Samuel's sons do not follow in their father's steps. We have seen this problem of the "next generation" before. Eli's sons had become like Canaanite priests – treating the women who served at the tent like prostitutes. Now Samuel's sons become like Canaanite judges – taking bribes and perverting justice. The prophet Jeremiah would say generations later: "Stand at the crossroads and look, and ask for the ancient paths, where the good way is; and walk in it, and you will find rest for your souls." (Jeremiah 6:16) What does he mean by "the ancient paths"? In the following chapter, Jeremiah warns against thinking of the temple as a magical talisman: "Do not trust in these deceptive words: 'this is the temple of the LORD, the temple of the LORD, the temple of the LORD' (in other words – the same magical thinking as in 1 Samuel 4 – when they thought that the ark would save them...) And yes, Jeremiah is referring to 1 Samuel 4, as he makes clear in Jer 7:11-12 – "Has this house, which is called by my name, become a den of robbers in your eyes? Behold, I myself have seen it, declares the LORD. Go now to my place at Shiloh, where I made my name dwell at first, and see what I did to it because of the evil of my people Israel..." The ancient paths are the ways – the word – and the Law – of the LORD...

We saw last time that Psalm 37 is the Psalter's version of the Sermon on the Mount. "Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth." Psalm 38 is a very different sort of song. Psalm 38 is a lament.

"Here I raise my Ebenezer". How did an obscure location in 1 Samuel become part of one of the most famous hymns of the church? Tonight we are concluding our story of Ebenezer and Ichabod. The Battle of Ebenezer opened chapter 4 and a different Ebenezer closes our passage, while Ichabod – no glory – well described the condition of Israel when the Ark of the Covenant was taken captive...

What does it mean that Psalm 37 is "Of David"? Well, watch the first person singular: Verse 25: "I have been young, and now am old, yet I have not seen the righteous forsaken or his children begging for bread." Verse 35: "I have seen a wicked, ruthless man, spreading himself like a green laurel tree. But he passed away, and behold, he was no more; though I sought him, he could not be found." That's the voice of David – David is speaking to Israel. Israel is singing this song in and with David. Psalm 37 is the Psalter's version of the Sermon on the Mount! "Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth."

1 Samuel 4-7 is held together by the story of the two Ebenezers. Ebenezer means "stone of help" – as Samuel will say in chapter 7, verse 12 – "Till now the LORD has helped us." Israel had encamped at the first Ebenezer in chapter 4. The first Ebenezer was in the coastal plain near the foothills of Ephraim. That was the place where Israel was defeated, where the ark was captured, and where the two sons of Eli were killed. That does not sound much like a stone of help! And in chapter 7, Samuel will set up a stone in Benjamin, near Mizpah, and call its name "Ebenezer." "stone of help" "Till now the LORD has helped us." Samuel is teaching his people that God's triumph comes through our weakness. The LORD brought judgment upon his priests and upon his people at Ebenezer. What kind of help is that!?? If God helps us by turning us over to our foes – what kind of help is that?! But his purpose is to bring Israel through suffering to glory...

Some think that the first line of verse 1 belongs properly to chapter 3. After all, there is no other reference to Samuel in chapter 4. But this is why I preached on 1 Samuel 4-7 in a single sermon last time! If you turn over to chapter 7, verse 3, we hear how the word of Samuel came to all Israel. "And Samuel said to all the house of Israel, "if you are returning to the LORD with all your heart, then put away the foreign gods…" And then notice chapter 7, verse 12, "Then Samuel took a stone and set it up between Mizpah and Shen and called its name Ebenezer, for he said, 'Till now the LORD has helped us.'" In chapter 4, there are the two battles of Ebenezer – where the LORD fought against Israel – and Samuel is silent. In chapter 7, Samuel will finally speak (many years later) – and a new Ebenezer will be established (many miles away from the Ebenezer of ch 4).

Psalm 36 opens "Of David, the servant of the LORD." This exact title is given to only three people in the Old Testament: Moses, Joshua, and David. (God refers to a few others as "my servant" – like Job, Isaiah, Nebuchadnezzar; He also speaks from time to time of Israel or of the prophets as "my servants") So when Psalm 35 says that the LORD delights in the welfare of his servant, the singular is important. The LORD delights in the welfare of the King – the Servant of the LORD – because when the King establishes righteousness and justice, then there is joy and peace in all the earth! Psalm 36 opens with an oracle regarding the wicked. The problem with the wicked is that "there is no fear of God before his eyes." The song then turns to give praise to God for his steadfast love – and concludes by praying that God will continue his steadfast love to his people...

Here at the beginning of the book of Samuel, we are seeing the beginning of the themes of the kingdom and the temple.--Long before Solomon asked God to hear the prayers made in that place, God was drawing his people toward himself in the tabernacle. And the faithful would come to the house of the LORD to pray and to make their vows to him.--In Leviticus God showed Israel a picture of how truth, goodness, and beauty could be restored at the Tabernacle. --And now in 1 Samuel, we see two opposed visions of what happened. Eli's sons - turning to perversity and lust. And Hannah - with the eyes of faith - seeing that the sanctuary is indeed the place where wombs are renewed...

In Psalm 33, we saw that God's word remains true. He is faithful. His steadfast love endures forever-----Psalm 34 now sets us up for David, the servant of the LORD, with a song about how God redeems the life of his servants through the righteous one - the one whose bones are not broken-...

When Samuel was born, Hannah waited until the child was weaned - and then brought him to the priest, Eli, at the tabernacle.--What did it take for that mother to leave her firstborn behind-- What did it cost for Hannah to fulfill her vow-- She had longed to bring a son into the world, and having done so, she would now have to hand over that son to another.--Why did Hannah do this-- Because she had put to death the desires of the flesh. She was walking by the Spirit- Her desire to be a mother played second-fiddle to her desire to see the glory of the kingdom of God.--Many centuries later the priest, Zechariah, was offering incense at the temple. When his barren wife conceived and bore a son, John would be the one to baptize Jesus - just as Samuel would anoint David. The Song of Zechariah and the Song of Mary both resonate with Hannah's song.--Because it is at the temple where humanity can once again ascend the hill of the LORD in the person of our Lord Jesus Christ - the Son of David - and the Son of God.--Not only was Hannah a faithful woman who vowed what was pleasing to the LORD, but Hannah was also - at least in this moment - a prophetess. There in the tabernacle, as she delivered her son to Eli, she spoke forth the word of the LORD in song...