But the hand of the LORD was heavy on the people of Ashdod, and He ravaged them with tumors, both Ashdod and its territory. 1^st Samuel 5:6

God Judges in The End

The Philistines had beaten Israel in two decisive battles killing 34,000 Israeli soldiers. In that massive defeat the Philistines captured the ark of God which Hophni and Phineas had foolishly allowed the army of Israel to carry into battle, thinking it alone would give them victory. When the 98-year-old Eli heard the news that the ark had been captured, he fell off his seat breaking his neck and died. He had ruled as high priest for 40 years.

The Philistines took the ark into their city of Ashdod and as a trophy of war placed it in the temple of their fish god, Dagon. The next morning, they found Dagon’s statue on its face, prostrate before the ark and the God of Israel. They put the statue back on its pedestal only to find the following morning their god prostrate and broken before the ark. All that was left was the statue’s torso. It was such a shock and embarrassment that their god had been so disgraced that never again would a priest of this false god step on that area (v 5:5).

God’s chastisement was just getting started. He struck Ashdod and its surrounding territories with tumors. The Hebrew word means an inflammation of a boil or ulcer especially of the anus. The archaic KJV English is the word emerods from which we get our word hemorrhoids, and it pains me to say they did have these tumors in their “secret parts” (v 5:9). God is never mocked (Galatians 6:7) and always has the end in mind for those willing to bend over backwards to do so.

Ashdod began passing the ark around to other Philistine cities which suffered the same consequences. After 7 months of hot potato, they thought the better part of valor would be to return the thing that had them saying, “Uh, no thanks, I think I’ll stand,” when offered a chair.

To pacify the God of Israel, the Philistine priests had them make a “trespass offering” of 5 golden emerods and 5 golden mice. The vermin had apparently also brought disease on the land. The ark was loaded on a new cart with two cows and sent south. The ark of God was recovered by the Jews and was once again in Israel’s hands.

We currently live in biblical times where we are daily seeing evil people defying and mocking the Living God. But is God really mocked? We need not lose hope for He has always proven Himself faithful to His word and shown Himself powerful to save.

Let us not be weary in doing what is right and let us not give up hope that He will remain true to His promises to return and make all things new. We shall reap a harvest if we do not give up (Galatians 6:9). God continues to work in all power, wisdom, and strength to bring righteousness and restoration, and be assured, He always triumphs in the end. 

Ken

Many Parts /Many Powers

And what happens to your two sons, Hophni and Phineas, will be a sign to you-they will both die on the same day. 1^st Samuel 2:34

The two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phineas, were raised in the home of a man who would be the high priest and spiritual leader of Israel for forty years. Eli was apparently a pious man, and the boys knew about Yahweh and His righteous commandments. Being in the line of Levi and Aaron they were able to serve as priests. They however continued to prostitute their Aaronic office, both spiritually and physically (vv 2:16, 22). God sent an unnamed man to Eli who prophesied He would judge the two men for it, and they would pay with their lives.

God has many attributes. While love is one of them, the one He wants to be known for is not His love but His holiness and that surprises many. His holiness means He is set apart and perfect without any kind of imperfection and that perfection defines who He is. Unrighteousness goes against all He is and represents. His purity and perfection demand He judges all unrighteousness.

When a warring tribe called the Philistines moved to attack Israel, the Jews decided to use the Ark of the Covenant as a magical talisman to lead them to victory. It demonstrated their superstition and spiritual laziness in ignoring the LORD and His commandments. The Ark was made for Israel’s yearly atonement through the sprinkling of sacrificial blood by the high priest (Leviticus 16:14-16, Romans 3:25). The people were using it contrary to God’s will and design in the Law of Moses. In the ensuing battle, God allowed the Philistines to triumph over Israel and capture the Ark. As He commanded, His judgment against Hophni and Phineas was fulfilled, and they died in the battle on the same day.

The ‘Whole Counsel of God’ means the entire Word of His revelation to mankind. Love is just one part of who God is, a very important part to be sure, but it does not define His totality. He is a God of many parts and many powers to save us in every scenario. Thankfully, He is the Becoming One, able to become what we need.

Because He is holy all He does is perfect, even to judgment which is just every time. His love will always temper His judgement against sin, but His justice will never overlook it, as in the case of Hophni and Phineas.

If God were only a God of love, He would be one-dimensional. A one-dimensional God of only love could never judge anything with full equity or impartiality. Many parts show us His many powers. He calls us to know Him and take upon ourselves His servitude and learn about Him (Matthew 11:29).

Thankfully He always judges righteously (rightly) now and will do so at His soon returning to judge the nations (Joel 3:2, Matthew 25:31-46). Many parts of our Living God mean many powers. The Becoming One in all our situations. Yes, He does love us for sure, but He is so much more for us who believe-many parts, many powers-the kind of God that in which we can trust and serve with confidence.

 Ken

Hannah's Horn

And Hannah prayed and said: “My heart rejoices in the Lord; My horn is exalted in the Lord. I smile at my enemies, Because I rejoice in Your salvation.” 1^st Samuel 2:1 (NKJV)

In the Old Testament a horn always symbolized strength. Hannah’s horn was the strength of the LORD. He is the only strength we can fully trust in to give us exactly what we need. That is, not always what we may want but always what He knows we need.

We saw that the LORD worked miraculously for Hannah and Elkanah. After Samuel’s birth God give them five more children. In her prayer of praise and thanksgiving in speaking of smiling at her enemies she makes a clear reference to her rival Peninnah. It is notable that the Lord put an end to Peninnah’s vicious verbal assaults, and her name is never again mentioned in Scripture.

In giving Hannah a son, He was also giving Israel what He knew the nation needed. It was at the end of the time of the Judges where people did what was right in their own eyes (Judges 21:25). As the last judge of Israel Samuel’s call was different as he was also a priest to the nation.

Eli’s two sons, Hophni and Phineas, were priests but they were also wicked and unprincipled extortionists, using the priesthood to threaten and cheat their fellow Jews for gain and using women for sexual exploitation.

Eli knew what they were doing, and he reprimanded them, but he was very old (v. 2:22) and it was too little too late. Even as the rebuke came from the high priest of Israel the men ignored him and continued to blaspheme the LORD. But Eli was held accountable for not reigning them in sooner. God would demand their lives and declared an end of Eli’s priestly line which came some 130 years later in the time of King Solomon (1^st Kings 2:26,35). God proved He reigns in power and authority throughout all time.

Dare we hope He is able and willing to do the same for us in our day? Scripture tells us we can. We may see people pulling a Hophni and Phineas con but nothing gets by the eye of the Lord. He never changes and righteous judgment is an absolute aspect of His character. He not only will judge righteously but currently is judging righteously.

As Corrie Ten Boom said, “If you look at the world, you’ll be distressed. If you look within, you’ll be depressed. But if you look at Christ, you’ll be at rest.” We can trust in His horn of strength and there is rest and refreshing in that.

Ken

But If Not

“But if not, let it be known to you, O king, that we do not serve your gods, nor will we worship the gold image which you have set up.” Daniel 3:18 (NKJV)

I had a young woman in a bible study I was teaching tell me, “I hear all these testimonies from Christians who say God did miracles in their lives. God has never done anything like that for me. When I hear people talk about how God worked in their lives, it makes me angry. Do I not have enough worth for Him to move like that for me?”

It's a pivotal question: why does God answer some prayers and not others? Hannah gave insight in her prayer of thanksgiving, even after giving up the one thing that was most precious to her, her only son.

She speaks of God’s holiness and sovereignty; there’s none like Him. As the God of all knowledge, all actions and all outcomes are weighed by His wisdom and understanding that will grow and strengthen us. What we might see as a benefit in the present could be detrimental in the future and only He knows that. That Supremacy even defines life and death (v 2:6).

So, if we’re walking through 1^st Samuel, why do we begin with Daniel’s three friends, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego?

The context of today’s verse is that King Nebuchadnezzar ordered the peoples, nations and languages to worship a golden image he set up (Dan. 3:5) under threat of being burned alive (3:11). These three young Jewish captives refused.

In their refusal they said they knew God could save them from the fire but could not be absolutely sure He would. Their answer to the furious king was swift and sure. God could save them, but if not, their confidence was in Him, and they would not bow. Their faith remained steadfast in the God of Israel and that any outcome under His control would turn out perfectly on their behalf, be it life or death.

In his rage Nebuchadnezzar had the furnace heated seven times hotter than normal. The fire was so intense it killed the men who put the three Jewish men in (vs 3:22-23). The Lord protected the captives and was seen by the king as the fourth person walking with them in the fire (Dan 3:25). All three were brought out unhurt and unsinged, with not even a smell of smoke on their clothing (v 3:27).

And for Hannah? God blessed her and opened her womb. He gave her three more sons and two daughters (1^st Sam. 2:21). A great end to a great story of faith. God be glorified. But what if it had not turned out as she had hoped? Would it have meant God had loved her any less? No, nor would it have lessened her worth in His eyes at all.

How about when things don’t turn out as we have hoped and prayed?  There are many blanks we can fill in where God is silent yet remains ardent in His love for us. After sincere and concerted prayers hit brass ceilings the words “But if not” can become a phrase we can confidently live by. God remains ardent in His love toward us. However, if He chooses the fire, He doesn’t want us to embrace the mistake of fury.

When we pray specifically, and God chooses to answer in another way then let us rest in His wisdom. When we put our trust in whatever answer comes, He is able to open any barren womb, but if not, He will always be the Fourth Person walking with us in the fire.

Ken

“I prayed for this child, and the LORD has granted me what I asked of him. So now I give him to the LORD. For his whole life he will be given over to the LORD.” And he worshipped the LORD there. 1^st Samuel 1:27-28 (NIV)

The Honor of Hannah’s Sacrifice

It’s often been quoted “There are no atheists in foxholes.” I have watched many documentaries where someone in a horrific combat situation said, “I called out to God and said ‘God, if you get me out of this alive, I’ll serve you the rest of my life.’” God apparently did, as these men were there to testify to His gracious deliverance. But I have yet to hear any say, “And since then I have honored that vow.”

Whether they did or did not is up to me to judge but leaving that out seems an important aspect that speaks of the integrity of honoring a vow made to the Lord. God said, “If a man [which includes both men and women] makes a vow or a pledge they must not break their word but must do everything they said,” (Numbers 30:2).

Hannah’s vow had a time limit when she would be brought to having to choose to surrender her only son and child to the LORD with no guarantee she would have any more children. I’m sure there were moments of flittering justifications in her mind as to why she could keep Samuel for herself.

The ages of Samuel’s offering to the LORD have been estimated to be between 5 and 12 years old. The context seems to be at a lower age, as it says she waited until he was weaned and ‘the child was young,’ (v 1:24). If one is a parent, it can be easily imagined how difficult giving a child up would be, even if you knew there might be more that could be born.

Hannah’s offering was more than just keeping her word to the LORD, it was a deeply personal sacrifice, a sacrifice of a broken and contrite spirit. While Scripture tells us God has taken pleasure in the aroma of the sacrifice (Genesis 8:21, Leviticus 2:2), it isn’t the odor of smoke that pleases Him but evidence of a humble and steadfast heart of trust.

Hannah’s sacrifice was an especially wonderful fragrance, for it was given in the preciously tender spirit of the widow’s mite, for it touched her at her very existence and at that point of her life was all she had that was too precious for words. That Hannah refused to find justification to keep her baby boy is a lesson in trust and integrity that speaks of the strength available to us through Christ Jesus to do the same.

When a vow comes due, we won’t have to say, “Oh, yeah, God, about that…it was a foxhole. Surely you aren’t going to hold me to that vow?” What He desires to hear is, “My offer to give my life to you in that foxhole has been honored.” If done in honor and truth, it is a sacrifice that might have hurt, but it will be a sacrifice of a rising and fragrant honor, pleasing to the Lord, as it was with Hannah’s honor.

Next week we’ll see that God honored the faithful fulfillment of Hannah’s vow and how He did it.

Ken

When Hannah Was Heard

And he had two wives: the name of one was Hannah, and the name of the other Peninnah. Peninnah had children, but Hannah had no children. 1^st Samuel 1:2 (NKJV)

As the narratives of 1^st and 2^nd Samuel begin, Samuel’s mother, Hannah, is unable to conceive. In the culture of the day infertility had deeply disturbing implications, involving embarrassment and even shame. She wanted desperately to give Elkanah her husband, children. What made things worse was Elkanah had a second wife named Peninnah who was prolific in her reproductive capacities, having sons and daughters. However, Peninnah was prone to jealousy that played out regularly against Hannah and in a vicious and spiteful way.

Elkanah’s marital acumen showed he wasn’t the sharpest chisel in the toolbox for he loved Hannah and openly favored her (1^st Sam 1:5). It sparked resentment in Peninnah who took every opportunity to mock Hannah and her inability to conceive and to make her life a living misery.

It became so great a heartache for Hannah, she wept and couldn’t even eat. In desperation she made a vow to the LORD, saying if the He would give her a male child, she would give him to His service all of his life, in the lifelong Nazarite vow of spiritual purity (1:11). 

This vow was made at the Tent of Meeting in Shiloh in front of Eli the High Priest, as she silently prayed. She was so intent in her prayer that Eli watching her lips moving thought her drunk and rebuked her. She assured him she was just a woman of sorrowful spirit. He then told her to go in peace and blessed her in her petition. The LORD heard her and honored her supplication.

While God can answer our petitions not every denial means disapproval, but there are times in His wisdom God says what we ask for isn’t in our best interests. Every move on His part is predicated on His perfect will and His plan to grow and strengthen us. It means His way is best. If He had denied Hannah, He was offering His best to her and the nation of Israel. Consider the tragic story of Samson (Judges chapters 13-16).

Asking and waiting can be tiresome and discouraging and feel like we’re losing all hope. Have you seen the t-shirt that says, “I had my patience tested. I was negative,”? That’s one option. But God’s T-shirt always reads, “I had my patience tested. I trusted.” Can that be wrong If He is God? Whatever the outcome my money’s on t-shirt number two.

Next week we will look at how Hannah was faithful in honoring a difficult vow and how God honored her for her faithfulness.

Ken

For the word of the Lord is upright, and all his work is done in faithfulness. Psalm 33:4

 When God Answered Anyway

Virginia had been attending a weekly Bible study I taught at a company I worked at in the 1980s. The weekly study was at the request of our company’s Christian chief executive officer. One day Virginia and her friend, Dee, dropped by my department to ask if I would pray for her and a surgery Virginia was having the next day on her jaw to help correct a degenerative bone disease issue. It would be her second surgery.

Even though I was very busy, we went to a private room, and I prayed a quick, and mostly faithless prayer for her. I can’t even recall the words I prayed. It was quick and easy, and I went back to work and forgot about it.

The next day Dee came to my department and asked excitedly, “Has Virginia talked to you yet?” She went on to say, “The surgeon opened her jaw this morning and was stunned to find her jaw and surrounding tissue were all healthy, pink, and normal. Even the scar tissue from her first surgery was gone! The doctor kind of panicked and thought he’d operated on the wrong woman. He had his nurse pull her chart and verify this was the same Virginia he’d operated on before.

The nurse verified it to his amazement. He had no explanation, but Virginia testified to the miracle of God’s power that was shown through prayer. All he could say was, “There’s nothing else I can do for you, Virginia. There’s nothing wrong with your jaw. I’m going to stitch you up and send you home. I don’t understand it.”

Dee related this testimony of God’s graciousness much to my shame and embarrassment. I confessed to her how quickly I had prayed with them and that there had been absolutely no faith to my prayer. I had been more concerned about getting back to work. I asked for her forgiveness and when I saw Virginia, I asked hers too.

In seeking God’s forgiveness, He taught me a valuable lesson in His sovereignty, and grace and that He can work in any situation to show forth His ultimate glory. It is not by might, nor by power, but by His Spirit (Zechariah 4:6).

This is just one episode in my Christian experience that has been a continual comfort to me in times when my prayers feel dry and ineffectual or even without faith. I am moved as I recall the mercies of the Lord and how He glorified Himself through a faithless prayer I once offered a little too quickly and easily. So rightly did the psalmist say, Lord, our Lord, how majestic is Your name in all the earth! You have set Your glory in the heavens.

Ken