A Few Thoughts About Bible Principles

And from examples of success and failure.

From 1 Samuel 1-2:11

The people

B1 Eli

B2 Eli’s sons Hophni and Phinehas

B3 Elkanah, husband to Hannah and Peninnah

B4 Hannah

B5 Peninnah

B6 God

The setting

B1 Shiloh, the first center of Israelite worship in the Promised Land. A comment from the ATS Bible Dictionary on Shiloh (the place):

A famous city of Ephraim, about ten miles south of Shechem, and twenty-four north of Jerusalem. Here Joshua assembled the people to make the second distribution of the Land of Promise; and her the tabernacle of the Lord was set up, when they were settled in the country, Joshua 18:1; 19:51. The ark and the tabernacle continued at Shiloh, from B. C. 1444 to B. C. 1116, when it was taken by the Philistines, under the administration of the high priest Eli. In honor of the presence of the ark, there was "a feast of the Lord in Shiloh yearly;" and at one of these festivals the daughters of Shiloh were seized by a remnant of the Benjamites, Judges 21:19-23. At Shiloh Samuel began to prophesy, 1 Samuel 4:1, and here the prophet Ahijah dwelt, 1 Kings 14:2.

B2 Sacrifices probably referring to one of the 3 major feasts that all Israelite men must attend. Those are Passover, Pentecost, and Tabernacles.

B3 Eli is high priest. His sons Hophni and Phinehas are assistant priests. The two sons are controlling, brutal, lustful, seek only for themselves resulting in Israel hating them and even turning against God. We too often these days see controlling people/pastors in the church and ruining it. They died in war, because God hated them.

God’s rules in the Bible include:

B1 Things we must do and things we must not do.

B2 Principles we must do and principles we must not do.

B3 Example of people with godly success, which we must imitate, and examples of ungodly failure, which we must avoid.

The principles learned

B1 Don’t be evil like Hophni and Phinehas. It is an attitude that God hates. This attitude leads to action/deeds. What we really believe, we do. God punishes this severely. We do not know when, but it will happen. First death, then punishment. 1 Samuel 3:13-14 NRSV For I have told him that I am about to punish his house forever, for the iniquity that he knew, because his sons were blaspheming God, and he did not restrain them. 14 Therefore I swear to the house of Eli that the iniquity of Eli's house shall not be expiated by sacrifice or offering forever."

B2 Elkanah shares his food with his family. Good. We shouldn’t hoard or keep from our family. We are to take care of our family, not cause suffering. 1 Timothy 5:8 NIV Anyone who does not provide for their relatives, and especially for their own household, has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever.

B3 Elkanah shares his food unevenly in giving Hannah twice as much. Bad. We should give to each equally as much as possible.

C1 James 2:8-9 NRSV You do well if you really fulfill the royal law according to the scripture, "You shall love your neighbor as yourself." 9 But if you show partiality, you commit sin and are convicted by the law as transgressors.

C2 Romans 2:11 NRSV For God shows no partiality.

B4 Peninnah verbally abused her co-wife. Bad. We need to treat others as we treat ourselves. Romans 13:9-10 GNB The commandments, "Do not commit adultery; do not commit murder; do not steal; do not desire what belongs to someone else"—all these, and any others besides, are summed up in the one command, "Love your neighbor as you love yourself." 10 If you love others, you will never do them wrong; to love, then, is to obey the whole Law.

B5 Elkanah should have just listened, which Hannah wanted, but instead gave some unwise statements. Bad.

C1 Unwise statements:

D1 “Hannah, why are you crying?” He surely knew about the verbal abuse. He seems to be sympathetic, but still should have been quiet and listen. God listens to us. We should should listen, too. Psalms 102:2 GNB When I am in trouble, don't turn away from me! Listen to me, and answer me quickly when I call!

D2 “Why are you so sad?” I think he knew but maybe didn’t recognize.

E1 He just should have been there for her. Just been. He doesn’t even have to say anything. Just be there.

E2 Jesus is there with you. Romans 8:38-39 GNB For I am certain that nothing can separate us from his love: neither death nor life, neither angels nor other heavenly rulers or powers, neither the present nor the future, 39 neither the world above nor the world below—there is nothing in all creation that will ever be able to separate us from the love of God which is ours through Christ Jesus our Lord.

E3 Why doesn’t Jesus stop the evil? He gives people the opportunity to help each other and to do what is right, but that/those person/s choose to do evil.

D3 “Am I not better to you than ten sons?”

E1 She is not asking for advice. This statement does not help at all. It doesn’t relieve her pain.

E2 Proverbs 15:13 ESV2011 A glad heart makes a cheerful face, but by sorrow of heart the spirit is crushed.

E3 Psalms 34:18 NRSV The LORD is near to the brokenhearted, and saves the crushed in spirit.

E4 Once when all hope was gone; I mean all hope. I received some wise counsel from a sister in Christ, “Len, trust God. Wait one year, and see how God will help you. You must wait.” Well, I lived through it, and at one year I looked back and saw how God helped me. Problems and troubles see were there, but God was there, too. Praise God!

B6 Hannah wept before the Lord. Good. We can be man enough to cry at times. Jesus wept. It will do you good to read Psalm 42.

B7 She prayed. This is where we must start. Psalms 102:1 NRSV A prayer of one afflicted, when faint and pleading before the LORD. Hear my prayer, O LORD; let my cry come to you. The whole of Psalm 102.

B8 Hannah does make a vow. Possibly good. When making a vow it must be for a specific thing, a specific time, and a specific offering. Did Hannah do this? Yes. We are not to vow to satisfy our lusts; compare Psalm 106:15 NKJV And He gave them their request, But sent leanness into their soul.

Lest I get too long of post, I will stop.

Study the Scriptures.

Praise God!

Psalms 31:24 NKJV Be of good courage, And He shall strengthen your heart, All you who hope in the LORD.