MARY ADGER IN IT FOR HIM

The Beginning of the Story

1 Samuel Chapter 1

Verse 1

Now there was a certain man of Ramathaim-zophim, of mount Ephraim, and his name was Elkanah, the son of Jeroham, the son of Elihu, the son of Tohu, the son of Zuph, an Ephrathite: 1 Samuel 1

Verse 1, establishes Samuel’s paternal genealogy through his father Elkanah. It is important to note Elkanah bloodline is Levite. Having a Levitical heritage – puts Elkanah in place to execute the office of priesthood. God choose the Tribe of Levi to minister unto Him and bless His name, unto this day, as spoken of in Deuteronomy 10:8.

1 Samuel shows how God sets His people up for their life’s destiny. Verse 1 describes the place Elkanah and his family lived – not who they were in God. Man’s story is in his blood. Ancestry and genealogy are important. When God makes a promise or gives a blessing to a person – His spoken words effect every generation.

1 And when Abram was ninety years old and nine, the LORD appeared to Abram, and said unto him, I am the Almighty God; walk before me, and be thou perfect. 2 And I will make my covenant between me and thee, and will multiply thee exceedingly. 3 And Abram fell on his face: and God talked with him, saying, 4 As for me, behold, my covenant is with thee, and thou shalt be a father of many nations. 5 Neither shall thy name any more be called Abram, but thy name shall be Abraham; for a father of many nations have I made thee. 6 And I will make thee exceeding fruitful, and I will make nations of thee, and kings shall come out of thee. 7 And I will establish my covenant between me and thee and thy seed after thee in their generations for an everlasting covenant, to be a God unto thee, and to thy seed after thee. 8 And I will give unto thee, and to thy seed after thee, the land wherein thou art a stranger, all the land of Canaan, for an everlasting possession; and I will be their God. Genesis 17:1-8

• Elkanah: Son of Jeroham, and the father of Samuel. 
• Genealogy recorded in 1 Chronicles 6, shows Zuph was a Levite descended from Kohath. The Levitical lineage is outlined in the Books of Chronicles. Verse 1 of 1 Samuel, gives the clues for searching Samuel’s bloodline.
• Ancestry from Levi to Zuph is traced through each man’s son making the connections recorded in 1 Chronicles 6. Genealogy establishes Zuph as a descendant of Levi, through Kohath. Elkanah falls under the bloodline of Zuph. 
• Zuph is also identified as a direct ancestor of the prophet Samuel, confirming Samuel’s Levitical heritage. The lineage from Zuph to Samuel is given as Zuph, Toah, Eliel, Jeroham, and Elkanah, whose son was Samuel. 
• While 1 Chronicles confirms Levitical lineage, the Book of Samuel describes Elkanah, Zuph’s descendant, as an “Ephraimite”. Levites lived among other tribes and could be identified and distinguished by the territory they resided. Therefore, Samuel’s family, though Levites by birth, were associated with the hill country of Ephraim where they lived.

16 The sons of Levi; Gershom, Kohath, and Merari. 17 And these be the names of the sons of Gershom; Libni, and Shimei. 18 And the sons of Kohath were, Amram, and Izhar, and Hebron, and Uzziel. 19 The sons of Merari; Mahli, and Mushi. And these are the families of the Levites according to their fathers. 20 Of Gershom; Libni his son, Jahath his son, Zimmah his son, 21 Joah his son, Iddo his son, Zerah his son, Jeaterai his son. 22 The sons of Kohath; Amminadab his son, Korah his son, Assir his son, 23 Elkanah his son, and Ebiasaph his son, and Assir his son, 24 Tahath his son, Uriel his son, Uzziah his son, and Shaul his son. 25 And the sons of Elkanah; Amasai, and Ahimoth. 26 As for Elkanah: the sons of Elkanah; Zophai his son, and Nahath his son, 27 Eliab his son, Jeroham his son, Elkanah his son. 28 And the sons of Samuel; the firstborn Vashni, and Abiah. 29 The sons of Merari; Mahli, Libni his son, Shimei his son, Uzza his son, 30 Shimea his son, Haggiah his son, Asaiah his son. 31 And these are they whom David set over the service of song in the house of the LORD, after that the ark had rest. 32 And they ministered before the dwelling place of the tabernacle of the congregation with singing, until Solomon had built the house of the LORD in Jerusalem: and then they waited on their office according to their order. 33 And these are they that waited with their children. Of the sons of the Kohathites: Heman a singer, the son of Joel, the son of Shemuel, 34 The son of Elkanah, the son of Jeroham, the son of Eliel, the son of Toah, 35 The son of Zuph, the son of Elkanah, the son of Mahath, the son of Amasai, 36 The son of Elkanah, the son of Joel, the son of Azariah, the son of Zephaniah, 1 Chronicles 6:16-36

Even though Elkanah was of the priestly order, he held no position in the temple as seen in verse 3. 

And this man (Elkanah) went up out of his city yearly to worship and to sacrifice unto the LORD of hosts in Shiloh. And the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, the priests of the LORD, were there. 1 Samuel 1:3

Scripture tells us Samuel’s father Elkanah – offered his sacrifice to the sons of Eli the priests of the Lord. This lets us see that sometimes God  skips around in bloodlines and generations  to bring His name Glory. Do you feel God has skipped you for a promotion or blessing?

Don’t get discouraged if you think God has forgotten His promises in your life. It may seem like your blessings is skipping around God’s Word. Hannah had a very difficult time getting her prayers answered by the Lord. The answer came through unwavering prayer. Keep pressing in through prayer. You are already pregnant with destiny. Soon God will reveal His “Divine Order” in your life.