The Travail of Hannah — Phil Beach Jr.

Please father. Thank you so much for your presence. Thank you so much Lord for your mercy and your grace. Oh God. Thank you Lord that you are the same yesterday today and forevermore and That there is no Variableness with you.

And thank you Lord that You are consistent and I pray God that today you would be gracious to take your word Lord and reveal to us Your heart reveal to us Lord your thought reveal to us Lord. Give us a living word today that addresses exactly what we're going through in order to lift this out of time and out of so often a very human perspective into Eternity and into an eternal perspective on what's going on.

We look to you to do this father we pray in Jesus name. We're going to begin and if you would turn your Bibles to first Samuel first Samuel. That's in your Old Testament. That's right after Ruth and The book of first Samuel is a remarkable book in many ways.

Israel’s Lawlessness and the Need for God’s Kingship

But perhaps the most remarkable is that the book of Samuel is God's response. God's response To the condition in Israel that was prevailing at this time. Now in order to understand the condition of Israel during this time You just want to go to your left a little bit and go to the last verse in the last book of Judges.

That is the setting the last verse in the last book. In the last chapter of the book of Judges now judges is right before Ruth and Ruth is right before first Samuel. Okay. And now what does that verse say in Judges chapter 21 verse number 25 in?

Those days there was no king in Israel and Every man did What was right? In his own eye there was no king in Israel at the time. And every man became a law unto himself. Now we know that God was the king of Israel.

And how ironic that with in the midst of God's people those that were chosen. Those that were set aside. There was no king in Israel and the scripture makes it very clear that everyone did what was right in his own eyes.

Everyone did what was right according to his own judgment and his thoughts and his ideas for her ideas whenever. The king is no longer welcome In our lives as individuals or in our families or in the assembly that's called by his name whenever he is no longer welcome and recognized and honored and given the place of pre-eminence inevitably inevitably.

We will do what's right in our own eyes. Listen every young person here, please every young person. It is so important to make this. This transaction with the Lord when you're young the scripture says that there is a way that seems right To man there's a way that seems right to us.

But the end thereof is destruction and death. There is a way that seems right To every man and every woman. But that way the scripture speaking of. Is our way our own way it seems right to us but the end the result is destruction and the only Way that we can be kept from our own way is by giving the Lord that place of Absolute pre-eminence and lordship in our life now.

Who is it that were the recipients of God's law the nation of Israel, right? When the scripture says here that in those days there was no king in Israel. Does it mean that there had not been given the law of God to Israel?

No, they had the law. They had the ordinances that Moses gave them. They had the law they had the letter of the law. But the letter of the law had not penetrated their hearts. It had not penetrated their minds.

It had not penetrated into the depths of their being and so though they had the law Externally, there was no king the kingship of Christ the kingship of who God was was not in their midst and So again, I want to emphasize before we move on to every young person here, please Be sure that You settle it with the Lord every young person here Settle it with the Lord you come to the Lord by faith and you say Lord I don't want to do what's right in my own eyes.

I don't want to live my life based on what's right in my own eyes. I Don't want to go through life saying what is best for me? I I want to come to the place Lord where my life is Governed by you my my thoughts are are being brought to you.

My plans are being brought to you. Everything I am is laid before you. So that you can be the one that's governing my life. You can be the one that is Guiding me in all that I do and all that I lay before you because without that Then we end up doing what's right in our own eyes, and that's a disaster.

Hannah’s Travail and God’s Answer to Spiritual Decline

Okay. Now that's the setting of first Samuel Chapter 1 there is a condition of lawlessness a condition in many ways of anarchy a Condition where there is no king in Israel. There's there's no listen. There's no Cohesion in Israel.

There's no unity in Israel there's nothing uniting the nation of Israel together as one people as one company and So the question that we want to ask this morning is what is God's response to the condition of Israel, what is God's response?

The word Samuel means asked of God. Asked of God the name Samuel means asked of God and as We look into the story of the first chapter. We see that there is a woman by the name of Hannah and She was in great great turmoil and travail because She was without child.

She was without child. Now these Circumstances listen closely, please these circumstances Reveal to us God's response the lawlessness. God's response. It is not. God's response is not the setting in motion a new religion.

God's response is not setting in motion a new movement. God's response is not setting in motion a new system. God's response To the state of Israel the spiritual state of Israel. Listen was the birth of a man.

It was a man. God's response was a man a person and this is what Hannah represents. She was travailing and weeping and crying out to God because She was barren less. She wanted a child. She wanted a child in whom she could Find the pleasure of devoting that child entirely To the Lord's interests.

Now, let's keep putting the pieces together here. Let's put the dots together. God's response To the anarchy and lawlessness of his people. Was finding a woman in travail deep soul travail. Who was barren?

Who was without child? Who wanted a child from God so that she could offer this child to God? She could offer this child Unreservedly to God so that he would serve this child would serve God's interests and as we Read through the book of Samuel we see that God used Samuel to bring back into view God's thought and God's pleasure and God's will for the nation of Israel.

And so what? Instrument does God use in order to respond to and correct a state of lawlessness. Well, we see Hannah in verse Number two, this is a Certain man from Ephraim. He had two wives. And the name of the first one was Hannah and the name of the second Kenia and Kenia had children, but Hannah had no children.

And this man went up out of the city yearly to worship and to sacrifice unto the Lord of hosts and Shiloh and the two sons of Eli Hophni and Phinehas the priests of the Lord were there and when the time was that Alikin offered and gave Kenia his wife and to all her sons and her daughters portions.

But on to Hannah he gave a worthy portion for he loved Hannah, but the Lord had shut up her womb and her adversary also provoked her or to make her fret because the Lord had shut up her womb and As he did year by year When she went up to the house of the Lord, so she provoked her therefore she wept and did not eat now.

Beloved it is so important for us to see that this this is the condition of of a spiritual Decline this is this this setting is in a condition of spiritual decline spiritual apostasy. Everyone doing what's right in their own eyes and here God is in a hidden way working.

What is he doing what is what is God's way of dealing with this. He's got a woman. He's got a woman and this woman is Bearing she's bearing reproach. She feels very very weak. She feels feels very vulnerable.

She's being mocked. She's being misunderstood by her adversary. Her husband's second wife. She's being ridiculed and she's broken before God. Listen, Hannah is a person in whom God begins to secure the answer to the spiritual apostasy.

In Hannah, we see a number of qualities. Number one we see a woman who is bearing a Woman who is bearing reproach. A woman who is weak. A Woman who is suffering suffering woman. Dear friends whenever the Lord wants to correct a spiritual condition.

Like that of Israel in the day of first Samuel he finds vessels vessels here vessels their vessels here and He works in them weakness pain. Suffering he works in them a quality that results in listen being desperate for God.

Desperate for God desperate for God's touch desperate for God's intervention. Now remember the desperation of Hannah is for a son. It is for his son. It is for a man because God's thought in restoring Israel is a man.

It's bringing a man on the scene. Okay, and so let's read on here and verse number eight then Alcanna her husband Said to Hannah, why are you weeping? Why eatest thou not and why is thy heart grieved and not I better to you than ten sons?

So Hannah rose up after they had eaten in Shiloh and after they had Drunk. Now Eli the priest sat upon a seat by a post of the temple of the Lord. And she was in bitterness of soul and prayed unto the Lord.

She was in bitterness of soul and prayed unto the Lord. She was desperate. She was desperate for a son. She was desperate for a son. This travailing woman was desperate for a son that Captures right there the heart of God in in in the Circumstances the method the way in which God Addresses spiritual apostasy not just in nations.

But the way God addresses any kind of spiritual problems or decline in our life. Do you have problems in your home? Do you know of families who have problems in their home? Are you touched? With the infirmities and struggles and feelings of Spiritual decline and spiritual insensitivity and spiritual blindness that maybe is in your own life in the life of your family members in the life of your Immediate family your outstretched family your church family.

Are you burdened? Do you see do you see? That in in so many instances we are inclined to do what's right in our own eyes. Do you see that what's God's answer? What is God's response to that? Is it? Criticizing is It becoming critical and cynical and judgmental.

Absolutely not. God's response to This condition of spiritual decline is Finding a vessel a vessel Who will weep and who will be burdened and who will cry and who will and and who will be desperate for God and all of that is gathered together all of the weeping and the travail and the desperation is gathered together and focused on one object one object a man a man a Man to be born in whom God in whom and through whom God can restore order back to the nation or In whom God can restore order back to your home back to your heart.

Have you have you yourself? Felt that the eyes of your heart have become dim and that you're so Prone to be led astray and and so prone to to lose focus on on what God is doing. Are you burdened about that?

Does that concern you? What's the answer? What's the answer to this. A Travailing burdened heart for a man a man. Brothers and sisters these spiritual truths can be carried right over into the New Testament.

I don't think we'll get there today but Lives can be transformed Families can be changed churches can be revived if we see God's way of dealing with spiritual decline and Offer ourselves to him now watch verse 10 and she was in bitterness of soul and prayed unto the Lord and Wept sorely it was the Lord who made her barren Because he was making her desperate.

Don't despise the circumstances don't despise the situations don't despise the the sovereignty of God in your life when he begins to make you desperate and Brothers and sisters in desperation we go through two stages.

From Self-Centeredness to the Righteousness of Christ

Two stages in desperation. It's important for us to see this two stages in desperation. The first stage in desperation and you'll find this to be true in the life of Job. What was your Job's primary concern during?

The most of his trial himself himself. Right. So when God is sovereignly preparing us as he did for in Hannah's life To be a vessel through whom travail and desperation is born. The first thing that begins to happen is we are awakened to how self Centered we are and Our trial and our and the pressure that comes upon us from God's sovereign hand causes All kinds of emotions to come forth all kinds of emotions anger bitterness Resentment and a number of other kinds of emotions.

And really it is happening because what the trial and what the pressure is doing. It's surfacing The essential principle of our own life. Remember last week we talked about the old Adam in the new Adam or the first Adam and the second Adam the first man and the last man and We saw that if you gather together all that we are in ourselves both the bad and the good no matter How you present it God rejects it all because every bit of it is connected to self-centeredness.

We know the open sins are Obviously wrong. We know that being a liar and a thief and a murderer in an immoral greedy person and an idolater disobeying our parents Disrespectful to authority. We know those things are not good.

But we can gather up all the best in Adam and that like we did last week. We made a list being loving being gentle being kind being righteous but those qualities are tainted and They're connected to self-centeredness so that our love Can turn to hatred overnight.

Our kindness can turn to unkindness overnight. Our giving can turn to bitterness overnight. And all of the nice qualities and all of the nice things that we can generate out of our own selves out of the humanity that we got from the first Adam no matter how nice they might look.

Paul said That his were blameless. All of his good qualities were blameless as to the law they look perfect but when he got a revelation of The last Adam the last man the second Adam He saw the truth about himself and he saw the truth about all that he was and he saw that it was all connected to self and That it was not acceptable to God because God only accepts a righteousness.

That is what he only accepts a righteousness. That is equal to his. Did you know that that God doesn't accept human righteousness? You say well, what is how can that be? What do I do? They God won't accept our righteousness.

You can't get into heaven on the grounds of your righteousness. You can't present to God all of your good deeds that come out of your own heart and all of your good works. You can't present that to God.

God says that that's like filthy rags in my eyes and so We gather together all this kind of humanity and we realize that it's self-centered now. How does how do we come to realize this. We come to realize this when the pressure of?

Life and God's discipline and God's child training begins to work upon us. Just like it did in Hannah. She was barren. God has a way of making us feel barren. God has a way of making us feel very very very empty.

God has a way of Bringing us to the place Where we have no hope on earth and no hope in heaven, but God himself. Okay, and so the first step when God begins to cause vessels to become Fashioned in a posture where they're desperate for him is the first step as we see how self-centered we are like Job.

Job when he went through his trials was so concerned about himself and Then we can turn there you can turn to Job for a moment and we'll read the scripture. Job is right before Psalms now. Beginning in verse for chapter 40 something is beginning to happen.

Job has gone through his intense trial he's many chapters into it many months into it and He is just unloaded on God and all of all of his self-centered life is being exposed and Then all of a sudden he begins to make some comments.

Verse 1 chapter 40 the Lord answered Job and said shall he that contended with the Almighty instruct him he that reproved it reproves God let him answer and Just then Job answered the Lord and said behold, I am Vile who has another translation?

Huh. Insignificant nothing little unworthy. Wait a minute. Job is saying he's unworthy now. What's he seeing? What's Job seeing? The truth about himself. He's unworthy and so God Allowed this horrible test to come into Job's life and it resulted in Job started to see his he was so self-centered he was so self-centered all of his goodness and all of his his Righteousness that was according to the law was just being exposed and he just realized he was unworthy insignificant.

He just was guilty before God. He was guilty. Behold I am vile. What shall I answer thee? I will lay my hand upon my hat my mouth. Oh, oh something's happening to Job. He's starting to realize that it's better to keep his mouth shut because when he's in the midst of this terrible trial Many of the things he says is not true.

He accuses God. He gets angry. He accuses other people unjustly and so what's beginning to happen? This man is starting because of the pressure of adversity and trial. He's starting to see the true nature of who he is in himself and he's saying God.

I'm unworthy God. I'm insignificant God. I'm going to close my mouth. I'm going to stop trying to Justify myself in your presence. I'm going to stop trying to make myself, right? When you're corrected do you try and make yourself right or do you accept that correction, what do you do?

Are you so full of energy trying to prove to others how right you are? Well, Job said once I have spoken, but I will not answer Yay twice, but I will proceed no further now go to verse number 42 or chapter 42 and This is this is this is where God was wanting to bring Job.

This is this is the final place where God wanted to bring Job. Then Job answered the Lord chapter 42 and said I know that you can do Anything now brothers and sisters when Job made this confession He was not just referring to God.

I know you can do anything in the world. It wasn't just a statement of God's omnipotence. God you can do anything. Listen, here's what Job was saying. This is when we know that God has broken us God, I know that you can do anything to me to me.

Oh My. We can look and acknowledge that God has the right to do whatever he wants in the world. But when God begins to take us at our word and do what he wants in our life. That is when The roots of who we really are in our self begin to come out in full color.

And so what Job had been brought to was a place of desperation Where he said God you can do whatever you want in My life and you remain just. You remain just in what you do in my life and No matter what you do.

You are just and I am always Undeserving Unworthy and will be found in myself undone. God has to get us to that place before we can truly know the joy of Living in the good of the righteousness of another.

All right now watch watch what's happening with Job. God, I know you can do whatever you want In me and that no thought can be with withholding from you. Who is he that hides counsel without knowledge?

Therefore have I uttered that I understood not things too wonderful for me, which I knew not. Here I beseech you and I will speak. I will but demand of thee and declare thou unto me. Verse 5. I have heard of you by the hearing of the ear but now my eye sees you the difference between knowing about the Lord and then Seeing him By the by revelation in the eyes of our hearts seeing the Lord for who he really is.

This is what's happening. Job said I've I've known about you in the hearing of my ear. I've talked about you I have Had great conversations with the elders of the city about you. I thought I've taught my sons and my daughters all about you but now but now My eyes see you verse 5 wherefore I abhor myself and repent in dust and Here is a here is a picture of a Hannah a Hannah brought to the place of desperation brought to the place where Job clearly sees who he is apart from God and Repents and sackcloth and ashes up pours himself detests what he sees about the law of sin that's working in the humanity that he inherited from Adam and now Job is at a perfect place for God to make a transition in Job's life from being so preoccupied with what he was in In the first Adam to what God has secured in his lovely son The last Adam the Lord Jesus Christ and the kind of humanity that's in him.

Oh My what an emancipation what a deliverance what a glorious time To be able to be brought to God Brought to God and brought by God to the place where we can hear John the Baptist say behold the Lamb of God the Lamb of God that takes away the sin of the world that takes away all the sin of the first Adam that Emancipates us from it that delivers us from it that turns our eyes from trusting in it.

That turns our hearts from trying to be just before God on the grounds of anything. That's in us. Oh happy day. Oh happy day when we say the whole the Lamb of God. It's a man the man Christ Jesus. He's the answer the man.

It's the man Christ Jesus. He's the answer. He's the answer to my problem. He's the answer to Israel's problem. He's the answer to Job's problem. He's the answer to our problems today, it's the man Christ Jesus it's seeing Jesus beloved and so back in 1st Samuel.

Here's verse 11. Here's the kind of prayer that comes when God works this Hannah spirit in us. When God works the Hannah spirit that we see in Job. When God works the Hannah spirit that we see in Paul.

Who said what when he gathered together all of his righteousness and all of his humanity, what did he say. I Count it but done trash Rubbish, that's what Paul said in Comparison to what knowing Christ Jesus my lord.

Knowing his righteousness knowing his glory. Okay, so watch this and She vowed a vow and said Oh Lord if You will indeed look on the affliction of thy handmaid. Oh May God give us this kind of affliction That delivers us and emancipates us from having hope in anything.

Having hope in ourselves. Having hope in our friends. Having hope in our Circumstances. Having hope in our money. Having hope in our character. Having hope in our integrity. Having hope in anything bring us to the point where in our affliction we cry out without any more Hope we have no hope in anyone else.

I Know this isn't popular. I know this won't appeal to the masses, but who's looking to appeal to the masses? Don't we want to satisfy God's heart. If you will indeed look on the affliction of thine handmaid and remember me.

And not forget thy handmaid, but will give unto me a man child. How amazing that God puts a woman in? Travail to desire a man child as as God's Response or may I say reaction to lawlessness then I will give him unto the Lord all the days of his life and There shall no razor come upon his head.

And we know the story as we read on that God answered Hannah's prayer and that Hannah had a baby called Samuel and Samuel became the man Through whom God began to restore back to Israel a vision of who he was a vision of His desire for Them to open up their lives so he could be king now.

Hannah’s Prayer and the Glory of the Man in Heaven

Go to chapter 2 this. This is a prayer Prayed by the Holy Spirit and this is the effects that this man has When he reveals the glory of God. This prayer is a picture. It's a type. It's a shadow pointing us to What happens when the man in heaven the glory of God?

Deity revealed in humanity the Lord Jesus Christ. When this man is seen. When this man comes on the scene when people begin to travail in the church. The church is a woman. The church is called a woman.

The church is called the bride of Christ but God is looking for a travail a travailing woman corporately. A woman who has no hope on earth. No desire for earth. Woman who recognizes That in herself and in the lives of those she knows and in the world she lives in there is utter Lawlessness, there is a condition equal to that of judges.

Every man is doing what's right in his own eyes. A woman who because being subject to the discipline of God Hebrews chapter 12 the Scourging of God the child training of God has come to see like Peter Depart from me.

I am a sinful person. You've come to see that gathered up all of your humanity. The good and the bad is all together. Rejected by God you've come to see it you're no longer trying to find in yourself a reason or or Or the grounds to offer anything to God.

You've come to the place where you have said God like Job Oh God, I abhor myself. I repent and sackcloth and ashes. You are just. And I'm at your mercy. I'm at your mercy. And when that kind of travailing heart comes Then all of our prayers And all of our desires are reduced to one thing one thing beloved not many things one thing.

That a man the man the man Christ Jesus May be given more and more and more a place of preeminence in our lives because he's the answer To our struggles. It's that man coming forth in our lives individually in our families in our church.

It's that man coming forth. That is the answer. Now watch what happens when that man comes forth and Hannah prayed and said my heart rejoices in the Lord. My horn is exalted in the Lord. My mouth is enlarged over my enemies because I rejoice in thy salvation.

See Samuel is connected to God's salvation and it is an it is a type of The man Christ Jesus who is God's salvation. There is none. Holy as the Lord for there is none besides thee neither. Is there any rock like our God?

Listen, listen when you when you come into the presence of this man. Something begins to happen and brothers and sisters as we bring this to a close. I pray that you will ask God. Where is your soul in relation to Hannah's soul?

Are you sharing in that travail? Are you sharing in that travail? Do you see the answer? To you your family your loved ones your friends. Your church. Do you see the answer? Reduce down to one thing. We need the man in glory.

Do you see it? Listen to what happens when you do. Talk no more. So exceeding proudly. Let no arrogance come out of your mouth. Oh My god. When we see the man in glory God begins to put a bridle on our tongue arrogance and pride.

In the presence of the man of glory is detestable in the sight of God. Do you know why so often we love to run at the mouth? Because the eyes of our heart have lost their sight and seeing the man in glory and so often what we say and What we are occupied with is is revealing The depths to which our heart has fallen from seeing the man in glory but Hannah begins to declare by revelation in seeing the significance of God's salvation in Samuel but seeing the bigger picture the greater Samuel the man in glory the Lord Jesus Christ.

She begins to see what happens. Stop being proud stop being arrogant. The Lord is a God of knowledge and by him actions are weighed. The bows of the mighty men are broken and They that stumbled are girded with strength.

And now all of a sudden the Holy Spirit begins to show us that when the man in glory comes in view Then the bows of mighty men are broken. The strength of man has no place in the presence of God. God's Salvation and God's plan has nothing to do with human strength.

It has nothing to do with the bows of man. It has everything to do with the glory and splendor of the Lord Jesus Christ. And as we see him as the soul Travails for the Son for the Lord Jesus Christ to be birthed in our lives didn't Paul say Ephesians 4 or Galatians 4 19.

He said I am again in Travail for you. He was talking to the church in Galatia that Christ might be fully formed in you. There it is brothers and sisters. Away with the glory of man. Away with the pride of man away with the arrogance of man away with the strength of man.

Away with it. God says away with it in light of my son. It's like it's gonna fade like Colette was sharing this morning. The glory of man is gonna fade. They that are full Have hired at themselves for bread.

Oh my god, what incredible language here. They that are full have hired themselves out for bread. Didn't Jesus say woe unto you that are full you shall be what empty. Full full of what? Full of our self full of confidence in ourself.

God says woe unto you that are full you're gonna end up Begging for bread and they that were hungry ceased all but blessed are the poor in spirit, right? Blessed are the poor in spirit. Blessed are those who know that in God alone is their health and Christ alone is their Righteousness.

God’s Sovereignty, Human Weakness, and the King of Glory

All right, let's read on so that the barren hath born seven and She that hath many children is waxed feeble. The Lord kills and makes alive and brings down to the grave and brings up. This is the confessions of a of a heart That has been emptied of self and sees the man in glory.

Verse number six. That's that's Job's confession, right? Lord. You can do whatever you want. The Lord giveth. The Lord makes alive. The Lord brings down. The Lord makes. Makes poor and makes rich. He brings low and he lifts up.

He raises up the poor out of the dust and lifts up the beggar from the dunghill. Who set them among princes and to make them inherit the throne of glory? For the pillars of the earth are the Lord's and he hath set the world upon them.

He will keep the feet of his saints and the wicked shall be silent in darkness. For by strength shall no man prevail. The adversaries of the Lord shall be broken to pieces out of heaven. Shall we thunder upon them?

The Lord shall judge the ends of the earth and he shall give strength to his king. See Samuel the king but Samuel Was only representing the king of glory. And the real king is the Lord Jesus Christ. So this is really Prophetically talking about him.

He'll give strength to the king and exalt the horn of his anointed so there you see a beautiful picture of the glory of the Lamb of God and what happens when we see Him as God's answer and God's solution to what we're going through.

Applying Hannah’s Travail to Present Trials

And so now as we close Let's ponder for a few moments. Let's make this practical. Let's make this practical. What is it? That we're going through. What is it that we're going through today? That is pressing us that we feel the pain of we feel the difficulty.

Whatever it is, whatever it is. And ask the Lord to show you how many times have you or I said Lord? The answer is this and you began to think about different solutions to the problem. But in doing so you missed entirely the message of this story.

Instead of Lord change the circumstance. We should be praying Lord change me in the circumstance. Change me so that the image of your son. The last Adam is Formed in and through me during this test during this trial.

I Want to see the man in glory as the answer to what I'm going through. Lord, I want you to give me a hand of heart. I Want you to use what I'm going through to produce desperation. Such desperation Lord that the travail of my soul ends up.

Desiring one thing and one thing alone and that is Lord Jesus. More of you. More of the man in my life and trust him by faith to do this. No matter what you're going through God loves you. He is with you.

He has not forsaken you. He is not punishing you he's not being mean to you he's not being cruel to you. He is simply giving you the blessed opportunity the blessed opportunity to partake. More and more and more by faith simple faith in Jesus Christ and his righteousness and set aside All that we are in ourselves.

So let's bow our hearts now before the Lord and let's pray.