James McNaught: December 2013

1 Samuel 6:10–18, “And the men did so; and took two milch kine, and tied them to the cart, and shut up their calves at home: And they laid the ark of the LORD upon the cart, and the coffer with the mice of gold and the images of their emerods. And the kine took the straight way to the way of Bethshemesh, and went along the highway, lowing as they went, and turned not aside to the right hand or to the left; and the lords of the Philistines went after them unto the border of Bethshemesh. And they of Bethshemesh were reaping their wheat harvest in the valley: and they lifted up their eyes, and saw the ark, and rejoiced to see it. And the cart came into the field of Joshua, a Bethshemite, and stood there, where there was a great stone: and they clave the wood of the cart, and offered the kine a burnt offering unto the LORD. And the Levites took down the ark of the LORD, and the coffer that was with it, wherein the jewels of gold were, and put them on the great stone: and the men of Bethshemesh offered burnt offerings and sacrificed sacrifices the same day unto the LORD. And when the five lords of the Philistines had seen it, they returned to Ekron the same day. And these are the golden emerods which the Philistines returned for a trespass offering unto the LORD; for Ashdod one, for Gaza one, for Askelon one, for Gath one, for Ekron one; And the golden mice, according to the number of all the cities of the Philistines belonging to the five lords, both of fenced cities, and of country villages, even unto the great stone of Abel, whereon they set down the ark of the LORD: which stone remaineth unto this day in the field of Joshua, the Bethshemite.”

When the men let the cart go the cows went straight towards the nearest Israeli town and didn’t go back to their calves. When the Lord of the Philistines saw what had happened they went him satisfied that the Lord had brought all that trouble on them. When the cart reached the Israelis they were in the fields reaping wheat. They saw the ark and knew that this was the Lord’s doing. The cattle brought the cart with the ark into one man’s field so they cut up the cart and sacrificed the cows on a large rock that was nearby. They wanted to offer their gratitude and praise to the Lord for what He had done for them. After that they left the ark on the rock. When this history was recorded soon after these events the rock was still there so that any reader could go and see it. At that stage the local people just left the ark where it was. After all, the Lord had kept the ark while it was with their fiercest enemies and then brought it back so, surely, it would be safe within Israel’s borders.

What shall we do with the ark?

(The view expressed in this blog are my own and should not be taken as inspired in any way.)

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1 Samuel 6:1–9, “And the ark of the LORD was in the country of the Philistines seven months. And the Philistines called for the priests and the diviners, saying, What shall we do to the ark of the LORD? tell us wherewith we shall send it to his place. And they said, If ye send away the ark of the God of Israel, send it not empty; but in any wise return him a trespass offering: then ye shall be healed, and it shall be known to you why his hand is not removed from you. Then said they, What shall be the trespass offering which we shall return to him? They answered, Five golden emerods, and five golden mice, according to the number of the lords of the Philistines: for one plague was on you all, and on your lords. Wherefore ye shall make images of your emerods, and images of your mice that mar the land; and ye shall give glory unto the God of Israel: peradventure he will lighten his hand from off you, and from off your gods, and from off your land. Wherefore then do ye harden your hearts, as the Egyptians and Pharaoh hardened their hearts? when he had wrought wonderfully among them, did they not let the people go, and they departed? Now therefore make a new cart, and take two milch kine, on which there hath come no yoke, and tie the kine to the cart, and bring their calves home from them: And take the ark of the LORD, and lay it upon the cart; and put the jewels of gold, which ye return him for a trespass offering, in a coffer by the side thereof; and send it away, that it may go. And see, if it goeth up by the way of his own coast to Bethshemesh, then he hath done us this great evil: but if not, then we shall know that it is not his hand that smote us: it was a chance that happened to us.”

The Philistines did everything they could to keep the symbol of their victory over Israel and persevered for seven month with the ark in their custody. Eventually they decided that they would have to get rid of the ark. After their leaders discussed the situation they decided that they would have to offer the Lord a gift as well. After all, they had brought all this upon themselves and believed they should offer the Lord a gift to placate His anger. The Philistines could remember how the Lord had delivered Israel from slavery in Egypt and how they had suffered severe plagues. It seems as though the other nations in the region had a better memory of the Lord’s power than Israel had. They were not completely superstitious and decided to test their theory, just to make sure their problems came from possessing the ark rather than just a random event. The took some cows, who had just calved and yoked them together in a cart. These were cows that had never been broken to the yoke. Everyone knows that a cow, which has just calved will go to its calf when it starts to bawl. The Philistine placed the ark and the gifts they had made for the Lord in the card. They tied the calves and then let the cows go. If the cows returned to their calves then they would know that this was just a random plague but if the cows went towards Israel then that miracle would confirm the fact that the Lord had punished them for taking the ark.

Monday, December 30, 2013

Emerods

(The view expressed in this blog are my own and should not be taken as inspired in any way.)

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1 Samuel 5:6–12, “But the hand of the LORD was heavy upon them of Ashdod, and he destroyed them, and smote them with emerods, even Ashdod and the coasts thereof. And when the men of Ashdod saw that it was so, they said, The ark of the God of Israel shall not abide with us: for his hand is sore upon us, and upon Dagon our god. They sent therefore and gathered all the lords of the Philistines unto them, and said, What shall we do with the ark of the God of Israel? And they answered, Let the ark of the God of Israel be carried about unto Gath. And they carried the ark of the God of Israel about thither. And it was so, that, after they had carried it about, the hand of the LORD was against the city with a very great destruction: and he smote the men of the city, both small and great, and they had emerods in their secret parts. Therefore they sent the ark of God to Ekron. And it came to pass, as the ark of God came to Ekron, that the Ekronites cried out, saying, They have brought about the ark of the God of Israel to us, to slay us and our people. So they sent and gathered together all the lords of the Philistines, and said, Send away the ark of the God of Israel, and let it go again to his own place, that it slay us not, and our people: for there was a deadly destruction throughout all the city; the hand of God was very heavy there. And the men that died not were smitten with the emerods: and the cry of the city went up to heaven.”

When the Philistines refused to take advantage of the Lord’s grace, He showed them that they still needed to bow before Him. Israel was unworthy, because of their own sin, to carry out the Lord’s vengeance as He has commanded them to do when they first entered the Promised Land, so the Lord brought destruction Himself. The Lord brought a severe plague to the Philistines. The symptoms described here would suggest that they suffered from Bubonic Plague. This is caused by flea bites and is followed by swelling in lymph glands. The bacteria that come from the fleas multiplies, caused painful swelling and then reproduces. These swellings move to the armpits, around the groin and neck region and other parts of the body. Before long the victim suffers from gangrene in their toes, fingers and other parts of the body. Before long many of the victims die from this plague. When the people from Ashdod found they were being destroyed by this plague, they believed that it had come because they had taken possession of the ark and sent it over to Gath. Before long the plague attacked the citizens of Gath and they began to die as well. After this they sent the ark to Ekron but the citizens of Ekron were afraid and they called a meeting of all the Philistine leaders to decide what to do. This conference decided to send the ark of the Lord away from their country so that they could save themselves. While this was happening, all the people who managed to survive the plague were sill infected with the painful swellings and other symptoms of the disease.

Dagon was fallen

(The view expressed in this blog are my own and should not be taken as inspired in any way.)

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1 Samuel 5:1–5, “And the Philistines took the ark of God, and brought it from Ebenezer unto Ashdod. When the Philistines took the ark of God, they brought it into the house of Dagon, and set it by Dagon. And when they of Ashdod arose early on the morrow, behold, Dagon was fallen upon his face to the earth before the ark of the LORD. And they took Dagon, and set him in his place again. And when they arose early on the morrow morning, behold, Dagon was fallen upon his face to the ground before the ark of the LORD; and the head of Dagon and both the palms of his hands were cut off upon the threshold; only the stump of Dagon was left to him. Therefore neither the priests of Dagon, nor any that come into Dagon’s house, tread on the threshold of Dagon in Ashdod unto this day.”

Even though the Philistines had won a decisive victory over Israel, their god had not triumphed over the Lord God. They thought that they had taken the Israelis God as a trophy of battle and brought the ark to the house of their own god, Dagon. This was to force, what was in their minds, the Lord God of Israel to show homage and worship Dagon. When they came into their shrine the next morning they found that their idol had assumed its proper place and was bowing down before the True God of Heaven and earth. Of course they were not happy and placed their god, whom they thought was victorious, back in his proper place. This god was only a carved piece of stone and had no power to do anything at all. When they came into the shrine on the third morning they found that the statue of Dagon was lying before the ark of the Lord again. On this occasion they saw that Dagon’s head had been removed as well his hands. The Lord was gracious to them, giving them the opportunity to see that Dagon had no power at all before the Lord. They had not defeated the Lord God but He was using them as a means to bring Israel to their knees in submission before the Lord. They didn’t take advantage of the Lord’s grace and continued to worship their own god. In fact, they even venerated the place where the carved stone parts of their god had been forced to bow before the Lord.

Friday, December 27, 2013

Ichabod

(The view expressed in this blog are my own and should not be taken as inspired in any way.)

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1 Samuel 4:19–22, “And his daughter in law, Phinehas’ wife, was with child, near to be delivered: and when she heard the tidings that the ark of God was taken, and that her father in law and her husband were dead, she bowed herself and travailed; for her pains came upon her. And about the time of her death the women that stood by her said unto her, Fear not; for thou hast born a son. But she answered not, neither did she regard it. And she named the child Ichabod, saying, The glory is departed from Israel: because the ark of God was taken, and because of her father in law and her husband. And she said, The glory is departed from Israel: for the ark of God is taken.”

After the battle, when the news had been received, Phinehas’ wife heard the news as well. She was pregnant and very close to her time so the shock brought on sudden contractions and she was delivered of a baby son. Even this woman was more concerned about the spiritual state of the nation than the death of her husband. She called her son “Ichabod”, which means “There is no glory”. The spiritual decline had affected the entire nation and they all believed that, somehow or other, the ark actually represent the Lord God and He was lost to their nation. However, this was entirely wrong, they were disobeying the second commandment. The Lord had not deserted Israel nor departed from them. They had rejected the Lord and He was in the process of bringing them back to Him in repentance.

Eli's end

(The view expressed in this blog are my own and should not be taken as inspired in any way.)

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1 Samuel 4:12–18, “And there ran a man of Benjamin out of the army, and came to Shiloh the same day with his clothes rent, and with earth upon his head. And when he came, lo, Eli sat upon a seat by the wayside watching: for his heart trembled for the ark of God. And when the man came into the city, and told it, all the city cried out. And when Eli heard the noise of the crying, he said, What meaneth the noise of this tumult? And the man came in hastily, and told Eli. Now Eli was ninety and eight years old; and his eyes were dim, that he could not see. And the man said unto Eli, I am he that came out of the army, and I fled to day out of the army. And he said, What is there done, my son? And the messenger answered and said, Israel is fled before the Philistines, and there hath been also a great slaughter among the people, and thy two sons also, Hophni and Phinehas, are dead, and the ark of God is taken. And it came to pass, when he made mention of the ark of God, that he fell from off the seat backward by the side of the gate, and his neck brake, and he died: for he was an old man, and heavy. And he had judged Israel forty years.”

After the battle was over, one very courageous man left the battle to bring the news to Eli, Israel’s leader at that time. He adopted the signs of mourning by tearing his clothes and putting dirt on his head. He could well have been killed as the Philistines may have wanted to follow up their victory with further attacks. Eli was a very old man but that time, ninety eight years. He was blind and heard the noise so he called out to ask for the news. He was concerned about the ark more so that his own sons. He hadn’t been strong enough in his leadership when his sons suggested they take the ark to the battle. As the leading priest he should have refused to let them take the ark at all. He was told that his two sons were dead and that the ark had been captured by the Philistines. When he heard about the ark he fell over backwards from his chair and suffered a broken neck because he was a very heavy man.

The two sons of Eli

(The view expressed in this blog are my own and should not be taken as inspired in any way.)

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1 Samuel 4:10–11, “And the Philistines fought, and Israel was smitten, and they fled every man into his tent: and there was a very great slaughter; for there fell of Israel thirty thousand footmen. And the ark of God was taken; and the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, were slain.”

Israel chose not to trust the Lord but to act like the nations. They used the ark of the Lord as an idol and they took the Name of the Lord in vain by pretending that He was another god, just like the gods of the Philistines. The Lord had warned Eli that both his sons would die in one day and they did. If we choose not to honour the Lord then, ultimately, the Lord will give us what we choose. Along the way He will be both gracious and merciful.

Tuesday, December 24, 2013

Let us fetch the ark

(The view expressed in this blog are my own and should not be taken as inspired in any way.)

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1 Samuel 4:1–9, “And the word of Samuel came to all Israel. Now Israel went out against the Philistines to battle, and pitched beside Ebenezer: and the Philistines pitched in Aphek. And the Philistines put themselves in array against Israel: and when they joined battle, Israel was smitten before the Philistines: and they slew of the army in the field about four thousand men. And when the people were come into the camp, the elders of Israel said, Wherefore hath the LORD smitten us to day before the Philistines? Let us fetch the ark of the covenant of the LORD out of Shiloh unto us, that, when it cometh among us, it may save us out of the hand of our enemies. So the people sent to Shiloh, that they might bring from thence the ark of the covenant of the LORD of hosts, which dwelleth between the cherubims: and the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, were there with the ark of the covenant of God. And when the ark of the covenant of the LORD came into the camp, all Israel shouted with a great shout, so that the earth rang again. And when the Philistines heard the noise of the shout, they said, What meaneth the noise of this great shout in the camp of the Hebrews? And they understood that the ark of the LORD was come into the camp. And the Philistines were afraid, for they said, God is come into the camp. And they said, Woe unto us! for there hath not been such a thing heretofore. Woe unto us! who shall deliver us out of the hand of these mighty Gods? these are the Gods that smote the Egyptians with all the plagues in the wilderness. Be strong, and quit yourselves like men, O ye Philistines, that ye be not servants unto the Hebrews, as they have been to you: quit yourselves like men, and fight.”

Israel understood that the Lord had called Samuel and spoke through Him. However, Samuel wasn’t yet old enough to have place of power or even to be in a position to advice those in power. While all this was happening, the Philistines, who were Israel’s sworn enemies and their most fearsome foes, decided to come and attack Israel. Perhaps they realised that Israel was in disarray because their spiritual leaders were morally corrupt and spiritually bankrupt. They brought their armies and set them in battle array and Israel set their armies opposite to defend the nation. The battle began and Israel was defeated. They had ignored the Lord and the Lord invoked the penalty clauses of the contract so that Israel could be brought to their knees in repentance. However, Israel wasn’t ready to do and they chose to ignore the second commandment and set the ark of the covenant up as though it was their God rather than bowing before their true and repenting of their sins. The Philistines, who were used to worshipping idols of stone and wood assumed that Israel had brought their God to the battle field. However, they set themselves resolutely to fight a battle and they encouraged each other to fight with courage.

Monday, December 23, 2013

Established to be a prophet

(The view expressed in this blog are my own and should not be taken as inspired in any way.)

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1 Samuel 3:19–21, “And Samuel grew, and the LORD was with him, and did let none of his words fall to the ground. And all Israel from Dan even to Beersheba knew that Samuel was established to be a prophet of the LORD. And the LORD appeared again in Shiloh: for the LORD revealed himself to Samuel in Shiloh by the word of the LORD.”

Samuel was courageous and faithfully gave the Lord’s message to Eli. The Lord blessed Samuel as he grew up and made sure that people respected everything that he said. No one treated Samuel like a fool or ignored the things that he had to say. The Israelis understood that he brought the Lord’s message and respected his words because they came from the Lord God of heaven. The situation had changed from Samuel’s younger years when the Lord’s words were rare. They had been rare before because no one bothered to listen to what the Lord had to say so the Lord stopped speaking to Israel, after all it was just a waste of time. When Samuel listened to the Lord and acted on His commands the Lord knew that the people would listen to Him so He spoke often for the benefit of the entire nation and for the glory of His Great and Holy Name.

Samuel feared

(The view expressed in this blog are my own and should not be taken as inspired in any way.)

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1 Samuel 3:11–18, “And the LORD said to Samuel, Behold, I will do a thing in Israel, at which both the ears of every one that heareth it shall tingle. In that day I will perform against Eli all things which I have spoken concerning his house: when I begin, I will also make an end. For I have told him that I will judge his house for ever for the iniquity which he knoweth; because his sons made themselves vile, and he restrained them not. And therefore I have sworn unto the house of Eli, that the iniquity of Eli’s house shall not be purged with sacrifice nor offering for ever. And Samuel lay until the morning, and opened the doors of the house of the LORD. And Samuel feared to shew Eli the vision. Then Eli called Samuel, and said, Samuel, my son. And he answered, Here am I. And he said, What is the thing that the LORD hath said unto thee? I pray thee hide it not from me: God do so to thee, and more also, if thou hide any thing from me of all the things that he said unto thee. And Samuel told him every whit, and hid nothing from him. And he said, It is the LORD: let him do what seemeth him good.”

The Lord had already sent a prophet to tell Eli that He was displeased with Hophni and Phinehas, Eli’s sons. He had warned Elis to turn away from his own evil ways. For, as the priest, Eli was responsible for the conduct of ceremonies, keeping of regulations and the standard of behaviour in the Tabernacle precinct but he allowed his sons to ignore the Law and the ceremonial regulations. In this sense, Eli was fully responsible for his sons behaviour but he had refused to take any warnings an be restored the Lord through confession and repentance. The Lord took one last drastic step to make sure that Eli heard His message. However, it was too late, at that stage for Eli to repent and he was definitely going to be punished along with his evil sons. On the other hand, Samuel was still quite young and Eli was his master while he was an apprentice so he was afraid of Eli and didn’t want to tell Eli what the Lord had said. When Eli saw that Samuel was reticent to pass on the message he threatened to curse Samuel. He was far stricter with his young apprentice than he had been with his sons. Samuel was just the Lord’s messenger so he told Eli everything that the Lord had said. Eli was an old man and ready to die anyway. He wasn’t too interested in what might happen to his sons so he accepted the Lord’s message.

Friday, December 20, 2013

Speak, Lord; for thy servant heareth

(The view expressed in this blog are my own and should not be taken as inspired in any way.)

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1 Samuel 3:1–10, “And the child Samuel ministered unto the LORD before Eli. And the word of the LORD was precious in those days; there was no open vision. And it came to pass at that time, when Eli was laid down in his place, and his eyes began to wax dim, that he could not see; And ere the lamp of God went out in the temple of the LORD, where the ark of God was, and Samuel was laid down to sleep; That the LORD called Samuel: and he answered, Here am I. And he ran unto Eli, and said, Here am I; for thou calledst me. And he said, I called not; lie down again. And he went and lay down. And the LORD called yet again, Samuel. And Samuel arose and went to Eli, and said, Here am I; for thou didst call me. And he answered, I called not, my son; lie down again. Now Samuel did not yet know the LORD, neither was the word of the LORD yet revealed unto him. And the LORD called Samuel again the third time. And he arose and went to Eli, and said, Here am I; for thou didst call me. And Eli perceived that the LORD had called the child. Therefore Eli said unto Samuel, Go, lie down: and it shall be, if he call thee, that thou shalt say, Speak, LORD; for thy servant heareth. So Samuel went and lay down in his place. And the LORD came, and stood, and called as at other times, Samuel, Samuel. Then Samuel answered, Speak; for thy servant heareth.”

Samuel started his apprenticeship as a priest from a young age. There were many responsible jobs to be done around the Tabernacle and Eli’s sons were not doing that kind of work. The sad comment about Eli’s period of responsibility is just an extension of the comments made about the time of the Judges: “every man did what was right in his own eyes.” However, the comment was expressed in another way by saying that no one listened to the Lord so the Lord’s message was precious, that is, extremely rare. Very few people even knew that the Lord would speak to individuals and even fewer knew what this message would sound like. It seems as though Samuel was responsible for lighting the lights near the place of worship and he slept close by so that they could be kept alight, as was required. Samuel was asleep and heard someone calling him during the night. Eli had never taught Samuel that the Lord would call to people and his only experience of that was when the prophet came and gave him the Lord’s message. Perhaps the Lord had already tried to speak to Eli in person but he wasn’t willing to hear what the Lord had to say. When Samuel heard the Lord’s voice calling him in the night he assumed that it was Eli and ran to see what Eli wanted. Elis told Samuel that he hadn’t called him and that he should go back to bed. This happened three times before Eli realised that it was the Lord. he told Samuel to wait for the call to come again and then say, “Speak, Lord: for thy servant heareth.” Sure enough the Lord called again and Samuel used the words that Eli had told him to use.

A man of God came to Eli

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1 Samuel 2:27–36, “And there came a man of God unto Eli, and said unto him, Thus saith the LORD, Did I plainly appear unto the house of thy father, when they were in Egypt in Pharaoh’s house? And did I choose him out of all the tribes of Israel to be my priest, to offer upon mine altar, to burn incense, to wear an ephod before me? and did I give unto the house of thy father all the offerings made by fire of the children of Israel? Wherefore kick ye at my sacrifice and at mine offering, which I have commanded in my habitation; and honourest thy sons above me, to make yourselves fat with the chiefest of all the offerings of Israel my people? Wherefore the LORD God of Israel saith, I said indeed that thy house, and the house of thy father, should walk before me for ever: but now the LORD saith, Be it far from me; for them that honour me I will honour, and they that despise me shall be lightly esteemed. Behold, the days come, that I will cut off thine arm, and the arm of thy father’s house, that there shall not be an old man in thine house. And thou shalt see an enemy in my habitation, in all the wealth which God shall give Israel: and there shall not be an old man in thine house for ever. And the man of thine, whom I shall not cut off from mine altar, shall be to consume thine eyes, and to grieve thine heart: and all the increase of thine house shall die in the flower of their age. And this shall be a sign unto thee, that shall come upon thy two sons, on Hophni and Phinehas; in one day they shall die both of them. And I will raise me up a faithful priest, that shall do according to that which is in mine heart and in my mind: and I will build him a sure house; and he shall walk before mine anointed for ever. And it shall come to pass, that every one that is left in thine house shall come and crouch to him for a piece of silver and a morsel of bread, and shall say, Put me, I pray thee, into one of the priests’ offices, that I may eat a piece of bread.”

The Lord sent a prophet to Eli to reprimand him because he had put his sons before the Lord. Eli, as a priest, should have known the Law and the Tabernacle regulations but he chose to ignore them rather than teach his sons how to follow the Law of the Lord. The Lord called Eli’s ancestor, Moses, when he was still in Egypt and placed him in Pharaoh’s house so that he could be trained as a leader. Moses’ brother, Aaron, was chosen to the the high priest and serve the Lord in the Tabernacle, to the glory of God. However, in spite of all this, Eli and his family had committed sacrilege in Israel. Eli by refusing to discipline his sons and Hophni and Phinehas by ignoring the Law and the Tabernacle regulations. The prophet promised Eli that both of his sons would die on the same day and his descendants would never serve as high priest in Israel. That privilege would belong to another family in the priestly clan. The Lord would give Israel a faithful priest who would honour the Lord and keep the regulations properly so that the Tabernacle would be a holy place and not an extension of the pagan practices that had been in the Promised Land before Israel possessed it to glorify the Lord’s Name.

The sons of Eli

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1 Samuel 2:11–26, “And Elkanah went to Ramah to his house. And the child did minister unto the LORD before Eli the priest. Now the sons of Eli were sons of Belial; they knew not the LORD. And the priests’ custom with the people was, that, when any man offered sacrifice, the priest’s servant came, while the flesh was in seething, with a fleshhook of three teeth in his hand; And he struck it into the pan, or kettle, or caldron, or pot; all that the fleshhook brought up the priest took for himself. So they did in Shiloh unto all the Israelites that came thither. Also before they burnt the fat, the priest’s servant came, and said to the man that sacrificed, Give flesh to roast for the priest; for he will not have sodden flesh of thee, but raw. And if any man said unto him, Let them not fail to burn the fat presently, and then take as much as thy soul desireth; then he would answer him, Nay; but thou shalt give it me now: and if not, I will take it by force. Wherefore the sin of the young men was very great before the LORD: for men abhorred the offering of the LORD. But Samuel ministered before the LORD, being a child, girded with a linen ephod. Moreover his mother made him a little coat, and brought it to him from year to year, when she came up with her husband to offer the yearly sacrifice. And Eli blessed Elkanah and his wife, and said, The LORD give thee seed of this woman for the loan which is lent to the LORD. And they went unto their own home. And the LORD visited Hannah, so that she conceived, and bare three sons and two daughters. And the child Samuel grew before the LORD. Now Eli was very old, and heard all that his sons did unto all Israel; and how they lay with the women that assembled at the door of the tabernacle of the congregation. And he said unto them, Why do ye such things? for I hear of your evil dealings by all this people. Nay, my sons; for it is no good report that I hear: ye make the LORD’S people to transgress. If one man sin against another, the judge shall judge him: but if a man sin against the LORD, who shall intreat for him? Notwithstanding they hearkened not unto the voice of their father, because the LORD would slay them. And the child Samuel grew on, and was in favour both with the LORD, and also with men.”

It is hard to imagine the size of Hannah’s sacrifice to the Lord. She had been childless for many years and finally, when the Lord gave her her first child, she gave that child up, after he was weaned, to serve the Lord in the Tabernacle precincts. However, the Lord was preparing for the future because we find that Eli’s sons were evil men. They should have been trained to be priests after their father and respect the Law of the Lord and the regulations for sacrifice and worship. Instead they used the sacred duties for their own pleasure. On the other hand, Samuel grew up a godly child. Year by year his mother made clothes for him and brought them when her family came for their yearly pilgrimage. The Lord saw that Hannah made the huge sacrifice of giving up her, long waited for, son and she five more children, three sons and two daughters. We can assume that she had more children than her competitor wife. At this stage, Eli, the priest, was very old but still he didn’t do anything to discipline his sons or prevent them from profaning the Tabernacle. They became like heathen priests and pursued heathen sexual practices in the Tabernacle of the Lord. When people had issued that should have been dealt with by the priest they were unable to do find justice because Eli’s sons were totally corrupt and, probably, more guilty than any of the people who came for judgment.

My heart rejoiceth in the Lord

(The view expressed in this blog are my own and should not be taken as inspired in any way.)

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1 Samuel 2:1–10, “And Hannah prayed, and said, My heart rejoiceth in the LORD, mine horn is exalted in the LORD: my mouth is enlarged over mine enemies; because I rejoice in thy salvation. There is none holy as the LORD: for there is none beside thee: neither is there any rock like our God. Talk no more so exceeding proudly; let not arrogancy come out of your mouth: for the LORD is a God of knowledge, and by him actions are weighed. The bows of the mighty men are broken, and they that stumbled are girded with strength. They that were full have hired out themselves for bread; and they that were hungry ceased: so that the barren hath born seven; and she that hath many children is waxed feeble. The LORD killeth, and maketh alive: he bringeth down to the grave, and bringeth up. The LORD maketh poor, and maketh rich: he bringeth low, and lifteth up. He raiseth up the poor out of the dust, and lifteth up the beggar from the dunghill, to set them among princes, and to make them inherit the throne of glory: for the pillars of the earth are the LORD’S, and he hath set the world upon them. He will keep the feet of his saints, and the wicked shall be silent in darkness; for by strength shall no man prevail. The adversaries of the LORD shall be broken to pieces; out of heaven shall he thunder upon them: the LORD shall judge the ends of the earth; and he shall give strength unto his king, and exalt the horn of his anointed.”

Hannah was so glad when the Lord answered her prayer that she composed a prayer of praise and thanksgiving to the Lord. She knew that the Lord alone could make the impossible happen so she gave the Lord all the credit for the birth of this, much longed for, child. Not only was the Lord responsible for her individual joy, He was also responsible for the security and blessings that belonged to the whole nation of Israel. No one should be proud before the Lord because He alone can cause things to prosper and He alone can cause them to fail. It is interesting to note that, in this passage, a distinction is made between the earth and the world. We know that God created the heavens and the earth but, on the other hand, God so loved the world. The Lord has set the world upon the earth. We can take this mean that “the world” refers to all the people while “the earth” refers to the place where all those people are born and die.

Wednesday, December 18, 2013

The Lord heard

(The view expressed in this blog are my own and should not be taken as inspired in any way.)

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1 Samuel 1:19–28, “And they rose up in the morning early, and worshipped before the LORD, and returned, and came to their house to Ramah: and Elkanah knew Hannah his wife; and the LORD remembered her. Wherefore it came to pass, when the time was come about after Hannah had conceived, that she bare a son, and called his name Samuel, saying, Because I have asked him of the LORD. And the man Elkanah, and all his house, went up to offer unto the LORD the yearly sacrifice, and his vow. But Hannah went not up; for she said unto her husband, I will not go up until the child be weaned, and then I will bring him, that he may appear before the LORD, and there abide for ever. And Elkanah her husband said unto her, Do what seemeth thee good; tarry until thou have weaned him; only the LORD establish his word. So the woman abode, and gave her son suck until she weaned him. And when she had weaned him, she took him up with her, with three bullocks, and one ephah of flour, and a bottle of wine, and brought him unto the house of the LORD in Shiloh: and the child was young. And they slew a bullock, and brought the child to Eli. And she said, Oh my lord, as thy soul liveth, my lord, I am the woman that stood by thee here, praying unto the LORD. For this child I prayed; and the LORD hath given me my petition which I asked of him: Therefore also I have lent him to the LORD; as long as he liveth he shall be lent to the LORD. And he worshipped the LORD there.”

Hannah left the Tabernacle after the time for pilgrimage was finished with joy because she had faith in her heart. She followed her regular pattern of life but made sure she did what was essential for the Lord to give her the son that she requested. In the course of time she fell pregnant and was delivered of a healthy boy. Hannah had made a solemn promise to the Lord that she would dedicate her child as a lifelong Nazarite when he was born. She also promised that she would give her son to serve the Lord at the Tabernacle as soon as he was old enough to leave his mother. When the time for pilgrimage arrived again she stayed at home and remained there until her son was weaned. She then went up to the Tabernacle with some animals and other food to offer as a sacrifice. When she had offered the sacrifices she took the boy, who she called Samuel, which means “the Lord hears” to Eli and told him that this was the child that she had prayed for. Samuel was dedicated to the Lord’s service for the rest of his life but his mother visited him on a regular basis as long as she was able. Samuel was to be one of the great men of Israel’s history and play a very important role in the history of redemption.

Not drunk, grieving

(The view expressed in this blog are my own and should not be taken as inspired in any way.)

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1 Samuel 1:9–18, “So Hannah rose up after they had eaten in Shiloh, and after they had drunk. Now Eli the priest sat upon a seat by a post of the temple of the LORD. And she was in bitterness of soul, and prayed unto the LORD, and wept sore. And she vowed a vow, and said, O LORD of hosts, if thou wilt indeed look on the affliction of thine handmaid, and remember me, and not forget thine handmaid, but wilt give unto thine handmaid a man child, then I will give him unto the LORD all the days of his life, and there shall no razor come upon his head. And it came to pass, as she continued praying before the LORD, that Eli marked her mouth. Now Hannah, she spake in her heart; only her lips moved, but her voice was not heard: therefore Eli thought she had been drunken. And Eli said unto her, How long wilt thou be drunken? put away thy wine from thee. And Hannah answered and said, No, my lord, I am a woman of a sorrowful spirit: I have drunk neither wine nor strong drink, but have poured out my soul before the LORD. Count not thine handmaid for a daughter of Belial: for out of the abundance of my complaint and grief have I spoken hitherto. Then Eli answered and said, Go in peace: and the God of Israel grant thee thy petition that thou hast asked of him. And she said, Let thine handmaid find grace in thy sight. So the woman went her way, and did eat, and her countenance was no more sad.”

Hannah was a deeply troubled woman so she took the pathway that everyone who believes in the Lord God should take. She went to pray and since she was close to the Tabernacle she prayed there. Eli, the aged priest had seen a deterioration in the spiritual atmosphere of the nation. He presided over the time when there was no king in Israel and every man did what was right in his own eyes. The vast majority of the people in the nation ignored the Lord and His Law in their everyday lives. We also discover that drunkenness and sexual abuse were rife in the Tabernacle precinct, later in this history. Hannah was deeply grieved and was intensely praying to the Lord. She was moving her lips but wasn’t making any sound. Eli assumed she was drunk and castigated her for this folly. She told that she wasn’t drunk but was suffering grief and was pouring her heart out to the Lord. Eli realised his mistake and blessed and encouraged her by calling on the Lord to answer her request.

Tuesday, December 17, 2013

Hannah

(The view expressed in this blog are my own and should not be taken as inspired in any way.)

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1 Samuel 1:1–8, “Now there was a certain man of Ramathaimzophim, 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: And he had two wives; the name of the one was Hannah, and the name of the other Peninnah: and Peninnah had children, but Hannah had no children. And this man 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. And when the time was that Elkanah offered, he gave to Peninnah his wife, and to all her sons and her daughters, portions: But unto Hannah he gave a worthy portion; for he loved Hannah: but the LORD had shut up her womb. And her adversary also provoked her sore, for to make her fret, because the LORD had shut up her womb. And as he did so year by year, when she went up to the house of the LORD, so she provoked her; therefore she wept, and did not eat. Then said Elkanah her husband to her, Hannah, why weepest thou? and why eatest thou not? and why is thy heart grieved? am not I better to thee than ten sons?”

We move from one story of a woman in trouble due to decisions made by her husband and sons who was rescued by one of her relatives to the story of another woman who was suffering deeply because her husband had made a decision that was not in her best interests. The man was called Elkanah who was descended from a man called Zuph. We only read about Zuph three times in the Bible, here, in 1 Sam 9: 5 as the name of a region and in 1 Chron 6: 35 where we find that Zuph is descended from Kohath the son of Levi. The woman in question was called Hannah but she suffered because her husband was married to two wives. When the Lord first established the institution of marriage (See Gen 2: 23, 24) it was designed to be between one man and one woman and they were to be complementary. However, when a man married two different women it is impossible for them to be joined together and the two wives become competitors. This was true of Elkanah’s family, Hannah and no children but Peninnah, the competitor wife, had children and she bullied Hannah continually because she believed that she had an advantage and her sons would inherit everything. So we see the seed of later problems in Old Testament history where we find the man was not loyal to his wife but to himself and the woman was not loyal to her husband but her father and her sons. At that time, the Eli was the priest and his two sons, Hophni and Phinehas acted on his behalf. Hannah was suffering deep pain in her soul because she was childless but Elkanah was selfish enough not to care for her and tell that she didn’t need children of her own as long as she had part of him.

Obed

(The view expressed in this blog are my own and should not be taken as inspired in any way.)

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Ruth 4:13–22, “So Boaz took Ruth, and she was his wife: and when he went in unto her, the LORD gave her conception, and she bare a son. And the women said unto Naomi, Blessed be the LORD, which hath not left thee this day without a kinsman, that his name may be famous in Israel. And he shall be unto thee a restorer of thy life, and a nourisher of thine old age: for thy daughter in law, which loveth thee, which is better to thee than seven sons, hath born him. And Naomi took the child, and laid it in her bosom, and became nurse unto it. And the women her neighbours gave it a name, saying, There is a son born to Naomi; and they called his name Obed: he is the father of Jesse, the father of David. Now these are the generations of Pharez: Pharez begat Hezron, 19 And Hezron begat Ram, and Ram begat Amminadab, And Amminadab begat Nahshon, and Nahshon begat Salmon, And Salmon begat Boaz, and Boaz begat Obed, And Obed begat Jesse, and Jesse begat David.”

Boaz didn’t waste any time and the wedding was arranged so that they could become married. Ruth was a widow and didn’t need to wait for an extended engagement and Boaz was not young any more. Before long they had a child of their own, a little boy called Obed was born into the happy home. Naomi had asked her friends to call her “bitterness” but their house was filled with the joy of new life instead of dead people. Naomi, who said she had no hope when she spoke to Orpah and Ruth in Moab found that she was filled with hope for a good future. The boy’s name means “a person who serves”, probably after the fact that his mother was willing to serve her mother in law and the Lord and her father was willing to serve the Lord and accept his responsibilities as a relative in Israel. Obed was the father of Jesse and Jesse was the father of David, who became Israel’s first king, chosen by the Lord. A small act of obedience on Boaz’s part led to a great reward for the whole nation of Israel.

Ye are witnesses

(The view expressed in this blog are my own and should not be taken as inspired in any way.)

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Ruth 4:9–12, “And Boaz said unto the elders, and unto all the people, Ye are witnesses this day, that I have bought all that was Elimelech’s, and all that was Chilion’s and Mahlon’s, of the hand of Naomi. Moreover Ruth the Moabitess, the wife of Mahlon, have I purchased to be my wife, to raise up the name of the dead upon his inheritance, that the name of the dead be not cut off from among his brethren, and from the gate of his place: ye are witnesses this day. And all the people that were in the gate, and the elders, said, We are witnesses. The LORD make the woman that is come into thine house like Rachel and like Leah, which two did build the house of Israel: and do thou worthily in Ephratah, and be famous in Bethlehem: And let thy house be like the house of Pharez, whom Tamar bare unto Judah, of the seed which the LORD shall give thee of this young woman.”

Boaz spoke publicly to say that he was accepting the responsibility of a relative and would look after Naomi and Ruth. There were witnesses to the fact that the other relative had refused to accept his duty towards Naomi and Ruth so no one could argue that every propriety had been followed. He was, at that stage, officially engaged to Ruth and would soon marry her. The witnesses offered blessings and good wishes to Boaz and Ruth praying that they would be like the heroic Israeli women of former times.

Plucked off his shoe

(The view expressed in this blog are my own and should not be taken as inspired in any way.)

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Ruth 4:1–8, “Then went Boaz up to the gate, and sat him down there: and, behold, the kinsman of whom Boaz spake came by; unto whom he said, Ho, such a one! turn aside, sit down here. And he turned aside, and sat down. And he took ten men of the elders of the city, and said, Sit ye down here. And they sat down. And he said unto the kinsman, Naomi, that is come again out of the country of Moab, selleth a parcel of land, which was our brother Elimelech’s: And I thought to advertise thee, saying, Buy it before the inhabitants, and before the elders of my people. If thou wilt redeem it, redeem it: but if thou wilt not redeem it, then tell me, that I may know: for there is none to redeem it beside thee; and I am after thee. And he said, I will redeem it. Then said Boaz, What day thou buyest the field of the hand of Naomi, thou must buy it also of Ruth the Moabitess, the wife of the dead, to raise up the name of the dead upon his inheritance. And the kinsman said, I cannot redeem it for myself, lest I mar mine own inheritance: redeem thou my right to thyself; for I cannot redeem it. Now this was the manner in former time in Israel concerning redeeming and concerning changing, for to confirm all things; a man plucked off his shoe, and gave it to his neighbour: and this was a testimony in Israel. Therefore the kinsman said unto Boaz, Buy it for thee. So he drew off his shoe.”

Boaz had behaved properly at every stage of this episode. In order to take the last step he wen to the place where the important people in the town of Bethlehem went to conduct business and waited for his relative, the one who was more closely related to Elimelech than he was. There were other important men there as well, they were also conducting their own business. Boaz asked ten of those men to witness his transaction with his relative. Naomi was poor but owned land that had belonged to her husband. The Lord had established this principle in the Law as a form of superannuation so that older people would have proper security when they were no longer able to support themselves. If a relative bought the land it would stay in the family and also give the person in need enough to support themselves as well. When Boaz asked Naomi’s relative to buy the land he said that he was happy to do that. However, Boaz reminded that relative of his obligation to raise children with the childless widow he refused. He had imagined that the extra land would increase his own wealth and give his family extra wealth in future generations but he wasn’t willing to risk that because the land would return to Elimelech’s family rather than his own. In order to make the contract legitimate the man took off his shoe and handed it to Boaz, giving Boaz all the rights of redemption. This was a custom of the times and shows us that this history was written close to the time it happened otherwise the author would not have included a quaint custom that was practiced then but would have been forgotten if it was recored at a much later date.

Friday, December 13, 2013

Let it not be known

(The view expressed in this blog are my own and should not be taken as inspired in any way.)

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Ruth 3:14–18, “And she lay at his feet until the morning: and she rose up before one could know another. And he said, Let it not be known that a woman came into the floor. Also he said, Bring the vail that thou hast upon thee, and hold it. And when she held it, he measured six measures of barley, and laid it on her: and she went into the city. And when she came to her mother in law, she said, Who art thou, my daughter? And she told her all that the man had done to her. And she said, These six measures of barley gave he me; for he said to me, Go not empty unto thy mother in law. Then said she, Sit still, my daughter, until thou know how the matter will fall: for the man will not be in rest, until he have finished the thing this day.”

Boaz was a wise and discreet man who was still concerned with protecting Ruth’s reputation. He told her to leave early in the morning before anyone else got up so that there would no rumours spread around of a young woman sneaking away from his bedroom in the morning. On the way he provided her with a large amount of grain so that she wouldn’t have to go and glean any more. He had already accepted the responsibility of ensuring that she was properly cared for by a close relative and told her to leave everything in his hands because he had all the proper contacts to make sure that everything ran smoothly for Ruth and Naomi.

She uncovered his feet

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Ruth 3:6–13, “And she went down unto the floor, and did according to all that her mother in law bade her. And when Boaz had eaten and drunk, and his heart was merry, he went to lie down at the end of the heap of corn: and she came softly, and uncovered his feet, and laid her down. And it came to pass at midnight, that the man was afraid, and turned himself: and, behold, a woman lay at his feet. And he said, Who art thou? And she answered, I am Ruth thine handmaid: spread therefore thy skirt over thine handmaid; for thou art a near kinsman. And he said, Blessed be thou of the LORD, my daughter: for thou hast shewed more kindness in the latter end than at the beginning, inasmuch as thou followedst not young men, whether poor or rich. And now, my daughter, fear not; I will do to thee all that thou requirest: for all the city of my people doth know that thou art a virtuous woman. And now it is true that I am thy near kinsman: howbeit there is a kinsman nearer than I. Tarry this night, and it shall be in the morning, that if he will perform unto thee the part of a kinsman, well; let him do the kinsman’s part: but if he will not do the part of a kinsman to thee, then will I do the part of a kinsman to thee, as the LORD liveth: lie down until the morning.”

When we deal with different cultures it is important for us to remember that children are taught to do things from a very early age. They accept these things without criticism and believe them to be right but, on the whole, they are not written down. One example is putting arms on the table during meals. Children brought up in Germany are taught to put their elbows on the table when they are eating, this is to show a person that they are not hiding a weapon. On the other hand, children brought up in England are taught that putting your elbows on the table during a meal is bad manners. Doing something in one country is proper while doing the same thing in another country is offensive. Naomi was born and grew up in Bethlehem while Ruth was born and brought up in Moab. Naomi coached Ruth in the proper etiquette for appealing to a close relative and Ruth did everything she was told to do. Ruth had to behave in a proper manner so that people wouldn’t think that she was trying to prostitute her body. Boaz was a good man and understood exactly what she was trying to tell him and the full implications of her request. He was flattered that such an attractive young woman was interested in an older man like himself. However, Boaz wasn’t the closest relative so he had to give the closer relative an opportunity to follow the procedures before he could accept the responsibilities of a relative.

Thursday, December 12, 2013

He will tell thee

(The view expressed in this blog are my own and should not be taken as inspired in any way.)

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Ruth 3:1–5, “Then Naomi her mother in law said unto her, My daughter, shall I not seek rest for thee, that it may be well with thee? And now is not Boaz of our kindred, with whose maidens thou wast? Behold, he winnoweth barley to night in the threshingfloor. Wash thyself therefore, and anoint thee, and put thy raiment upon thee, and get thee down to the floor: but make not thyself known unto the man, until he shall have done eating and drinking. And it shall be, when he lieth down, that thou shalt mark the place where he shall lie, and thou shalt go in, and uncover his feet, and lay thee down; and he will tell thee what thou shalt do. And she said unto her, All that thou sayest unto me I will do.”

Naomi grew up in Bethlehem and understood the finer details of the local culture. She knew what was expected of a relative and how a woman in who needed help should approach her husband’s relative to get help. She carefully explained everything to Ruth so that she could follow the proper procedure and not cause any offence. Ruth listened carefully and did everything that Naomi told her. Ruth was not trying to take advantage of Boaz or act like a gold digger. She was following the Law precisely but making sure that everything was done in a culturally appropriate way.

He is a close relative

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Ruth 2:17–23, “So she gleaned in the field until even, and beat out that she had gleaned: and it was about an ephah of barley. And she took it up, and went into the city: and her mother in law saw what she had gleaned: and she brought forth, and gave to her that she had reserved after she was sufficed. And her mother in law said unto her, Where hast thou gleaned to day? and where wroughtest thou? blessed be he that did take knowledge of thee. And she shewed her mother in law with whom she had wrought, and said, The man’s name with whom I wrought to day is Boaz. And Naomi said unto her daughter in law, Blessed be he of the LORD, who hath not left off his kindness to the living and to the dead. And Naomi said unto her, The man is near of kin unto us, one of our next kinsmen. And Ruth the Moabitess said, He said unto me also, Thou shalt keep fast by my young men, until they have ended all my harvest. And Naomi said unto Ruth her daughter in law, It is good, my daughter, that thou go out with his maidens, that they meet thee not in any other field. So she kept fast by the maidens of Boaz to glean unto the end of barley harvest and of wheat harvest; and dwelt with her mother in law.”

After Ruth spent the whole day gathering grain and at the end of the day she threshed the grain so that she could leave the husks and keep the good grain. She had gathered about 40 kg (more than 85 pounds) of grain and Naomi was impressed that she had been able to gather that much. Naomi, a local girl, wanted to know who had been so generous to he daughter in law and Ruth told her it was Naomi. Naomi thanked the Lord because she knew that Boaz was one of Elimelech’s closest relatives. She told Ruth to make sure that she went to Boaz’s fields for the rest of the harvest time, that is for the barley harvest and wheat harvest, which came after the barley harvest.

Whose damsel is this?

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