1 Samuel 3:10-18 – Do not neglect dealing with our flaws immediately

Obediently Samuel accepted Eli’s word and went back and presumably laid down in “the temple of the Lord where the ark of God was.” And as Eli had suspected, the Lord called out to Samuel a fourth time. He then responded saying “Speak, for Your servant is listening.” Whenever God speaks, it would be foolish not to listen carefully. The condition of the people and the priesthood made it necessary for God to reveal what He had to say. What often necessitates God’s judgment is because He loves us far too much to allow us to be destroyed by our careless living. If He doesn’t bring a swift end to the influencing factors, we will continue to decline hopelessly downhill. The message God had was not only for the family of Eli. Verse 11 made it clear that it was for everyone in Israel. Therefore, He said, “Behold, I am about to do a thing in Israel at which both ears of everyone who hears it will tingle.”  

Here God affirmed what was already revealed to them in 1 Samuel 2:27-36 by the man of God whom He had sent to them. By coming to Samuel God was simply saying that He would do what He had said He would do. Do not trifle with God. He says what He means and means what He says. God was about to take out the house of Eli. What God would do to Eli and his family tells us that greater responsibility calls for greater accountability. No one ever spurns the grace of God and expects Him to condone their irresponsibility. What God wants to do is hard to understand with the human mind. His judgment is usually drastic and with great intensity. That’s only because He is a holy God and cannot stand the slightest of sin. The response He needs from us is to be circumspect in life, with humility accept God’s word and live them out truthfully.

Verse 13 is a serious warning for us parents. Eli knew about the contemptuous things his sons did. It was reported to him, but he took disciplining his sons too casually. Would they have changed if he had been tougher with them? Hophni and Phinehas couldn’t care less about what Eli was telling them. They were way passed the point of no return. It is possible for us too to come to a point of refusing to heed the voice of conscience. Is it not true that the first time we realize our wrong, and our conscience alerts us, our sense of guilt is stronger? But if we choose not to respond positively and correct it, we feel less guilty the next time our conscience speaks. What’s terrifying is that we may press pass the point of no return just like the sons of Eli. That’s why we must keep short accounts with God. Samuel must have responded and laid all night probably contemplating what had just been told to him. We guess he must have found it hard to go back to sleep. He could also be wondering how to break the news. When Eli summoned for him, the priest had to virtually coax it out of him. He finally told him what the Lord had said and Eli submitted and resigned himself to God.

The point to take away is this: sin must be dealt with swiftly. If we persist in it, there may come a time when it will be too late to change. We should not spurn the grace of God. Every warning sign should be taken seriously before our conscience becomes hardened and we find it hard to respond to God. Always remain pliable and tender in the hand of God. Be sensitive to the still small voice of the Holy Spirit!  

1 Samuel 3:1-9 - Be quick to hear

The deterioration of the priesthood was largely responsible for why there was a  famine of God’s Word. Who could blame God for not speaking when the leaders who were entrusted to instruct His Word and guide His people were abusing their ministry for personal aggrandizement? They never took the ministry seriously. How could the Word of God be heard when the people responsible to instruct it could not even bother to study and be acquainted with it themselves. For if they themselves are not well acquainted with the word, how could they teach others? Hophni and Phinehas, seasoned ministers, were deplorable and did not take their role responsibly. So sadly,  chapter 3 verse 1 of 1 Samuel reads, “And word from the Lord was rare in those days, visions were infrequent.” It will also be a sad day when pastors and ministers of God stop studying and practicing the Word of God for themselves! Worst still, if they do not care if the Word of God is well-taught and understood.   

Fortunately, Israel had a faithful God. Even in the darkened time, a light was slowly emerging. Samuel, we learn was that little light. He was an intern, learning the ropes from Eli. Welcoming affirmations were said about him. In 1 Samuel 2:11, we are told: “And the boy ministered to the Lord in the presence of Eli the priest.” In 1 Samuel 2:18, we read, “Samuel was ministering before the Lord, a boy clothed with a linen ephod.” In 1 Samuel 2:21, the word said, “And the young man Samuel grew in the presence of the Lord.” Then in 1 Samuel 2:26, we are told: “Now the young man Samuel continued to grow both in stature and in favor with the Lord and also with man.” Now we find in the opening line of 1 Samuel 3 this testimony of him. It says, “Now the young man Samuel was ministering to the Lord under Eli.”

Verse 2 tells us that Eli was getting old.  His eyesight was getting dim and he could not see and was lying down and resting. The emphases of these verses are the parts that say that “vision was infrequent.” And that both Eli and Samuel were lying down. Eli was “resting in his place,” whereas Samuel “…was lying down in the temple of the Lord where the ark of God was….” The contrast became obvious when we read that God called out to Samuel, while Eli was bypassed.  The young Samuel was new in the ministry. Hence, he was not accustomed to the voice of God. So, when God called out to him, he thought that Eli was calling him. For three occasions, He mistook God’s voice to be Eli’s. The old priest on his part was also not as sharp. It was not until the third time that he discerned that God was calling out to Samuel. It was then that he taught him to respond to God by saying, ‘Speak, Lord, for Your servant is listening.”

Many things could be gleaned from these nine verses, and we will look at two critical ones. Firstly, we must be poised to listen to God’s Word. And the best place to hear it is to be like Samuel, resting before the presence of God. Secondly, we need to cultivate an ear to hear from God, a heart to respond to Him and a mind to seek Him constantly. May these following words of the poet and Presbyterian minister, James Drummond Burns be our prayer:

Oh, give me Samuel's ear! 

The open ear, O Lord, 

Alive and quick to hear

Each whisper of Thy Word; 

Like him to answer at Thy call, 

And to obey Thee, first of all.

Oh, give me Samuel's heart! 

A lowly heart that waits 

Where in Thy house Thou art, 

Or watches at Thy gates, 

By day and night, a heart that still 

Moves at the breathing of Thy will.

O give me Samuel’s mind

A sweet unmurmuring faith

Obedient and resigned

To Thee in life and death;

That I may read with childlike eyes,

Truths that are hidden from the wise.

1 Samuel 2:27-36 – God’s plan can never be thwarted

Our perception of God enables us to regulate our behavior and conduct in life. So, in the first chapters of 1 Samuel, we can see how Hannah’s perception of God empowered her to trust God and build a God-honouring, God-pleasing life. Hophni and Phinehas, on the other hand, with a warped perception of God, abused their position and brought disgrace to their God. Meanwhile, nothing escaped the sight of the all-knowing God. Fully apprised of every situation, He sent a prophet with a message for Eli, revealing what was going to happen to his family. The house of Eli had disappointed God and He could not allow them to destroy the nation of Israel which He had chosen to be His special people. God revealed to Eli His original intention when He chose and appointed Aaron His forefather and his family to the priesthood. How the message was crafted showed how disappointed God was with Eli and his family. Since they had spurned the privilege, denigrated and dishonored their calling, God had other plans. He was going to raise up an anointed priest, who would walk before Him.

In these verses, we learn several lessons. Firstly, we can see that the effectiveness of one’s ministry is determined by one’s faithfulness. Whether in life, in ministry or in calling, our effectiveness rest in being faithful to God. Not only that, but it will also determine the length we are given to serve Him. Hence, we must not treat lightly the commission God had entrusted to us. To give anything less than a hundred percent commitment is not a worthy commitment to the tasks entrusted to us. Secondly, we must not test the patience of God. While He is patient, He will not condone our flippancy. He expects us to bring our best and be responsible for executing the work He had called us to fulfill.

Thirdly, we also need to know that God’s plan can never be sabotaged. No one can ever thwart God’s plan. No one can prevent Him from bringing His plan to fruition. Even though Eli and his family had failed him, it did not frustrate His plan. He would raise up a priest who would walk before Him faithfully. We know that Samuel was the priest that He had raised. But this is also a prophecy foretelling the coming of Jesus Christ, the High priest of our faith. Hence Hebrews 7:26-27, referring to the Lord Jesus Christ, said, “For it was fitting for us to have such a high priest, holy, innocent, undefiled, separated from sinners and exalted above the heavens; who does not need daily, like those high priests, to offer up sacrifices, first for His own sins and then for the sins of the people, because of this He did once for all when He offered up Himself.” Praise God for Jesus Christ, our faithful eternal High Priest!     

  

        

1 Samuel 2: 22-26 - The need to act appropriately

Eli was a very old man at this point. And he had become inept as he grew older. He was first introduced to us in chapter 1. There he confronted the barren Hannah as she poured her heart before the Lord. Failing to discern the praying woman’s distress, he mistook her for a drunkard woman. At that point, he was already quite out of touch. His ineptness became more obvious as he grew older. This tells us how needful it is to keep our spiritual connectivity with God so that we will not lose our spiritual sensitivity. As we progress in our walk with God, we must seek to become spiritually sharper and not otherwise. But sadly, this was Eli.

Two dangers any leader must guard against. Firstly, to guard against abusing one’s position, and secondly to engage in sexual immorality. These were exactly what Eli’s sons were doing. They had the audacity to engage in sexual intimacy with women serving at the sanctuary. Hophni and Phinehas were inappropriately committing sexual sin outside the door of the tent of meeting with them. They were treating God with contempt. It is one thing to sin against fellowmen but quite another to sin against the Lord. And Eli knew it. For he heard about his son’s escapade. Wisdom dictates that he should have dealt more severely with them, but he didn’t. He merely spoke to his sons. Such misconduct would be detrimental to the progress of God’s plan and ought to be dealt with seriously. But Eli dealt with it casually.

Hophni and Phinehas had come to a point that they were way past the ability to take good counsel. Verse 25 said that they did not heed the counsel of their father. Even in so grievous a misconduct, God was gracious to give them opportunities to change. But they chose to spurn the graciousness of God by not heeding the father’s counsel. Had they listened to the father’s counsel and repented, perhaps, they could still avert what God would eventually have to do to them. Verse 26 is a refreshing revelation. In contrast to the incorrigible sons of Eli, Samuel was growing spiritually and physically. He was finding favor with God and with men. Here God was stationing a vessel to ensure that His plan for His people to progress would not be sabotaged. What a gracious God!

This passage leaves us fathers with a solemn exhortation. We must stay watchful over our children and be sure they are not left to their own devices. Even as we watch over them, we must at the same time, also stay connected to God so that we will not become spiritually dull. We must never become out of touch with God and what our children are doing. When we are aware of their flaws, appropriate measures must be carried out to remove atrocities in their lives so that they need not end up bitterly.   

1 Samuel 2:18-21 – Be diligent in serving God

While the two sons of Eli were abusing their positions and making a mockery of the priesthood, there was one who was quietly serving. Dressed in a linen ephod, the simple garment of a priest, Samuel was diligently serving the Lord. He was functioning as a priest. Earlier on, verse 11 explicitly said that he was serving the Lord before Eli the priest. He had probably progressed from that time. In verse 18, there is no mention of Eli. This verse just tells us that Samuel was “ministering before the LORD.”

Meanwhile, verse 19 draws our attention to Hannah and Elkanah again. Their devotion to God was consistent. Yearly, they would still make their pilgrimage to Shiloh to worship and offer their sacrifice to the LORD. Though they had given their son to serve God in the temple, they did not lose touch with God nor with their son. Implicitly, we learn that Hannah was a good mother. Thoughtfully she would make a robe for him and bring it along to her son when she made her annual journey to Shiloh to pay her homage to God. Since Samuel obviously would be growing physically, and his size must be different each year. Without fail, Hannah would bring him a yearly handmade robe, personally sewed by her. Each year the robe had to be bigger. Nonetheless, Hannah would sew it for him. What a loving mother! The tender care of parents towards their children is a needful part of children’s growth. Hophni and Phinehas’ obnoxious conduct reveals to us their lack of it. Parents, we must never neglect our children despite the busyness of life or ministry! We must take the time to nurture them when they are young and pray for them regularly when they are growing.

The account here also tells us that God will never short-change us. For Samuel whom Hannah had dedicated to serving God vocationally, the LORD gave this once barren woman five other children, three boys, and two girls, in return. This would be the last time we hear of Hannah and Elkanah, but we can imagine that for the rest of their lives, they remained faithful in their devotion to God. And that ought also to be our story. Even when nothing more is known about us, may the fact that we love God and are earnest worshippers of this great God be our testimony. Meanwhile, Samuel grew before the LORD. What a powerful testimony! He was obviously growing in service. Like Samuel, all of us must be growing spiritually and our growth in the Lord can also be seen in the diligent service we are offering to Him.

1 Samuel 2:11-17 – Don’t offer wayward service to God

Hannah came to Shiloh to dedicate the son whom God had given to her, in answer to her prayer. Having offered Samuel to serve the Lord, she left him with Eli so that he could learn to serve in the House of God. Like Samuel, the privilege of serving the Lord through Christ Jesus is now accorded to each one of us. And there is nothing more invigorating in life than to have the opportunity to serve God. Like all privileges, every opportunity comes with responsibility. God expects us to be accountable for the service He has granted us to do for Him. Therefore, it is needful that we must walk and serve Him in a worthy manner. We mustn’t forget that God deserves our very best. So, the critical question to ask is, how can we do well? Are there things we must avoid?   

First Samuel 2:12-17 describes the lives of Hophni and Phinehas, who were serving God as priests with their father Eli. What was said about them are examples for us to avoid. When we were first introduced to them, nothing much was said about them. But now in six verses, we see how irresponsible they were. Let’s allow what we discover about them to help us walk reverently before God. The first thing we learn about them in verse 12 is that “they were worthless men; they did not know the Lord.” These expressions are not so much about their ignorance as it was their defiance. They were exactly as the Apostle Paul had described in Romans 1:21 “For even though they knew God, they did not honor Him as God or give thanks, but they became futile in their speculations, and their foolish heart was darkened.” Knowing God is not defined by the knowledge we have of Him in our minds, but the conduct we display that reflects His nature. Hence, we must be careful with our attitude and behavior. Let’s learn to walk humbly and gingerly before Him. Remember what Hannah said earlier in verse 3. She exclaimed:

“Boast no more so very proudly,

Do not let arrogance come out of your mouth;

For the Lord is a God of knowledge,

And with Him actions are weighed.”

Verses 13-17 show us their character by the things they did. They had a blatant, flagrant disregard for the holy things of God. They were literally trampling on the instructions of God concerning the offering, and what was due to them from the offering. God had set proper ways to handle those offerings but these two violated them all. They were not only greedy but also lazy. In cahoots with their servants, they would make demands not stipulated in the priestly instructions. They were demeaning and denigrating and showing contempt for the offering of the Lord. How could they, who were called to emulate the Holy God, be so unholy in their behavior and conduct? They had sinned grievously and that’s totally unacceptable for one called to serve God.

From the lives of Hophni and Phinehas let us be warned. Let it not be said that we are worthless people who do not know our God. Let us never trample on the holy things of God. Instead, let us be found faithful and accountable, diligently walking, following and serving God according to what He has specified for us in His Word. Serve God on His terms, not ours!

1 Samuel 2:3-10 – Living for our awesome God.

The first two verses of Hannah’s expression of praise in 1 Samuel 2:1-10, taught us that the true God we worship is incomparable. In holiness and in power, there is none like  Him. And certainly, there is no one that can be compared with Him. In the remaining verses of Hannah’s Magnificat, she tells us two other things about God. In verses 3-8 we learn that God is the one who transforms the circumstances of the lives of His people. Then in verses 9-10, He is the one who gives His people the victory.  

Verses 3-8 tell us that His ability to transform the situations is based on the attribute that He is a God of knowledge. This is one of God’s attributes - He is all-knowing. Hence, there is no arrogance or pride that is hidden from Him. Therefore, He has the capacity to evaluate every action, every situation, and every intention. It means that He can intervene and change circumstances. People who are proud and arrogant are boastful. They operate with an attitude as if God has no awareness of what they are doing. Such people are self-centered and self-serving. But God can reverse man’s circumstances. Verses 4-8 show us that whether in war, career, birth, mortality, wealth or social status, God has the capacity to bring about a reversal. Knowing this will help us set our perspective right. Nothing can be more important than to have a life that’s entirely aligned with the purpose and plan of God. Yes, He wants to transform the circumstances of our life if we let Him.

Verses 9-10 tell us that God’s faithful people can expect to be victorious in life. Why? The Lord is fighting on their behalf! Not only that but He will also protect and preserve them. Everyone who comes against God and His people will be defeated. It is fool hardly to contend with the Lord. The Magnificat of Hannah while expressing praise for the Almighty God, also foresaw and prophesied the future. It spoke about the future Messiah-King. He will be the one empowered by the Lord to execute His purpose and fulfill His plan. This prophecy is all the more amazing as we consider the fact that it was spoken at a time when “there was no king in Israel; everyone did what was right in his own eyes.”  

Knowing that we have an incomparable, transforming and victorious God, it would be foolish not to orientate our lives around Him. Wisdom dictates that we should live and conduct our life for the greater glory of His name. This we must diligently do with His help!

1 Samuel 2:1-2 – God is incomparable

There is every reason for Hannah’s outburst of praise. What God was to her and what He had done for her made it impossible for her to remain passive and reticent. Her joy could not be contained. So, she let out this wonderful Magnificat. What she expressed was not merely her adoration for the great God, she was also reminiscing the past and prophesying the future of the nation. With the birth of Samuel, she was also foreseeing and forecasting the future of Israel. 

  

In the first two verses, we see how enthralled Hannah was with God that her whole being was caught up in this praise. Notice how the mood of her entire life had changed. In the earlier portion of chapter one, she was described as sad, dejected and discouraged. With just one encounter with the Lord, everything had changed. Her exuberance could not be contained. Three areas of her life had been transformed radically - her heart, her horn or her strength, and her mouth. She rejoiced in the Lord with her whole heart, her strength was lifted in the Lord, and with her mouth, she spoke out boldly against the enemies. She could do all these because God had come to her rescue.

When we recall all that the Lord had done for us, and will continue to do, we will also want to praise God the way Hannah did. This God we worship is simply unmatched. Like Hannah, we can attest truly that this God is unparalleled in holiness. There is simply no one like Him and there will never be anyone who can be compared to Him. In power and protection, He is as solid as a rock. We serve a holy God who is immeasurable in power. He is the stabilizing factor in our lives, and He must be the foundation of our life. Words are just simply inadequate to express our praise for such an incomparable God. Here are the words of the song “Incomparable” that best sum up what we should do for this Incomparable God! 

Eternal King
We bless Your name
For You were and, You are,
And forever You will be praised
In this place and Lord, our hearts are yielded
They're given only to You God

There is none righteous
There is none worthy
There is none holy
But You the king
I will live my life
To sing of Your wonder
To shout of Your glory
So creation will hear You
We want the world to hear

  

  

1 Samuel 1:18-28 – Keeping promises

Wonderfully, like Hannah and her family, we do have a God who is worthy of our worship. Hence, like them, we must offer our worship as they did. In verse 19 the family made sure they woke up early and worshipped before they left for home. People are usually too busy preparing and getting ready for the activities of daily chores that worship would be the last thing on their minds. Some only worship when they have spare time. But not for this family. They worshipped Him before they set out on the road. This is one discipline we should emulate. The God who calls us to Himself deserves the top priority in our life. What is more wonderful is the truth that our God remembers. He never forgets the prayer we utter before Him. He knows exactly what we need and is ever ready to answer. So, verse 19 says that God remembered Hannah. And Elkanah and Hannah’s intimacy bore fruit and she conceived a son. In due time she gave birth and called his name, Samuel, meaning the Lord had given.

This is a reminder that every child we have is a gift from God. It is, therefore, our responsibility to ensure that they are nurtured and well prepared for life. More importantly, we must keep our vow that was made to the Lord. Elkanah, we are told, took his family for their pilgrimage again to pay his vow. Nowhere were we told that he had made a vow to the Lord, yet we are told that he went on this trip to Shiloh to pay his vow. This is by way of saying that he was a person who kept his word. Like him, if we have made any vow or pledge to the Lord, be sure to honor our word and fulfill our vow.

However, Hannah did not go with Elkanah until the infant Samuel was weaned. This must have been a good two to three years. These are critical years in a child’s life cycle. It is said that the attitude of a child is more or less shaped by the third year of his or her life. Hannah spent the first three years nurturing Samuel, honing his attitude. So Hannah did what was needed. Once the child was weaned, she went back to Shiloh to fulfill her vow to the Lord.  

God is central to the lives of Elkanah and Hannah. And He must be central to the life of a community. This couple learned to place worshipping God as their top priority in life. Like them, we must always make time to worship Him. No matter how tight our schedule for the day may be, we must place worshipping and spending time with God on the top of the list of our daily activities. Then we must remember to fulfill our promise to Him. If God takes time to listen and remember our prayers, nothing should prevent us from fulfilling the promise we made to Him. We must honor our words especially those that we have promised to the Lord.      

1 Samuel 1:9-19 – Prayer, deploy it to deal with discouragement

The account of these verses takes us to what happened during one of Elkanah's family pilgrimages to Shiloh. We are told that he loved Hannah more than Peninnah. And that must have created the rivalry between his two wives. Because of her barrenness, Hannah would be scoffed and scorned at by her rival, causing her to hurt bitterly. Elkanah, who understood her plight would comfort her by assuring her of his love. Though she found some relief by his understanding, yet she was discouraged.

In life, people confront their plight and discouragement differently. Some would resign to their plight and sit passively doing nothing. Others would negatively bemoan their misfortune and become envious and jealous of what others have. Still, some would live life bitterly complaining, murmuring, gripping and finding fault with others. For Hannah, though she was sad and discouraged, she took a very positive step to confront her situation. This is also a step highly recommended for any believer who is discouraged. She took her plight to the Lord. Her prayer leaves us with a model to approach God. Hannah came to God earnestly and not casually. This could be seen in how she poured out her prayers with sober tears. Not only did she pray earnestly, but she also came humbly yet confidently. This could be seen in the way she crafted her request. Hannah did not beat around the bush but expressed her concern to the Lord with specificity. She desired to have a son. Then we can see that her prayer was not a self-serving one. The reason she wanted a son was so that she could dedicate him to the service of the Lord. What a way to pray. No wonder God was so quick to respond to her earnest prayer.  

Apparently, her prayer was misunderstood by Eli, who was the serving high priest. The reason he viewed Hannah with suspicion was because of his experience of seeing how carelessly people treated the Lord’s altar. People often come lacking the reverence that’s due to God. Eli must have seen them ever too often in his ministry. This teaches us that despite our personal experience, we must learn never to pigeon-hole other’s behaviors. If we want to be effective in helping others in their walk with God, we need to develop the spirit of discernment. While we don’t want to label what others would do, we need to learn to appraise every situation discerningly. When Eli realized that Hannah was a serious worshipper, he encouraged her. This is what we too must do to encourage others in their pursuit of God. So, we see Hannah went away positive and encouraged. She went away with her burden lifted. Hannah’s experience reminds us of Paul telling us in Philippians 4:6. We must “Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.” Prayer does bring changes!   

        

1 Samuel 1:4-8 – Making the most in the experience of lack

In an atmosphere that was becoming increasingly godless and chaotic, a godly man like Elkanah was like a breath of fresh air. While others would pander to their carnality, he would find time to order his life around honoring God. He would take his family to the Sanctuary in Shiloh. And there they would worship and make a sacrifice to the one God that matters most in life. His worshipful life should be a model that is worth our emulation. We must learn to schedule times in our life to connect with God.

Without a doubt, like Elkanah’s day, we too have many godless activities that seem palatable and alluring to our natural man. They are constantly beckoning us to join in and have the pleasure they promised to offer. But we need to know that making time to interact with God is a decision. It is one that we all will have to make volitionally. The wonderful news for us today is that we have God with us all the time. He is always available. And we can cultivate the awareness of His presence each moment in life. What can prevent us are the pressing activities of daily living. But no matter how legitimate they may seem to be, we must not neglect to make time to worship God. We must make time for church weekly, and we must also make time for devotion and prayer daily.

In these verses, we find that Elkanah made sure that his family joined him in this annual pilgrimage to Shiloh.  He would take his wives, Hannah and Peninnah, along with him. Hannah seems to be the first wife. But she was barren, and this could be the reason Elkanah took for himself another wife. His intention we surmise must be to ensure that he had a posterity. This arrangement was allowed in the Old Testament. However, the difficulties and disruption of harmonious living within a family were far too common in such an arrangement. Peninnah, the second wife, though she could bear children, was not Elkanah’s favorite. Verse 5 tells us that he loved Hannah more although she could not bear him a son. We are also told that her barrenness was a divine act. It is explicitly clear that God had closed her womb. But we have the advantage of knowing that she eventually conceived and bore Samuel. Her experience helps us to see that her condition was what made her seek the Lord even more earnestly. It suggests to us that our lack in life need not be a deficit, it could be a call to draw even closer to God. It could be God’s way of helping us to clarify our vision and increase our trust in Him.  

Two lessons to be learned. Firstly, we must all make time to be with God regardless of the many vying activities of life. Take time to join with the larger fellowship of saints in venerating God each week, but we must also make daily private devotional time for God. Secondly, our lack in life need not be a deficit or a disadvantage to God’s plan in our life. When we see it in perspective, it can be a God-allowed catalyst to drive us to seek Him, all the more earnestly. We must trust Him to work out His plan for our life!     

        

1 Samuel 1:1-3 – Being God's instruments of change

In our introduction, we have established that there are three key characters who are significant in the book of 1 Samuel. These three individuals are, Samuel the prophet, King Saul the first king of Israel and of course the famous King David. To better understand the book, we need to know the setting of 1 Samuel. The opening verses bring us back to the time of the Judges. The social condition of that time would best be described with the word anarchy. The duration would be approximately some 200 years after Joshua had brought the people of Israel into the promised land. Judges 21:25 tells us that, “In those days there was no king in Israel; everyone did what was right in his own eyes.” This tells us that Israel was facing a leadership crisis.

In such a setting, we see the emergence of the family of Samuel. His father was Elkanah meaning “God has created” or “God has taken possession.” He hailed from the tribe of Ephraim and he had two wives, namely, Hannah and Peninnah. Verse 1 indicates that they lived in the hill country of Ephraim in a place known as “Ramathaim-zophim.” Although Hannah was barren, Elkanah seemed to love her more than he loved Penninah. The fact of Hannah’s barrenness was made known to highlight to us the unusual circumstances surrounding the conception and birth of Samuel. It is set to point us to the mission God had installed for him.

Notice that Samuel’s father, Elkanah was referred to as “a certain” man and that he was a man who worshipped God. The fact that he would go up to the sanctuary in Shiloh yearly to worship and make sacrifices to the Lord in a time of social upheavals made him stand out in a time where godlessness prevailed. Briefly, verse 3 introduces us to the family of the high priest. Eli was the priest in charge, and he and his two sons Hophni and Phinehas were the priests at Shiloh that served God’s people.

Elkanah was singled out for mention in the midst of Israel’s dark time. He and especially Hannah, his favorite wife, were the unique vessels that God chose to use to bring change in a chaotic world. Through them, God brought forth Samuel the prophet. The lesson we learn is that no matter how bleak the condition God’s people may encounter, He still has a plan to bring changes. All He needs is someone who is loyal to him and willing to be his instrument of change. The imperfect life of Elkanah points to us that God does not need a perfect but a willing vessel. He was that “certain man” that would be God’s catalyst to effect a change. Elkanah and Hannah were willing vessels. God is still looking for vessels in our day to effect change in our world. Will we respond to His call to be His vessels to effect change in our world?

Introduction to 1 Samuel

Since the formation of Israel, God was ruling this unique nation through His appointed leaders. Each of them was raised by God to guide the people. Theocracy or the rule of God was the mode of government during this early history. However, the propensity of man made them inconsistent. Their tendency to sin made them repulsive to God and He had to deal with their sinful nature. Whenever they sinned, God would allow their enemies to oppress them. Then they would cry to God, who would mercifully raise a leader to deliver them. But when they had been delivered, they would soon gravitate to their sin again and offended God. This cycle repeated itself many times. This phenomenon can be seen in the book of Judges. The people of Israel were largely unfaithful to God. There came a point when they clamored for a king to rule over them, like what they saw in the surrounding nations. In so doing they were rejecting God and the theocratic rule. Yet God remained faithful for the sake of His covenant with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. 

First Samuel ushers us into the period of the monarchy or the period of the kings, which lasted approximately 500 some years from 1050 BC to 586 BC. Of this duration, 1 Samuel covers about 115 years. This thirty-one-chapter book covers three earlier stages of Israel’s history under the monarchy. Three key characters were introduced, and each would demarcate the three different stages. Firstly, we have Samuel the prophet, who ended the era of the Judges. And he largely became a kingmaker. He not only anointed Saul as king but also David. Then there was Saul, the first king, a people’s choice. He was better known as a man after man’s heart. Then we have David, the king whom God Himself would raise and was a man after God’s own heart. In 1 Samuel, David was being prepared so that God could fulfill the promise to establish his throne.

Samuel was believed to have written the larger portion of the book. It was either the prophets Nathan or Gad who then completed it. Since the genre of this book is written in the narrative form, let’s be ready for a very exciting time, gleaning the lessons God intends for us through it. Again, we will be journeying through this book devotionally. And as we do, let’s pray that God will enable us to appropriate the lessons we will glean and grow spiritually, to become the person we ought to be in Christ.   

Leviticus 27 – Giving to the Lord our very best

Leviticus 27 is the concluding chapter of this book. The message of this chapter seems to be a departure fr0m the rest of the book. It has to do with making vows to the Lord. Making vows to the Lord could be an emotional response to God for the blessings that one had received from Him. While a vow seems like an appropriate thing to do in the light of God’s goodness, it is something one ought not to make casually. Hence Ecclesiastes 5:4-6 advise us to be judicious in making vows. These verses say “When you make a vow to God, do not be late in paying it; for He takes no delight in fools. Pay what you vow! It is better that you should not vow than that you should vow and not pay. Do not let your speech cause you to sin and do not say in the presence of the messenger of God that it was a mistake. Why should God be angry on account of your voice and destroy the work of your hands?”

Here in Leviticus 27, God set right the matter concerning making vows to Him. Simply put, a vow is a promise. And we all make promises in the crucial milestones of our lives. We give our promise to be faithful to our spouse in the marriage vows. We make promises to raise our children in a godly fashion when we dedicate them to the Lord. The most important promise we make to the Lord is when we promise to give to Him our life, set apart for His service. Verses 1-8 deals with the most important pledge one could make to the Lord i.e. to pledge one’s life to Him. Value is attached to a person giving his life to the Lord’s service. Monetary value was assigned to a person due to his or her capacity to contribute to manual labor. A person was valued based on gender and age. Verses 9-25 provided regulations on what one should do regarding pledging his property. The later part of the chapter deals with things that already belong to the Lord. Firstly, first-born of any human or animal; secondly, lands, animal or things specially devoted to the Lord; and thirdly, the tithes.    

What do we take away from this closing chapter? God is faithful and worthy of our response to His goodness toward us. We should give him our lives in total surrender. We must love and serve Him at all times, young or old. But we ought to give Him while we are still able and energetic and not offer Him the fading ashes of our heart. Our God is worthy of the best we can offer, so let’s give Him our very best. When we do that, He multiplies blessings back into our lives!     

Leviticus 26 – Living a blessed life is a choice

Leviticus 26 opens in verses 1-2 by summarising the call that God had made in the Ten Commandments. Obey them will result in blessings and failing to obey them will end in a cursed life. There is only one God worthy of honor. To create an image and venerate it would be putting that idol on par with Him. Hence, He prohibits any and every form of idolatry. It is interesting to see God’s insistence that His people keep the Sabbath diligently. Why? It’s because Sabbath-keeping was a covenant God made with the people of Israel. Not only were they expected to keep the Sabbath, but they were also expected to honor the Sanctuary that speaks of His presence among them.    

Being obedient to the foundational truth set forth in verses 1-2, God promised them a list of blessings in verses 3-13. Firstly, God promised to give them rain. Being agricultural people, the rain was important as it would determine the harvest they would reap. Secondly, they will experience peace of mind. Thirdly, wild and savage beasts would be removed from their land. Fourthly, they would experience victory against their enemies.  Fifthly, they would experience fruitfulness not only in their crops but also in their cattle. Sixthly, they would experience God’s presence in their midst.

However, if they chose to walk in disobedience, verses 14-39 list for them a series of threats that they would experience. But God, being gracious told them that even in the midst of the terror that would befall them, when they realized their wrong and would repent and return to the Lord, He would reverse their curse. But if they persist in their sins, the curses would come in greater intensity. This tells us that God’s punishment has never been to destroy His people but to help them to realize their wrong, repent and change for the better. Verses 44-46 even promised them future restoration.  God would never forget His covenant and the promises He had made with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. All that His people needed to do was to confess their sins and the sins of their forefathers.  

  

Experiencing a life of blessing is conditioned on obeying the Lord. When we walk in obedience, God’s blessings will overtake us. Conversely, if we choose to be wayward and not walk according to His instructions, negative experiences of life will consume us. More than wanting to destroy us, God wants us to walk and live aright. God only has good intentions to see that we are overtaken by His blessings. The decision to stay blessed or not, rest in our hands.  Wisdom dictates that we choose what’s best. So, go for it!  

Leviticus 25 – Be God’s compassionate people

Leviticus 25 contains three broad groupings. The first category, in verses 1-22, deals with the sabbath year. Since the dawn of creation, God had instituted the seventh day as a day of rest. This later became referred to as the seventh day. On that day, no work was to be done. It was a day set apart for one to rest and to connect with God. The concept of the Sabbath year is an extension of the Sabbath day. On the seventh year, a landowner must give his land a rest. In other words, he could cultivate his land for six years but in the seventh year, he must let the land rest. Nothing was to be sown on that land for that year. It’s God’s way of allowing and ensuring time for the land to renew itself. The second category covered in verses 23-38 deals with the redemption of the property in the year of Jubilee. Family property that had been used as surety would be returned to the owner in the 50^th year. God wanted to ensure that land ownership would be widely distributed. He was preventing the wealth of the nation from being accumulated by a few. Hence, the land would be returned to an owner in the year after a cycle of seven sabbath years. This year is known as the year of Jubilee. The third category described in verses 39-55 deals with the redemption of a slave in the year of Jubilee.  

In Leviticus 25 we glean principles concerning justice, fairness, social equality, mercy, and compassion. God would not have his people taking advantage of others. His people must be compassionate to ensure that his fellow brothers do not live in wants. A person who lost what he had because of his inability to settle the debt he had incurred would become debt-free in the year of Jubilee. The system was to free a person so that they would not forever be in debt. In all the instructions given in this chapter, the primary purpose of God is to build in His people a heart of mercy and compassion. As we follow the principles set out in this chapter, we learn not to exploit people in the times of their dire needs. It also teaches us to hold lightly to what we own here on earth, for our true treasure is in heaven. Everything we own on this side of life is destructible. The true indestructible treasures are those we laid in heaven. So, let us heed the word of God and lay up treasures in heaven!

Leviticus 24 – Living in holiness for the Lord

In Leviticus 23, we learned about keeping the Sabbath and the Feasts of the LORD for different times of the year. A casual reading of Leviticus 24 gives us the impression that there’s an abrupt change in topics. It seems as if the Lord suddenly turned to give instructions on the making of the oil to keep the Golden Lampstand burning perpetually; and matters pertaining to the 12 loaves for the table of shewbread; and the punishment of the alien who blasphemed God. On deeper reflection, we’ll see the connection. The change was not an afterthought of God. In the last chapter, we read about the ingathering of the harvest and the involvement of foreigners. Thus, it seems natural for God to instruct that a portion of the harvest be used for making the oil for the Golden Lampstand and the loaves for the Table of Shewbread in the Holy place. The punishment of the alien who blasphemed God would tie in neatly with the call to include the alien in the previous chapter. In this way the change in topics makes sense.  

The making of the oil for the Golden Lampstand was a repetition of the instructions given in Exodus 27:20-21. While it was the priest who attended to the Golden Lampstand keeping it burning perpetually, it was the people who collaborated by providing the material for the production of the oil. In a sense, it is both the priest and the people rendering their devotion to God. This suggests that God wants our lives and witness to be perpetually shinning and showing the direction to people in the lost world. We can only do so effectively when we are constantly being filled with the Holy Spirit.

The twelve loaves on the Golden Table of Shewbread were neatly placed in two stacks, six in each stack. And on each sabbath day, new loaves would be placed on the table because the priest would eat the loaves of the previous week. Verse 7 instructs the priest saying, “You shall put pure frankincense on each row that it may be a memorial portion for the bread, even an offering by fire to the Lord.” The frankincense speaks of prayer. The description of the loaves and the offering of frankincense suggest that both our physical and spiritual food should be sanctified by prayer and be gratefully taken.

Holiness must be observed but in verses 10-23 we see that holiness could be defiled. When a person blasphemes the name of the LORD, he had defiled the holiness of God. The stoning of a blasphemous man, though no longer practiced in our day, tells us how serious God takes the matter. It behooves us therefore never to take the name of the LORD in vain. We must seek to reverence Him at all times. In the few closing verses, we also see a God who is just and fair. A person must not over exact revenge for an injury inflicted on him. The rule of thumb is: “ fracture for fracture, eye for eye, tooth for tooth; just as he has injured a man, so it shall be inflicted on him.” But in the New Testament Jesus advocates that we be magnanimous. We seek to forgive rather than seek vengeance. As followers of Christ, our lives must demonstrate our trust in Him. Our aim should be to live it in such a way that we demonstrate not only the love but also the holiness of God. In so doing we can make our world a better place. Let’s go for it!  

Leviticus 23:1-44 - Living joyfully in our journey with God

Essentially, the book of Leviticus is a prescription on how to worship the great God. In this book, we also learned how the high priest and the priests were ordained to assist in the worship. One of the concerns was for qualified personnel to be rightly equipped to do these sacred duties. Hence God expected that the conduct of priests would befit the role that they were fulfilling. He expected these consecrated priests to live a holy life for they were serving a holy God, who alone qualified and sanctified them for their work. We see all these discussed in earlier chapters. Alongside the right people to conduct the services, the book also talks about the different kinds of offerings and the reasons why they should be offered. In this chapter, we see the introduction of the annual feasts to be celebrated within the worship calendar.

Before talking about the annual feasts, Leviticus 23:1-3  first reiterated the importance of observing the Sabbath on the seventh day of each week throughout the year. It was a day set aside for worship and rest. In His wisdom, the Lord knows that we need that day to recalibrate after six days of work. Hence, it is wise for us to take the day seriously to worship the Lord and stay in tune with Him.

In verses 4-8 we see the discussion on the Feast of the Passover and the Feast of Unleavened Bread, which speaks of redemption and the need to be rid of sins in our lives as we walk the redeemed journey. In verses 9-22 we see the Feast of the First Fruit and the Feast of Pentecost. In 1 Corinthians 15:20, we see the Feats of First Fruit being typified as both Christ’s and our resurrection. In the book of Acts, we learned that during the celebration of the Feast of Pentecost that the Holy Spirit descended on the disciples of Christ in the Upper Room. Pentecost has since come to be acknowledged as the coming of the Holy Spirit. In verses  23-25, we see the discussion of the Feast of Trumpet, signifying the gathering of God’s dispersed people in the future.  In verses 26-32 is the Day of Atonement which we already dealt with in Leviticus 16. The Feast of Tabernacles is dealt with in verses 33-36. God had provided and protected the children of Israel in their wilderness journey, so He is also our protector and provider. We must take time to celebrate and thank Him for His preservation, protection, and provision. He will see us through till the day we meet Christ face to face.

Life with God is an ever-advancing journey of holiness. Walking with the Holy God is not a monotonous but a joyful one. Every experience we can have with Him should inspire us to lift Him up with our praise. Unlike the Israelites who were given instructions to celebrate these feasts, for us, they point us all to what God through Christ has accomplished for us. We refresh ourselves in Him and through Him offer a life of thanksgiving and praise. He is worthy of it all!  

Leviticus 22:17-33 – Let us offer our best to God

From Leviticus 21:1 - 22:16, the Lord was addressing the priests specifically, giving them instructions on how to conduct their lives and service in holiness. Now in these next eighteen verses, He included the Israelites as well in His instructions. So, the first part of verse 18 reads thus: “Speak to Aaron and to his sons and to all the sons of Israel and say to them, ‘Any man of the house of Israel or of the aliens in Israel….’” Hence, we shall deal with this section separately from those that addressed the priesthood exclusively.

In these verses, God was concerned for the quality of offerings that one brought to present to Him.  Firstly, any offering to God, whether it be from the cattle, the sheep, or the goats, must be without blemish. So, verse 22 says, “Those that are blind or fractured or maimed or having a running sore or eczema or scabs, you shall not offer to the Lord, nor make of them an offering by fire on the altar to the Lord.” No animal with a defect would be a worthy gift to the Lord. However, we see in verse 23 an exception. Only in making freewill offering was a stunted or deformed animal allowed. Even then it would not be allowed when one was making a pledge to the Lord.

Secondly, verse 25 insists the same rule of not offering any unblemished animal to the LORD must also be enforced if a foreigner was making the offering. There should be no concession given to them. They must also offer no defective animal as their offering. And thirdly, the age of the animal for sacrifice was also stipulated. The age of the animal should not be less than eight days old. Besides, it should not be slaughtered with the mother on the same day. The closing verses once again refer to the basis for the instructions. They say, “So you shall keep My commandments, and do them; I am the Lord. “You shall not profane My holy name, but I will be sanctified among the sons of Israel; I am the Lord who sanctifies you, who brought you out from the land of Egypt, to be your God; I am the Lord.”

God is worthy of our best. Our offering to Him must be of the best standard. We don’t give to God the fading ashes of our hearts, time or our energy. We must offer to Him the best version of ourselves. To such a great God, only the best will do. Anything less would be disrespectful. We must seek to honor Him with the best.