I Samuel 2:22-25
“By this time Eli was very old. He kept getting reports on how his sons were ripping off the people and sleeping with the women who helped out at the sanctuary. Eli called them out: ‘What’s going on here? Why are you doing these things? I hear story after story of your corrupt and evil carrying on. Oh, my sons, this is not right! These are terrible reports I’m getting, stories spreading right and left among GOD’s people! If you sin against another person, there’s help—God’s help. But if you sin against GOD, who is around to help?’”
“Now Eli was very old, but he was aware of what his sons were doing to the p4eople of Israel. He knew for instance, that his sons were seducing the young women who assisted at the entrance of the Tabernacle. Eli said to them, ‘I have been hearing reports from all the people about the wicked things you are doing. Why do you keep sinning? You must stop my sons! The reports I hear among the Lord’s people are not good. If someone sins against an othe4r person, God can mediat4ed for the guilty party. But if someone sins against the Lord, who can intercede’ But Eli’s sons wouldn’t listen to their father, for the Lord was already planning to put them to death.”
Samuel’s sons were the bullies of their time. Today we have terrorists, Nazis, whit-supremacists, etc. Anyone who uses force, from guns or personality, to coerce another against their will. At their moment of time they seem to themselves of supreme importance, destined for historical notoriety. But God says differently.
How do we respond to this kind of social pressure? How do we hope we to respond when our lives are at steak? However we answer, God calls us to remember him, knowing his judgement for sins while not immediate is sure. God had judged the sins of Samuel’s sons long before judgement was evident. One way we express faith is to count on God’s judgement though it is not immediately evident. In the midst of oppression, regardless our suffering, remember the eternal judge of the universe is at work.
Lord, make me strong in these moments of oppression. Vanquish my fears. Let me live through them in the confident reality I belong to another realm, far more real than the present, where the wicked are defeated and ignominious and truth reigns.
I Samuel 2:1-12
These verses are Hannah’s Song. They are beautiful poetry and theology, composed by a lowly woman. In them we see Hannah is a woman of great wisdom and profound understanding. Throughout the scriptures God uses women to announce truth and serve his purpose. It is not God who has condemned them to subservience. Their age-old persecution at the hands of men is the consequence of their own original sin. It will be wonderful to see that curse lifted in eternity, to see women as God does, fully actualized individuals holding a glory equal to men.
Lord, thank you for all the privileges that are mine as a woman in 21st Century America. I have such wide-open spaces to explore that are denied to many women of today. I am grateful.
I Samuel 1:21-22
“When Elkanah next took his family on their annual trip to Shiloh to worship GOD, offering sacrifices and keeping his vow, Hannah didn’t go. She told her husband, ‘After the child is weaned, I’ll bring him myself and present him before GOD—and that’s where he’ll stay, for good.’”
“The next year Elkanah and his family went on their annal trip to offer a sacrifice to the Lord and to keep his vow. But Hannah did not go. She told her husband, ‘Wait until the boy is weaned. Then I will take him to the Tabernacle and leave him there with the Lord permanently.’”
It is easy to read this as Hannah’s reluctance to leave her son. She could have done so, gifting him to the nursing and care of another woman, cutting short the pain in her heart. She chose instead to continue her work of rearing him, pouring in her prayers, growing his body and spirit. When offered to God Samuel was as ready as she could make him; grown into the best she could give. Hannah sets the standard for our own offerings, make them our best, that which hurts to give.
Lord, in our American abundance it is hard to know what costly giving means. Teach me what this means for me. Give me a generous heart that I may participate in your good works. Let me learn to give to and love the world by your direction and strength.
I Samuel 1:20
“Before the year was out, Hannah had conceived and given birth to a son. She named him Samuel, explaining, ‘I asked GOD for him.’”
“…and in due time she gave birth to a son. She named him Samuel, for she said, ‘I asked the Lord for him.’”
The Message’s translation gives the impression Hannah freely talked about the miracle God had done in her life. I can image her telling the women she met in doing her daily woman’s work, her relatives, the rabbis and head men. God changed her life and she talked about it. This is true and effective witnessing, the natural and un-self-conscious sharing of one’s own reality. Those who want to be evangelists must first look to the miracle God does inside. The Holy Spirit works not out of our self-effort but from his own work in our hearts.
Lord, work in me! Make me your effective witness, sharing your blessings in my life with others.
I Samuel 1:15-19
“Hannah said, ‘Oh no, sir—please! I’m a woman brokenhearted. I haven’t been drinking. Not a drop of wine or beer. The only thing I’ve been pouring out is my heart, pouring it out to GOD. Don’t for a minute think I’m a bad woman. It’s because I’m so desperately unhappy and in such pain that I’ve stayed here so long.’ 17 Eli answered her, ‘Go in peace. And may the God of Israel give you what you have asked of him.’ 18 ’Think well of me—and pray for me!’ she said, and went her way. Then she ate heartily, her face radiant. 19 Up before dawn, they worshiped GOD and returned home to Ramah. Elkanah slept with Hannah his wife, and GOD began making the necessary arrangements in response to what she had asked.”
“‘Oh no, sir!’ she replied. ‘I haven’t been drinking wine or anything stronger. But I am very discouraged, and I was pouring out my heart to the LORD. Don’t think I am a wicked woman! For I have been praying out of great anguish and sorrow.’ ‘In that case,’ Eli said, ‘go in peace! May the God of Israel grant the request you have asked of him.’ ‘Oh, thank you, sir!’ she exclaimed. Then she went back and began to eat again, and she was no longer sad. The entire family got up early the next morning and went to worship the LORD once more. Then they returned home to Ramah. When Elkanah slept with Hannah, the LORD remembered her plea, and in due time she gave birth to a son. ”
The Message – Hannah was pressed to her limit. Only GOD knows where our limits are. Hannah poured out her heart to GOD. He is the only safe and effective receptacle for our heart. GOD gave Hannah confirmation through Eli. I can look for confirmation in my life too. I love that, ‘GOD began making the necessary arrangements in response to what she had asked.’ He is intimately involved in my life’s circumstances. It is the same for every person on earth. How big my GOD is!
LORD, praise and glory to you, the only true Holy Spirit, my Father and my LORD Jesus Christ.
I Samuel 1:11
“Then she made a vow: Oh, GOD-of-the-Angel-Armies, If you’ll take a good, hard look at my pain, If you’ll quit neglecting me and go into action for me By giving me a son, I’ll give him completely, unreservedly to you. I’ll set him apart for a life of holy discipline.”
“And she made this vow “O Lord of Heaven’s Armies, if you will look upon my sorrow and answer my prayer and give me a son, then I will give him back to you. He will be yours for his entire lifetime, and as a sign that he has been dedicated to the Lord, his hair will never be cut.”
There had been much going on in Hannah for quite a while. This kind of vow took some inner wrestling. God gives powerful instincts to mothers. Imagine all the work that goes into raising a child and the bonding that occurs. Hannah had fought through these and had already given up the child she longed for before she asked. It would have been so easy to talk herself out of her commitment during Samuel’s infancy and toddlerhood. But Hannah believed and feared God. Therefore, her vow was binding. She shows us the wisdom of working though potential consequences before taking a request to God. If we believe he can move mountains for us he must have our obedience in whatever follows.
Lord, you know my weaknesses. I don’t think I can do as Hannah when I think of asking for your help in overcoming them. Please change me to willingness to do and be whatever it takes.
I Samuel 1:9-10
“So Hannah ate. Then she pulled herself together, slipped away quietly, and entered the sanctuary. The priest Eli was on duty at the entrance to GOD’s Temple in the customary seat. Crushed in soul, Hannah prayed to GOD and cried and cried—inconsolably. Then she made a vow...”
“Once after a sacrificial meal at Shiloh, Hannah got up and went to pray. Eli the priest was sitting at his customary place beside the entrance of the Tabernacle. Hannah was in deep anguish, crying bitterly as she prayed to the Lord. And she made this vow…”
02.28.23
I Samuel 1:9-10
NLT – The Message – God gives us feelings. Learning to express them in a non-threatening, relationship-enhancing manner is part of growing up. Express them we must as feelings repressed do nasty things to our insides. There should come a point at which feelings must give way to action. We choose whether we allow them to lead us closer to or further from God. Hannah, after weeping away her anger and grief chose the former. She decided to throw herself upon God’s mercy, made herself presentable for the encounter, and voiced the certainty within her that God would hear her vow. This act was the result of a process that began with an emotional outpouring. Feelings drive action. Healthy introspection identifies them, and healthy expression diverts their energy into productive action. They are like an internal nuclear reactor. We choose whether they trigger a melt-down or drive us closer to God.
Lord, thank you for the color, texture and tone my feelings give to my relationship with you and others. May I always give them into your management where they give such beauty to my life.
John 5:41-44
“I’m not interested in crowd approval. And do you know why? Because I know you and your crowds. I know that love, especially God’s love, is not on your working agenda. I came with the authority of my Father, and you either dismiss me or avoid me. If another came, acting self-important, you would welcome him with open arms. How do you expect to get anywhere with God when you spend all your time jockeying for position with each other, ranking your rivals and ignoring God?”
“Your approval means nothing to me, because I know you don’t have God’s love within you. For I have come to you in my Father’s name, and you have rejected me. Yet if others come in their own name, you gladly welcome them. No wonder you can’t believe! For you gladly honor each other, but you don’t care about the honor that comes from the one who alone is God.”
We learn about God’s love by spending time with him. It is best shared person to person. Groups are handicapped by diverse points of view which produces conflict. Our self likes jostling to be king of the mountain, with others argued into submission. Learning to resolve conflict with love requires the opposite, exchanging our point of view for God’s. We grow to covet God, not the mountaintop.
Lord, grace me to seek your point of view. Make me wise so I may serve. May I ever love you more than accolades and so doing love my brother.
John 5:39-40
“The Message – You have your heads in your Bibles constantly because you think you’ll find eternal life there. But you miss the forest for the trees. These Scriptures are all about me! And here I am, standing right before you, and you aren’t willing to receive from me the life you say you want.”
“You search the Scriptures because you think they give you eternal life. But the Scriptures point to me! Yet you refuse to come to me to receive this life.”
Peterson’s Message puts this in present day context. What a warning! It cautions us to beware immersion in the ‘Christian life,’ allowing it to obscure our sight. Jesus could be immediately present and yet missed by eyes jaded by procedure and custom. Christian culture can be an idol, preferred over the Savior we profess to serve. Religion does not equate to the walk of faith.
Lord, this verse makes my heart quake, thinking you could be so close to me and so overlooked. Keep me wanting you, seeing you above all else. May Christian custom ever be the viewfinder and you the view.
John 5:36-38
“But the witness that really confirms me far exceeds John’s witness. It’s the work the Father gave me to complete. These very tasks, as I go about completing them, confirm that the Father, in fact, sent me. The Father who sent me, confirmed me. And you missed it. You never heard his voice, you never saw his appearance. There is nothing left in your memory of his Message because you do not take his Messenger seriously.”
“ But I have a greater witness than John– my teachings and my miracles. The Father gave me these works to accomplish, and they prove that he sent me. And the Father who sent me has testified about me himself. You have never heard his voice or seen him face to face, and you do not have his message in your hearts, because you do not believe me– the one he sent to you.”
To the illiterate, pre-scientific, steeped in mystery, first century peasants, Christ’s miracles shouted God’s validation of his ministry. Those who were looking for spiritual food pricked up their ears when listening to gossip at the well about this new itinerant preacher. The Spirit eventually leads to himself those willing to pay any price for truth.
God confirms us too when we go about his work by his power. His work is to share truth. Faith, hope and love, truth’s fruit, gets the world’s attention. Evangelism begins with the changes the walk of faith makes in our lives. If we truly care for the lost, we must focus on our own hearts first. Just don’t get stuck there.
Lord, keep me from getting stuck. Keep my focus always on what you are doing, participating with you in your work. Give me opportunity to share the reason for the joy you give me and the words and wisdom to do it. May my sharing be clearly understood, relaxed and ever obedient to and empowered by your spirit.
John 5:32-34
“I came with the authority of my Father, and you either dismiss me or avoid me. If another came, acting self-important, you would welcome him with open arms. How do you expect to get anywhere with God when you spend all your time jockeying for position with each other, ranking your rivals and ignoring God?”
“But someone else is also testifying about me, and I assure you that everything he says about me is true. In fact, you sent investigators to listen to John the Baptist, and his testimony about me was true. Of course, I have no need of human witnesses, but I say these things so you might be saved.”
Each translation says the same thing though quite differently. In what direction is the telescope of our life focused? If it is entirely on men our point of view is narrow and we become small and mean. If on God, our point of view opens wide, as do our hearts. Rather than the closed room of human expectations we freely walk the wide open universe with God.
Those in the prime of life find worldly focus a necessity. Bread must be earned, housing provided, commitments honored, children raised. Yet God knows the heart’s longing. When properly aligned it grabs 5 minutes to read a Psalm, uses commute time for audiobooks, and insomnia for prayer. Keep tabs on the vibrations of the heart, that they ally only with God streamed light, and all will be well.
Lord, you know the battle we face to keep our telescopes pointed in your direction because you lived it. Thank you. Help me stay the course, keeping you in my sight finder. I can’t wait for eternity where this battle is over and I can worship you without my Self acting like a jealous sibling.
John 5:30-33
“I can’t do a solitary thing on my own: I listen, then I decide. You can trust my decision because I’m not out to get my own way but only to carry out orders. If I were simply speaking on my own account, it would be an empty, self-serving witness. But an independent witness confirms me, the most reliable Witness of all. Furthermore, you all saw and heard John, and he gave expert and reliable testimony about me, didn’t he?”
“ I can do nothing on my own. I judge as God tells me. Therefore, my judgment is just, because I carry out the will of the one who sent me, not my own will. If I were to testify on my own behalf, my testimony would not be valid. But someone else is also testifying about me, and I assure you that everything he says about me is true. In fact, you sent investigators to listen to John the Baptist, and his testimony about me was true.”
Christ’s life is a model for our own. He was not a solo operation but part of a holy community, with the Father and the Holy Spirit, communicating faithfully amongst themselves. Let us ask ourselves if we have done likewise when things go sideways in the church. Like Christ, we must remain in community with our brothers, awaiting orders during the occasional sibling spat, and communicating honestly.
Lord, it is so hard to follow your example when conflict rears amongst us. Forgive me for giving in to anger in the past. Keep me rooted in you when disagreements arise in the future. Guard my tongue and may my words come only from you.