejoined Skip Titan for today's study. First Samuel is a blog is about three great men. It's about Samuel the prophet Saul the first king of Israel and David. The subsequent king who was a man after God's own heart. The greatest king of Israel, so it's a book about three great men. But the book begins with the woman and a woman who is infertile, but eventually has a son named Samuel who becomes this prophet somebody once said when God wants to do a great work. He gets hold of a man, but what he wants to do an exceptionally great work. He gets hold of a woman. I like that and I think there's plenty of precedent for that even in the Scripture Israel's deliverance from Egypt began with a woman named Jock a bed. The mother of Moses, who had the faith to put that little basket with her son down the river. That's how it began with a woman. The story of the line of King David began with a woman by the name of Ruth.miraculous preservation of the Jews in Persia was the story of a woman named Esther who had the kind of faith that she put it on the line and our salvation in the Gospels begins with a young Jewish woman, a virgin named Mary who was visited by God.

Now in first Samuel chapter 1 I like to show you three attributes of a great mother three traits that are common to all great moms.

First of all great mothers have great problems that needs to be said more because sometimes we think of Bible characters as perfect people without problems. You know the glow-in-the-dark they got shiny halos but people are people and every life has problems, including her life. The mother of the one who would be the great prophet Samuel. Let's look at a problem.

First of all, in verse one and two.

She has a problem with infertility says there was a certain man of Rahmat dienes themes say that 10 times really fast of the mountains of Ephraim, it is name was Elkanah the son of Jarreau Hamm, the son of Elihu, the son of tofu, the son of Zeus and Ephraimite and he had two wives.

The name of one was Hannah, the name of the other. Nina Nina had children, but Hannah had no children is a lot an adverse there's a lot of emotion that is in that verse. She had no children. It was the hope of every Jewish couple to have children was seen as a blessing from the Lord because the ideas that you live on in your kids and they thought back in those days, the more kids you could have the better. Some hundred and 27 children are a heritage from the Lord, the fruit of the womb is a reward happy is the one whose quiver is full of them. In fact, childlessness was such a terrible stigma that was seen as an affliction curse from God, looked out of verse 11. In her prayer she made a vow and said, oh Lord of hosts, if you will indeed look on the affliction of your maidservant and remember me and not forget your maidservant, but will give your maidservant a male child. Notice how she talks about her condition it's in affliction. In the book of Genesis when Jacob's wife Leah finally becomes pregnant.

No she says. She says the Lord has looked upon my affliction and then his other wife Rachel because she couldn't have children but her sister could says to her husband give me children or I will die so that was so ingrained into the psyche of parents thousands of years ago that even the rabbis as time went on, had certain sayings, not biblical, not from the heart of God. But one rabbi even said there are seven people who will be excommunicated from God. The first is a Jew who has no wife, and the second is a Jew who has a wife, but has no child infected you know if a woman couldn't bear a son or a daughter that was grounds for a divorce. If within a 10 year period, there was no child either a divorce or the husband could be allowed in many of these cultures to marry a second wife. And that's why we see this man with two wives because his first wife Hannah was unable to bear soap.

Nina comes in and she is able to bear.

So we have Hannah in the first problem is infertility, but she has another problem. She has arrival and that is the Nina I go back to verse four it says whenever the time came for Elkanah to make an offering. The previous verse tells us that once a year.

He went up to Shiloh, where the tabernacle was at that time the central place of worship and had a festival of feast and made offerings whenever the time came for Elkanah to make an offering, he would give portions to put Nina his wife and listen to this to all her sons and daughters.

Just imagine being Hannah unable to have a single child and you've got another wife in the equation who has many sons and daughters is hard to even have a meal with the family. Hard to go to church with the family and the worst time was this annual feast was to be a time of rejoicing, but not for Hannah. It was a time of recoiling for her is a timer. She felt the most rejected and then look at verse six and her rival that is pending or her rival also provoked her severely to make her miserable because the Lord had closed her womb.

So it was year by year, when she went up to the house of the Lord that she provoked her, therefore she is Hannah wept and did not eat boy Nina the past. Not only could she have many sons and daughters but Hannah can have none, and Panini goes out of her way to provoke her now was obviously very bad for Hannah but this does give insight into a common problem today and that is infertility, infertility, effects, more women that we might be aware of.

It is estimated that one out of every eight couples cannot have children in our country 12% of the adult population are infertile, that 7.3 million Americans.

They got a doctors they had prayer anointed with oil. No child. What that means is every Mother's Day is not a happy day for them there happy to celebrate.

For others, but is that in each of burden that they carry because there are infertile they wanted so badly they can have a child now want to tread carefully here, but I believe this childbearing is part of the sovereignty of God.

I don't know why. Some can have children, and others cannot.

I don't know why there are so many pregnant teenagers while couples who want to have children are unable to.

In many cases, but I do know this. Your value to God is not based on your ability to reproduce.

God loves you because you are made in his image and you are of great value to him whether you can produce a child or not. And I also know this, you're not alone.

In fact, if you are infertile, you're in a long list of the women of faith who are infertile, there's a little list Sarah, Abraham's wife was infertile. Rebecca Isaacs wife infertile. Rachel Jacob's other wife infertile.

Ruth, the wife of Boaz. In her first marriage. Unable to produce children, Elizabeth John the Baptist, mother infertile, and I did notice something here that in the Scripture, the most childless women are often the righteous women. The matriarchs of faith, women of great faith. While many of those who can easily conceive were not so righteous, so doesn't mean that if you have children you are a better person or your God clearer than somebody else and that if you're infertile you're not in fact if you're unable to bear a child of this demeanor curse.

I believe it means you are You are reserved for other blessings. Hear me out. I could think of a few number one God may still be preparing you right now to be apparent in the future. Just because the doctor says you are unable to have a child doesn't mean you're unable to have a child now many babies.

I dedicated from this pulpit for parents who were told you'll never have a child and another on the third or fourth. So God may be preparing you now even though you're not able to bear right now. Second, he may be preparing you to be foster parents or adoptive parents. Folks there are more kids needing parents out there than parents wanting children and you wouldn't not even thought that until an event like infertility comes into the relationship. Now you are open to it, and wonderfully so in a number three. Here's a possibility he may just want you available for a very specific work that having children would preclude that is, it would be difficult for that special calling God has on your life if you were to have children you don't know that until the Lord reveals that to you. Great mothers then have great problems. Number one is the first attribute trait character trait. The second trait. Great mothers keep great priorities. As we look at this woman named Hannah.

We understand that her relationship with God and her husband and her son whom she will have are right on target. Let's look at her priorities. First of all with her God. Verse nine so Hannah arose after they had finished eating and drinking in Shiloh. Now Eli the priest was sitting on the seat by the doorpost of the tabernacle of the Lord and she was in bitterness of soul and prayed to the Lord and wept in anguish.

Then she made a vow and said, Lord of hosts, if you will indeed look on the affliction of your maidservant and remember me, and do not forget your maidservant, but will give your maidservant a male child, then I will give him to the Lord all the days of his life and no razor shall come upon his head that the Nazirite bow a special bow and it happened, as she continued praying before the Lord, that Eli watched her mouth and Hannah spoke in her heart.

Only her lips move but her voice was not heard. Therefore Eli thought she was drunk and a good priest right would think that so Eli said to her. How long will you be drunk so encouraging your wine away from you and Hannah answered and said no, my Lord, I am a woman of sorrowful spirit. I have drunk neither wine nor intoxicating drink, but I poured out my soul before the Lord, what a snapshot.

Her hot tears mingled with her heartfelt prayers.

Some of you know that pain is like when their tears in our eyes. There's travail in our hearts.

This woman poured all of that before God. Interesting is no record at all in the tax that she complains to her husband. This is your fault or give me children arrived I she got complaining to her husband and there's nothing in the text that says she's wanting to fight back with Nina her arrival who was provoking her at all, but what she does is she takes her sorrow of heart. And she pours it out before the Lord and look at verse 11, which he calls God, the Lord of hosts is a frequent designation for God in the Bible you know it means Lord of hosts.

It literally means you are the master commander of heaven's armies. She is appealing to God based on God's character of authority and sovereignty.

He is powerful and based on your power as the commander of heaven's armies. I ask you this, I give you this request. Notice also in verse 12 it said. As it happened, as she continued praying before the Lord. Mark that was in a quick little popcorn prayer we just shoot one up and then I'm done.

She prayed and continually prayed and repeated that request before God and then look at verse 17. Eli answered and said go in peace, and the God of Israel grant your petition which you best of him. That's a benediction. That's a blessing. That's a well wish statement. In other words, I'm not saying you can have children, but I hope you do. I hope God will bless you and that go in peace. Verse 18 and she said let your maidservant find favor in your sight, so the woman went her way and ate, and her face was no longer sad.

It's interesting is in it. She goes in sad she comes out. Glad she goes in with sorrow of heart.

She leaves that time of prayer with the peace that passes all understanding.

Let your requests be made known to God and the peace of God which passes all understanding, will guard your hearts so all of that to say here is a woman who is a real relationship with God. It's not just a yearly offering.

She's not just going to the rituals of going to church and no none of this. This lady has adapt in her relationship and can I just say on on Samuel's behalf. What I what a great mom. He has what a great heritage. Samuel would have. He has a praying mother and am praying mother's do more than just about anyone else praying mothers are greater than any politician running for office.

You wonder who's going to change our country get a mother to pray get a group of mothers to pray Abraham Lincoln 16th president of the United States that no one is poor who has a godly mother and he remarked I remember my mother's prayers and they have always followed me. They have clung to me all my life and one of the prayers that I praise God, give your church godly mother's why because you can't pass on to others what you don't have yourself. So here's her relationship with her God, the priority of pouring out whatever's on her heart in her life to God. Let's now look at her relationship with her husband. In verse four it says whenever the time came for Elkanah to make an offering key would give portions to put Nina his wife and to all her sons and daughters, but to Hannah he would give a double portion, for he loved Hannah, although the Lord had closed her womb. And when I have you Skip down to verse eight then Elkanah said her husband said to her. Hannah, why do you weep, why do you not eat why is your heart grieved. Am I not better to you than 10 sons now I know how helpful that last statement was, honestly, is a little bravado in that statement. My right me she's just brokenhearted because she can have a child in he comes on as it baby you got me. What could be better than that I like better than 10 kids, maybe even 11 on a good day okay whatever. But aside from that, I want you to notice. There is an understanding between Hannah and her husband Elkanah and there is great love between them. Verse five explicitly said he loved Hannah gave her a double portion.

You know in the Middle East when you want to honor somebody you give the more food you give them a double portion. You might remember the Joseph when all of his brothers came to him when he was prime minister in Egypt and little Benjamin's little brother was there.

He gave Benjamin five times more portion of food than the rest of the brothers just an indication of love in a favorable, by the way gals in the Middle East and many Middle Eastern cultures. The larger the woman gets, the more there is to love that about so many cultures in the Middle East see it.

So it's like sweet I love you so much. Have twice as much. Just remind your husband that he put on a couple pounds on it is just more to love okay is biblical a better move on. There's a couple they understand each other. Here's a husband who is dwelling with his wife with understanding like Peter right somebody said marriage is like a long trip and a tiny rowboat. If one passenger starts to rock the boat, the other has to study it, or they both go to the bottom together. I think that's good. I think that's actually a helpful little picture of marriage you got a study that boat people say love is blind will of love is blind marriages the eye-opener and you need to pour in understanding and love and stability for that relationship to go long-term. There has to be a love for God and the love for the husband and wife. One teenager said, quote I wish my parents had known that unless marriage partners truly love one another. There is little they can teach their own children about the love of God or Christian living." And I discovered kids love to see their parents love each other and I think it's machine grows old but I remember clearly when I would kiss Lenny out in front of Nate and Hugo Krause and Inigo do it again kiss mom plan that all men are you but they just love the idea there is such a stability.

When those parents love each other by the way, that's the best gift you can give your kids love God and love your spouse in front of them in front of them so great. Women have great priorities and she is a priority toward God and toward her husband and toward her family. Verse 19 then they rose early in the morning and worshiped before the Lord, and returned and came to their house at Ramah. And Elkanah knew his wife, and the Lord remembered her that as they had physical, conjugal, marital relationships, so it came to pass in the process of time that Hannah conceived and bore a son and called his name's Morel the Hebrew for hearing God hears Samuel saying, because I have asked for him from the Lord. Now the man Elkanah and all of his house went up to offer to the Lord. The yearly sacrifice, and his bow, but Hannah did not go up for she said to her husband, not until the child is weaned. Then I will take him that he may appear before the Lord and stay there remain there forever and Elkanah her husband said to her do what seems best to you. Wait until you have weaned him, only let the Lord establish his word. So the woman stayed and nursed her son until she had weaned him on those days, a weaning was a couple months or a couple years.

It was several years could be 5 to 7 years or more. A child was weaned for a long time and end the idea weaning is just physical nurturing or breast-feeding. The idea the word means to deal fully with and it has the idea of spiritual training as well as physical, spiritual, training, Skip Heitzig to 12 message messages count series Mother's Day messages message and more Scripps teachings, including his latest sermons and current teaching series YouTube.com/Calvary ABQ now here Skip to share how you can keep this broadcast going strong connecting you and many others to the gospel of the world doesn't understand Christian and with good cause were called to be set apart from the world while also living in, but sometimes we need encouragement and that's where this broadcast comes in.

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