Today's reading from the Chronological OT/NT Reading Plan is 1 Samuel 1-3; Luke 17:20-37.
Happy Easter Weekend everyone! I will ditto what Tammi said yesterday and wish everyone a wonderful weekend full of family time, also remembering to reflect on the amazingness of why we celebrate Easter for God sent His son to die for US. That was by far the most amazing sacrifice, all because He loved us. Amen!
Today's passages speak of Samuel's birth. His mother, Hannah was barren for many years all the while being taunted by her husband's other wife who had may children. After much heartache she finally prayed,
"O LORD of hosts, if you will indeed look on the affliction of your servant and remember me and not forget your servant, but will give to your servant a son, then I will give him to the LORD all the days of his life, and no razor shall touch his head." Samuel 1:11.
This sort of mirrors the new testament later on where God gives up His only Son.
Hannah was willing to bargain with the Lord just to have a child, wean him, then give him back to the Lord. For He has great plans for Samuel's life. So Hannah fulfilled her promise and brought Samuel to the House of the Lord in Shiloh where Eli the priest was to care for him and raise him. Hannah had a strong, unwavering relationship with God and she honoured her vows, at ANY cost. Can you imagine only seeing your young child but a few times a year? Letting someone else raise him? It wasn't because she wasn't incapable of doing so, it was because she had made a promise with the Lord.
By doing this, the Lord blessed her with many children after Samuel was born.
And Samuel grew, and the LORD was with him and let none of his words fall to the ground. 1 Samuel 3:19
Let's re-visit last year's post about this passage:
This commentary says,
a. The Lord was with him: Is there anything better than this? To have, and to know you have, the Lord with you? For the Christian, we can know we have God with us: If God is for us, who can be against us? (Romans 8:31)
b. Let none of his words fall to the ground: This means ALL of Samuel’s prophecies came to pass, and were known to be true words from God. Therefore, all Israel . . . knew that Samuel had been established as a prophet of the Lord.
- William Newell, in his commentary on Romans, speaks well to this point: “Our weak hearts, prone to legalism and unbelief, receive these words with great difficulty: God is for us . . . They have failed Him; but He is for them. They are ignorant; but He is for them. They have not yet brought forth much fruit; but He is for them.” God is not for us because we are so good, or so great, but because of who we are in Jesus. God is for you. God is with you, even if you are not as good as Samuel, because you have given to you the goodness of Jesus.
- Since the days of Moses there have not been many prophets in Israel, and certainly no great prophets. Now, at this important time in Israel’s history, God raises up Samuel as a prophet.
- Coming in this place in Israel’s history, Samuel is rightly seen as Israel’s last judge and first prophet. Samuel bridges the gap between the time of the judges, and the time of the monarchy when prophets (such as Nathan, Elijah, and Isaiah) spiritually influenced the nation.
- Through the book of judges, when God raised up a judge, he led the nation mostly through political and military influence. Samuel, as a judge, mainly led the nation by his spiritual influence.
In Luke's passage today Jesus foretells what is to come when He returns.
Just as it was in the days of Noah, so will it be in the days of the Son of Man. They were eating and drinking and marrying and being given in marriage, until the day when Noah entered the ark, and the flood came and destroyed them all. Luke 17:26-27
Whoever seeks to preserve his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life will keep it. Luke 17:33
If you ask me, that day is coming SOON. This temporary world we live in, is only getting worse. More violent, more self-destructive as every day passes on. We can only hope and pray that when that judgement day comes that we will have done all we could. And that we will be the one taken and not the one left.
5 comments:
Great post. I can't imagine the anguish Hannah felt and the sadness Hannah felt after being tormented for not having a child. I also admire her for keeping her word because sometimes we say rash things when we are desperate and Hannah could have changed her mind once she got what she desired.
One thing that stood out for me was:
"And I declare to [Eli] that I am about to punish his house forever, for the iniquity that he knew, because his sons were blaspheming God, and he did not restrain them."
I is our parental responsibility to restrain, teach, rebuke, and discipline our children. It sounds like Eli let his children run wild. He was not oblivious to their sin and yet he did nothing to stop it. Our children look to us for guidance and if we don't give it to them there are consequences. God show us the example of what good parents are supposed to do.
Yes, it was very sad to see that Eli's children ran wild like that! And yet he was entrusted to raise another child, that wasn't his own... I wonder if Hannah knew how his others ones turned out, if it had made her decision to leave Samuel there any different?
That's kind of exactly what I was thinking. I think Hannah knew exactly what was going on with the priest's sons ~ it doesn't sound like it was much of a secret. I never cease to be impressed with this woman, but it struck me in reading this today how her faith was stronger than her vision. I think she knew how Eli's sons were turning out and I believe she wondered if he was really the best teacher for her son, but she kept her promise because of her relationship with God. I just think that's so incredibly amazing!
Ack! *must read comments over before posting* sorry about the errors in my first comment :)
Great point about Hannah not only leaving her son to be raised by the priest but one with a legacy of wild children. I had actually never thought of that. It was amazing that she trusted God knowing what she knew about Eli.
Hannah's faith and her commitment to God and to honouring her vow is amazing.
I wonder if it was a rash vow that she later regretted, even though she fulfilled it?
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