I was going to end "Jeroboam's Reign " with the first king. Saul. It would have been to long, so I decided on a separate study.
We will start at the start to see what all took place that lead up to the change from Samuel to Saul.
As with all other books in the old testemet, it doesn't begin with the man that God will use to restore order and bring the people back to God. It introduces us to his parents.
" ¹ Now there was a certain man of
Ramathain-zophim, 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:
1 Samuel 1:1"
I included this verse to indicate the generations before getting to Samuel. 5 generation, and Samuel will make the sixth.
Elkanah had 2 wives, Hannah and Peninnah: who had children, but Hannah had none v.2. , and He went to Shiloh once a year to worship and sacrifice unto the LORD. Eli, the priest, had 2 sons that were there v.3
The next to verses are of interest, as we have seen this before. The names are the only thing that's different.
" ⁴ And when the time was that Elkanah
offered, he gave peninnah his wife,
and to all her son's and daughter's
portions:
⁵ But unto Hanannah he gave a worthy
portion, for he loved Hannah; but the
LORD had shut up her womb.
1 Samuel 1:4-5"
Why is this. Is it because of the 2 wives? Maybe because the wife that had children was mocking and provoking the other? Or, prehaps, Elkanah loved the wife that could not give him children, or a combination of all 3. That remains to be seen.
Continuing, this grieved Hannah. The bible cause it bitterness of soul, she prayed to the LORD, and wept sore v10.
" ¹¹ And she vowed a vow, and said,
O LORD of hosts, if thou will 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 rasor come
open his head.
1 Samuel 1:11"
Before moving on, let's take a look at this prayer. The first thing we see is her bitterness of soul. She meant every word of that prayer.
We see that she is asking for herself. As she calls herself handmaid 3 different times, in this prayer.
She aked: look on my affliction (singular)
remember me and forget me not
Specific request: give me a man child
Her promise: I will give Him unto the LORD
all the days of his life, and no
rasor shall come upon his
head.
The priest, Eli, though she was drunk, as she prayed in her heart. Only her lips moved, but no words came out.
He asked how long she would be drunken; she said, " I am a woman of sorrowful spirit:
I have neithr drunk neither wine nor
strong drink, but poured out my
soul before the LORD. v15.
Imagine that! Being so sorrowful, and still having to take the time to explain why you were praying like you was. Without apology of his false judgment on her, he does tell her to:
" ¹⁷ Then Eli answered and said, Go in
peace: an the God of Israel gran thee
thy petition that thou hath asked of
Him.
¹⁸ And she said, let thine handmaid find
grace in thy sight. So the woman went
on her way, and did eat, and her
countenance was no more sad.
1 Samuel 1:17-18
There is alot to unpack in this one short, but sincere prayer.
Why was it that her countenance was no more Sad? She didn't ask God to destroy her adversary; she didn't regard her at all.
In that prayer, all her troubles was washed away. She prayed sincerely, and she believed sincerely that the LORD both heard her and granted her request.
v.19, 20 says, that they rose up in the morning, worshipped before the LORD, and went home. Elkanah "knew" Hannah his wife: " and the LORD remembered her." She conceived and bare a son and called his name Samuel, because she asked him of the LORD.
Hannah didn't go to the yearly sacrifice until Samuel was weaned, so that he could appear before the LORD, and abide forever v.22, She takes him up to Shiloh v24, and the child was young.
The next few verses, she reminds the priest who she is, and that this was the child she had prayed for. The LORD gave him to her, and nownow she has lent him back to the LORD v.27, 28
Chapter 2 opens with Hannah's pray, covered in 1 Samuel 2:1-10; and what a prayer it is. If you ever read any of David's prayers in psalms, you would think this is his prayer.
Here is the 1st and 10th verse of her prayer. The only way you could read this prayer, and not think of David is to have never read psalms.
" ¹ And Hannah prayed, and said, my heart
rejoiceth in the LORD, my horn is exalth
in the LORD: my mouth is enlarged over
mine enemies; because I rejoice in
thy salvation.
:
:
:
¹⁰ The adversaries of the LORD shall be
broken in pieces; out of heaven shall
He thunder upon them: the LORD shall
judge the end of the earth; and he shall
give strength unto His king. And exalt
the horn of His anointed.
1 Samuel 2:1; 2:10"
Elkanah goes back to his home, and Samuel minsters to Eli, the priest v11.
Next we are reminded of Eli's 2 son's, son's of Belial; that knew not the LORD v12.
It continue with all that Eli's son's did, and then reminds us about Samuel:
" ¹⁸ But Samuel ministered before the
LORD, being a child, gilded with a
linen ephod.
1 Samuel 2:18"
Each year his mother comes up to for the yearly sacrifice, she bring a little coat for her son. v19
Eli blesses both Elkanah and Hannah , and they went on to have 3 more son's and 2 daughter's. And the child Samuel grew before the LORD. v20-21
Are we starting to see how important Samuel will become, as it won't let us forget about him, even though we are reading the book that bares his name?
Eli was very old when he learned what his son's were doing v22. He rebukes them, but they don't change their evil ways.
" ²⁶ And The child Samuel grew on, and
was in favor both with the LORD, and
with men.
1 Samuel 2:26"
This looks like a good place to bring this first part to a close, as things about to change.
You can read the remainder of Chapter 2, and we will pick this up again with Chapter 3 with:
Last prophet, first king: The LORD calls Samue ... part 2
See also part 3
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