Musings in Samuel (1)

Samuel 1:1 - 18: The motif of the fruitful and barren, Peninnah and Hannah, reminds me of Isaiah 54:

“Shout for joy, O barren one, you who have borne no child; break forth into joyful shouting and cry aloud, you who have not travailed; for the sons of the desolate one will be more numerous than the sons of the married woman, says the Lord. Enlarge the place of your tent; stretch out the curtains of your dwellings, spare not; lengthen your cords and strengthen your pegs. For you will spread abroad to the right and to the left. And your descendants will possess nations and will resettle the desolate cities…”

It strikes me that the message of Isaiah 54 comes immediately after the Suffering Servant of Isaiah 53 and the question, “Who will declare his generation?” The Suffering Servant appears desolate, it appears that He will have no generation, no seed, no offspring – little do most readers know of John 12:24.

Those who were of the many mocked Christ on the Cross – they would finish Him and He would have no offspring.

No doubt the faithful Bride of Christ has often been mocked, as Peninnah mocked Hannah; for faithfulness to Christ is found not in the many, but in the Remnant. Well, it may appear that the faithful Remnant is unfruitful…we shall see.

1 Samuel 1:6, “…Yahweh had closed her [Hannah’s] womb.” This was all in God’s timing and plan; a son, Samuel, would be born at the appointed time, through the appointed process. Our “times” truly are in His hands.

Hannah prayed to Yahweh and “wept bitterly”, her “soul was distressed”. I don’t pretend to understand this, but when we wait on our Lord, and when we enter the valley of distress and tears, the Holy Spirit does a work of cleansing and transformation within us, drawing us more intimately into fellowship with the Trinity and with one another.

Eli thought that Hannah was drunk. Here is a picture of a discerning priest and pastor – see how in tune Eli was with the people! Hannah was in agony of soul and spirit, crying out to God, and Eli thought she was drunk.

How many times do pastors and priests think their people are drunk when the flock desperately wants a connection with the Ture and Living God? Religious leaders can become so institutionalized and “professional” that they lose touch (if they ever had it) with the cries of God’s People for the Presence of God; they lose touch with the cries of a fallen and lost humanity for hope, help, and salvation.

At least Eli is willing to admit his gross error, at least he is not yet incapable of reaching within himself, by God’s grace, to give Hannah encouragement, prayer, and benediction.

O that we might have Hannahs in our midst, crying out for the birth of the Son in His People!

But that would be disruptive and we can’t have that…we can’t have God’s People acting drunk as on the Day of Pentecost (Acts 2). Go away Hannah! Go away Holy Spirit!

I write as a fool.

But…maybe it is a good thing…a good thing…to be a fool…for Christ