I’ve been reading along. I’m not keeping up, as you can see, but I am reading along. I’m finding it slow going, which frustrates me a bit, since it’s a straight narrative and not sorting through doctrine like we do in the epistles. I’m going to blame it on sickness, tiredness and busyness. Like everyone else, we’ve had our share of them in the past month.
I’m home from church this morning. My littlest man and I are having trouble shaking this latest virus and my husband thought it would be best if we stayed put. I’m glad he did. I would have pushed myself to go and the whole congregation would have wondered what beautiful germs I was spewing through the building every time I coughed. (We had to make a trip to the city yesterday for a piano competition and we did some shopping afterwards. The kids had birthday, lawn-mowing and babysitting money burning holes in their pockets, you know. When we got home they all agreed that although they are sorry I have a cough, it came in handy in those big stores. I guess I was easy to find.) So I’m going to take advantage of the last few quiet minutes before the crew returns and keep my promise to my sister to get something posted before the weekend was out.
Back to 1 Samuel.
Like I said, I’m getting bogged down. This will probably be a more-questions-than-answers kind of review. That’s great, as long as I discipline myself to keep looking for the answers!
First of all, aren’t you glad that you aren’t in a polygamous marriage? And aren’t you sad that we women can be so mean to each other? The Hannah and Peninnah story breaks my heart. I feel for both of them. If my understanding of OT marriages is correct, neither wife had much say in the situation.
Peninnah knew she was only there to produce children. Life would be pretty tough with a husband who puts clothes on your back and food on your table but obviously prefers his other wife. I don’t condone her actions, but I do think I can get a feel for what drove her to them. When we are sadly lacking in one area it is very tempting to taunt and flaunt what we do have.
Hannah had Elkanah’s love, but no children. I don’t know what it is to be childless unwillingly, and I don’t have to deal with the pressure of a culture that places your ability to produce children above everything else, but I do know what it is to want a child and believe yourself unable to do so. I have spent years crying along with Hannah and praying for God to work in my situation.
So God answered Hannah’s prayer and Hannah kept her promise. I don’t know how Hannah did what she did. How do you give up your child? Did she know how poorly the priest had done raising his own boys? I’m really not sure she did the right thing, but what is obvious is that God used it. That’s comforting to me, because I of all people know that I have not done, do not do, and never will always do the right thing. God can and will still use me and my bungled attempts to show Him how much I want to honour Him.
I’m not saying Hannah did the wrong thing. I’m saying I don’t know. Whether it was right or wrong, she trusted God and did the best she could with what she had. There are so many situations in my own past where I can look back and know that given the same set of circumstances now, I would handle it differently. But the truth is, I did what I could with what I knew at the time, and it was the best I had to give. We always need to be growing and learning, don’t we?
Reading about Eli’s sons makes me all the more determined to raise my kids well. I trust the Lord that if I train ‘em up in the way they should go, when they are old they will not depart from it. How sad for Eli to see his sons as grown men living such blasphemous lives.
Reading about the ark of the covenant made me realize I have no sweet clue what the ark was all about. God told them not to worship a graven image, then He gave them the ark, and it seems to me like the people sort of worshipped it. You know, if the team mascot is stolen the game won’t go well kind-of-thing. I have some study to do in that regard.
Reading about Saul showed me that I knew the end of his story, but not the beginning. It’s very sobering to read of such a great start when you already know the dismal end. A good reminder for me. Starting well isn’t enough. I need to finish well.
I loved the part about God changing Saul’s heart. All of this OT reading is showing me how wrong I’ve been to always think of the Old Testament as works, works, works and the New Testament as the glorious age of grace. All those sacrifices and rules were still only the outward manifestation of the work God had already done inside. Very cool.
I loved how everyone who knew Saul saw the change in him immediately and was amazed. It wasn’t that he was such a bad guy before – he was a choice and handsome son – but when God changes your heart, it’s obvious. You’re a new creation. The change was so great that it even inspired a new expression among the people. Can’t you just hear the townspeople years later when something incredible happened: “Is Saul also among the prophets?” Kind of like us saying, “well, if that don’t beat all!”
That’s it for this time. The gang’s all here, lunch is ready to come out of the oven, and I have to get on with my day.
{I’m adding one more thought. The last verse I’ve read so far says that there were a few people who weren’t happy with God’s choice for their king. They despised Saul from the get-go. Some people just won’t be pleased. Sad, isn’t it? God was their king, but they rejected Him because they wanted a flesh and bones leader that they could see. So God gave them the desires of their hearts and it would bring leanness to their souls. Another good reminder for me – it’s always better to want what God wants. Sounds obvious, but we miss it so often.}
