Year 2 Day 184
Pray (ACts) Read - 1 Samuel V18-21, 26 Message - Alan Burke If you read chapter two of 1 Samuel there is something that you will notice and that is the contrast between Samuel and Eli’s sons Hophni and Phinehas. V11 Samuel, v12-17 Eli’s sons, v18 Samuel, v21 Samuel, v22-25 Eli’s sons, v26 Samuel, you get the idea the patter continues into chapter 3. Each time Eli’s sons are mentioned they are bracketed with a report of Samuel. We were left reeling with the news of Eli’s sons in v12-17 now we have Samuel. What a contrast between Hophni and Phinehas and Samuel. Here we are told he was ministering before the Lord, in a ephod, a priestly robe which his mother made for him and brought each year. This is a wonderful scene in which it shows Hannah’s love words Samuel. On one of the many journeys back to Shiloh we are told of Eli blessing Elkanah and his wife Hannah (20) and said… “May the Lord give you children by this woman for the petition she asked of the Lord.” So then they would return to their home.” Remember the words of Peter when he said to Jesus in Mark 10, “‘See, we have left everything and followed You,’ and Jesus said, ‘Truly, I say to you, there is no one who has left house or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or lands for My sake and for the Gospel who will not receive a hundredfold.’”. God’d blessed Hannah in this way, and he blesses his people in many ways though our sacrifice. The Lord in his generous kindness gives her five additional children, Hannah had asked the Lord for Samuel but she had not for herself, and she gave Samuel to the Lord. But she receives grace on top of grace, she received more than she ever sacrificed, Hannah and her husband now disappear from our story but they and their household are witness to the giving of God (James 1:5). As Elkanah and Hannah depart from the continuing story redemptive history once more the focus is on Samuel (21), the boy grew in the presence of the Lord. Here’s the thing, it was a time that every man did what was right in his own eyes (Jd 21:25), things from the outside looked bleak, even the worship of the Lord was a farce with the sons of Eli showing contempt to the Lord in what they were doing, BUT the Lord was at work, the Lord was raising up a faithful priest to serve him, who would be a servant of the Lord. Like Jesus, Samuel grew in favour with God and man (26), for these words echo those in Luke 2:52. Jesus increased in wisdom and in stature and in favour with God and man (Lk 2:52). All that is going on here is a sign of how God was at work in the background to the new things that he was doing. Samuel pointed forward to one who would come who would indeed deal with the sin of the people, the Lord was preparing Samuel for kingdom service and he sent his son to bring about the kingdom so that we who by our nature are rebellious sinners, who do by nature what is right in our own eyes might become the very children of God as we repent and believe. Even when things look at their worst the Lord God is still at work, he was in the days of Samuel, he is in this day. Pray (acTS) Sing WSC Q 67 Which is the sixth commandment? The sixth commandment is, Thou shalt not kill. (Exod. 20:13)
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