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Speaker 1: Wherefore the Lord God of Israel Saith I said indeed

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Speaker 1: that thy house and the house of thy father should

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Speaker 1: walk before me forever. But now the Lord Saith, be

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Speaker 1: it far from me. For them that honor me, I

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Speaker 1: will honor, and they that despise me shall be lightly esteemed.

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Speaker 1: First Samuel two twenty, Lord, I know that you are

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Speaker 1: not taken back by bold prayers, So like Hannah, I

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Speaker 1: will not be ashamed to lay before you and make

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Speaker 1: my request known. Thank you Jesus that because of your sacrifice,

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Speaker 1: I can come boldly before the Lord in prayer and

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Speaker 1: make the desires of my heart known to him. As

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Speaker 1: a child of God living in alignment with my assignment,

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Speaker 1: I thank you in advance for moving and working on

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Speaker 1: my behalf to bring my purpose into focus. In the

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Speaker 1: same way Hannah dedicated Samuel to do your work, I

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Speaker 1: also dedicate and devote my gifts, my promotions, and all

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Speaker 1: opportunities to you, because my focus is to bring you glory. Therefore,

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Speaker 1: I will listen when you call me. Like Samuel, I

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Speaker 1: will say speak, Lord, for your servant is listening because

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Speaker 1: I know that one word from you is worth a

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Speaker 1: thousand elsewhere. I declare that I am chosen, and that

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Speaker 1: I am set apart. I will live differently, speak differently,

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Speaker 1: think differently, and believe differently because I've been called to

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Speaker 1: do great things. The days of me playing small so

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Speaker 1: others don't get uncomfortable are done. You've placed me where

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Speaker 1: I am, and I am ready to receive my calling.

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Speaker 1: I am your servant. Speak Lord, I'm ready in Jesus name. Amen.

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Speaker 1: Thank you for making prayer a priority in your day.

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Speaker 1: To learn more about the Bible, stay tuned for today's story,

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Speaker 1: brought to you by Bible in a Year dot Com,

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Speaker 1: The Rise of Samuel. In our last story, we learned

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Speaker 1: about the romance of Ruth and a kinsman redeemer, Boez.

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Speaker 1: Boez redeemed Ruth from her poverty and loneliness, and the

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Speaker 1: two were married. They had a child named Obed, who

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Speaker 1: would be the grandfather of one of Israel's greatest kings.

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Speaker 1: Now we begin a new adventure with Samuel, a prophet, judge,

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Speaker 1: and ruler over Israel. He would pave the way for

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Speaker 1: a new era in Israel, the Era of King inspired

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Speaker 1: by the book A First Samuel. Hello, I'm Pastor Jack Graham.

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Speaker 1: With today's episode of the Bible in a Year podcast.

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Speaker 1: In yesterday's episode, we heard the story of how Boaz

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Speaker 1: and Ruth married and had a son named Obed. Obed

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Speaker 1: would be the grandfather of Israel's greatest king, David. It

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Speaker 1: was the dawn of a new era in the history

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Speaker 1: of God's people, the age of the Kings, and today

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Speaker 1: we'll hear how this new era began with a child

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Speaker 1: born to a woman named Hannah. This child, named Samuel,

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Speaker 1: would be promised to God's service by his mother, Hannah,

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Speaker 1: who had prayed and longed for him many years. Samuel

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Speaker 1: would grow to be a great prophet and judge, but

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Speaker 1: first he would serve in the temple and receive a

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Speaker 1: very special calling from God. Let's listen to today's reading.

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Speaker 1: The country of Israel lived in captivity to their own idolatry.

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Speaker 1: After the Civil War of ben Women in Israel, the

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Speaker 1: people retreated back into their old ways of idle worship

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Speaker 1: and living selfishly. During this time, there were a few

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Speaker 1: remaining faithful who continued to devote their lives to the Lord,

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Speaker 1: seeking him in all their ways. One of those people

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Speaker 1: was a man in the hill country of Ephraim El

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Speaker 1: cana El Canah had two wives, since one of his wives, Hannah,

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Speaker 1: was unable to have children. His other wife, Fanninah, had

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Speaker 1: many children, but el Cana loved Hannah more. Panninah lived

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Speaker 1: without the undivided love of her husband and spited Hannah

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Speaker 1: because of it. She tormented and teased Hannah endlessly, just

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Speaker 1: as Jacob's wives Rachel and Leah. The two women hated

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Speaker 1: one another because of their husband's lack of sins. Year

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Speaker 1: by year, Hannah would endure the relentless provocation from Panninah.

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Speaker 1: Hannah would often approach the altar of God to pray.

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Speaker 1: Day after day, she would enter into the house of

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Speaker 1: the Lord and beg him for a child. One day,

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Speaker 1: she lay on the floor of the temple and wept bitterly.

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Speaker 1: Her tears fell upon the altar, and her indiscernible prayers

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Speaker 1: echoed through the empty chamber. Hannah lifted her eyes to

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Speaker 1: Heaven and prayed, Lord of Hosts, Maker of Heaven and Earth,

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Speaker 1: please look at my pain and have pity on me.

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Speaker 1: If you give me a son, I promise to give

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Speaker 1: him to you as a servant for the rest of

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Speaker 1: his life. As Hannah continued to pray, Eli the priest

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Speaker 1: of the temple watched her. Hannah was speaking so deeply

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Speaker 1: and from her heart that it almost seemed as though

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Speaker 1: she was drunk. Eli, an already grumpy old man, scoffed

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Speaker 1: at her and said, how long will you lay there drunk?

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Speaker 1: Hannah turned around. Startled by Eli's voice, she wiped her

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Speaker 1: face and stood up. Oh no, my Lord, I am

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Speaker 1: simply a woman with a troubled spirit. I was bearing

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Speaker 1: my soul before God. Folks softly embarrassed at Eli's comments,

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Speaker 1: Please do not see me as a worthless woman. I

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Speaker 1: just pray with great anxiety. Eli saw that she was

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Speaker 1: truly distraught. He sighed and then gave a quick smile.

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Speaker 1: Go in peace, He said, God will answer. I am

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Speaker 1: sure of it. Then Eli departed to leave Hannah to

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Speaker 1: her prayers. Hannah smiled and returned to her husband to eat.

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Speaker 1: They worshiped God more in the House of God and

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Speaker 1: returned home. Time passed, and Peninah's pestoring lost all its sting,

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Speaker 1: For Hannah had conceived a son and named him Samuel.

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Speaker 1: The Lord had answered her prayers. Hannah remembered her prayer

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Speaker 1: to God. She swore to God that if she was

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Speaker 1: given a son, she would offer him up into his service.

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Speaker 1: When Samuel was old enough, she brought him to Eli.

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Speaker 1: Hannah held her child, trusting that God would be faithful

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Speaker 1: to do great things. Because of her faithfulness, her heart broke,

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Speaker 1: just as abrahams once did when he brought Isaac to

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Speaker 1: the altar. Sir Samuel studied and served under Eli. He

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Speaker 1: grew to be strong, wise, and attentive to the voice

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Speaker 1: of God's spirit. Samuel became like a son to Eli,

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Speaker 1: which was fitting since his sons grew up to be

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Speaker 1: wicked and worthless men. They would steal from the offerings

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Speaker 1: given to God and treat his altar like their own

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Speaker 1: personal feeding troth. The two men used their influence to

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Speaker 1: seduce women who desired to serve God. They took advantage

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Speaker 1: of the people and treated God's children as objects for

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Speaker 1: their own pleasure. Eli was an old man and unable

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Speaker 1: to keep his sons from sinning. Eli tried reasoning with them, saying,

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Speaker 1: if you sin against man, there may be some one

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Speaker 1: to pray on your behalf for forgiveness. But you are

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Speaker 1: sinning against God, and there may be no one to

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Speaker 1: help you. Naturally, the men refused to listen and continued

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Speaker 1: to sin against God and his children. God was about

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Speaker 1: to do a new work in Israel, a work of

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Speaker 1: great justice, peace, and deliverance. He would not tolerate the

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Speaker 1: priestly family to continue in such sin and selfishness. God's

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Speaker 1: rage is not unpredictable or uncalled for. His anger is

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Speaker 1: precise and always pointed towards those who would hurt his

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Speaker 1: people and scorn his name. Therefore God's rage burst like

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Speaker 1: a mighty wild fire against the sons of Eli. He

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Speaker 1: spoke in an ancient fury. The voice of a righteous

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Speaker 1: king bellowed an Eli's ear as he spoke, saying, did

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Speaker 1: I reveal myself to your forefathers in Egypt? All to

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Speaker 1: have you scorn my offering table? Your sons fatten themselves

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Speaker 1: with the worship of my people. They abuse and neglect,

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Speaker 1: and you have allowed it. Eli began to tremble as

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Speaker 1: God spoke. Behold, the days are coming were your sons

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Speaker 1: will be cast out into darkness. They shall behold the

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Speaker 1: prosperity of my people and look upon them with envy.

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Speaker 1: They shall both die on the same day, and I

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Speaker 1: shall raise up a priest of my own who shall

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Speaker 1: be unified with my heart and mind, and your son's

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Speaker 1: lines shall beg for bread. Years had passed, and the

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Speaker 1: boy Samuel was ministering to the Lord of Ely. He

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Speaker 1: served Eli in his old age. He would tend to him,

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Speaker 1: feed him, and perform the duties of a priest on

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Speaker 1: his behalf. Samuel was attentive and eager to help God's

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Speaker 1: people draw closer to him. One night, Samuel was lying

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Speaker 1: down in the Temple of God, where the ark of

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Speaker 1: the Covenant lay. The candles and the temple flickered and

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Speaker 1: made shadows dance around the walls. There was a slight

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Speaker 1: breeze coming in through the back, and Samuel slept in

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Speaker 1: the coolness of night. Then a faint whisper grazed the

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Speaker 1: ear of Samuel. He opened his eyes and walked towards

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Speaker 1: Eli's chamber and said, here, I am Eli. You called

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Speaker 1: for me. Eli woke up from his sleep and said,

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Speaker 1: you must be dreaming. I did not call for you.

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Speaker 1: Go back to sleep, sir. Samuel went back into the

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Speaker 1: floor of the temple to rest. As he began to drift,

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Speaker 1: he heard that still and quiet voice once again, Samuel.

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Speaker 1: The voice whispered intensely. Samuel jolted awake, this time running

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Speaker 1: to the bedside of Eli. Here I am Eli, he shouted.

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Speaker 1: Eli shook in his bed, surprised and annoyed that he

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Speaker 1: had been waken up again. He did not call him

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Speaker 1: and shoot Samuel out of his room again. As Samuel

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Speaker 1: was falling asleep, a voice beckoned him. When he went

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Speaker 1: to the bedside of Eli again. Eli perceived it might

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Speaker 1: be from the Lord. Eli waved for Samuel to come closer.

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Speaker 1: He held his hand and spoke gently, saying, Samuel, if

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Speaker 1: you hear the voice again, do not come running to me.

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Speaker 1: Ask for it to speak again. Listen carefully. Samuel left

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Speaker 1: Eli and knelt down at the altar of God. He

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Speaker 1: closed his eyes, intent on listening. Samuel, Samuel, the voice

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Speaker 1: said again. Samuel remained still. Small drops of sweat began

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Speaker 1: to form around his forehead. He knew now that it

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Speaker 1: was the Lord who beckoned him. Samuel gulped and said, here,

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Speaker 1: I am Lord, your servant. Hears pleased. God spoke with Samuel.

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Speaker 1: Their conversation reflected dimly the time God visited Moses in fire.

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Speaker 1: God spoke with clarity, strength and love for his people. Behold,

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Speaker 1: I am making things new in Israel. Every one who

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Speaker 1: hears will quiver as I eradicate the sons of Eli

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Speaker 1: to establish my new priesthood. The next morning, Eli inquired

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Speaker 1: of what Samuel heard from God. Samuel was not sure

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Speaker 1: whether he should divulge everything to Eli, for it meant

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Speaker 1: grave news for his son. Over breakfast, Samuel told Elia

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Speaker 1: of his experience. Somber, thoughtful, and content, Eli spoke and said,

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Speaker 1: if it is the Lord's will, so be it. After this,

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Speaker 1: Samuel grew, and the Lord was with him in everything

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Speaker 1: he did. The favor of Joseph was upon him. Every

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Speaker 1: word Samuel spoke uplifted the people, and no exhortation fell

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Speaker 1: on deaf ears. Every tribe of Israel recognized Samuel as

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Speaker 1: their prophet and priest. It would be Samuel who would

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Speaker 1: endure the complaints of Israel as Moses once did. He

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Speaker 1: would lead them well, and soon he would pave the

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Speaker 1: way for a new era in Israel, the era of kings.

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Speaker 1: Today's story begins with a man named Alcanah who lived

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Speaker 1: in Ephraim. He was one of the few who remained

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Speaker 1: faithful to God in those days. But though he was faithful,

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Speaker 1: he was also flawed because he had two wives Hannah

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Speaker 1: and Penanah, his wives, were bitter rivals, just like Leah

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Speaker 1: and Rachel. You see, though Penanah had given him many children,

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Speaker 1: Elkanah loved Hannah Moore. Hannah, however, was unable to conceive,

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Speaker 1: and Penanah held this over Hannah's head ruthlessly, tormenting her.

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Speaker 1: Every year, when Alcanah went to offer sacrifices to God

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Speaker 1: in the temple at Shiloh, Hannah would plead to God

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Speaker 1: for a son. This continued year after year. Finally, one day,

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Speaker 1: as she prayed, she promised God that if he had

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Speaker 1: give her a son, she would give that son back

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Speaker 1: to God to serve him all his life. When Eli,

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Speaker 1: the temple priest, saw her praying, her lips moving without

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Speaker 1: making a sound as she spoke to God, he thought

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Speaker 1: she was drunk. Listened to her response in First Samuel

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Speaker 1: one fifteen, Hannah answered, no, my Lord, I am a

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Speaker 1: woman troubled in spirit. I have drunk neither wine nor

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Speaker 1: strong drink, but I've been pouring out my soul before

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Speaker 1: the Lord. We should always remember when we are troubled,

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Speaker 1: when we are in turmoil, when we are in anguish

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Speaker 1: and desperate, there is no better place to pour out

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Speaker 1: our hearts, our souls than to God. God hears our

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Speaker 1: prayers and cares for us, just as he did for Hannah.

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Speaker 1: Hearing this response, Eli told her to go in peace

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Speaker 1: that God would answer her request. So Hannah became pregnant

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Speaker 1: with a son. She was overjoyed, but Hannah also knew

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Speaker 1: that her son would not stay with her because she

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Speaker 1: had promised to God that she would give him back

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Speaker 1: to him true to her word. When Samuel was weaning,

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Speaker 1: she took him to Eli to be raised in the

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Speaker 1: service of God. And because of her great faithfulness, God

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Speaker 1: blessed Hannah even more, giving her three more sons than

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Speaker 1: two daughters. It's absolutely true, isn't it that you can

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Speaker 1: never outgive God? So Eli raised Samuel like a son,

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Speaker 1: and that's a very good thing. Because his own sons,

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Speaker 1: we find out we're up to no good. They served themselves,

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Speaker 1: not God, under the guise of their own priesthood. It

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Speaker 1: was a terrible affront to Almighty God, and he would

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Speaker 1: not allow this to continue. But despite warnings, they would

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Speaker 1: not stop. So God told Eli that his sons would

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Speaker 1: be cast out, and rather than work through Eli's worthless offspring,

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Speaker 1: God would raise up another priest, one who would serve

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Speaker 1: him with integrity and devotion. One night, as he was sleeping,

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Speaker 1: Samuel heard a voice calling, but it was not Eli.

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Speaker 1: Two more times, he thought Eli was calling him and

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Speaker 1: ran to Eli's room. Eli then understood what was going

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Speaker 1: on and told Samuel to ask the voice to speak

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Speaker 1: next time, and then to listen. Samuel heard the voice again,

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Speaker 1: and this time he did listen. God told Samuel he

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Speaker 1: was about to make things new in Israel and that

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Speaker 1: Eli's line would be wiped out to make way for

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Speaker 1: a new priesthood. When Eli heard the news, he submitted

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Speaker 1: to God's will, trusting in the grace and the goodness

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Speaker 1: of God. Even in this Samuel would be this next priest,

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Speaker 1: one like Israel had never known before. He would help us.

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Speaker 1: You're in the time of kings, But first Israel would

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Speaker 1: be visited by an old enemy. And we'll hear that

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Speaker 1: story the next time. Dear Lord, we thank you that

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Speaker 1: you always hear our prayers. We thank you that you

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Speaker 1: speak to us even as we listen to you. So

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Speaker 1: today we say speak, Lord, for your servant is listening,

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Speaker 1: just like Samuel of old, Just like Samuel so long ago,

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Speaker 1: We submit our lives to do your will. Speak, Lord,

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Speaker 1: we are listening in Jesus name. Amen. Thank you for

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Speaker 1: listening to today's Bible in the Year podcast. I am

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Speaker 1: Jack Graham of Dallas, Texas, and you can download the

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Speaker 1: pray dot com app and make prayer the priority of

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Speaker 1: your life. It is our prayer that you would know

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Speaker 1: Jesus Christ in a personal way. Jesus and knowing him

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Speaker 1: is the key to understanding the Bible. Jesus is on

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Speaker 1: every page in the pathway of Scripture, so I pray

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Speaker 1: that you would know Him and look to Him for

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Speaker 1: eternal life. As we see all of these stories, some

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Speaker 1: of them very sordid, we realize just how desperately we

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Speaker 1: all need the Lord. So invite Christ into your life

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Speaker 1: and receive Him as your Lord and savior. I would

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Speaker 1: also encourage you to download the prey dot com app

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Speaker 1: and let others know about this podcast. And if you

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Speaker 1: want more resources on how to know God and experience

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Speaker 1: His presence in your life, be sure to visit Jack

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Speaker 1: Graham dot org. God bless you. This episode is sponsored

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Speaker 1: by Medicine, an innovative healthcare solution for Christians to save

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Speaker 1: money without sacrificing quality.