The key verse in 1 Samuel is found in Chapter 2:7-8:
“The Lord makes
poor and makes rich; he brings low and he exalts. He raises up the poor from
the dust; he lifts the needy from the ash heap to make them sit with princes
and inherit a seat of honor. For the pillars of the earth are the Lord’s, and
on them he has set the world.”[1]
1 Samuel is a book of transition between the times of
the Judges and the beginning of Israel’s monarchy. The prophet Samuel is a link between these
two economies. Like the Book of Ruth,
the author opens with a real life story in an Israelite home. Like Ruth, the story is a microcosm of the
bigger story of Israel. It’s a story of universal implications: God exalts the
weak and humbles the proud.
The story opens with a man named Elkanah who probably
married the love of his life: Hannah.
She couldn’t have children. Twice
we learn that it is God who has prohibited her from having children. In order
to raise up a seed Elkanah marries another women who gives birth to several
sons and daughters. On the surface it is obvious which women is the honored one
and which is not – which is the weak and which is the lofty.
The story also portrays the journey of a husband and
wife toward significance and a sense of accomplishment and worth. The husband’s sincere love for this woman and
his lavish treatment of her causes him to expect that she considers him “more
to you than ten sons?”[2] Ten sons! The perfect family!
But unknown to Elkanah, he cannot satisfy the longing of her heart, alone. She too is torn by abusive and provoking
actions by the “other woman”. She too is
torn by the cultural, and yes, the religious passion to “go forth and
multiply.”
Hannah’s name means “Grace”. It is surely grace that she needs more than
her husband’s honest and heartfelt affection.
It is surely grace that she needs more than acceptance in her peer
community. It is certainly grace that
she needs, more than becoming a mother.
Israel needs grace.
It will become apparent that they will seek it by means other than God’s
ideal. As Peter would later write:
“God opposes the proud but gives grace to the
humble. Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at
the proper time he may exalt you.”[3]
[1] The Holy Bible: English Standard Version.
(2016). (1 Sa 2:7–8). Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles.
[2] The Holy Bible: English Standard Version.
(2016). (1 Sa 1:8). Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles.
No comments:
Post a Comment