1 SAMUEL


    • Where is Elkanah from? How many wives does he have?  What is the difference between these two wives?  Where did they travel every year to worship and sacrifice?  Who were the priests at the time? 
    • How did Elkanah treat his wives on the day that he sacrificed?  Why?  Who is Hannah’s rival?  How does she respond to her rival’s taunts?  Is there a social stigma today for women unable to conceive? 
    • Why would Elkanah feel the need to ask Hannah why she is weeping?  Where does she go after he talks with her?  What vow does she make while she is praying to The LORD? Why is it easier to make a promise than to actually fulfill the promise? 
    • Who confronts Hannah while she is praying? What does he accuse her of? When Hannah defends herself, what does Eli tell her? Where does she go after that? 
    • Before the family heads back home, what do they do? What happens when Elkanah and Hannah are back home? 
    • Why would Hannah not want to go back to the next year to make the sacrifice? When does she plan to deliver Samuel to the LORD?  Why is it important that the child be weaned before being sent off? 
    • What does Hannah do after she weans Samuel?  What else does she take along with her? What was the point of bringing these along?  Who does she bring the child to?  

    • 8.     What does Hannah say when she delivers the child? Why would she say she is lending the boy to the LORD as long as he lives even though she had earlier made a vow stating he would be given to the LORD?  What does Hannah do after she gives Samuel over?  Do we worship when we sacrifice or do we count sacrifice as a burden? 
    • Hannah delivers Samuel to the tabernacle in Shiloh. How does she respond to keeping her promise to The LORD? What can we tell about her faith in her prayer? How does she feel about God? What is the overall theme to her prayer? 
    • What reversals of fortune do we see in her prayer? What does the LORD do with the downtrodden and poor? What does He do with the rich? What happens to His adversaries? What part of her prayer foreshadows the coming of the Messiah? 
    • How does Samuel’s life change when he is handed over to Eli? What is he doing? 
    • How are Eli’s sons described? How were they taking their portion of an offered sacrifice? How were they supposed to determine their portion? What do they do with the fat of the sacrifice? 
    • How often does Hannah visit Samuel? What does she make him every year? What blessing does Eli give Elkanah and his wife? How many more children does Hannah conceive? 
    • What other abhorrent behavior are Eli’s sons engaged in? How does Eli find out about their behavior? Who are they guilty of sinning against? Why would they not listen to Eli’s warnings? 
    • Samuel witnesses the terrible behavior of Eli’s sons. What prevents him from acting like Phinehas and Hophni? 
    • Who comes to confront Eli about his son’s behavior? What is pronounced against Eli and his house? What will happen to them when they are cut off? What will happen to those that are not cut off? 

    • 9.     What will happen to Phinehas and Hophni? Who will be raised up in their place?