The Theme of 1st and 2nd Samuel Part 3
Samuel is about many things.
One of the big themes of 1st Samuel centers around Israel’s desire for a king. And because they chose a king to rule over them instead of God, they suffered for it. There is a note of failure that runs thru 1st Samuel.
Another purpose of the book is to over and over again show us people who do well and are for our example. People that we should use as an example and we should strive to do like they did.
And the book over and over again show us people whose patterns of life are to be not followed. People who are still an example but an example of what not to do.
Last time we looked at a really bad example the two sons of Eli who were priests.
1Sa 2:12 Now the sons of Eli were sons of Belial; they knew not the LORD.
Eli put his love for his sons over his love for people and put his wicked sons into the ministry. So in this bad example Eli broke what Jesus laid out as the two great commandments. The first is to Love God and the second is like unto it, Love Man.
Last time we looked at how his sons were greedy and taking extra from the people by force. They were doing even worse things.
1Sa 2:22 Now Eli was very old, and heard all that his sons did unto all Israel; and how they lay with the women that assembled at the door of the tabernacle of the congregation.
They were having sex with many of the women that came to the tabernacle. These men knew no shame, had no morals, and were rotten to the core.
Eli eventually rebukes them, but they will not listen and it is interesting to me the reason that they did not listen is given.
1Sa 2:23 And he said unto them, Why do ye such things? for I hear of your evil dealings by all this people.
1Sa 2:24 Nay, my sons; for it is no good report that I hear: ye make the LORD’S people to transgress.
1Sa 2:25 If one man sin against another, the judge shall judge him: but if a man sin against the LORD, who shall intreat for him? Notwithstanding they hearkened not unto the voice of their father, because the LORD would slay them.
They would not hearken to Eli because the Lord would slay them.
That means that the Lord stiffened their hearts. Why? So the Lord could execute judgment on them. These guys were that bad. This had gone on too long and went way too far. They were hurting way too many of God’s people and causing them to transgress.
God then comes and rebukes Eli.
1Sa 2:29 Wherefore kick ye at my sacrifice and at mine offering, which I have commanded in my habitation; and honourest thy sons above me, to make yourselves fat with the chiefest of all the offerings of Israel my people?
God pronounces the judgment that is coming to Eli and his house. Both of his sons will die. The Philistines come and there is war, Eli’s sons go out with the Ark, and both die. The Ark is taken by the Philistines. When Eli hears of it, he falls over backwards and breaks his neck. One of the sons has a wife who is about to give birth.
1Sa 4:19 And his daughter in law, Phinehas’ wife, was with child, near to be delivered: and when she heard the tidings that the ark of God was taken, and that her father in law and her husband were dead, she bowed herself and travailed; for her pains came upon her.
1Sa 4:20 And about the time of her death the women that stood by her said unto her, Fear not; for thou hast born a son. But she answered not, neither did she regard it.
1Sa 4:21 And she named the child Ichabod, saying, The glory is departed from Israel: because the ark of God was taken, and because of her father in law and her husband.
1Sa 4:22 And she said, The glory is departed from Israel: for the ark of God is taken.
Yea. Can you believe it? He was sleeping with women at the tabernacle and at the same time had a pregnant wife at home. She gives birth, names her son Ichabod, which means the glory is departed from Israel. The Ark represented the presence of God and that presence has departed.
God and His glory has departed, that is what Ichabod means and then she dies.
The entire family was evil. And they were in control of God’s designated place to worship.
Of course God saw it all, and He did judge it and in His time God cleaned house.
If you remember I said the book of Samuel is full of good examples of people to emulate and full of examples of what not to do.
You could look at Eli’s family and just see bad examples. Some people you will see really good examples. And in many of the people you will see both.
We are going to take a brief look at a man that we see both. Good examples of what to do and bad examples. Both in one man.
That should not be too surprising. It is actually realistic. Everyone born, except our Lord, has a sin nature. We all make mistakes. We all mess up. You will never find a man who will do nothing but good examples all the time, every day, in all things.
Most people have a varying degree of good they do and bad decisions and mistakes. I like to think the best. I like to think that most people are not just evil like Eli’s sons.
Elkanah did some things really well. Great example in those things.
1Sa 1:1 Now there was a certain man of Ramathaimzophim, of mount Ephraim, and his name was Elkanah, the son of Jeroham, the son of Elihu, the son of Tohu, the son of Zuph, an Ephrathite:
First let’s look at the good example he shows.
1Sa 1:3 And this man went up out of his city yearly to worship and to sacrifice unto the LORD of hosts in Shiloh. And the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, the priests of the LORD, were there.
God gave instructions that every man was to present himself and worship at the place that God set. It was not always convenient. Travel was not easy. In an agricultural society you had animals and crops that would need tending while you were gone. Or if you were in business of some type, there were still arrangements to be made and if you were a small business, you would have to close up shop and lose business while you were gone.
And travel cost money, time, and effort. But God declared, by giving the instruction, that He is worthy of the effort.
By going out of his city yearly to worship, Elkanah gave a good example to us in serval things:
- He knew the word of God. He knew enough scripture to know that God wanted this done.
- He was obedient to God in this area. He was faithful about it. Every year. Year after year after year. This is a good thing for us to emulate. Not traveling every year. No, the faithful part. Know what God wants you to do and then be faithful to do it. Year after year after year. Since God is worthy this year, He will be just as worthy next year.
- Elkanah was committed to doing this no matter what. Look at verse 3 again.
1Sa 1:3 And this man went up out of his city yearly to worship and to sacrifice unto the LORD of hosts in Shiloh. And the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, the priests of the LORD, were there.
God makes a mention here that Elkanah was doing this even with the two sons of Eli there.
The first time you read thru Samuel you will read that and not think much of it. But we took the time to look at just how evil those priests were. Having that knowledge, when we read verse 3 we take notice.
Those two wicked sons of Eli made going to the tabernacle something to dread. Chapter 2 tells us that those two sons affected how men thought about going. It says, men abhorred the offering of the LORD.
- Elkanah was determined. He did not make excuses. He did what God wanted, and went and worshipped anyway.
Elkanah knew scripture about worshipping and that is a good thing. He was obeidiant to that, he was faithful to it year after year. He was committed and determined in his worship of God. All good examples to us.
But not everything Elkanah did was a good example. You cannot look at someone in Samuel and see a good example and then think that everything he does is good and I should do everything that he did. And you cannot look and see someone in Samuel do a bad thing and then think well everything I read about him will be a bad example.
You have to look at each example one at a time. Is this a good example from this person or is this a bad example. For many people you will see both.
Elkanah’s bad example is in verse 2.
1Sa 1:2 And he had two wives; the name of the one was Hannah, and the name of the other Peninnah: and Peninnah had children, but Hannah had no children.
The man had two wives. That is a bad example. The first thing wrong with it is that it is against God’s word. It is against the example of marriage that God gave of one man and one woman.
God did not make Adam two wives. Only one. It is also against the 10 commandments. Thou shalt not covet. The birth rate is amazingly 50 percent female and 50 male. When a man takes a second wife that means some other man cannot. It is coveting to want more than you should have.
Every time God documents in His Word that someone did have 2 wifes there is trouble documented along with it. Jacob did it and had all kinds of problems. One of his wives sold him to the other wife for the night for a handful of flowers.
God Word shows over and over that 1 man and 2 wives = trouble
Elkanah ignored the warnings of scripture and made a bad choice and took two wives. In this he was a bad example and was not obedient to the Word of God and he suffered for it.
1Sa 1:4 And when the time was that Elkanah offered, he gave to Peninnah his wife, and to all her sons and her daughters, portions:
1Sa 1:5 But unto Hannah he gave a worthy portion; for he loved Hannah: but the LORD had shut up her womb.
1Sa 1:6 And her adversary also provoked her sore, for to make her fret, because the LORD had shut up her womb.
1Sa 1:7 And as he did so year by year, when she went up to the house of the LORD, so she provoked her; therefore she wept, and did not eat.
How did he suffer? His one wife was the adversary to the other and provoked her and made her fret and so much so that Hannah could not eat. There was a lot of weeping in his house.
He suffered because there was no harmony in his house, there was fighting and provoking and jealousy, and hard feelings and all kinds of terrible things being done and said between family members.
We can learn from his bad example. I don’t think any of us need to learn the error of having two wives. That should be just common sense.
But there is another principal in all of this that we can learn from.
Elkanah was doing several good things. He was being a good example in many things.
But the good you do does not in any way spare you from the consequences of your bad choices.
You can do great things for God. Things that God is pleased with you for. And God can bless you for those things.
And at the same time you can do something stupid and make a bad choice and have to suffer the natural consequences of that bad choice. God will not wipe out consequences because you do something else for Him, even if you do it really well or under difficult circumstances.
A man will reap what he sows. You cannot buy or bribe your way out of this principal.
Examples like Elkanah who was doing some things really great, but make a bad choice and had to live with the consequences should help us.
It should help us to be more careful about making bad choices.
See more lessons from Themes of Old Testament Books