Today I read 1 Samuel 2 where we find that after Hannah gave birth to Samuel she had 5 other children. I remember being a teenager and reading that in seminary and I was so happy to find that she was able to have children after Samuel and was able to have the desire of her heart. It is a very sad thing when couples who want to have a child is unable to. So I am very happy that Hannah was able to have children beyond Samuel.
The rest of this chapter is not so happy. Eli's children perverted the ways of the Lord. Instead of taking their portion of the sacrifice after it had been offered to the Lord, they were taking their portion of meat before it was offered to the Lord. They were also having sex with the women who were coming to offer sacrifice. Eli, who was aware of this, did not do anything to stop his sons and their very inappropriate behavior. I sometimes feel bad for Eli. He obviously was a man who avoided confrontation and a weak willed man who could not stand up to his own sons. And so he was cast off.
This story sometimes makes me wonder about myself. What things are in my life that I fear man more than God and so won't cut out? Am I more afraid of what man thinks of me, or what God thinks of me? I don't think that is a question that can be answered just once. We go through stages in life and so about certain things we might fear man more than God for a time, but then we might flip flop. The main thing to keep in mind though is to keep as the forefront of our thoughts, what would God have me do? If we always keep pleasing God in our thoughts we will not go wrong. Until tomorrow.
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