December 13, 2007

Good Evening Brothers and Sisters,

Welcome back to the Study.  I have attached a schedule and outline for a prayer list for the next week.  I suggest going to the web page, print it, and fill in the blanks for your personal prayer list.  I am hoping to develop it better in the near future.  Let me know if you have any suggestions.

I completed the evangelism course that has been going on for the past eight weeks.  It kept me pretty busy.  Thanks for your patience in my absence.

1 Samuel 1:1-18 (NASB95)
¹ Now there was a certain man from Ramathaim-zophim from the hill country of Ephraim, and his name was Elkanah the son of Jeroham, the son of Elihu, the son of Tohu, the son of Zuph, an Ephraimite. ² He had two wives: the name of one was Hannah and the name of the other Peninnah; and Peninnah had children, but Hannah had no children. ³ Now this man would go up from his city yearly to worship and to sacrifice to the Lord of hosts in Shiloh. And the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, were priests to the Lord there. ⁴ When the day came that Elkanah sacrificed, he would give portions to Peninnah his wife and to all her sons and her daughters; ⁵ but to Hannah he would give a double portion, for he loved Hannah, but the Lord had closed her womb. ⁶ Her rival, however, would provoke her bitterly to irritate her, because the Lord had closed her womb. ⁷ It happened year after year, as often as she went up to the house of the Lord, she would provoke her; so she wept and would not eat. ⁸ Then Elkanah her husband said to her, “Hannah, why do you weep and why do you not eat and why is your heart sad? Am I not better to you than ten sons?” ⁹ Then Hannah rose after eating and drinking in Shiloh. Now Eli the priest was sitting on the seat by the doorpost of the temple of the Lord. ¹⁰ She, greatly distressed, prayed to the Lord and wept bitterly. ¹¹ She made a vow and said, “O Lord of hosts, if You will indeed look on the affliction of Your maidservant and remember me, and not forget Your maidservant, but will give Your maidservant a son, then I will give him to the Lord all the days of his life, and a razor shall never come on his head.” ¹² Now it came about, as she continued praying before the Lord, that Eli was watching her mouth. ¹³ As for Hannah, she was speaking in her heart, only her lips were moving, but her voice was not heard. So Eli thought she was drunk. ¹⁴ Then Eli said to her, “How long will you make yourself drunk? Put away your wine from you.” ¹⁵ But Hannah replied, “No, my lord, I am a woman oppressed in spirit; I have drunk neither wine nor strong drink, but I have poured out my soul before the Lord. ¹⁶ “Do not consider your maidservant as a worthless woman, for I have spoken until now out of my great concern and provocation.” ¹⁷ Then Eli answered and said, “Go in peace; and may the God of Israel grant your petition that you have asked of Him.” ¹⁸ She said, “Let your maidservant find favor in your sight.” So the woman went her way and ate, and her face was no longer sad.^[1]

I have found the story extremely interesting.  Since it is the Christmas season I would like to draw a parallel between the story of Elkanah and Hannah with Joseph and Mary.  I think you will find this rather interesting.

Elkanah seems to have been a righteous man.  Verse 3 indicates that he made a journey each year to Jerusalem to worship and sacrifice to the Lord.  During a time when many had turned from the Lord, this showed true devotion.  Joseph was also a righteous man, this is indicated in Matthew 1:19. 

1 Samuel 2:12 (NASB95)
¹² Now the sons of Eli were worthless men; they did not know the Lord^[2]

Let's look for a moment at the religious system that was in place.  Eli had two sons (verse 3) and all three of them were priests to the Lord.  How would you rate this family?  The two sons later demonstrated that they were worthless men and did not even know the Lord!  This is interesting because they were priests in the house of the Lord.  Keep that in the back of your mind as we study the next few chapters.  One other thing to consider is that the priests during the time of Eli were corrupt just like the priesthood during the Gospels was also inhabited by people who did not truly believe in the Lord.  I wonder today how many in the ministry have an occupation to minister, but not truly a heart to do so...

Hannah was severely intimidated by Peninnah since she was not able to have children.  Try to place yourself in their time for a moment.  Children were a heritage from the Lord.  Those who did not have children were looked upon as having a curse of the Lord on their lives.  This is demonstrated by the note in verse 6 that the Lord had closed her womb.  That's a bit opposite of the way many look at children today.  Also look at the longevity of this treatment; it went on for years (verse 7). 

Her husband did not help any either, look at his comment (verse 8).  It's rather condescending when you think about it.  Hannah wanted children; her husband did not replace those in her heart.  The comments that were meant to be soothing were more of a rebuke than a comfort to her.

In short, life stunk for Hannah.  She cried before the Lord, year after year and lived her life in a state of depression since she did not have any kids.  Her prayer in verses 10-12 demonstrate a heart that is bitterly broken by disappointment.  Imagine feeling that in order to get God to answer your prayer you have to make a deal with Him.  Before you say it isn't so, examine your own prayer life... Have you ever prayed a "ceiling" prayer that seemed to bounce back from the ceiling?  I think all of us have done this.  Hannah was praying to God out of desperation, and did not feel that God was listening at all.

Now steps in the man of God, Eli.  Imagine how Hannah felt when he accused her of being drunk!  I want you to notice something though.  Hannah made her defense with him and looked at him as a representative of God.  We don't know much about Eli, we do know that his sons were not following in his shoes.  When he spoke to her, he affirmed that God had answered her prayer.  This was all the assurance that she needed.  Look at her attitude change in verse 18. 

Hannah is different from Mary because Mary was a virgin.  However, there is a huge similarity between the two women.  Both of them were shamed by the priests of their day, misunderstood, and both bore miraculous children.  It's worth pondering over.  For a good look at the attitude that Mary dealt with, rent the movie "The Nativity", it captures the attitude of the day very well. 

The most important lesson in this is regarding prayer.  How many of us will pray even when all the odds are against us?  How many of us will continue to pray even though God has seemingly not listened for years to our requests?  Reflecting on Hannah’s attitude toward bargaining with God, how many of us are serious about our prayers?  This is important. 

In my break from academics I have been reading a book by Ted Dekker, The Slumber of Christianity.  It is excellent, the main point that he makes in the book is that Christianity is centered on hope or hopelessness.  Everything revolves around hope.  Hannah had hope that she would have a child.  When Eli answered her, this hope was viewed as an answered prayer.  She went in peace.  As we enter the Christmas season, I would encourage each of you to read this little book by Dekker, the revelation of hope will enable you to revitalize your Christian life.

Father, as we consider Your word today, speak to each of our hearts and draw us to understand the truth that is written in it.

In Him,

Joe Turner.

December 21, 2007

New Checklist: http://www.emailbiblestudy.com/Weeklychecklist.htm

Good Morning Brothers and Sisters,

1 Samuel 1:19-28 (NASB95)
¹⁹ Then they arose early in the morning and worshiped before the Lord, and returned again to their house in Ramah. And Elkanah had relations with Hannah his wife, and the Lord remembered her. ²⁰ It came about in due time, after Hannah had conceived, that she gave birth to a son; and she named him Samuel, saying, “Because I have asked him of the Lord.” ²¹ Then the man Elkanah went up with all his household to offer to the Lord the yearly sacrifice and pay his vow. ²² But Hannah did not go up, for she said to her husband, “I will not go up until the child is weaned; then I will bring him, that he may appear before the Lord and stay there forever.” ²³ Elkanah her husband said to her, “Do what seems best to you. Remain until you have weaned him; only may the Lord confirm His word.” So the woman remained and nursed her son until she weaned him. ²⁴ Now when she had weaned him, she took him up with her, with a three-year-old bull and one ephah of flour and a jug of wine, and brought him to the house of the Lord in Shiloh, although the child was young. ²⁵ Then they slaughtered the bull, and brought the boy to Eli. ²⁶ She said, “Oh, my lord! As your soul lives, my lord, I am the woman who stood here beside you, praying to the Lord. ²⁷ “For this boy I prayed, and the Lord has given me my petition which I asked of Him. ²⁸ “So I have also dedicated him to the Lord; as long as he lives he is dedicated to the Lord.” And he worshiped the Lord there.^[1]

In our last study, we looked at the circumstances that led up to the birth of Samuel.  These are rather interesting.  From the side-line, it is also interesting that the word for "had relations" is the same word that Jeremiah recorded as God knowing us before we are born.

Jeremiah 1:5 (NASB95)
⁵ “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, And before you were born I consecrated you; I have appointed you a prophet to the nations.”

John 10:14 (NASB95)
¹⁴ “I am the good shepherd, and I know My own and My own know Me,

Romans 8:29 (NASB95)
²⁹ For those whom He foreknew, He also predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son, so that He would be the firstborn among many brethren;^[2]

How well does the Lord "know" us?  According to the picture that we have from the word, God knows us on the most intimate level.  The word is used all through the Old Testament in reference to sexual relations.  It is also used in reference to God knowing us, experiential knowledge, and wisdom that has been gained through hard work. The word is used 1,008 times in the Old Testament and covers a broad range of knowledge.  The main use is toward intimate knowledge.  Think about it, God knows us, and knew us before we were even a twinkle in our parents eyes.  Hannah named her son "Samuel".  Along with the discussion of this word, let's look at a brief discussion from the Bible Knowledge Commentary:

Shortly after Hannah’s return to Ramah, she conceived and in due course bore a son whom she named . . . Samuel. Though the name technically means “his name is God” or something similar, Hannah may, by assonance, have understood the name to mean “asked of God.” She had “asked” (šā’al) God for a son, and He had “heard” (šāma‘) her. “Samuel,” then, would be associated with šămūa‘ ’ēl, “heard of God,” because she had asked the Lord for him.^[3]

Elkanah name means "God has possessed or created" depending upon which dictionary that you look in.  Since we are playing with names, Hannah's name means "grace, favor, or graciousness".  Name studies are often rich in the Old Testament.  They reveal a lot about various passages. 

Can you imagine being Elkanah?  Hannah informed him that the child that she named as a gift from God would be given back to God.  Elkanah's response is enlightening, he said "Do what seems best to you..." which can also be translated as "Do what seems best in your eyes" (NASB footnote).  Another interesting response that he made was "may the Lord confirm His word."  We do not know the answer to this prayer.  It is obvious that he was in agreement with Hannah when they later sent Samuel to the priest. 

2 Maccabees 7:27 (NRSV)
²⁷ But, leaning close to him, she spoke in their native language as follows, deriding the cruel tyrant: “My son, have pity on me. I carried you nine months in my womb, and nursed you for three years, and have reared you and brought you up to this point in your life, and have taken care of you.^[4]

The text indicates that the bull was three years old when she weaned Samuel.  This may indicate Samuel's age being about three years old at the time.  The apocryphal writing 2 Maccabees 7:27 validates the age of weaning to be three years old. The various offerings are interesting; they cover several different aspects of Levitical law.  I think the easiest way to justify these sacrifices is simply to look at them as "covering all the bases".  Elkanah and Hannah most likely did not want their move to devote their son to God to be thwarted because they did not offer the right kind of sacrifice.  This is my opinion. 

In our day, how serious are we about the Lord?  If God directed us to give our child to His service, would we be willing to carry through with it at this level?  God knows each one of us intimately, yet do we seek to know God intimately?  What is our commitment level to Him? When God calls, do we respond out of our devotion to Him or out of our desire to receive something back from God?  Too often we try to manipulate God with our prayers and our service...why not just say, Lord, here I am, use me:

Isaiah 55:5-8 (NASB95)
⁵ “Behold, you will call a nation you do not know, And a nation which knows you not will run to you, Because of the Lord your God, even the Holy One of Israel; For He has glorified you.” ⁶ Seek the Lord while He may be found; Call upon Him while He is near. ⁷ Let the wicked forsake his way And the unrighteous man his thoughts; And let him return to the Lord, And He will have compassion on him, And to our God, For He will abundantly pardon. ⁸ “For My thoughts are not your thoughts, Nor are your ways My ways,” declares the Lord.^[5]

Father, as we consider Your word today, let each one evaluate our relationship with You. 

In Him,

Joe Turner.