Thoughts on 1 Samuel - 1

I've started a sermon series on 1 Samuel, and these are brief thoughts  on reading it afresh.

Chapter 1

Hannah was misunderstood by her husband and her priest, yet her response was to worship, pray, and sacrifice. 

2

She actually puts her 3 year old son in the care of the priest who thought she was drunk when she was praying!  And I’m sure she knew about his sons’ wickedness, too.  They took more than God allowed in His law from the peoples’ sacrifices for themselves (2:15-16), and they fornicated with women serving in the tabernacle (2:22).

Faithful Samuel is set against Eli’s corrupt sons.

God has ways of correcting corruption in places of power and privilege.

3

We can be so slow to hear God speaking to us.  He is patient.

4

It seems clear that Eli’s sons Hophni and Phineas were in charge, not Eli.  In vs 13 he is trembling for the ark – I don’t think he wanted it to go out to the battle, but he was overridden by his sons or the military leaders.  This is a sign of a corrupt nation, when the voice of the elderly or the man of God is shouted down by those clamoring for victory or whatever their personal agenda.

Eli’s level of guilt is often discussed.  3:13 is key: Eli did not rebuke/restrain them.  He did rebuke them, so the fact that God rebukes Eli must mean that he did not do as much as he could have to stop their wickedness.

Ichabod means “no glory.”  There is a level of blessing from God on a society that one can sense, and Phinehas’ wife noticed it was gone.  I’m having that same sense now, during the pandemic and riots of 2020, in the United States of America.  I approve of most of what President Trump has done (not said), but the desire to make us great without turning to Him in repentance is wrong headed.

5-6

God deals with His enemies Himself, when His people cannot.

7

Victory at last, after repenting and turning back to God

8
Samuel's sons are replaced, as Adam's, Abraham's, Isaac's, Jacob's, and Moses' were.
And as Saul's will be.
Verse 15: the government is going to take 10% of your income in taxes!  What a travesty!
Israel thought they needed a form of government like the nations around to protect and provide for them, forgetting the Lord could do this as He saw fit.