The Message of 1 & 2 Samuel

Personalities, Potential, Politics And Power

Mary J Evans, Mary Evans

• Publisher: IVP
• Year: 2022
• Print ISBN:
  9781789743739
• eBook ISBN:
  9781783596461
• Topic: Theology & Religion
• Subtopic: Biblical Studies

Within the Old Testament books of 1 and 2 Samuel we find some of the most well-known stories of the Bible - those of Hannah, David, Absalom and many more which have been fruitful sources of inspiration for classic artworks and musical compositions, as well as innumerable Sunday school lessons. Yet often we only consider these stories in a way that's disconnected from our everyday faith.In this accessible and stimulating commentary, Mary Evans guides us through The Message of 1 & 2 Samuel in the conviction that they are a vital part of God's Word, full of teaching that is dynamically relevant for all Christian believers. Exploring the narratives and creatively bringing out their application, she shows us how we can interpret and respond to them today in a way that is both challenging and exciting. With questions for further reflection that can be used by individuals and small groups, this is an invigorating study that will help you better understand the meaning of 1 & 2 Samuel and their continued relevance for today.Part of the much loved Bible Speaks Today series of commentaries, The Message of 1 & 2 Samuel offers a thoughtful and readable exposition of the Biblical text as well as considering the lessons Christians can still learn from it today. Used by Bible students and teachers around the world, the Bible Speaks Today commentaries are ideal for students and preachers who are looking to delve more deeply into the riches of Scripture.This beautifully redesigned edition has also been sensitively updated to include modern references and use the NIV Bible text.The Message of 1 & 2 Samuel will be helpful for anyone looking for commentaries on Samuel that will give them a better knowledge and understanding of its meaning both for its original audience and for modern Christians.

1 Samuel 1 – 4

1. Hannah: the powerless woman

1. Hannah’s (missing) child (1:1–28)

There is no preliminary discussion or editorial introduction to the books of Samuel. We are plunged straight into a family story. From the beginning the writer’s interest in people is clear, as is his conviction that one can learn of God’s ways and character from his dealings with the lives of individuals. There are three initial characters: a man, Elkanah, and his two wives, Hannah and Peninnah. The writer of 1 Chronicles 6:33ff. apparently presents Samuel and Elkanah as coming from a levitical family, but it seems to state here that Elkanah was from the tribe of Ephraim. It is possible that the Chronicler was associating Samuel in particular with the Kohathite levitical clan because of the significant part he played in the religious leadership of Israel.1 However, it is also possible that Elkanah was a Levite who happened to live in Ephraim. The amount of biographical information given here about Elkanah would normally indicate that he was a significant person within his own area. Polygamy was not particularly common in Israel but it was not unusual for a wealthy person to take a second wife, particularly if the first wife was childless. The order of the women’s names in verse 2, with Hannah being placed first and then last, suggests that she was the first wife, although it may just be an indication that she is the real focus of the writer’s interest.

a. Rights and responsibilities in family life (1:1–3)

Elkanah is portrayed as a sincere man who sought to do the right thing in his family and in his religion. His polygamy is mentioned without comment, as are all the other polygamous situations recorded in Samuel and Kings, not least David’s own marriages. However, here as there, by presenting the resulting tensions, the writer could be encouraging readers to draw their own conclusions about the wisdom of such marriages. Genesis 2:24 and Jesus’ reference to that verse in response to a question concerning divorce seem to make it crystal clear that what God intended from the beginning was for marriage to be between one man and one woman (Matt. 19:3–12; Mark 10:1–12). There may be no explicit discussion about the ethics of polygamy within the Old Testament, but it is still possible to state that polygamy was clearly not the right way forward for God’s people. In today’s society, the supposed ‘right to have children’ is seen as the overriding factor in a whole range of ethical questions on which the Bible makes little or no explicit comment. The use of donor sperm or embryos, genetic manipulation and surrogate motherhood are among the issues today that need serious reflection in the light not only of specific verses of Scripture but of stories like this one. What is possible or even what is legally permissible may not necessarily be what is right or what is best!

The main issue under discussion is introduced right at the beginning: Peninnah had children, but Hannah had none (2). The mention of Hannah’s childlessness immediately brings to mind the situations of Sarah or Rachel, and the way in which their childlessness and subsequent childbearing had such an effect on their lives (Gen. 11:30; 29:31 – 30:24). This connection causes us to question whether Hannah’s barrenness is not the final chapter in her story. The facts of Peninnah’s fertility and Hannah’s infertility are simply stated, but they had a major impact on the whole family, as we see when the writer skilfully opens a window onto their family life. They were concerned to keep the covenant and so every year they travelled to Shiloh to worship and sacrifice to the Lord (3). Whether this was at the time of the national festivals or privately in order to keep a vow (21) is not clear. What should have been a happy family occasion was, for the women at least, a time of particular jealousy and deep unhappiness. The writer’s insight into the thoughts and feelings of these women is remarkable. The obtuseness that we see in both Elkanah and Eli seems typical of the attitudes of the men of the time, and indeed of many times, towards women, but the writer, almost certainly a man, is able to observe, present and critique that obtuseness. The books of Samuel as a whole present a series of power struggles between those men who are seen as the most significant figures within the nation. But we begin with the story of a barren woman whose childlessness leaves her powerless even within her own family situation. It seems certain that this is a deliberate attempt to encourage the reader to think further about life, about the significance of individuals and about what real power is.

b. Fair shares for all the family – of goods and of attention? (1:4–7)

Elkanah’s polygamy may be questionable, but there is no doubt of his other qualifications as a good family man. He wanted to ensure that his whole family was treated properly and was involved in the sacrificial procedures. Peninnah and all her children were given a portion of meat – possibly to sacrifice, but more likely as their share in the fellowship meal (Lev. 7:11–18) which was part of the sacrificial procedure. Hannah was given a special portion2 because he loved her (5). It appears that Elkanah was aware of Hannah’s pain and wanted to do something to help, but his action only exacerbated the situation. It is not stated explicitly that Peninnah was not loved in the same way as Hannah, but the implication is certainly there. One cannot help feeling sympathy for Peninnah, however reprehensible her cruel taunting. If she was a second wife, married only to give Elkanah children, then the double portion emphasized her secondary status as much as it emphasized Hannah’s perceived failure as a woman and a mother. This sad situation brings to mind Sarah’s jealousy of Hagar (Gen. 16 and 21) and the intense rivalry between Rachel and Leah (Gen. 30). In this instance, the position of both women is unenviable and the writer seems to invoke sympathy for both.

c. Appreciating another’s point of view (1:8)

As for Elkanah, he could observe the pain but did not really understand it. Because Peninnah had many children including several sons, Hannah’s childlessness, to her an unbearable tragedy, was for him simply a minor inconvenience. It did not matter to him that she was childless, so why should it matter so much to her? He loved her, and he did not mind that she did not have children. Surely that was enough? For Hannah, daily reminded by Peninnah’s very existence that for him love without children most certainly had not been enough, his attitude might even have rubbed salt in the wound. Perhaps if he had said ‘Don’t you mean more to me than ten sons?’ rather than ‘Don’t I mean more to you?’, Hannah might have been a little more convinced. Elkanah seems to have been incapable of seeing Hannah’s position from anything other than his own perspective. It is tremendously encouraging to all who feel their misery is not understood, not just women, to know that the account itself, and, more especially, the Lord who stands behind the account, does not share Elkanah’s limitations. It is a challenge to all of us to try to get beyond our own perspective and see through the eyes of those loved ones whom we would seek to comfort.

d. Prayer: sharing, pleading, accepting – and eventually bringing peace (1:9–10)

The depth of Hannah’s misery is clearly portrayed. In her deep anguish Hannah prayed to the Lord, weeping bitterly (10). Elkanah did not understand and she had no recourse but to turn to God. She believed that he was the one who had ‘closed her womb’ (5) and he was the only one who had the power to open it. As the same situation had happened year after long year, it is likely that Hannah had poured out her soul to God many times before. She takes it for granted that God will understand the situation and her unhappiness and that he is ready to listen to her. Maybe she knew from past experience that it brought some relief simply to express how she felt. We should never underestimate the importance of prayer in sharing our thoughts and feelings, miseries and joys with the one who understands all. On this occasion, we know that Hannah’s deepest desire was met, but her continued coming suggests that she had found help even on those occasions when there seemed to be no response.

Hannah clearly acknowledged that her childlessness was in some sense a result of God’s action – or inaction. He had closed her womb. Within her cultural background it seems to have been virtually impossible for anyone to envisage the possibility that God may have had a purpose, perhaps one that might even bring great blessing, in allowing childlessness to continue. One wonders if Hannah could have coped better with her situation if she could have accepted that possibility. Maybe the temporary relief that her prayers brought her in the past resulted in part from a reaching out to such a thought, but it is clear that she was never able to grasp it fully. For today’s childless believers, still bound by cultural pressures but with greater awareness of the variety of God’s purposes than was possible for those of Hannah’s time, it may be worth asking the question whether in their case God has indeed ‘closed the womb’ for a purpose. Fertility treatment can be seen as a God-given opportunity, but it is not the only way forward. Sometimes many years are wasted in desperate weeping (10), seeking one treatment after another, when acceptance of the situation might have brought both peace and fulfilment by another route. It is not always an easy thing to discern when it is right to keep wrestling in prayer, as Hannah did here, and when it is right to recognize, as Paul did (2 Cor. 12:7–9), that sometimes we should cease praying for a situation to change and accept that God’s grace is sufficient for us within that situation.

e. Pastoral responsibilities (1:11–20)

Eli, elderly, overweight and very short-sighted (4:14–18), was sitting by the door of the temple.3 Perhaps he was dozing and Hannah’s silent lips were partially an attempt not to waken him. His lack of pastoral sensitivity would be more understandable if he was a little befuddled from having just woken up; nevertheless it should probably be seen as blameworthy. James tells us that those who set themselves up as teachers will ‘be judged more strictly’ (Jas 3:1) and those who take on pastoral responsibilities will similarly be held accountable for their failures. However, Eli did respond well when Hannah began to speak to him and he grasped then what was really going on. He gave her his blessing and Hannah gained a new sense of peace in her heart. It was not that Eli’s prayers were more likely to be answered than her own. Nowhere in the Old Testament is there any indication that the prayers of priests or prophets are more likely to be heard than those of other believing Israelites. It may be that Eli’s response confirmed her assurance that God had heard and understood her desperate outpourings. It was probably this assurance that gave her peace, rather than any real conviction that this time she really would have a child. Prayer is about relationship. Talking with God enables us to understand a little better what it means to relate to him and to rest a little more easily in the knowledge of his presence. Praying with others can be particularly helpful in this regard. Silent prayer before God can be a great blessing, but God often uses the sharing of that prayer with others to bring reassurance and comfort to a grieving heart. Christian leaders should take very seriously their responsibility to pray with those who come to them for help. It is sometimes easy to dismiss desperation as drunkenness or some other blameworthy factor, when a listening ear, a kind word and a shared prayer might bring welcome relief.

In this instance, the peace that prayer brought to Hannah enabled her to regain her composure enough to eat something and to participate in worship with the family, presumably including Peninnah, before they all returned home. There was apparently no immediate change in Hannah’s circumstances, but in the course of time (20) she did at last conceive and Samuel was born. His name, as so often in Old Testament times, relates to the circumstances of his birth. It sounds rather like the Hebrew phrase which means ‘heard by God’ and Hannah certainly saw herself in that category. The phrasing the Lord remembered her (19) is not all that common in the Old Testament and puts Hannah alongside Noah, Abraham, Rachel and the whole people of Israel in Egypt (Gen. 8:1; 19:29; 30:22; Exod. 2:24). This desolate woman was as much in God’s mind as the great patriarchs of his chosen people.

f. Taking promises seriously (1:21–28)

Whatever vow Elkanah had made (21), he took it very seriously. Although for the next few years Hannah did not accompany the family on their regular visits to Shiloh, there was no question of the others not going. Hannah also took her own vow seriously. It would have been possible to forget what she had said in her distraught state, or to set it aside as unnecessary literalism. But Hannah had been very aware of what she had said and had clearly meant it. Making promises to God is a serious matter. Ecclesiastes 5:1–7 includes a discussion of this matter and concludes that ‘it is better not to make a vow than to make one and not fulfil it’. Perhaps we should listen more carefully to the prayers (including those that are part of worship songs) that we voice or that are voiced on our behalf. Committing ourselves to being holy, or to giving God the whole of our lives, is not just a way of making us feel good about ourselves as we sit in a worship serv...

Table of contents

• GENERAL PREFACE
• Author’s preface
• Chief abbreviations
• Select bibliography
• Introduction
• 1 Samuel 1 – 4
• 1 Samuel 4 – 8
• 1 Samuel 9 – 15
• 1 Samuel 16 – 24
• 1 Samuel 25 – 31
• 2 Samuel 1 – 5
• 2 Samuel 6 – 10
• 2 Samuel 11 – 13
• 2 Samuel 14 – 20
• 2 Samuel 21 – 24
• 10. Filling in the gaps?
• Notes
• The Bible Speaks Today: Old Testament series
• The Bible Speaks Today: New Testament series
• The Bible Speaks Today: Bible Themes series
• NIV Bible Speaks Today