The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him and what came to my heart and mind in 1 Samuel 1:6,
"Because the Lord had closed Hannah's womb, her rival kept provoking her in order to irritate her."
Hannah's rival was her husband's other wife, Peninnah. Peninnah had provided Elkanah (the husband of both of the women) children, but we are told the Lord had "closed Hannah's womb."
Some regard this comment, about the Lord "closing Hannah's womb" as a general way of saying that she was simply barren, without intending to infer God's active intervention in her life causing her barrenness. Sort of a common type phrase referencing that since God gives life, any barren woman would said to have had her womb closed by the Lord.
I think this misses the point of this part of Samuel's story. I take the phrase, "the Lord had closed her womb", verse 5, as literal and straight forward. I believe the Lord actually intervened in Hannah's life to keep her from getting pregnant for a long time.
In the account, we are told that due to Hannah's prolonged barrenness and suffering at the continued provocation of her rival, she prayed to God in "deep anguish", verse 10, and promised the Lord that if he would allow her to have a son, she would dedicate him as a Nazarite to serve the Lord at the tabernacle all his life.
Later, in verse 19b-20 we read, "Elkanah made love to his wife Hannah, and the Lord remembered her. So in the course of time Hannah became pregnant and gave birth to a son. She named him Samuel, saying, 'Because I asked the Lord for him.'"
The Lord often uses us in differing ways and engages us in the things he plans to do. Samuel would become Israel's kingmaker as a prophet of God. In preparing and grooming him for this very important task, having Samuel dedicated to the Lord and serve at the tabernacle, both prepared him for the job and positioned him strategically. Having Samuel dedicated as a Nazarite devoted to God for life accomplished this effectively.
How was Hannah to know these things in her barrenness for those years she suffered her humiliation? Yet, because of what she endured, Israel now had a king-maker the Lord used in mighty ways.
I suspect that oftentimes we endure difficulties and hardships without realizing the Lord may be afoot in our lives as he prepares things in some seemingly non-connected way to accomplish his purposes through us. We all may find we have a few surprises in the next life to learn as to how the Lord was using us in this life!
Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!
If you have someone you would like to receive these ruminations, send me their email address. I'm happy to add them to the list. If you are receiving this and would like to be removed from the list, just respond and let me know.
Trevor Fisk
trevor.fisk@gmail.com
"Because the Lord had closed Hannah's womb, her rival kept provoking her in order to irritate her."
Hannah's rival was her husband's other wife, Peninnah. Peninnah had provided Elkanah (the husband of both of the women) children, but we are told the Lord had "closed Hannah's womb."
Some regard this comment, about the Lord "closing Hannah's womb" as a general way of saying that she was simply barren, without intending to infer God's active intervention in her life causing her barrenness. Sort of a common type phrase referencing that since God gives life, any barren woman would said to have had her womb closed by the Lord.
I think this misses the point of this part of Samuel's story. I take the phrase, "the Lord had closed her womb", verse 5, as literal and straight forward. I believe the Lord actually intervened in Hannah's life to keep her from getting pregnant for a long time.
In the account, we are told that due to Hannah's prolonged barrenness and suffering at the continued provocation of her rival, she prayed to God in "deep anguish", verse 10, and promised the Lord that if he would allow her to have a son, she would dedicate him as a Nazarite to serve the Lord at the tabernacle all his life.
Later, in verse 19b-20 we read, "Elkanah made love to his wife Hannah, and the Lord remembered her. So in the course of time Hannah became pregnant and gave birth to a son. She named him Samuel, saying, 'Because I asked the Lord for him.'"
The Lord often uses us in differing ways and engages us in the things he plans to do. Samuel would become Israel's kingmaker as a prophet of God. In preparing and grooming him for this very important task, having Samuel dedicated to the Lord and serve at the tabernacle, both prepared him for the job and positioned him strategically. Having Samuel dedicated as a Nazarite devoted to God for life accomplished this effectively.
How was Hannah to know these things in her barrenness for those years she suffered her humiliation? Yet, because of what she endured, Israel now had a king-maker the Lord used in mighty ways.
I suspect that oftentimes we endure difficulties and hardships without realizing the Lord may be afoot in our lives as he prepares things in some seemingly non-connected way to accomplish his purposes through us. We all may find we have a few surprises in the next life to learn as to how the Lord was using us in this life!
Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!
If you have someone you would like to receive these ruminations, send me their email address. I'm happy to add them to the list. If you are receiving this and would like to be removed from the list, just respond and let me know.
Trevor Fisk
trevor.fisk@gmail.com
No comments:
Post a Comment