Adversaries 1 Sam.1:1-20 CLICK TITLE FOR AUDIO

                In this passage we are going to look at adversaries. Normally our first thought of our adversary is the Devil as in 1 Pet.5:8, but Hannah had a real, live person who was an adversary. You have probably had or will have an adversary in your life time. Let’s look at Hannah’s experience and find some ways to have victory over our adversaries.

 Provoking Adversaries

                Physical Responses:

• Verse 6, “provoked her sore”, “for to make her fret” Made her to worry or have fear! And the Lord has allowed it.
• Verse 7, “provoked her; therefore she wept, and did not eat”

 Spiritual Responses:

          Verse 8, Made her forget her blessings

• Verse 5, “worthy portion; for he loved Hannah” She forgot how much she was loved.

 2 Cor.12:7, “there was given me a thorn in the flesh, the messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I be exalted above measure”, that could have been a real live person.

Perceived Adversaries

• Verse 10, “she was in bitterness of soul, and prayed unto the Lord”
  • She probably had some anger at God at this point.
• Verse 11, She asked the Lord to “not forget thine handmaid”
  • Sometimes we perceive that the Lord has left us, or is far, far away.
• Verse 12-14, She is perceived to be drunken because of her countenance
  • Others reacts to us according to our outward appearance
• Verse 15-16, She has a perceived adversary in Eli, the man of God
  • She reacts as if Eli is an enemy
  • Anyone not participating in your pity party is against you!
  • 4:16 “Am I therefore become your enemy, because I tell you the truth?”

 Victory over the Adversaries

• Verse 17-18, something changed between these two verses…

The change is HOPE

• Verse 18-20, Everything turned out for the good, Romans 8:28

 She found HOPE, and it changed everything and defeated the adversaries.

• 15:4, through the scriptures you might have hope
• 15:13, through the Holy Ghost you might have hope
• 5:1-5, the end of the sequence is hope!