Our present situation and God’s need today are the same in principle as the situation and the need at the time of Samuel. Some today need to pray according to God’s need, as Hannah did. God needs some like Samuel, who was a Nazarite, a priest, a prophet, and the last judge. Samuel was the last judge because God used him to terminate the confused situation among God’s people, who were without a king or a kingdom. God needs such ones who are qualified to terminate the negative situation and bring in the king and the kingdom. The fulfillment of the kingdom is the coming kingdom, which will be brought in by the Lord Jesus, but there is a need today for some like Samuel to cooperate by bringing in that kingdom. In a sense, Christ our King is not here yet, and we are still in a confused situation, just as in the age of the judges. We should aspire to be the last judge. The sisters especially should aspire to be like Hannah, praying to bring forth some like Samuel, who will terminate the confused age so that Christ the King may come with His kingdom.
We need to realize how greatly the Divine Trinity is needed for this to be accomplished. In order for Hannah to pray such a prevailing prayer and receive a definite reply, she needed the tabernacle and the offerings, which typify Christ the Son as the embodiment of God and the reality of all the offerings. Similarly, in order for us to pray to meet God’s need today, we need Christ as the embodiment of God and the reality of the offerings. We also need the fulfillment of the Tent of Meeting, which is the church as God’s dwelling place. Hannah did not pray her prevailing prayer in her home. We need God’s embodiment and His full salvation in the church life. Then we can pray prevailing prayers for God’s goal, to bring in the kingdom. This is the experience of the Divine Trinity.
First Samuel 1:3-7 says, “This man [Elkanah] went up from his city year by year to worship and to sacrifice to Jehovah of hosts in Shiloh...When the day came that Elkanah sacrificed,...he would give a double portion to Hannah...So it happened year after year; when she went up to the house of Jehovah.” Verses 10 through 11 say, “She was bitter in soul and prayed to Jehovah and wept much. And she made a vow and said, O Jehovah of hosts,...give to Your female servant a male child.” Verse 20 says, “In due time Hannah conceived and bore a son; and she called his name Samuel.” Verse 24 says, “As soon as she weaned him, she brought him up with her, along with three bulls and one ephah of flour and a skin of wine; and she brought him to the house of Jehovah.” In these verses the sacrifices typify Christ as all the offerings. Jehovah is the eternal great I Am, and the house of Jehovah is Christ as the embodiment of God to be God’s dwelling place among His people. Furthermore, the bulls, flour, and wine signify the Christ whom we experience and bring to the house of God to offer to Him. This section mainly shows us the house of God as the embodiment of the Triune God and the offerings as the means for us to enter into the embodiment of God, that is, redemption. Therefore, in these verses we see God’s embodiment and God’s full redemption.
In the following verses we see the Spirit. First Samuel 19:20 says, “Saul sent messengers to seize David; and when they saw the company of prophets prophesying and Samuel standing and presiding over them, the Spirit of God came upon Saul’s messengers, and they also prophesied.” Verse 23 says, “The Spirit of God came upon [Saul] as well, and he went on and prophesied.” Saul intended to arrest and kill David. It was not physical force but prophesying that stopped Saul’s activity. Samuel was not commanding an army but was directing the prophesying. This was all the doing of the Spirit of God, who is the third of the Trinity reaching God’s people.
Second Samuel 22:1-3 says, “David spoke the words of this song to Jehovah...Jehovah is...my rock.” Verse 47 says, “Exalted be God, the rock of my salvation.” Second Samuel 23:1-3 says, “These are the last words of David...The Spirit of Jehovah spoke through me, / And His word was on my tongue. / The God of Israel spoke, / The Rock of Israel spoke to me.” In these verses the rock is Christ as the ground for God to grace His people. The Spirit of Jehovah is the Spirit of the Triune God. God in these verses in Hebrew is Elohim, indicating the Triune God. Second Samuel 24:25 says, “There David built an altar to Jehovah, and he offered burnt offerings and peace offerings.” The burnt offerings typify Christ for God’s satisfaction, and the peace offerings typify Christ for the peace between God and His people.
In this portion of the Word we can see that the Triune God with His embodiment and redemption was fully involved in bringing forth Samuel and David so that the kingdom of God might be brought in. To bring in the kingdom of God is a great thing. Many Christians today speak of the Lord’s coming, but most do not realize there is the need for some like Samuel to bring in Christ the King with His kingdom. Samuel brought in David so that the heavenly kingdom could be set up on the earth for God’s expression. The Lord’s prophecy of His return can be fulfilled only through some like Hannah and Samuel. Hannah brought in Samuel, and Samuel brought in David.