This sermon is from the Rev. Charles G. Dennison sermon archive, part of the “I Samuel 1-7” series, and was preached at Grace Orthodox Presbyterian Church in Sewickley, PA, during a worship service on Sunday, January 26, 1997.

This morning we begin our reading in Judges chapter 21. Judges chapter 21, we start at verse 16 to the end of the chapter before turning over to 1 Samuel. I’m reading from the New American Standard Version this morning. Then the elders of the congregation said, What shall we do for wives for those who are left, since the women are destroyed out of Benjamin?

And they said, There must be an inheritance for the survivors of Benjamin, that a tribe may not be blotted out from Israel. But we cannot give them wives of our daughters, for the sons of Israel had sworn, saying, who gives a wife to Benjamin. So they said, Behold, there is a feast of the Lord from year to year in Shiloh, which is on the north side of Bethel, on the east side of the highway that goes up from Bethel to Shechem, and on the south side of Labona. And they commanded the sons of Benjamin, saying, Go and lie in wait in the vineyards, and watch. And behold, if the daughters of Shiloh come out to take part in the dances, then you shall come out of the vineyards, and each of you shall catch his wife from the daughters of Shiloh, and go to the land of Benjamin. And it shall come about when their fathers or their brothers come to complain to us, that we shall say to them, Give them to us voluntarily, because we did not take for each a man of Benjamin a wife in battle, nor did you give to them else you would now be guilty. And the sons of Benjamin did so, and took wives according to their number from those who danced, whom they carried away.

And they went and returned to their inheritance, and rebuilt the cities and lived in them. And the sons of Israel departed from there at that time, every man to his tribe and family, and each one of them went out from there to his inheritance. In those days, there was no king in Israel. Everyone did what was right in his own eyes. And then 1 Samuel, chapter 1, beginning at verse 1.

Now there was a certain man from Ramathiyim, Zophim, from the hill country of Ephraim, And his name was Elkanah, the son of Joam, the son of Elihu, the son of Tohu, the son of Zuth, the Ephraimite. And he had two wives. The name of one was Hannah, and the name of the other Penina. And Penina had children, but Hannah had no children. Now, this man would go up from his city yearly to worship and to sacrifice to the Lord of Hosts in Shiloh. and the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phineas, were priests to the Lord there. And when the day came that Elkanah sacrificed, he would give portions to Peninnah, his wife, and to all her sons and her daughters, but to Hannah he would give a double portion, for he loved Hannah. But the Lord had closed her womb. Her rival, however, would provoke her bitterly to irritate her, because the Lord had closed her womb. It happened year after year, as often as she went up to the house of the Lord, she would provoke her. So she wept and would not eat. Then Elkanah, her husband, said to her, Hannah, why do you weep, and why do you not eat, and why is your heart sad? Am I not better to you than ten sons? And Hannah rose after eating and drinking in Shiloh.

Now Eli the priest was sitting on the seat by the doorpost of the temple of the Lord, and she, greatly distressed, prayed to the Lord and wept bitterly. And she made a vow and said, O Lord of hosts, if thou wilt indeed look on the affliction of my maidservant and remember me, and not forget thy maidservant, but will give thy maidservant a son, then I will give him to the Lord all the days of his life, and a razor shall never come on his head.

Now it came about, as she continued praying before the Lord, that Eli was watching her mouth. As for Hannah, she was speaking in her heart, only her lips were moving, but her voice was not heard. So Eli thought she was drunk. And Eli said to her, How long will you make yourself drunk?

Put away your wine from you. But Hannah answered and said, No, my Lord. I am a woman oppressed in spirit. I have drunk neither wine nor strong drink. I poured out my soul before the Lord. Do not consider your maidservant as a worthless woman, for I have spoken until now out of my great concern and provocation.’ And Eli answered and said, “‘Go in peace, and may the God of Israel grant your petition that you have asked of him.’ And she said, “‘Let your maidservant find favor in your sight.’ So the woman went away, and Abe, at her face, was no longer sad.”

Then they arose early in the morning and worshipped before the Lord, and returned again to their house at Ramah. Now Cana had relations with Hannah his wife, and the Lord remembered her. And it came about in due time after Hannah had conceived that she gave birth to a son, and she named him Samuel, saying, Because I have asked him of the Lord.”

Father, as we gather in this place, in this land, so your people gather in various places in other lands. Lord, they with us raise up their prayers on behalf of authorities over them, on behalf of governments. May there be peace for your people. May they be unharassed. Father, also, may it be that it pleases you in this day to bring many to yourself by your word. Father, may your word work in us. May it work in those, O God, who do not know you. May it work in those who have confessed you. and are endeavoring to live in keeping with what you have commanded. We pray this in Jesus’ name. Amen.

The book of 1 Samuel begins with obvious links to the book of Judges, as we pointed out in the message last week. The final section of Judges, chapters 17 through 21, makes reference both to the hill country Chapter 17, verse 1 in that book of Judges, and to the city of Shiloh. Chapter 21, verse 19, as we have seen in the reading this morning.

The book of 1 Samuel then begins with mention of both of these geographical locations. In 1 Samuel, chapter 1, verse 1, the hill country of Ephraim. is mentioned as the home of Elkanah. And in verse 3, the city of Shiloh is named as the site of Elkanah’s yearly pilgrimage to worship and to sacrifice before the Lord.

But how much these places appear to be the scenes of the exact opposite of what we have observed moving from the book of Judges. How much these places, as they are presented to us in 1 Samuel, seem to be the exact opposite of what we have observed in the book of Judges. For instance, in Judges chapter 17, We are introduced to a man named Micah, from the hill country of Ephraim, who makes for himself idols, and then employs a wandering and avaricious Levite to officiate at a shrine which he has established for himself on his own estate. In other words, in Judges we have a man from the hill country of Ephraim who seemingly refuses to leave his home in order to worship God at the place which God has appointed, and instead sets up for himself a worship center at his own home. But here in 1 Samuel we have a man, again from the hill country of Ephraim, but one who does leave home for the worship of God at God’s appointed place. The exact opposite.

In similar fashion, Judges concludes with that disturbing story about the rape of the virgins of Shiloh, taken away by conspiracy according to the plots of the wicked men of Israel. But 1 Samuel opens with the inspiring story about the plight of one barren woman of Israel. brought by her faithful husband to the sanctuary of God, where the tabernacle is, at that very Shiloh. Another factor in this regard, linking the end of Judges to the beginning of 1 Samuel, is the mention of the feast. Judges ends with a story involving a yearly feast at Shiloh.

Now, neither this feast, nor the feast that is spoken of at the beginning of 1 Samuel, is identified specifically. The name is not given. Many commentators believe it to be one and the same feast, and have identified it as the Feast of Tabernacles. However, in its anonymity, this feast is presented as if the people of Israel generally are unaware of it. In fact, they seem to be a little confused about the location for it. Otherwise, we wouldn’t have the elaborate description of the directions given to us In Judges 21 verse 19, they have to go to great lengths to tell everybody exactly where this feast is taking place. It doesn’t seem to be general knowledge among the people of Israel.

But further, with regard to the feast at the end of Judges, we have the custom of the dance by the virgins at the feast. And you would have to say that this custom does have the ring of paganism about it. Specifically now, the dance of the virgins. Now, some have tried to link it to the dancing women in Exodus 15 who are led out by Miriam. But it is specifically here, the dance of the virgins.

What we can say is this much. Nowhere in Scripture, nowhere in the law of God is such a dance prescribed, such a dance commended, and this in relationship with a feast to the Lord. Do we have here a violation of the regulative principle? The people going beyond the prescription of God’s Word.

The paganism of this custom may have everything to do with the identification of this feast as the Feast of Tabernacles, or as a harvest feast, or if it was one of the other feasts, that feature that would connect the feast to the yearly crop cycle for the land. The virgins’ dance at the feast may be in hope that there would soon be crop, a harvest for them, that is, children through a husband in marriage.

But over against these virgins, compromised as they undoubtedly are, and over against the wicked men of Israel who plot their abduction and the wicked Benjamites who carry it out, stands Hannah and her husband Elkanah, who, in keeping God’s command, go up yearly to worship and to sacrifice to the Lord. The contrast, as you know from the conclusion of Judges into 1 Samuel, could not be more striking. It could not be more deliberate.

On the one hand, we have corrupt Israel that not only appears to be generally ignorant of and indifferent to the proper worship of God, but has also profaned that worship in various ways. On the other hand, we have righteous Israel represented in Hannah and Elkina, self-consciously obedient to the commands of the Lord, faithful in their worship at the place where God has prescribed that worship to take place.

So it is, as the kingdom of God now dawns in this Old Testament form, the kingdom that shall shine forth in the administrations of David and Solomon, as Israel herself is poised to witness the coming of the kingdom in Old Testament shadow form. Israel is divided between those true to God and His Word, and those who are not. There are two nations within the one people, those who love God and are desirous of worshiping Him rightly, and those who do not love God and worship Him however they please. moves out of shadow into reality. When the kingdom of God appears at the revelation of Jesus Christ, Israel is divided. There are two nations within one people, those who love God and those who do not.

The former, those who love God, are set before us. In the opening stories of the New Testament are they not in the figures of Elizabeth and Zacharias, Mary and Joseph, and Anna and Simeon? As the Apostle Paul says, it is those who are of faith that are the sons of Abraham.

Well, we may be tempted to stop our reflections on the conclusion of Judges and the beginning of 1 Samuel at this point. And unfortunately, many do. The Word of God, however, will not permit us to do this. But in order for us to understand how the Scriptures push us further, We want to return once again to those virgins from Shiloh. You see, there is a tie between them and Hannah that demands further comment.

The virgins dance at the harvest feast in hopes of a harvest for themselves in children through a husband. But Hannah has a husband. and has no harvest. She is barren. Gaining a husband is no guarantee of children put in theological terms. Gaining the objective in view, seemingly, is not any guarantee of blessing. In fact, as the text makes plain Even the love of her husband cannot grant her her harvest, provide her with children. As much as Elkanah wishes to give his beloved wife children, he cannot. And she, having a husband, even a husband who loves her with all that means in terms of sincere and devoted love. Even in having a husband, she is here pictured as without blessing. This husband cannot, despite his great love for her, provide her with relief.

But what is more, this husband who loves her, even if he is obedient, faithful to the covenant, in his pursuit of the law, circumspect in his attendance at all the prescribed feasts, even this man cannot make her fruitful. He cannot grant her a harvest, he cannot remove her heartache, he cannot save her from her reproach.

Yes, there is a division in Israel. In the one camp we have disobedient people, those who are flagrant in their disobedience of God’s law, ignoring and profaning worship, corruption of a profound nature. In the other camp, we have those obedient to God’s law, sanctifying his worship with a righteousness that seems commendable. And Alcaina and Hannah obviously live in this latter camp. But living here, they are also confronted with their own limitations and the deceptions that continue to haunt them. They have kept the covenant, they have faithfully worshipped, so strikingly have they stood within the circumference of God’s godly devotion and outside the circumference of rebellion against God.

If anyone is to be blessed, it is them, and yet Hannah has no children. Why? Why in God’s plan, why in keeping with God’s purpose, does Hannah have no children? Because in the history of redemption, it must be made clear, God will make it clear, that the blessing, even His very own vindication and deliverance of His people, does not come by way of the law, by way of the law. are like the whole of the people of God. Hannah’s longing for the removal of her reproach, her shame, is to be compared with the longings of the people of God for the removal of their reproach, the removal of their shame, and the arrival of their glorious salvation.

Hannah’s observance of the law within the house of her husband is powerless to help her. In fact, that very law, as seen in Hannah’s rival, Penina, proves to be a brutal and bitter reminder to her of her woeful condition. It’s as if Penina is the accuser, reminding her of her situation. Penina, who in producing many children of the flesh, becomes this very law, and its accusations against those conspicuous in their observance of it. Resting in the law leaves Elkanah himself, content to a degree with Canaanah, and somewhat self-satisfied. We hear him boast, Am I not better to you than ten sons?

Hannah’s discontent is her own sober acknowledgment that she is powerless and that she must throw herself upon God for what only He can give. And as only God, not the law, can provide her deliverance and make her fruitful, so only God, not the law, can provide the kingdom. through his Son, filling it up with supernatural offspring, those born of him. When the kingdom comes in Jesus Christ, the kingdom of which these Old Testament stories provide a shadow and an anticipation. Those who have been living faithfully by the law will be face-to-face with the law’s limitation and even the deception to which they have been subjected through the law because of their sin. And these, if they are to be true citizens of the lasting kingdom, will have to throw themselves completely upon God’s mercy, just as Hannah did in her anticipation of the coming great day. Moving out of the book of Judges and into the book of 1 Samuel, we are liable to think that Hannah and the likes of Elkanah’s family can save the day and produce the kingdom because of religious and moral strength.

They cannot. And that is precisely the frustration, is it not, of the modern church. The word that goes out now uniformly, liberal and conservative, is that it is our job, we the church, to change the world. and that we can do it, that by our religious and moral strength we can renovate the creation. Not so.

In the day when God graciously bestows his kingdom, that is, in the day of the Lord Jesus the day in which you and I live, God makes it abundantly clear that neither his kingdom nor our place in it are the product of our own righteousness and effort. The kingdom and its superlative righteousness are the gift of God, just like Samuel, Hannah’s child. Therefore, by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in God’s sight, for by the law is the knowledge of sin. But now the righteousness of God, without the law, is manifested, being witnessed by the law and the prophets, even the righteousness of God, which is by the faith of Jesus Christ unto all, upon all them that believe.”

Our God, there is an obedience which you prescribe. And Father, while we would be about our obedience to your word in all respects, Lord, we would not trust in our obedience, nor imagine that such obedience would bring about your kingdom. Father, through the story of Hannah, we would be reminded that your kingdom and our life in it is a gift. We pray, our Father, that you would cause us then to be strong in our resolve, that we would live at every point that our words our thoughts, our actions, would be informed by the gift character of our salvation, and that we would always honor you by honoring the gift. We pray this now through Jesus Christ, who is himself the gift. Amen.

The sermon text provided above is derived from the sermon audio recording making use of generative tools. It has not been manually edited. While transcription tools have a high degree of accuracy, the output may include generative textual, punctuation, and/or formatting errors.