1Samuel 2
2Hannah prayed: I'm bursting with God-news! I'm walking on air. I'm laughing at my rivals. I'm dancing my salvation.H2584H6419H559H3820H5970H3068H7161H7311H3068H6310H7337H341H8055H34442Nothing and no one is holy like GOD, no rock mountain like our God.H6918H3068H1115H6697H4303Don't dare talk pretentiously— not a word of boasting, ever! For GOD knows what's going on. He takes the measure of everything that happens.H1696H7235H1364H1364H6277H3318H6310H3068H410H1844H5949H85054The weapons of the strong are smashed to pieces, while the weak are infused with fresh strength.H7198H1368H2844H3782H247H24285The well-fed are out begging in the streets for crusts, while the hungry are getting second helpings. The barren woman has a houseful of children, while the mother of many is bereft.H7649H7936H3899H7457H2308H6135H3205H7651H7227H1121H5356GOD brings death and GOD brings life, brings down to the grave and raises up.H3068H4191H2421H3381H7585H59277GOD brings poverty and GOD brings wealth; he lowers, he also lifts up.H3068H3423H6238H8213H637H73118He puts poor people on their feet again; he rekindles burned-out lives with fresh hope, Restoring dignity and respect to their lives— a place in the sun! For the very structures of earth are GOD's; he has laid out his operations on a firm foundation.H6965H1800H6083H7311H34H830H3427H5081H5157H3678H3519H4690H776H3068H7896H83989He protectively cares for his faithful friends, step by step, but leaves the wicked to stumble in the dark. No one makes it in this life by sheer muscle!H8104H7272H2623H7563H1826H2822H3581H376H139610GOD's enemies will be blasted out of the sky, crashed in a heap and burned. GOD will set things right all over the earth, he'll give strength to his king, he'll set his anointed on top of the world!H7378H3068H2865H8064H7481H3068H1777H657H776H5414H5797H4428H7311H7161H489911Elkanah went home to Ramah. The boy stayed and served GOD in the company of Eli the priest.H511H3212H7414H1004H5288H1961H8334H3068H6440H5941H354812Eli's own sons were a bad lot. They didn't know GOD and could not have cared lessH1121H5941H1121H1100H3045H306813about the customs of priests among the people. Ordinarily, when someone offered a sacrifice, the priest's servant was supposed to come up and, while the meat was boiling,H3548H4941H5971H376H2076H2077H3548H5288H935H1320H1310H4207H7969H8127H302714stab a three-pronged fork into the cooking pot. The priest then got whatever came up on the fork. But this is how Eli's sons treated all the Israelites who came to Shiloh to offer sacrifices to GOD.H5221H3595H1731H7037H6517H4207H5927H3548H3947H6213H7887H3478H93515Before they had even burned the fat to GOD, the priest's servant would interrupt whoever was sacrificing and say, "Hand over some of that meat for the priest to roast. He doesn't like boiled meat; he likes his rare."H6999H2459H3548H5288H935H559H376H2076H5414H1320H6740H3548H3947H1310H1320H241616If the man objected, "First let the fat be burned—God's portion!—then take all you want," the servant would demand, "No, I want it now. If you won't give it, I'll take it."H376H559H6999H6999H2459H3117H3947H5315H183H559H5414H3947H239417It was a horrible sin these young servants were committing—and right in the presence of GOD!—desecrating the holy offerings to GOD.H2403H5288H3966H1419H6440H3068H582H5006H4503H306818In the midst of all this, Samuel, a boy dressed in a priestly linen tunic, served GOD.H8050H8334H6440H3068H5288H2296H906H64619Additionally, every year his mother would make him a little robe cut to his size and bring it to him when she and her husband came for the annual sacrifice.H517H6213H6996H4598H5927H3117H3117H5927H376H2076H3117H207720Eli would bless Elkanah and his wife, saying, "GOD give you children to replace this child you have dedicated to GOD." Then they would go home.H5941H1288H511H802H559H3068H7760H2233H802H7596H7592H3068H1980H472521GOD was most especially kind to Hannah. She had three more sons and two daughters! The boy Samuel stayed at the sanctuary and grew up with GOD.H3588H3068H6485H2584H2029H3205H7969H1121H8147H1323H5288H8050H1431H5973H306822By this time Eli was very old. He kept getting reports on how his sons were ripping off the people and sleeping with the women who helped out at the sanctuary.H5941H3966H2204H8085H1121H6213H3478H7901H802H6633H6607H168H415023Eli took them to task: "What's going on here? Why are you doing these things? I hear story after story of your corrupt and evil carrying on.H559H6213H1697H8085H7451H1697H597124Oh, my sons, this is not right! These are terrible reports I'm getting, stories spreading right and left among GOD's people!H1121H2896H8052H8085H3068H5971H567425If you sin against another person, there's help—God's help. But if you sin against GOD, who is around to help?" But they were far gone in disobedience and refused to listen to a thing their father said. So GOD, who was fed up with them, decreed their death.H376H2398H376H430H6419H376H2398H3068H6419H8085H6963H1H3068H2654H419126But the boy Samuel was very much alive, growing up, blessed by GOD and popular with the people.H5288H8050H1432H1980H2896H3068H58227A holy man came to Eli and said: "This is GOD's message: I revealed myself openly to your ancestors when they were Pharaoh's slaves in Egypt.H935H376H430H5941H559H559H3068H1540H1540H1004H1H4714H6547H100428Out of all the tribes of Israel, I chose your family to be my priests: to preside at the altar, to burn incense, to wear the priestly robes in my presence. I put your ancestral family in charge of all the sacrificial offerings of Israel.H977H7626H3478H3548H5927H4196H6999H7004H5375H646H6440H5414H1004H1H801H1121H347829So why do you now treat as mere loot these very sacrificial offerings that I commanded for my worship? Why do you treat your sons better than me, turning them loose to get fat on these offerings, and ignoring me?H1163H2077H4503H6680H4583H3513H1121H1254H7225H4503H3478H597130Therefore—this is GOD's word, the God of Israel speaking—I once said that you and your ancestral family would be my priests indefinitely, but now—GOD's word, remember!—there is no way this can continue. I honor those who honor me; those who scorn me I demean.H3068H430H3478H5002H559H559H1004H1004H1H1980H6440H5704H5769H3068H5002H2486H3513H3513H959H704331"Be well warned: It won't be long before I wipe out both your family and your future family. No one in your family will make it to old age!H3117H935H1438H2220H2220H1H1004H2205H100432You'll see good things that I'm doing in Israel, but you'll see it and weep, for no one in your family will live to enjoy it.H5027H6862H4583H3190H3478H2205H1004H311733I will leave one person to serve at my altar, but it will be a hard life, with many tears. Everyone else in your family will die before their time.H376H3772H4196H3615H5869H109H5315H4768H1004H4191H58234What happens to your two sons, Hophni and Phinehas, will be the proof: Both will die the same day.H226H935H8147H1121H2652H6372H259H3117H4191H814735Then I'll establish for myself a true priest. He'll do what I want him to do, be what I want him to be. I'll make his position secure and he'll do his work freely in the service of my anointed one.H6965H539H3548H6213H3824H5315H1129H539H1004H1980H6440H4899H311736Survivors from your family will come to him begging for handouts, saying, 'Please, give me some priest work, just enough to put some food on the table.'"H3498H1004H935H7812H95H3701H3603H3899H559H5596H259H3550H398H6595H3899
Columbus, OH
