May 7 – Elkanah: not quite Abraham… not quite Isaac

May 7
1 Samuel 1:1-2:21
John 5:1-23
Psalm 105:37-45
Proverbs 14:28-29

I Samuel 1:2 – In case you think the Bible is endorsing polygamy, see what I Samuel 1:6-7 says about the immediate results in this situation, and consider the social context of Judges (hint: it involves a lot of sins), as well as what we see in the next verse.

I Samuel 1:3 – If we interpret as Barnes suggests, the Israelites were down to one feast as opposed to Exodus 23:14 and Exodus 34:23 that say three times.

I Samuel 1:8 – Like many men today, Elkanah offered his wife advice that did not help.

I Samuel 1:10 – Psalm 113:9 says the LORD will give the barren children. Unlike Sarah (Genesis 16:2), Hannah did not take things into her hands. She knew there were promises she could claim (Exodus 23:26, Deuteronomy 7:14). But like Isaac, she intreated the LORD (Genesis 25:21). She knows what happened to Manoah (Judges 13:5), and was claiming that scenario. However, if her husband had read the Torah, would he have responded like Isaac and intreated the Lord instead of his reply in I Samuel 1:8, and instead of letting his wife suffer alone?

I Samuel 1:14 – Eli did not have the gift of discernment. He couldn’t tell the difference between prayer and drunkenness. He couldn’t tell that his kids were sons of Belial (I Samuel 2:12), that the people abhorred the offering (I Samuel 2:17) until he was very old (I Samuel 2:22). He couldn’t honor God above his sons (I Samuel 2:29), and could barely recognize the voice of the LORD (after the third try!) (I Samuel 3:8).

John 5:8 – In I Samuel 2:8 that we read earlier today, Hannah said that the LORD lifteth up the beggar. Jesus lifted up this certain man who no longer needed to beg.

John 5:14 – In Luke 17:15, we see only one of the ten lepers came back to thank Jesus, and that leper received salvation in addition to healing (Luke 17:19). This man didn’t even get what Jesus was saying (John 5:7), and didn’t thank Jesus (John 5:9), and didn’t know Jesus name (John 5:13), and possibly couldn’t recognize Jesus (Jesus approached him, he didn’t approach Jesus – John 5:14). Interestingly Jesus tells him the same thing He told the woman caught in adultery (John 8:11).

Psalm 105:45 – God funded His people, delivered His people, fed His people, watered His people, provided lands for His people, and all He asks is obedience!