SERIES I --- THE NATION UNITES --- LESSON 01

SAMUEL

A GIFT OF LOVE

From 1 Samuel 1

In the land of Ramathaim-zophim, in the hill country of Ephraim, there once lived a man named Elkanah. He was the son of Jeroham, the grandson of Elihu, the great-grandson of Tohu and the great-great grandson of Zuph. Elkanah had two wives. One, named Peninnah, had children, but the other, named Hannah, had none. Year after year Elkanah went to worship and sacrifice to Adonai at Shiloh where Eli’s two sons, Hophni and Phinehas, were priests. On the day when Elkanah presented his sacrifice, he gave a gift to each wife and child in his family. Peninnah and her children received several gifts, but poor childless Hannah received only her one gift. Even though Elkanah loved Hannah very much, the same thing happened each year when they went to worship at the house of Adonai. Peninnah was always mean to Hannah on these trips, saying unkind things about her because she had no children. She made so much fun of Hannah that the poor woman cried and refused to eat. Why are you crying, Hannah? Elkanah asked. And why don’t you eat? You must not be sad. Don’t I mean more to you than ten sons? While the family was in Shiloh on one of these trips, Hannah visited the tabernacle after the evening meal. Eli the priest sat in his seat by the doorpost of the tabernacle where he watched Hannah as she prayed to Adonai. Hannah was deeply troubled as she prayed, weeping bitterly. She whispered this vow to Adonai, ‘O Adonai of all, if You will look upon my troubles and remember my prayers and will give me a son, then I will give him back to You for as long as he lives and I will never permit his hair to be cut with a razor.’ Old Eli watched Hannah’s mouth move as she prayed, but since he could not hear her speak, he assumed that she must be drunk. How long will you be a drunken woman? Eli asked angrily. You had better stop drinking that wine! Oh, no sir, I’m not drunk, Hannah answered. I have been pouring my heart out to Adonai because I am troubled. Please don’t think of me as a drunken woman, for I have been praying with great earnestness. Then you shall have what you desire, Eli said. Go in peace, for Adonai will grant your request. May you look upon me with favour, said Hannah. When she returned to her family, she was no longer sad and ate again with great joy. Early the next morning, Hannah and her family went to the tabernacle to worship Adonai before returning home to Ramah. Sometime later, Hannah’s prayer was answered when Adonai gave her a baby boy. I asked Adonai for him, she said, so she named him Samuel, which meant ‘To Ask Adonai.’ When the family returned to Shiloh the next year, Hannah stayed behind at Ramah, for she told her husband, I must remain here until the child is weaned, then I will take him to the tabernacle where he will stay. Do what you think is best, Elkanah told Hannah. Stay home until he is weaned and may Adonai’s Word be fulfilled. Hannah stayed home with Samuel and cared for him until he was weaned. When the child was old enough to live without his mother’s care, Hannah took him to Adonai’s house at Shiloh, along with a three-year-old bull for a sacrifice, a bushel of flour and a wineskin filled with wine. After the sacrifice of the bull, Hannah took young Samuel to Eli. I am the woman who prayed here some time ago, Hannah told Eli. I was praying for this boy and Adonai has answered my prayer. Now I am returning him to Adonai for as long as he shall live. Having said that, Hannah left little Samuel there to serve Adonai at the tabernacle.”

COMMENTARY

DOORPOSTS OF THE TABERNACLE

The story of Hannah’s journey to Shiloh mentions that she found the high priest sitting beside the doorposts of the temple. Eli was resting on a backless seat, perhaps leaning against a doorpost for support. These very few details offer some interesting insights into changes that occurred in the tabernacle and in Israelite lifestyle since the people first entered Canaan. Over two hundred years before, Joshua established Shiloh as a central place of worship for the tribes. Here they set up the portable tabernacle they had carried throughout the Exodus years. At this time the Israelites were still wandering nomads who lived in tents made of goats’ hair. The tabernacle was a large tent, made of tanned skins from their goats and rams and fine curtains of dyed linen and woven goats’ hair. As the Israelites settled in farms and villages, their dwellings changed. They learned to make houses with bricks of sun-baked mud or with wood and stone. By Eli’s time many lived in permanent homes, although some continued to live in tents into the time of David. By this time the original materials of the tabernacle had probably been replaced several times. As skins or linens wore out, they were probably replaced with more permanent materials. The mention of doorposts suggests that the tabernacle had acquired more permanent doors than the original ones, shown in these pictures. The term {temple} suggests that the original tabernacle may have been in a process of change from its original design, although it remained basically a tent until the time of King David.