OT – 1 Samuel 2:22-4:22
This is just a point of reference, but the reason we have 1st and 2nd Samuel, 1st and 2nd Kings and so on, is that these ‘books’ were actually scrolls written on velum, sheep’s skin. When the ‘book’ got too heavy for one man to carry, the decision was made to divide the book into 2.
Also, the chapter and verse headings were a medieval addition; they were not original to the text.
The feast of Simchat Torah which occurs on October 7 celebrates the end of the readings of the Torah and the beginning of the reading for the following year. At this time, all the scrolls are removed from the ark and are carried around the synagogue for 7 circuits. Many times, the carriers continue to hold their scrolls as they dance and sing. You can see why the weight of the scroll would be a hindrance.
My study Bible says that the probable date for this book is 900 BCE, after the division of the nation into two kingdoms which occurred in 931 BCE.
Samuel, Nathan, and Gad, all prophets to the kings, kept records and these are probably the backbone of the book.
The book itself is a history of God’s relationship with the Israelites. It connects the time of the Judges (Samuel, himself, was the last Judge) to the time of the kings (Samuel will anoint the first two kings).
It begins, as several stories in the Bible, with a barren woman. Hannah has echoes all the back to Sarah, Rebecca, and Rachel.
I was in a Sunday School class once where the question was posed, “what is the big deal with all these women who can’t have babies?” (This was asked by a man who had seven children.) After a period of thought, Pete, the teacher who himself had 4 said, “well, I guess if our survival depended on someone else looking after us now that we were old, we would want children too!”
But I think it goes so much deeper than that. Reproduction is an instinctual drive. Sexual arousal resides in the limbic brain, the oldest part of our brain, one that we share in almost the exact same shape and function with reptiles.
When you CANNOT reproduce, creation is torn apart. I know women who have shot themselves up with horse pee, taken hormones that rendered them grumpy and fat, had surgeries, done therapy, taken temperatures in places I don’t want to talk about, and have STILL been unable to conceive.
I think the salvation of the Israelite by Moses was engineered by a barren woman – the Egyptian princess who ‘found’ his basket.
But beyond that, in the very first verses of Genesis we see who is in charge of creation. God. He is the one who creates life. Originally, to the patriarchs, to the Judges, to Elizabeth, to now. It is hard not to equate not being able to have children with the bad judgment of God. My brain is not capable of untying that idea. But what is true is that God can and does use physical conditions – and not always the good ones, either -- to His benefit and His glory.
Which brings us back to Hannah. She had the love of her husband. Now, this was not always the case. Marriages were arranged in the time of the Judges for family advancement, property settlement (you recall the sisters that received their dead father’s share – they could only marry within their tribe), and dowries. Having the love of the husband was so rare that our scripture mentions it three times!
But that was not enough. I think that Hannah would have been unhappy even without Peninnah’s cruel teasing.
When she had prayed her heart out to the Lord and Eli had sent her on her way, her heart was lifted. She knew. She had faith. God gave her a baby.
Proverbs 14:28-29
A large population is a king’s glory, but without subjects a prince is ruined.
I read some of these proverbs and my only response is why? I get the first part of the proverb. More money, more power, bigger army, you know the basics for being a ‘good’ king. Hard to be king of runts. But why is a prince ‘ruined’ if he has no subjects? Is the sole reason for him being to be a prince? Has he no other manly characteristics? Or does not having subjects make a prince do questionable things?
Here is what the Message has to say about vs. 28:
28 The mark of a good leader is loyal followers;
leadership is nothing without a following.
What comes first? The leader or the ones who need a leader?
Sis, you didn't comment on the John 5 passage but this is one of the miracles that causes me to think. John has told us that the miracles that are highlighted in his book reveal the miracles that supposed to happen in our lives when we believe.
ReplyDeleteHere we have someone who waiting by the pool for a miracle. This is someone waiting on miracle. Not really sure if people were actually healed or if this was just some sort of local legend. This man like me and like most of us has reason why the miravle has never happened to him. He just can't make into the water first when the bubbles comes up. But we have reasons too. Ours are just as "lame" as his. (sorry for the pun).
What causes this to be interesting is that Jesus knew the man was ill and wanted to be healed. John tell us this. Yet Jesus asks the man "Do you want to be healed?". Why ask a question that he already knows the answer to?
I believe that this points to and reveals how we are saved and healed. We must already know that we are ill or in need of saving. And we must be ready to be healed or saved. Jesus already knows the answer to those questions when he asks them of us.
I love John because we can easily see the work that Jesus is doing in our own lives through these stories.