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Nation at the Crossroads
1 Samuel 2-3
Skip Heitzig

1 Samuel 2 (NKJV™)
1 And Hannah prayed and said: "My heart rejoices in the LORD; My horn is exalted in the LORD. I smile at my enemies, Because I rejoice in Your salvation.
2 "No one is holy like the LORD, For there is none besides You, Nor is there any rock like our God.
3 "Talk no more so very proudly; Let no arrogance come from your mouth, For the LORD is the God of knowledge; And by Him actions are weighed.
4 "The bows of the mighty men are broken, And those who stumbled are girded with strength.
5 Those who were full have hired themselves out for bread, And the hungry have ceased to hunger. Even the barren has borne seven, And she who has many children has become feeble.
6 "The LORD kills and makes alive; He brings down to the grave and brings up.
7 The LORD makes poor and makes rich; He brings low and lifts up.
8 He raises the poor from the dust And lifts the beggar from the ash heap, To set them among princes And make them inherit the throne of glory. "For the pillars of the earth are the LORD'S, And He has set the world upon them.
9 He will guard the feet of His saints, But the wicked shall be silent in darkness. "For by strength no man shall prevail.
10 The adversaries of the LORD shall be broken in pieces; From heaven He will thunder against them. The LORD will judge the ends of the earth. "He will give strength to His king, And exalt the horn of His anointed."
11 Then Elkanah went to his house at Ramah. But the child ministered to the LORD before Eli the priest.
12 Now the sons of Eli were corrupt; they did not know the LORD.
13 And the priests' custom with the people was that when any man offered a sacrifice, the priest's servant would come with a three-pronged fleshhook in his hand while the meat was boiling.
14 Then he would thrust it into the pan, or kettle, or caldron, or pot; and the priest would take for himself all that the fleshhook brought up. So they did in Shiloh to all the Israelites who came there.
15 Also, before they burned the fat, the priest's servant would come and say to the man who sacrificed, "Give meat for roasting to the priest, for he will not take boiled meat from you, but raw."
16 And if the man said to him, "They should really burn the fat first; then you may take as much as your heart desires," he would then answer him, "No, but you must give it now; and if not, I will take it by force."
17 Therefore the sin of the young men was very great before the LORD, for men abhorred the offering of the LORD.
18 But Samuel ministered before the LORD, even as a child, wearing a linen ephod.
19 Moreover his mother used to make him a little robe, and bring it to him year by year when she came up with her husband to offer the yearly sacrifice.
20 And Eli would bless Elkanah and his wife, and say, "The LORD give you descendants from this woman for the loan that was given to the LORD." Then they would go to their own home.
21 And the LORD visited Hannah, so that she conceived and bore three sons and two daughters. Meanwhile the child Samuel grew before the LORD.
22 Now Eli was very old; and he heard everything his sons did to all Israel, and how they lay with the women who assembled at the door of the tabernacle of meeting.
23 So he said to them, "Why do you do such things? For I hear of your evil dealings from all the people.
24 "No, my sons! For it is not a good report that I hear. You make the LORD'S people transgress.
25 "If one man sins against another, God will judge him. But if a man sins against the LORD, who will intercede for him?" Nevertheless they did not heed the voice of their father, because the LORD desired to kill them.
26 And the child Samuel grew in stature, and in favor both with the LORD and men.
27 Then a man of God came to Eli and said to him, "Thus says the LORD: 'Did I not clearly reveal Myself to the house of your father when they were in Egypt in Pharaoh's house?
28 'Did I not choose him out of all the tribes of Israel to be My priest, to offer upon My altar, to burn incense, and to wear an ephod before Me? And did I not give to the house of your father all the offerings of the children of Israel made by fire?
29 'Why do you kick at My sacrifice and My offering which I have commanded in My dwelling place, and honor your sons more than Me, to make yourselves fat with the best of all the offerings of Israel My people?'
30 "Therefore the LORD God of Israel says: 'I said indeed that your house and the house of your father would walk before Me forever.' But now the LORD says: 'Far be it from Me; for those who honor Me I will honor, and those who despise Me shall be lightly esteemed.
31 'Behold, the days are coming that I will cut off your arm and the arm of your father's house, so that there will not be an old man in your house.
32 'And you will see an enemy in My dwelling place, despite all the good which God does for Israel. And there shall not be an old man in your house forever.
33 'But any of your men whom I do not cut off from My altar shall consume your eyes and grieve your heart. And all the descendants of your house shall die in the flower of their age.
34 'Now this shall be a sign to you that will come upon your two sons, on Hophni and Phinehas: in one day they shall die, both of them.
35 'Then I will raise up for Myself a faithful priest who shall do according to what is in My heart and in My mind. I will build him a sure house, and he shall walk before My anointed forever.
36 'And it shall come to pass that everyone who is left in your house will come and bow down to him for a piece of silver and a morsel of bread, and say, "Please, put me in one of the priestly positions, that I may eat a piece of bread."'"
1 Samuel 3 (NKJV™)
1 Then the boy Samuel ministered to the LORD before Eli. And the word of the LORD was rare in those days; there was no widespread revelation.
2 And it came to pass at that time, while Eli was lying down in his place, and when his eyes had begun to grow so dim that he could not see,
3 and before the lamp of God went out in the tabernacle of the LORD where the ark of God was, and while Samuel was lying down,
4 that the LORD called Samuel. And he answered, "Here I am!"
5 So he ran to Eli and said, "Here I am, for you called me." And he said, "I did not call; lie down again." And he went and lay down.
6 Then the LORD called yet again, "Samuel!" So Samuel arose and went to Eli, and said, "Here I am, for you called me." He answered, "I did not call, my son; lie down again."
7 (Now Samuel did not yet know the LORD, nor was the word of the LORD yet revealed to him.)
8 And the LORD called Samuel again the third time. Then he arose and went to Eli, and said, "Here I am, for you did call me." Then Eli perceived that the LORD had called the boy.
9 Therefore Eli said to Samuel, "Go, lie down; and it shall be, if He calls you, that you must say, 'Speak, LORD, for Your servant hears.'" So Samuel went and lay down in his place.
10 Now the LORD came and stood and called as at other times, "Samuel! Samuel!" And Samuel answered, "Speak, for Your servant hears."
11 Then the LORD said to Samuel: "Behold, I will do something in Israel at which both ears of everyone who hears it will tingle.
12 "In that day I will perform against Eli all that I have spoken concerning his house, from beginning to end.
13 "For I have told him that I will judge his house forever for the iniquity which he knows, because his sons made themselves vile, and he did not restrain them.
14 "And therefore I have sworn to the house of Eli that the iniquity of Eli's house shall not be atoned for by sacrifice or offering forever."
15 So Samuel lay down until morning, and opened the doors of the house of the LORD. And Samuel was afraid to tell Eli the vision.
16 Then Eli called Samuel and said, "Samuel, my son!" And he answered, "Here I am."
17 And he said, "What is the word that the Lord spoke to you? Please do not hide it from me. God do so to you, and more also, if you hide anything from me of all the things that He said to you."
18 Then Samuel told him everything, and hid nothing from him. And he said, "It is the LORD. Let Him do what seems good to Him."
19 So Samuel grew, and the LORD was with him and let none of his words fall to the ground.
20 And all Israel from Dan to Beersheba knew that Samuel had been established as a prophet of the LORD.
21 Then the LORD appeared again in Shiloh. For the LORD revealed Himself to Samuel in Shiloh by the word of the LORD.

New King James Version®, Copyright © 1982, Thomas Nelson, Inc. All rights reserved.

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Movers & Shakers

"This little light of mine, I'm gonna let it shine" is the familiar chorus of a children's worship tune. But we wonder if that child will grow to appreciate that light and actually let it shine in the societal darkness that is all around. The young boy Samuel did. His culture was not unlike our own—it was corrupt. God's Word was rare. It was a perfect opportunity to make a difference, and young Samuel did. He turned on the light so the nation could turn down the right path.

In every kingdom, there are movers and shakers. The Old Testament immortalizes many of these great people--it tells what made them great in God's eyes. Discover the key to making an impact in God's kingdom as you study the lives of Hannah, Samuel, Saul, and David.

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Outline

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  1. Leadership Was Corrupt
    A. Their Character
    B. Their Conduct
    C. Their Carnality
    D. Their Callousness
    E. Their Clout
  2. Revelation Was Scarce
  3. Opportunity Was Ideal

Additional Messages in this Series

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Date Title   Watch Listen Notes Share Save Buy
7/11/1999
completed
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Behind Every Good Man Is a Great Mom
1 Samuel 1
Skip Heitzig
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Though three men are predominant in this section of kingdom leadership, women also play a leading role when it comes to influence. Israel owes a great honor to this deeply committed gal, who was devoted to God's plan for the family.
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7/18/1999
completed
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A Child on Loan to God
1 Samuel 1:17-28
Skip Heitzig
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I agree with one child educator who said, "Children are not casual guests in our home. They have been loaned to us temporarily for the purpose of loving them and instilling a foundation of values on which their future lives will be built." Here, Samuel's mom and dad loaned him back to God to be used for God's service. Three activities describe their parenting of this child-prophet.
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8/1/1999
completed
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How To Start Your Own Revival
1 Samuel 7
Skip Heitzig
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"Revive us!" cried the psalmist (Psalm 80:18). Have you ever prayed for revival—for yourself? Perhaps Samuel and a few other godly ones were praying for it just before the opening of this chapter. After a long period of defeat and spiritual lethargy, revival came to Israel. Spiritual life was in full bloom as God's weary people sowed seeds of revival.
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8/8/1999
completed
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The Making of a Politician
1 Samuel 8
Skip Heitzig
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Mix together a cup of discontentment, a teaspoon of conformity, plus a pinch of obstinacy, and you've got a mighty dangerous recipe for a national predicament. The nation of Israel was at a strategic turning point in their history. The people are uneasy and want changes— now! This situation exemplifies one of the constant temptations we all face-settling for second best.
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8/15/1999
completed
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Saul: The Man Who Played the Fool
Skip Heitzig
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Albert Schweitzer once noted, "Example is not the main thing in influencing others. It is the only thing." Saul had all the potential to be a "mover" and a "shaker"—to make a godly and lasting mark on the history of his nation. But he ended differently than he began. Saul's life became a lesson in infamy; his legacy is one of broken promises and wasted years.
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8/22/1999
completed
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God's Pick of the Litter
1 Samuel 16:1-13
Skip Heitzig
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No child of God goes out to make enemies. On the contrary, the true Christian is a peacemaker. However, not everyone connected to your life feels the same way. Though you may try to live at peace with all people, it won't always be possible to do so. Some will mildly disagree with your position and views. Others will be downright belligerent and antagonistic. There may even be some who will threaten your life. What then? Let me offer three nuggets of truth from this story of Saul and David:
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8/29/1999
completed
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A Spiritual Giant and an Overgrown Midget
1 Samuel 17
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9/5/1999
completed
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Talking to God When Life Hurts
1 Samuel 19:1-24; Psalm 59:1-17
Skip Heitzig
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9/12/1999
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Everybody Needs a Friend
Skip Heitzig
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9/19/1999
completed
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How to Handle your Enemies
1 Samuel 24
Skip Heitzig
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10/3/1999
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Beauty And Two Beasts
1 Samuel 25
Skip Heitzig
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Far from being the animated Disney feature, this chapter hosts the real-life dreams of an exceptional woman who averted potential disaster. She was a beauty named Abigail, and she mediated between two beasts whose hostility had grown to volatile proportions. With unusual grace and charm, she brought peace where there could have been disaster.
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10/10/1999
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The Right Thing; The Wrong Way
2 Samuel 6
Skip Heitzig
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Some of us have a penchant for following details; most of us do not. We figure, "As long as the job gets done, who cares how it gets done?" But if I really see my life as belonging to God, then it really boils down to these questions: Just what does obedience mean? How far will my obedience to God take me? Does it really matter that the details and fine print are attended to? A wise believer will be careful to not only make the right moves, but also to make them in the right fashion.
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10/17/1999
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The Seasons of Sinfulness
2 Samuel 11
Skip Heitzig
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"How's the weather?" is one of life's most commonly asked questions. But spiritual life can also seem to have seasons of its own. Sometimes the warm, alluring breezes of temptation can sneak up suddenly and, when acted upon, can bring the cool chill of broken fellowship with God. No one is immune from enticement and temptation. But we can all be aware of how it works and what it brings with it.
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10/24/1999
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A Pointed Finger; An Outstretched Hand
2 Samuel 12
Skip Heitzig
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Someone once wisely said, "God loves us the way we are, but He loves us too much to leave us that way." David had sinned grievously before his nation and his God, but then chose to wait it out as if nothing had ever happened. However, God loved David far too much to let him get by with it. David's sin needed to be dealt with so that David's life could reach maximum spiritual potential. So, God sent a prophet to point an accusing finger at David and, at the same time, remind him of God's outstretched hand of mercy.
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10/31/1999
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Be an Oak, Not a Tumbleweed
Skip Heitzig
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There are 15 additional messages in this series.
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