30. May 2008 by Bernice Davis.

Hello: 

Let’s continue our Hannah Story. Our text for today is:

I Samuel 1: 14 “And Eli said unto her, How long wilt thou be drunken? put away thy wine from thee. 15 And Hannah answered and said, No, my lord, I am a woman of a sorrowful spirit: I have drunk neither wine nor strong drink, but have poured out my soul before the LORD. 16 Count not thine handmaid for a daughter of Belial: for out of the abundance of my complaint and grief have I spoken hitherto. 17 Then Eli answered and said, Go in peace: and the God of Israel grant thee thy petition that thou hast asked of him. 18 And she said, Let thine handmaid find grace in thy sight. So the woman went her way, and did eat, and her countenance was no more sad.” (KJV) 

Okay, this is my favorite part of the story, the answer to prayer.  What I love about this part is Hannah’s faith in God and the man of God.   Eli asks Hannah how long will she be in a drunken state.  Hannah took his comment to mean that she was being characterized as a “daughter of Belial” which is a term used to denote wicked or worthlessness.   Hannah immediately opens her mouth and responds to Eli by kindly saying; “Please do not regard me as worthless, my facial expressions come from the abundance of the pain in my heart.    When Eli realized that Hannah was serious and that she was really in prayer before the Lord, he became sensitive to her plea and commanded her to “go in peace and the God of

Now, look at the text carefully.  The bible teaches us that immediately her countenance was no more sad and she went her way and did eat.  Hannah got up just on a promise.  She was not concerned as to how long it would take to come to pass, or any of the details.  She got a word from God and that was enough for her to smile again, to return to her normal activities, to be able to go back home where her adversary Peninnah was and smile in her face.  The text does not say that the problems that plagued her such as her community status or the problems within her home had disappeared.  The text does teach us that she handled it differently when she got a “word from God.”   Many of us have a promise from God.  We have allowed longevity of time, circumstances, our adversaries, and people in our family, etc to discourage our hearts.  I would like to encourage you today that if you have a word from God, it is enough to get you through whatever you’re facing.  Hannah changed her countenance.  She was no longer sad.   God is faithful.  I don’t care how long it takes for your promise to manifest.  God is not a man that He should lie, neither the son of man that He needs to repent.  If God said it, He will bring it to pass, if God spoke it, He will make it good.   Be encouraged.   

Change your countenance.  Remember the word that is on your life, the promise that God gave you, the God given dream that is in your heart.  Don’t be sad.  I know when it takes a long time for things to come to pass, we start second guessing ourselves.   Did God really say it?  Will it really happen for me? I’m so much older now and the list goes on and on and on of the things that we say and hear from others that causes discouragement and even depression.   It’s difficult to long and ache for something and to see yourself somewhere else but wonder if you’ll ever accomplish it in this lifetime.    What makes it worse is to share your dream around people who are not use to dreaming.  Be careful, who you confide in, sometimes people who don’t dream can be so toxic to your goals and ambitions in life.    Well, Hannah got up.  GET UP!!!!!!!!!   Hannah went back home.  No, nothing had changed physically, but her “inward man” her spirit had been revived.  Hope had been restored because through prayer, she had encountered GOD.   OHHHHH!!!!!!!!!  I can’t take it.  God, I love you.     Okay, enough for today.  Have a great weekend and on Monday, we’ll talk about what happens when Hannah returns home.  God Bless. 

Don’t forget to pray and read God’s word daily. 

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29. May 2008 by Bernice Davis.

Hello: 

Let’s continue our Hannah Story. Our text for today is:

I Samuel 1:12 “And it came to pass, as she continued praying before the LORD, that Eli marked her mouth. 13 Now Hannah, she spake in her heart; only her lips moved, but her voice was not heard: therefore Eli thought she had been drunken. 14 And Eli said unto her, How long wilt thou be drunken? put away thy wine from thee.”  (KJV)

While Hannah is praying, Eli the priest comes in and sees her moving her lips.  Hannah is in so much pain about her situation that words can’t even come out of her mouth.  She is praying from within.  Have you ever been in so much pain that you’re speechless?       

Some very close friends of mine years ago lost their son in a fire.  With failed attempts, both the mother and father tried to break through the child’s door and save the young boy. When I arrived on the scene, they were bringing out the boy’s body in a body bag and I remember seeing my friend just move his lips with no words coming out because the pain was so intense but I knew what he was saying.  He was trying to tell me that he tried, but he couldn’t get to his child.  His hands were all cut up from using them to smash through the window in an attempt to reach his son.  I watched the mother just rock back and forth speechless.  I will never forget the images of that night, He was like my son.  I just wanted God to take that pain away.  It was worst than anything that I’ve ever experienced.     

Remember, the text teaches us that she prayed from “bitterness of soul.”   Hannah was not saying a word and the text says that Eli thought she was drunk.   Now, before you jump to conclusions and get upset with Eli for not being sensitive to Hannah because after all, he is a “man of God” and he should understand that she was a woman in desperate need to hear from God.  Wow!!!!!!!!  How insensitive it must have been.  All that Hannah was going through and now she is being labeled a drunk by the “man of God.”   

In Eli’s defense, let’s go back to our historical context information that we discovered when we started this study.   We talked about the times in which this story was created.  It was the period of the judges, when everyone did what was right in their own eyes.  This was a period where the sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas (who were in charge of the tabernacle) were wicked and evil.   The text teaches us that they would have sex with the women that worked at the “tent of meeting”,  they took the sacrifices that were meant to be offered up to God, etc.   Eli saw Hannah moving her lips and because of the evil of the day and the many wicked things that people were doing at the temple, he assumed that she was drunk.   

Tomorrow, we will discuss what Hannah’s response is to Eli labeling her as a drunk. 

God Bless. 

Don’t forget to pray and read God’s word daily. 

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28. May 2008 by Bernice Davis.

Hello: 

Let’s continue our Hannah Story. Our text for today is:

I Samuel 1:9 “So Hannah rose up after they had eaten in Shiloh, and after they had drunk. Now Eli the priest sat upon a seat by a post of the temple of the LORD. 10 And she was in bitterness of soul, and prayed unto the LORD, and wept sore. 11 And she vowed a vow, and said, O LORD of hosts, if thou wilt indeed look on the affliction of thine handmaid, and remember me, and not forget thine handmaid, but wilt give unto thine handmaid a man child, then I will give him unto the LORD all the days of his life, and there shall no razor come upon his head.”  (KJV)

Today’s lesson will focus on the prayer that Hannah prayed to God.  The text teaches us that Hannah was in “bitterness of soul.”    The word bitterness means “heavy”, “discontented,” or in “pain.” Hannah prayed out of her heaviness, her pain, discontent and tears. 

Often times, these prayers can be the most powerful.  At this point, you usually just don’t care about anything but hearing from God and you’ll do anything to get to that place where you feel God has heard your prayer.     

Hannah’s prayer consisted of a vow.  Often times when we’re in trouble we make vows to the Lord.  Have you ever said; “God, if you just get me out of this situation, or help me with this, then I will do……”  I don’t know about you, but I have often prayed those types of prayers in times of distress and utter desperation.  I told you that Hannah’s story is mine in so many ways.   

Hannah then asked God to “remember me.”  These are such familiar words.  God, remember me.   “Look on the affliction of thine handmaid.”  The word affliction means “poverty or misery.”  Look at what I’m lacking; what makes me sad, what makes me unfilled.  Can you help with that God?  Please remember me.  WOW!!!!!!!!!!  Did you just feel that? 

Let’s return back to the vow.  The vow was that if God would bless her with a man child then she would give him back to the Lord.   Hannah wants a male child so bad but yet she’s willing to turn him over to the Lord which means that she will give him over to the priests to be raised in the “house of God” for the service of God.   

You have to wonder what Hannah’s motivation is.  Does she want the child just so that the community will declare her no longer barren and remove the reproach that is associated with barrenness.   If her heart aches for the comfort and love and blessing in raising a child then why is she so willing to give him up when he is born.    You know, things that make you go Uhmmmm!!!!!!!! 

After Hannah’s prays something interesting happens.  Tune in tomorrow.

God Bless. 

Don’t forget to pray and read God’s word daily. 

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27. May 2008 by Bernice Davis.

Hello: 

Welcome back from the Holiday.  Hope your holiday was great, this is what I did.   

I am on this Spirit, Soul, and Body Kick.  All that means is that I am currently working on every part of me.  Not only am I nurturing my spirit and soul through the word and prayer but since January I have taken on this personal trainer and I am working on getting healthy physically also.    

Lately, I have really been getting into exercising and eating right and on yesterday, I think I just went overboard.  I went to this place called Stone Mountain and I walked around the mountain which was 5 miles and then I climbed the mountain which was three miles (up and down).  So as you can see, I did a total of eight miles.  I enjoyed it while I was doing it especially seeing that my husband and a good friend of mine joined me.  It was great hanging out with them and viewing the beauty of God’s creation.  The mountain was so beautiful.     I said all that to say that when I woke up this morning, my legs felt like that mountain was on top of them.    I went downstairs and got on my treadmill and did a combination of walking and running for about an hour to try to work the soreness out and I feel so much better. 

All of you that are joining me daily, if you’re not already on a plan, I would encourage you to join me in my spirit, soul and body journey.  I love the way that I feel emotionally, mentally, and physically.  It seems that since I have been working out, I think clearer, I feel stronger, I have more self confidence, etc.  It’s an amazing feeling.    Somehow, that was on my heart today. 

This is your homework assignment.  Since we’ve had a long break, review last weeks notes and tomorrow we will continue our journey through the story of Hannah. 

Today, I want to give you this memory verse.  Let’s memorize it and begin to “put it into action.”  Take small steps and the small steps will evolve into larger ones.  I know.  I have started and stopped this “health and exercise” journey of mine for so long but I wouldn’t give up and now I can say for the first time that I am consistent with it and I actually look forward to my work out times.  I have found that exercise relieves stress, increases energy, increase clarity of thought, builds self confidence, endurance, heals health problems and the list goes on.     

Today’s verse:   3 John 1:2 “Beloved, I wish above all things that thou mayest prosper and be in health, even as thy soul prospereth.  (KJV) 

To have complete prosperity, it is a spirit, body, and soul thing.   

Don’t forget to review the notes on Hannah from last week, so we can pick up tomorrow…..  

God Bless. 

Make sure you  pray and read God’s word daily.

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23. May 2008 by Bernice Davis.

Hello: 

Let’s continue our Hannah Story. Our text for today is:

I Samuel 1:6 “And her adversary also provoked her sore, for to make her fret, because the LORD had shut up her womb. 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. 8 Then said Elkanah her husband to her, Hannah, why weepest thou? and why eatest thou not? and why is thy heart grieved? am not I better to thee than ten sons? 9 So Hannah rose up after they had eaten in Shiloh, and after they had drunk. Now Eli the priest sat upon a seat by a post of the temple of the LORD. 10 And she was in bitterness of soul, and prayed unto the LORD, and wept sore.”

Yesterday we talked about how Elkanah tried to soothe Hannah’s pain by letting her know how much he loved her in hopes that his love would be enough. We also talked about how Elkanah’s other wife Peninnah also provoked her constantly. 

What I love about today’s lesson is that both the provoke of her rival and the idea of settling from her husband drove her to prayer.    Pain, hurt, and disappointment often makes us end up in the land of prayer.    

After the conversation with Elkanah, the text says that Hannah got up and went to the house of God.  Most of us let disappointments, pain, hurt, frustration get us depressed and make us worry and Hannah probably went through a season where she also allowed those emotions to take over, but she came to a point where she realized that her help was in “talking to God.”       

Ohhhhhhhhh!!!!!!!!!!!     I love talking to God.  I have this huge blanket that I lay on the floor and I cover my head and I just go at it with God.  I tell God everything.   I share both the good and the bad.  Prayer is my sanctuary.  It’s the place where I feel safe, loved, secure and strengthened.      We all have the power to go to that place.  Today, tonight, whatever time you choose.  It’s a wonderful place.  Sometimes I fall asleep in HIS presence, sometimes I cry, and sometimes I just laugh.   I have not always love to pray but I did it because I knew it was right and that it was necessary for a strong life in God but now I have come to cherish my talks with God.   SO Hannah got up, went to the house of God and she prays.   If things are all crazy in your life, just maybe it’s there to drive us to prayer.  Just maybe.   Prayer contains answers, strength, encouragement, direction, etc.      Hannah prays and what would she say to God. Join me next week to continue our story.  Have a great

Have a great weekend.  God Bless. 

Don’t forget to pray and read God’s word daily. 

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22. May 2008 by Bernice Davis.

Hello: Let’s continue our Hannah Story. Our text for today is:

I Samuel 1:8 “Then said Elkanah her husband to her, Hannah, why weepest thou? and why eatest thou not? and why is thy heart grieved? am not I better to thee than ten sons? 9 So Hannah rose up after they had eaten in Shiloh, and after they had drunk.”

Today’s lesson is really personal to me for this is my story.  We know that Hannah has to deal with both the scrutiny from the community and her rival Peninnah which is in her household.  Her problem is always in her face.  She doesn’t  get any relief from it.  Peninnah has children and I’m sure with every announcement of a pregnancy it was more and more difficult for Hannah to take.    In our text today, her husband Elkanah is trying to console her.  He tells her; “Hannah, why are you so sad and why does your heart hurt and ache and long for a child when it is clear that it may not happen for you.  He goes on to tell her; “Am I not better to you than having ten sons?” 

You can see in the text that it is a son that Hannah wants.  It was every Israelite woman’s dream to have a son for her husband, to be able to provide an heir to pass on the name, continue the lineage, and possibly to be blessed enough to even birth the “messiah.”  This was important to women of the ancient world.  Elkanah loves Hannah so much that he simply is trying to ease the pain by telling her can’t you feel the love that I have for you and isn’t it just enough.    I understand what Elkanah was trying to do but when you want something from God or when you have a dream or a promise from God, nobody can take the place of it.  Nobody can be enough.  Some things only God can satisfy. This longing that Hannah has only God can solve.   When you want something from God, when other people offer alternatives for your longing, you almost feel betrayed as if they have ceased to believe God with you though you know that they are simply trying to ease the pain.  But a desire from God,  (that really comes from God), we know it is from God, because we can’t give up on it. We can’t stop thinking about it.  We may walk away from it for a season, but eventually we’re drawn back to it and we begin to long for it all over again. 

Hannah wants a son.  God has shut up her womb.  God did this.  WOW!!!!!!!!!!!!!    Why Hannah and for what purpose.   I tell you that this is my story because for 16 years since marriage I have been trying to have a baby.    I always thought I would have kids; I’ve always pictured my life with them.   A few years ago, my husband was really talking to me about adopting, while I don’t have a problem with that, in my gut, I almost felt like he had not stop believing God with me, but he was simply trying to ease the pain.   

Okay, I’m going to stop here,  I’m starting to feel it.   But the text says after Elkanah has this conversation with Hannah, she gets up and what she does next  is powerful. Tune in tomorrow. 

God Bless. Don’t forget to pray and read God’s word daily. 

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21. May 2008 by Bernice Davis.

Hello: 

Let’s continue our Hannah Story. Our text for today is: 

I Samuel 1:6 “And her adversary also provoked her sore, for to make her fret, because the LORD had shut up her womb. 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.” 

Okay, not only does Hannah have to endure the scrutiny from the community but as you can see in the text, she also has to deal with ridicule and provoke from within her own household.   Our home should be our “little sanctuary.”  It should be the one place where we can go to and feel safe and supported and loved.  This was not the case with Hannah, or with many of us. 

Often times our worst enemies can be in our  own households.  Many of us are dealing with situations now where you can handle outsiders criticizing you but when the torment comes within your own household and among the people that you live with and share with, that’s a little harder to swallow.   

The text calls Peninnah her adversary.   That word adversary means to trouble, to distress, to afflict.    Maybe Peninnah was jealous that Elkanah loved Hannah more than her, for the text clearly teaches us that his giving Hannah a “worthy” portion to sacrifice at the house of God demonstrated how he favored her over Peninnah.   Maybe Peninnah had her own hurts and insecurities that she was experiencing from being the less favored.  

If scholars are right and Elkanah married Peninnah because Hannah was barren and he only wanted children through her then Peninnah lives a life with out the love of her husband and she may have been acting out her frustrations on Hannah.  We do not know the exact reason, but what we do know is that she was her adversary and that she provoked her to the point that it caused her to weep and not eat.   

Okay, if you’re reading ahead, you may think that the next part of the text is to bring Hannah comfort, but the event actually has an opposite effect.   It’s too much to get into today, so we’ll discuss it tomorrow.    God Bless. 

Don’t forget to pray and read God’s word daily. 

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20. May 2008 by Bernice Davis.

Hello: 

Let’s continue our Hannah Story. Our text for today is: 

I Samuel 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: 5 But unto Hannah he gave a worthy  portion; for he loved Hannah: but the LORD had shut up her womb.” 

Yesterday, I mentioned to you that we had a problem in the text.  Clearly you can see that the text says: “the Lord had shut her up her womb” which means that she was barren.  This is problematic for several reasons.  In the mind of the Israelites barrenness was viewed as punishment from God.   One of the promises from God when the children of Israel went into the promise land was that there would be no barrenness named among them.    Look at the following text.  

Deuteronomy 7:12 “Wherefore it shall come to pass, if  ye hearken to these judgments, and keep, and do them, that the LORD thy God shall keep unto thee the covenant and the mercy which he sware unto thy fathers: 13 And he will love thee, and bless thee, and multiply thee: he will also bless the fruit of thy womb, and the fruit of thy land, thy corn, and thy wine, and thine oil, the increase of thy kine, and the flocks of thy sheep, in the land which he sware unto thy fathers to give thee. 14 Thou shalt be blessed above all people: there shall not be male or female barren among you, or among your cattle. 

I can only imagine the emotional pain that Hannah suffered on a daily basis knowing that the community in which she live believed that for some reason God had “cursed” her or was not pleased with her.    

 In the text, you see that Elkanah had another wife by the name of Peninnah which was able to bear him children.  Some scholars argue that perhaps Elkanah took on this second wife because of the barrenness of Hannah so that he would have an heir.    It is clear that Elkanah loved Hannah, for the text says that he gave her a “worthy” portion when it came to the sacrifice.  The text also teaches us that he did this because of his love for her. 

What’s fascinating about this story is that Hannah’s name means grace or favor.  In the Israelite mind, a name was important.  It was well thought out and God was sought as to the naming of a child because they believed that a child’s name would play a major part in their destiny or what they would become in life.     Hannah’s name means favor but everything that is happening to her is contradictory to favor.   And the text says that it is GOD that did this to her.   WOW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!    What does that mean?  

Have you ever felt that you were destined for something great, but you just can’t seem to get a breakthrough.  Everything but greatness is happening to you.   Sometimes, we’ve even gone so far as to say, “Did I do something wrong.”  “Is God Punishing Me?”  “Where did I go wrong?”   Have you ever just felt like you just can’t get it together and you don’t know what to do to get you out of this place.   Everyone seems to be prospering around you, but you just feel stuck.   

Tune in tomorrow, as this story takes an interesting turn.   THIS STORY IS SOOOOOOOOOOO ENCOURAGING!!!!!!!   I hope you’ll stay with me to the end, you’ll be so encouraged.      God Bless. 

Don’t forget to pray and read God’s word daily. 

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19. May 2008 by Bernice Davis.

Hello: 

Okay, this is a review of the scripture that we are studying.  

 I Samuel 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: 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. 3 And this man went up out of his city yearly  to worship and to sacrifice unto the LORD of hosts inShiloh. And the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, the priests of the LORD, were there.” 

Now, that we have done the historical context let’s discuss our text.  For review purposes, we know that this particular story takes place in the time of the judges.  We know from our history study, that this season was a season where “everyone did what was right in their own eyes.”  This means that there was little respect for the things or house of God.  The sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas were the priests that were in charge of the tabernacle.  A typical day when you went to the “house of God” could include you seeing them having sex with the woman who helped out there, you could possibly see them drunk or engaging in some other type of sin.  The bible says that they were “evil” and “wicked” and they were the leaders in God’s house.   

Now, look at our text. “  And this man went up out of his city yearly  to worship and to sacrifice unto the LORD of hosts inShiloh. And the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, the priests of the LORD, were there.”   

Elkanah, which was Hannah’s husband, went up yearly to worship.  In the midst of the chaos, in the midst of  all the wrong doings by the leaders of God, in the midst of all the foolishness that he may see when he got to the “house of God” he still went up yearly and kept the custom of worshipping and sacrificing to God.   Ohhhh,  I love this.  Often, we give so many excuses as to why we do not like to attend church.  We say things like;  “the preacher is no good”, “the people are hypocrites,”  “ all they’re going to do is ask for money,” etc. , so we use it as an excuse to shut down and to make ourselves feel okay about not gathering together to worship with the saints.     Gathering together with the saints is “still God’s way.”  It is still required according to the scriptures and the text actually says that we should do it more as the day approaches.    

Hebrews 10:25 “ Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.” 

No, I am not making excuses for what we see and experience in some of our churches and gatherings that is not God, but what I am saying is that we have a biblical model of a man who was so determined to worship God in spite of what was wrong that he continued to do the right thing even when his leaders were out of line.    A worshiper can worship anywhere.  A person who has built a relationship with God does not need a “perfect situation” (if such a thing exists) to connect to God.  Elkanah  went up and worshiped.  He took his family with him.  He didn’t allow the signs of the times and distractions of his leaders to interfere with his relationship with God and staying on track.    

Worship, the thing that moves the heart of God.  The thing that God desires from his creations.  The thing that God seeks after.   Ohhhhhhhhhh,  I can’t take it.   A worshiper can survive in the midst of a changing time, in the midst of a society that walks away from God, among a people that have created their own ways of doing things.   A worshiper stays focused and even if they get off track, they have an ability to get back through worship. 

OHHHHHHHHHH ,  the power of worship.   Okay, you see I’m getting caught up.   

But now, we have a problem, the story takes an interesting turn.  Tune in tomorrow to continue our journey.   

God Bless. 

Don’t forget to pray and read God’s word daily. 

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16. May 2008 by Bernice Davis.

Hello 

Today’s study is on Hophni and Phinehas, the sons of Eli.  These two boys were priests in the temple and according to 1 Samuel 2:12-ff it teaches us that Eli’s sons were wicked men and they had no regard for God.  They would take the offerings from the people that were designed to be sacrificed to the Lord for personal gain and they would have sex with women who served at the entrance to the “tent of meeting.” 

Eli was very old and when he heard how his boys was defiling the “house of God” he rebuked them, but the text says that they did not listen.   All the while, we hear of God doing a new thing.  

The text goes on to teach us that in the midst of two priests who were defiant and had no regard for God, there was another young boy by the name of Samuel who was being raised up to be a prophet who the scriptures teach that “his words would not fall to the ground.” 

In other words, Samuel would grow up to be so in tune with God that whatever he said would come to pass.  His heart would be turned totally to the things of God and God’s people.  Ohhhhh  I love God.  Sometimes you can look around and be disappointed with people who claimed they “speak for God” and all the while, God is raising up a remnant that will not “bow down” and will stand for “righteousness” and “truth.”  

Okay, back to the story.   The bible teaches us that the following was the punishment issued by God for their behavior.   

“Therefore The Lord  the God of Israel declares: ‘I promised that your house and the house of your father should go in and out before Me for ever’; but now The Lord declares: ‘Far be it from Me; for those who honor Me I will honor, and those who despise Me shall be lightly esteemed. Behold, the days are coming, when I will cut off your strength and the strength of your father’s house, so that there will not be an old man in your house. Then in distress you will look with envious eye on all the prosperity which shall be bestowed upon Israel; and there shall not be an old man in your house for ever. The man of you whom I shall not cut off from My altar shall be spared to weep out his eyes and grieve his heart; and all the increase of your house shall die by the sword of men. And this which shall befall your two sons, Hophni and Phinehas, shall be the sign to you: both of them shall die on the same day.” (1 Samuel 2:30-34 RSV) 

Well, just as the text says, they did die on the same day.  You may be asking now, how does all this relate to my story which I began early in the week.  Keep tuning in and you’ll see.    On Monday, we’re going to return to the text and start studying it now that we have done some of the historical context.    I’m going to show you how all this works together to get to the meaning of the text and to reveal some fascinating things that you may not have seen without the historical perspective. Well, have a great weekend.    I only do the daily devotionals Monday-Friday, so we’ll return to our study on Monday.   

God Bless! Don’t forget to pray and read God’s word daily.

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