Today's readings are 1 Samuel 1.1-20 and Galatians 5.1-26.
As I look at this first chapter of 1 Samuel I see a chance for a cultural corrective. See first of all the way Elkanah leads his family in worship, secondly the care this husband has for his wife, and thirdly the desire Hannah has for a child.
Elkanah leads his family in worship. Year after year they go to a good deal of effort to worship, bringing the appointed offerings. And this worship is not "merely" a duty. It is an opportunity to rejoice before the Lord. How many husbands today enter into worship and leadership only grudgingly if at all! We have a tendency to leave a lot of spiritual matters to the women in our households. What kind of message does this send to our children and our culture? Does it suggest that we don't think worship is important enough for us? Does it suggest that real men are uninterested in spiritual things? Does it suggest that men aren't willing to be leaders? All this is to say nothing against godly women who serve the Lord with gladness and labor diligently. They should do that. But why aren't the men plunging in as well?
Look also at the care Elkanah has for his wife. Actually, look at the care he has for both of his wives. They are both precious to him, but Hannah, who has no children and thus feels something is missing from her life, receives special care and concern. She is deprived of the opportunity to rejoice in her children, so Elkanah pays her special attention, giving her reason to rejoice even without children. How many times do we see couples making careful agreements, either written, oral, or tacitly, that each individual will protect his or her own interests? This should not be. The same Lord who made husband and wife one flesh, who made the married couple to be a picture of the relationship between Christ and the Church, grieves when men do not give themselves for their wives and wives do not submit joyfully to their husbands.
Finally, look at Hannah's attitude toward having a child. She doesn't want to have a child for herself. She wants to have a child for her God. Her desire is to raise up someone to serve the Lord. This is a noble desire, one that we miss out on so frequently. We want children to suit our desires. Actually, more often, our society seems to want to avoid children in order to suit our desires. May the Lord give us a greater desire, that as we serve Him we may also raise up children who will serve our Lord with gladness.
As I look at this first chapter of 1 Samuel I see a chance for a cultural corrective. See first of all the way Elkanah leads his family in worship, secondly the care this husband has for his wife, and thirdly the desire Hannah has for a child.
Elkanah leads his family in worship. Year after year they go to a good deal of effort to worship, bringing the appointed offerings. And this worship is not "merely" a duty. It is an opportunity to rejoice before the Lord. How many husbands today enter into worship and leadership only grudgingly if at all! We have a tendency to leave a lot of spiritual matters to the women in our households. What kind of message does this send to our children and our culture? Does it suggest that we don't think worship is important enough for us? Does it suggest that real men are uninterested in spiritual things? Does it suggest that men aren't willing to be leaders? All this is to say nothing against godly women who serve the Lord with gladness and labor diligently. They should do that. But why aren't the men plunging in as well?
Look also at the care Elkanah has for his wife. Actually, look at the care he has for both of his wives. They are both precious to him, but Hannah, who has no children and thus feels something is missing from her life, receives special care and concern. She is deprived of the opportunity to rejoice in her children, so Elkanah pays her special attention, giving her reason to rejoice even without children. How many times do we see couples making careful agreements, either written, oral, or tacitly, that each individual will protect his or her own interests? This should not be. The same Lord who made husband and wife one flesh, who made the married couple to be a picture of the relationship between Christ and the Church, grieves when men do not give themselves for their wives and wives do not submit joyfully to their husbands.
Finally, look at Hannah's attitude toward having a child. She doesn't want to have a child for herself. She wants to have a child for her God. Her desire is to raise up someone to serve the Lord. This is a noble desire, one that we miss out on so frequently. We want children to suit our desires. Actually, more often, our society seems to want to avoid children in order to suit our desires. May the Lord give us a greater desire, that as we serve Him we may also raise up children who will serve our Lord with gladness.
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Dave Spotts
blogging at http://capnsaltyslongvoyage.blogger.com
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