Samuel "A Mother's Gift" - Frank Brancato 2008

I want to invite your attention to the book of 1st Samuel.

The the first chapter, and I want to begin reading there in

verse 19, first, Samuel chapter 1 and beginning there in verse

19. And they rose up in the morning

early and worship before the Lord and returned and came to

their house in Rhema. And elkanah knew Hannah, his

wife and the Lord remembered her, where Ford came to pass

when the time was come about after.

Hannah had conceived that she bare a son and called.

His name Samuel saying, because I have asked him of the Lord,

and the man elkanah and all his house, went up to offer unto the

Lord, the yearly sack. Sacrifice and his vow.

But Hannah went not up for. She said, unto her husband, I

will not go until the child be weaned, and then I will bring

him that he may appear before the Lord and there abide

forever. And elkanah her husband said

unto her, do what seemeth the good Terry until thou Hast

weaned him only the Lord establishes word.

So the woman of bowed and gave her son suck until she weaned

him and when she had weaned him, she Hook him up with her and

with three, Bullocks and one, ephah of flour, and a bottle of

wine and brought him into the house of the Lord in Shiloh and

the child was young and they slew a Bullock and brought the

child to Eli. And she said, oh my Lord, as thy

soul. Liveth my Lord, I am the woman

that stood by the here, praying unto the Lord for this child, I

prayed and the Lord hath give me that petition that I asked of

him. Therefore also I have led him to

the Lord as long as he liveth, he shall be lent to the Lord and

He worshipped the Lord there. Correctly.

Read and barring any mistakes on my part reads, the passage that

I wanted to read for our introductory portion tonight for

a little while. Do you remember this morning

that I mentioned rather briefly that there was a difference?

And a distinction between the example that we find regarding

Hannah and the example that we find regarding Eli and as we

mentioned, and we'll get into greater detail in just a moment.

But when Hannah prayed to the Lord, she says, this, if you,

but grant me a child, if you'll go At me as son then I will give

him to you. And he shall have a vow a vow

that a last his entire life, and he'll serve you all the days of

his life. And I said that the difference

between Hannah and Eli, was that Hannah put the Lord, before the

child and Eli, put his children or his boys before the Lord.

I just want to make one point here before we go to prayer.

And that's this, it was a fact and we read And we read in the

biblical account of History, how that Eli certainly did not

support by way of how he felt with this desires, and with his

heart and so forth. He didn't support their evil

actions. In fact, he even spoke against

them, he even set them down as it were, and we can only picture

as it was the setting, as these rebellious Wicked and vile, Sons

were sitting before Eli their father.

The high priest and Eli's going to speak to them concerning

Earning their office in concerning their awful fate and

all of that. And yet the Bible says that he

was condemned because he restrained them.

Not what does that mean? Isn't it enough just to speak

our mind, or is there other things that are more required of

us as we have the power to do? So, even before Sampson began

waging his personal Warfare against the Philistines.

Another kind of Judge was ruling in Shiloh.

Eli was the high priest of the The nation as well as a judge.

In fact, he judged Israel for forty years.

That went through the time of 11:45 to 1105 BC.

He was followed in his judgeship by the prophet Samuel that we're

going to discuss for a little while this evening and his long

judgeship over the 40 years. Paved the way for the

establishment of the monarchy. In terms of natural hist

National History, the first seven chapters of 1st Samuel, Of

around two major events. The people of God reach their

all-time low point when the Ark of God was captured in battle.

Chapter 4 begins that narrative and a dying mother made the most

telling come and honored on this disaster.

When she whispered to her dying with her dying breath, the name

of her new son. That being Ichabod which means

the glory has departed. First, Samuel chapter 4 and

verse 20. Twenty years later The Grateful

profit shouted. The named Ebenezer, which meant

Stone of help as he erected a monument to God's grace, after

Israel's smashed. The Philistines, Samuel assumed

leadership, when Israel was in the pits of degradation, by

bringing the people back to God He restored their national pride

power and purpose. Well, while the conditions of

this period of the judges continued to deteriorate, God

Was preparing to The next chapter in the thrilling story

of redemption in the sinful darkness of those days.

God found a Godly woman through whom, he would bring a great

reformer into the world. The Bible says, As We Begin our

narrative, but there was a man, and there was a man, in his name

was elkanah. You know, there's nothing that

says that this man was anything, but a man that was upright in

the eyes of God. No, where do we find an

indictment against his character?

And certainly we don't find an indictment against his spiritual

service by way of sacrifice or living in days gone by according

to the requirements that those people lived back then so no

doubt we find that this was a good man, a godly man.

A man that was upright and the Bible says that he had two

wives. You know, it was said by many

scholars that he had Hannah first and Hannah would have been

necessarily the On that he dearly loved in fact the Bible

does talk about how he would give special favor to her

because he loved her. Now, there was two reasons why

he did that number one, he had the natural affection for his

wife, that we all ought to have when we have that feeling inside

of love for our spouse. In fact, when we get married

Shah, he's going to be married soon.

And, and Lizzie my niece is going to be married soon.

Ryan, Rebecca got married, not long ago and and I got married a

long time ago, but the point is this, When you marry someone,

you marry someone that's going to be closer to you than

anybody. In the whole world.

You're going to have someone that your dearest friend someone

that your Confidant, someone that is so close to you.

That there's no one in the world that will ever have a closer

relationship to you than your spouse.

But notice this, the Bible says that God had closed her womb,

God had had caused her to be Barren, and I could not have

children. You remember back in those days?

They were, they had multiple wives on many occasions.

And this woman here, Pnina was also married to elkanah, and the

Bible says that they had sons. And they had daughters, she was

fertile and she was able to have many children.

And so the Bible says that they did just that.

But, you know, the Bible also talks about how there was a

rival between these two women. I can only imagine how it would

be in the same house having two wives.

I can just imagine how that would be under the very best of

circumstances. Hey listen.

It's hard enough to make one happy.

This man had two and one of them couldn't have children, and one

of them desperately wanted children though, she could not

have it. And you've got this woman here

who obviously wants the greater affection or the greater feel

from her husband as it were that he would show favour unto her

too. And so you can just imagine as

they talked about in the common vernacular, a place.

Having no fury like a woman scorned.

The Bible says, when they came for the yearly sacrifice to give

sacrifices in Shiloh, you know, they came to the Feast of the

Tabernacles and they came to this place and it was an annual

Feast, it was an annual thing. And, you know, the men were the

only ones that were required to go to Shiloh, the place where

the Tabernacle was and Form such sacrifices and so on.

But just because it was only the men that were required didn't

mean that the women were not allowed to go and hence many of

the women and families and children made the journey which

I'm told from this place from where this man lived.

Incidentally, he lived in a place called rain, Maffei M sof.

Mm, which is also known as Rhema or Rama. 18-mile journey to

Shiloh to the place of the Tabernacle there.

The Bible says, when they made that Journey, they did so and

you know, they made a journey. This journey must have been

something that was a whole lot more difficult than anything

that you and I can possibly fathom.

They had primitive primitive means of transportation.

Not like us, 18 miles, it's probably over half that to my

house from here in an automobile, and we make it

really quickly and it's an easy. Drive and there's nothing

difficult. We turn on the air-condition,

turn on the music and the car, we have Comforts all around us,

and that's an easy thing to do. But to travel 18 miles back,

been on the rough and Rocky terrain and all that would

possibly come their way, was a whole lot more difficult and,

you know, this too. Wouldn't you think that if it

was a time when they went to give sacrifices unto the Lord

and to be grateful for the things that they had been given,

especially the children that they've been Blessed with.

Don't you think that it was especially hard for Hannah when

she would go there to that place?

Knowing that the Bible says that the Lord had closed her womb and

therefore could not have children and was barren.

Well, elkanah noticed that too. When they came down to giving

portions to the family, the Bible says that he didn't

withhold anything, but when he gave Provisions or he gave

portions to Pnina and thus, and sons and daughters and so on he

gave what was acceptable or unacceptable amount, gave him a

rightful portion. But then the Bible says, he gave

more to Hannah because he loved her and not only that.

But Hannah was grieved in her heart, Because she couldn't have

children. Have you ever met someone that

could not have a child? Now listen, I don't know of

anyone right now here, but let's just say that there was someone

here under the sound of my voice tonight, that could not have

children. You know, that that's something

that we all feel compassion. For somebody could not have a

child, we all feel like that we would never dream of rubbing it

in their face that we have children and certainly we would

not do anything that would sound hateful to them in that regard.

But this woman, this woman is about to get hers.

And she lets Hannah haven't the Bible says on this occasion.

That Hannah was so grieved that she began to cry And the Bible

says that she wouldn't even eat. You know, I like what one

scholar said there, he said she wasn't sitting back pouting, she

wasn't protesting against the other wife.

No, she was just grieved so much and she was hurting so bad and

she was so desperate in her heart that she was grieved to

the point that she lost her appetite.

Now I can understand that because I guarantee you this if

you have something in your life that is so awful that's cause

you to be grieved in that way, you know.

Know what I'm talking about. The last thing you want to do is

sit and eat a big meal. You completely lose your

appetite. You know I've known some people

that were absolutely just the best eaters that you ever saw in

your life. They could eat Anytime Anyplace

anywhere and he anything, but something like this happens

where they're grieved and they don't eat it all.

And I remember a man lost 50 pounds. £50 because he was

heartsick over the loss of a woman that was to be his wife.

You know, that's sad, but that's kind of what's going on here.

She's so grieved, she can't even eat.

And she goes over where Eli was and Eli.

Was at the door of the, of the, of the temple there, he was at

the door, he was listening on and he notices that Hannah

comes, and Hannah is sobbing. She is weeping and she's praying

to God. But the only thing that Eli

could see is her mouth was moving and no sound was coming

out. You know, that's interesting.

The first thing he thinks of incidentally backing up just a

little bit in our story when the Bible that talks about these

characters here. It also says that at the very

same place, these characters were there, too, Eli looks over

and sees Hannah and Hannah. Wherever she was, she was

sobbing, she was heartsick and she was praying.

But all these seizes our mouths moving and no sound coming out.

You know what he said, she She's drunk.

She's drunk. And he says, put up your wine,

put it aside, you know it is said that wine or alcoholic

beverages is a slow and toxicant considered there are things that

people can take by way of other, intoxicants that can make them

intoxicated rather quickly. This is a slow and toxicant

hence the phrase, when Eli says put up thy wine from you, For

you're drunk. You know, I like what she says,

because what she says is in response she says, do you look

to me as a daughter of Belial, you know, in the New Testament?

Belial is, is sometimes described as the devil, but in

the Old Testament, there is no proper noun here.

That would describe a person place or thing.

Hence, not specifically being the devil.

But we're talking about someone that is not righteous.

We're talking about someone that is worthless in the eyes of God.

And she said this, Don't look at me.

Like I am a daughter of Belial. I would not only, and I like

this, I wouldn't have any wine, and I wouldn't have any strong

drink. I wouldn't have either one. you

know, I think that she is in a words there, she's admitting

it's wrong to have either one It's wrong to have those

intoxicants she says, don't look to me as a daughter of Belial.

That would participate and use such things as that.

But let's just back up, let's back up to the things that she

was praying to God about, you know, when she prayed to God,

you know, I can't fathom this. She wants a child so bad, she

wants a son so bad, no doubt, she wanted to pass.

Jean, the Bloodlines of her husband through her and not the

other woman, the other wife, no doubt.

But the Bible says that her prayer was like this, she prayed

to God and she said, if you'll just give me a son, I will give

him back to you and he will serve you all the days of his

life. And he which is going to be

Samuel will be a measure right, his entire life, he is going to

give the vowel. You know what valve?

Under the Old Testament was for a time period.

Inez right valve, also, but in many cases, it was for life and

in his case she is making the valve for Samuel that her

husband is going to support. Therefore, it was due and

payable in the eyes of God and Samuel was going to be just that

he would not cut his hair for his entire life to show that he

was a, he fulfilled his Nazarite vow unto God, she said Said, if

you give me a son, I'm going to give him back and he's going to

serve you all the days of his life.

Wow. You know what I thought of?

I thought of something that Tina and I said when we lost Tyler

and and some of the other family members in our family said to,

you know what we said, you know what's awful, losing child, it

really is, in fact, it's an unnatural thing to have to bury

your own children, really nice. But I want to tell you this. in

in looking back on those days, you know, one of the things that

we said was, we said Every parent, every parent strives to

get their children to heaven. And now we're one for one.

I said, I said that to say this that was very consoling and it

felt better, but I just wonder how I would have felt in advance

if I was willing to give him up and giving back to the Lord.

Listen, I prayed every day for a child, I did.

And when we lost Tyler, I prayed every single day for a healthy

baby. So when Taylor comes out,

eyeball for one solid week useless as can be I got my

little girl. And she's healthy.

What if I would have had to give her up?

For the Lord. This is a great picture to me.

That Hannah looked to the child that she loved no doubt and

incidentally you know when she nursed the baby you know it's

going to come. There's there's several years

now. Going to pass they're going back

to Shiloh on this once a year once a year event and when

they're going to go back to Shiloh and they're going to go

and and perform the sacrifices that they've done before several

years. I don't know how many, but this

is what I do know, in reading some history about the time.

It was customary that a mother would nurse her child for three

years and at three years old, and might sound rather odd.

But for three years, they would nurse the child and then the

child would be weaned. So at some point in time when

they went back after this man was born after Samuel was born

and incidentally, let's just back up so we don't get ahead of

ourself. When Eli is talking to Hannah

and Hannah is saying I'm not the daughter of Belial.

I wouldn't have any strong drink and I wouldn't have anyone.

I wouldn't do anything like that.

I am praying to God. God.

And this is what I'm praying for.

I am praying that he'll grant me a child and I'll give him back

to God. And Eli says, as the high priest

granting such a blessing, he says, may it be that the Lord

would bless you in that way. She no longer is sad.

And in fact, the Bible says, that her countenance changes her

facial features and enter expressions.

And all of that they change. She no longer is heavy-hearted.

She no longer is saddened. She knows something's good is

going to happen. Bible says they go back.

There's another sacrifice they eat and they go home.

And her, and her husband knew one another and she conceived.

And Samuel was born. And Samuel was the product of

the prayer that she prayed. A period of time had gone by and

it was time to go to Shiloh. She says, I'm not going to go

with you, and that was incidentally, that was all right

to do. Because like I said, it was only

the men that were required to go.

So he sent. No, she says to elkanah her

husband, she says, I'm going to stay here, and I'm going to

continue to nurse him until he is weaned, and then I will bring

it. And he said, okay.

But there came a period of time and that whatever I just said

three years went by or wherever it was when it was time and they

were going to bring the child to Eli and she was going to fulfill

what she had said. And we go to our reading that we

have just a just a few minutes ago, beginning in verse 21.

And the man elkanah and all his house went up to offering to the

Lord, the yearly sacrifice and his vow.

But Hannah went not up for. She said, unto her husband, I

will not go up until the child be weaned, and then I will bring

him and he may appear before the Lord, and thereby forever and

elkanah. Her husband said under her do

what seemeth be good. Terry until you have weaned him

only the Lord established his word.

So the woman of bowed and gave her some sucking tissue is Wayne

And then verse 24 when she was weaned, they took him up and

brought him also with three bullets.

In other words, they were not only going to bring the child to

Eli to give the child, Samuel over fulfilling a vow and over

to the Lord to start serving the lord, all the days of his life.

But they also brought fangs of sacrifice that they might make

sacrifice in Thanksgiving and praise to God, also, You know,

I've wondered what, Eli, what he must have thought when he or she

comes. And she says it was me member

me. Remember when you thought I was

drunk, you thought I was intoxicated and I said, no, I'm

not intoxicated. I'm not the daughter of Belial.

I'm not all that. She says, I'm the one that was

praying, I'm the one that was heartsick and I'm the one that

said that I would give my child back to the Lord.

If he'll, but blessed me with the Son and now I'm here to do

it. The Bible says from that point

forward. Now she left him there.

You know, I don't know what that's like, but do you take a

child picture? A child, that is yours.

And you've spent, and you've bonded with the child.

I'm not talking about, I'm not talking about a woman that gives

her child up for adoption, right birth.

I'm talking about you have that baby, take care of that baby and

nurse that baby for three years time.

And then all of a sudden do, like you said, you were going to

do travel, 18 miles think in the entire time, what you're going

to have to do, and how it was going to be?

Be to separate yourself from that child.

Only to leave them there because that's what you promised the

Lord. You know, the Bible says that

she was blessed with sons and daughters too.

But she did the right thing. She chose the Lord over her

child. That's not easy to do.

But if there's a picture there, it certainly is this.

If there is nothing in the world, that is more important

than serving the lord. There's no one in the world

that's more important than the Lord.

You know, Jesus, dealt with that very thing.

You remember, when Jesus would speak about that very thing, he

would say that a man must hate his father and hate his mother

and so on, and so forth. But the word hate just means

love less, you know, the Lord was saying, Lord was saying you

love him. Like you've always loved him,

you love him with all your heart, you love them and in a

great abundance. But you love the Lord more.

Because if you love anything or anyone in this life greater than

you love me, Jesus said you're not worthy of me.

What an example? This woman was able to show us a

long long time ago. Well, the Bible says that she

began to pray chapter 2. She does just that and she prays

a prayer that sounds like a like a poem, it's a beautiful poem,

she speaks of things that were predictions and stuff.

But At first she praises the great God Of Heaven.

She says about the about the Lord, his horn.

That means his power. You know what?

He/she I was saying she was saying, it's not by my strength,

it's not by his strength, it's not by man's doing it is by

God's doing and his power. And his might to be able to look

down upon a woman that has bowed before him.

And incidentally she was humble, you know, I know three times in

her prayer, she calls herself thy handmaid The Lord's,

handmade humbling herself. Who was the one that was to have

power? It was the Lord and she said,

it's because of his power that she had a child.

Well, you know, the Bible says that He liked or excuse me,

Samuel began to continue to grow, and he grew in favor, in

the eyes of the Lord, and he grew in favor, in the eyes of

men, you know, there's a contrast there because right

before the statement that I just made a verse in chapter 2 just

before that, it talks about two other Sons.

Two other songs that were not in favor, in the eyes of the Lord,

and they were so wicked and so vile they were not in favor.

Over with the people of the land either.

I'ma tell you something right now.

You can leave the church, you can quit the church, you can go

into a bar somewhere, you can drink an intoxicant.

You can talk to people that knew you used to go to church, and

you know what they'll do for the most part in the world.

They'll support you in all the way.

You know why? Because it supports their

decision to. Usually when we do things that

are not good, in the eyes of the Lord, they are good in the eyes

of man. When we go out into the world

and we do things that the world says is a great idea.

Usually God is not pleased, usually more on that in just a

minute. I want to share with you.

An example happened just the other day.

We kind of joked about it. Taylor playing in a softball

league at the playoffs, we had told them that that if there's a

Wednesday conflict, we would we would miss the game.

We would, we've told them that from the sign up all the way

through. They knew that fact, Taylor

missed two games in the course of the season, because they were

at 7:30 on Wednesday evening, we've made a commitment to

worship the, the great God of heaven and be with you and do so

together. Interestingly if they the one on

Tuesday, they had to play on Wednesday at 7:30.

And before the Tuesday night game, I was talking to the head

coach, I was the assistant and I said, no, we're not going to be

able to be there and he said, listen to me.

He said the Lord wants her here. He said the Lord wants her here,

trying to recruit a good ball player.

The Lord wants you to play baseball.

Lord and care about baseball. Lord don't care about any of

that. The Lord cares about our service

to him. So usually when we do things in

the eyes of the world that seemed good in the eyes of the

world, they are not necessarily good in the eyes of God.

But Samuel was a young man that was growing and he was coming up

the ranks and he was doing things that were pleasing in the

eyes of God and he increased in favor in the eyes of man.

What an example that was. but you see these two boys right

here, they were so wicked and they were so vile and they were

doing. So, under the idea or under the

idea or guideline, or the name of sacrifice and religion to

God. They were so corrupt, and so

vile that people actually abhorred.

The sacrifice Could that ever be said of a child of God?

That we lived in such a way that people would look to the Lord's

church with disdain because of our example.

Wouldn't that be awful? You know, we're supposed to go

out to the world, Darryl prayed about God, giving the increase

and God certainly has done that, God's given the increase here at

this place. He's given the increase all over

the world. We give him the praise, the

glory, and the honor we do. We give him all the praise for

566 baptisms in the Philippines at the start of the year.

We give him the praise for that too.

But you know though God gets the praise and God gets the glory,

it doesn't remove our service. And one of the things that we do

when we serve God, not just worship him.

One of the things that we do is we go take this gospel story.

The Greatest Story Ever Told and we take it to those that are in

the world and listen, folks you may not know a whole lot about

the Bible, you may not know a whole lot about the book.

You may be a babe in Christ but I guarantee you the greatest

sermon ever. East is your life.

And you can be doing good with your actions, your example and

your life. So people would look to you and

see good things about the Lord's church and not bad things.

But when we don't behave ourselves and we do things, and

act hateful of do and say things, we shouldn't, there are

talk about that this morning, about loving one, another

demonstrating, our faith, and all of that.

When we do that, people look to us in a negative Of way when we

don't show that kind of proper Spirit.

They'll say things like, I thought you said you were a

Christian I thought you said that you were a child of God.

Whole World's watching. These vile men.

Were not only not in favor in the eyes of the Lord.

But they were vile even in the sight of man.

Now Eli's going to have a conversation with both of them

and Eli sits down. And as I mentioned just a moment

ago, I've tried to picture the city.

No doubt. This is a man.

Listen, Eli was a God-fearing man.

He was a God-fearing man. Eli was a man that was a high

priest and it was also a judge. Incidentally you know the period

of the judges we just finished it by looking at 1st Samuel, the

first chapter, we're beginning, another book of History under

the Old Testament. But prior to this we talk about

just the Book of Judges we and we find out that Samson was a

man that that judged Israel for 20 years in the days of the

Philistines and all that, when we talk about this, we're

talking about two men that were Judges, there's an overlap here

before we get to the first king and that's King Saul in a few

more chapters down the line. When the people wanted a king

more on that, on a later date. But Eli was not only a high

priest, but he also was a judge just like Samuel.

Samuel was a judge to and King Saul was the very first king.

This was a man that was a high priest.

This was a man that had to administer for the people

according adding to the needs of the people.

No doubt a good man. And a judge too.

But when he sat down his boys, He said these words.

First of all, it says, Eli was very old and heard all that his

sons did unto Israel. And how they get this, how they

lay with the women that assembled at the door of the

Tabernacle of the congregation, not only were they making the

sacrifices vile, but they also had laid with the women.

The Bible says, who had assembled at the door of the

Tabernacle of the congregation. Eli says this he says under

them. Why do you do such things for?

I hear of your evil dealings, by all this people.

That sounds like he's saying, I don't agree with what you're

doing, doesn't it? That sounds to me like he's

saying what you're doing is absolutely wrong.

In the eyes of God, is it enough?

He keeps going, he says nay my son's for it is no good report

that I hear you make the Lord's people to transgress more.

He goes on if one man sin against another, the judge shall

judge him. But if a man sends against the

Lord who shall entreat for him, notwithstanding they hearkened

And not unto the voice of their father, because the Lord would

slay them. Now, listen, If I do something

and have a problem, and I do something with Ryan, I do

something to Ryan. I sinned against Ryan.

There's always someone above me that I couldn't treat.

There's always someone to ask forgiveness.

There's always someone he likes. There's a judge that can stand

in the way as it were, And offer you Mercy. he says, but when you

sin against the Lord, who you going to retreat, Who you going

to go to? There's no greater judge than

the Lord. now, these sound like heartfelt things to say to these

young men But they didn't repent and the child Samuel grew on and

was in favor, both with the Lord and also with man as we get to

the third chapter though. You remember that there was a

time when Eli was getting very old.

In fact he was 98 years old, he was getting to the very end in

his eyes. The King James version says his

eyes were dim. He was going blind.

He had lost his eyesight. Like old people can obviously do

and one night he and Sammy and I remember Samuel had been with

Eli this whole time over all these years and he was growing

in favor. Growing up and all of that

growing in stature. And all of a sudden, one night,

they go to bed. And the only thing that was

Delight was the faint distance of a light in the Holy place.

And it was almost out and it was very late.

And a voice came to Samuel and said, Samuel and Samuel arose.

And he comes to leave out. It comes to Eli and he says to

Eli. He says, here I am.

You've called me. And Eli says, I didn't call you.

Go back to bed and he goes back to bed the second time.

And again, he hears the voice. And he hears the name, he says

Samuel and he rose up again. He comes to Eli.

He doesn't sound aggravated. He just simply says, you called

me here? I am.

You called me again? I'm right here.

He said, no, I didn't call you go back to bed.

He goes back a third time and he's laying there a third time

in the voice cries out again, the boy says Sam.

He rises up and he comes to Eli stands before Eli.

He says, here I am again. You called me and now he'll I

knew exactly what it was all about.

And Eli says, it's the word of the Lord.

He said, you go back. And if you hear the words again,

you rise up and say, say, on Lord, for I am listening for, I

am here. You know, there was going to be

a vision that was given to Samuel and it was not going to

be a happy one. It was going to be a sad

occasion. I want you to hear these words.

Beginning in verse 11 of chapter 3, the Lord said to Samuel

behold, I will do a thing in Israel at which both the ears of

every one that heareth in shall tingle.

In other words, they're not nobody's going to be able to

believe what I'm going to. To do.

He says on in that day I will perform against Eli all things

which I have spoken concerning his house when I begin.

I will also make an End look at verse 13 for.

I have told him that I would judges house forever for the

iniquity, which he knoweth because get this his sons made

themselves bile and he restrained them.

Not Didn't we just read a chapter before that?

He told them that what they were doing was awful.

Didn't they? Heave and say to them?

Your sin is so great. That there's no one that you can

even in treat You've offended the Lord and there's nowhere to

go. But it would be taken from the

house of Eli sacrifices forever. Other things were going to

happen to anyone of the of that lineage, you know, the promise

given to Aaron before. And continuing on in that in

that lineage. The Lord said the angel lord

said before chapter, before he said what's going to happen is

they're not even going to be able to grow to old age.

You're going to die young. I'm gonna wipe you out.

Why? Because your sons were vile and

you restrained them. Not Folks, if that's not a

picture. Of the active role that we must

have against wrongdoing. Especially in our own house.

I don't know what is see speaking to them was not enough,

he could have taken them away from the responsibilities as

priests and sacrifices and all the things that they would do

working as a common priest. But he didn't do it.

In essence. He chose them.

Over the Lord. Somebody asked me one time.

Well, they said it rather curtly They said, what are you going to

do, fright? You got little kids.

What are you going to do? Christian said this to me.

What are you going to do? when one day Taylor care decide

that they're no longer going to serve the Lord, If all of a

sudden one day they go and say, you know what, I'm just done

with it all. What are you going to do?

I only have one answer. I want you to know that my

answer is not any kind of arrogance whatsoever.

I do think I got the greatest kids in the world but I

guarantee it and I tell you this to prayerfully, it'll never

happen. But if I lose him to the devil

one day you won't be before the fight.

I do know that for a fact. I know that for a fact.

But somebody says, what are you going to do if they choose the

world and quit? I answered him like this, it's

the only answer I know. I hope and pray that I will love

them as much as my father. Loved me.

No more. Take some folks.

There's a time when you make choices because you don't want

to lose what you love. sometimes people say, Well, they're doing

it for all the wrong reasons, maybe maybe, I stand before you

today for that one reason. Guarantee.

See, we make the decisions for them.

And if they choose another path, we long for their return, but we

don't support him in sin, or we give them no reason to ever come

back. You know, one by one.

I've had some family members that have departed, you know,

they all came back. My sister came back recently, my

dad never got to see it but he'll see that one day if she's

faithful to the end. If you don't stand for

something, like the song says, You'll fall for anything.

He could have done something about it.

But he didn't. Don't ever let it be that the

child of God says to their children.

Their loved ones their family. Hope you make the right choices

but nothing's going to change in our relationship.

I'm a love you all the way to heaven.

I'm a love you all the way back. We thank you for listening to

our podcast, put on by the Church of Christ at 22:15 plans.

Road in Bakersfield, if you would like any additional

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