Hi John,
This morning I was reading 1Samuel 1 and had this thought. When Hannah poured her heart out to the Lord regarding her pain of not having children, the Lord put into her heart what to pray for. She vowed that if the Lord would give her a child she would give the child back to Him so that the child could serve Him.
I thought it interesting that the Lord put it into her heart to make this promise, knowing that the child would be raised by Eli, the high priest, and no doubt influenced by Eli’s two wicked sons, whom God hated. In spite of the wicked influences that Samuel grew up around, the Lord kept him. I realize this is probably not a new thought but it caught my attention. It’s about God and whom He chooses.
Also, even though Eli was told that his two wicked sons would be killed and that none of Eli’s descendants would make it to old age, the Lord waited for Samuel to grow up and become established before the Lord executed His promise. I saw the love of God for His people in this. When Eli the high priest died and the ark was captured, it may have been too much for God’s children to bear without Samuel around. Samuel was their connection to God during these dark times.
Anyway, I wanted to pass along these thoughts.
Tom
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Tom’s is a predestination point of view but I always thought that when Samuel as a young boy told Eli about his sons that God was giving Eli time to make it right. And I always thought Hannahs prayer was that of a righteous woman who was seeking God & He honored her prayer. I just want to bring up the freewill side of the coin. Our actions & prayers can touch God. And His mind can be changed. What a good God!
te
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I believe you — and Tom!
jdc
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John,
I realize God’s mercy is beyond what we can comprehend. However, I also thought Eli and his sons crossed over a line that forgiveness would not be possible without a New Testament experience such as King David had. In 1 Sam 3:14, the Lord spoke to the young boy Samuel and told him that Eli’s sin was so grievous that, “the iniquity of Eli’s house shall not be purged with sacrifice nor offering forever”.
I was thinking that what Eli’s sons were doing at the time would be the New Testament equivalent of blaspheming the holy ghost. As priests, they were in a position, ordained by God, to accept the sacrifices of God’s people to have their sins and the sins of their families forgiven. “Wherefore the sin of the young men was very great before the Lord: for men abhorred the offering of the Lord” (1Sam. 2:17).
The fact that Eli and his sons did not turn from their wickedness makes it even more remarkable how God kept Samuel through it all.
I agree with Token that God can change His mind. He did with King David. The mercy He has shown me is beyond understanding sometimes.
So, I like your response. “I believe you (te) and Tom.” God is so good!
Tom