When I started reading I Samuel I was impressed by the desire that the women had in the Old Testament to become mothers. Culturally speaking in that time to not be a mother was a terrible thing. I believe that the value of children would have been enhanced by the mortality rate among the young. Imagine losing a large majority of the children before they could reach the age of 5 years old. It must have been a tremendous blessing to have children grow up. When I read about Hannah and her desire to have children I could remember my longing to become a mother. Although pregnancy is tough, when the children come it is the greatest blessing on earth. I loved being a new mom and loving those little ones. They depended on me for everything. Getting up in the middle of the night, I would cuddle my children and smell their soft baby smell. There was no guide book to being a parent but I know how much a mother loves her children because I love mine. Hannah's longing to have a child is understandable. She would give anything even her own son to have the ability to bear children. What an act of charity when she gave Samuel to Eli to raise.
Eli, I think also loved his sons, but I think his story shows what happens when children refuse to listen to a parent's good advice. Eli's sons had no respect for God and the office to which they had been born. It was really sad that they used their office to lead the children of Israel astray. Then when their father rebuked them, they did not listen. Sadly they died because of their wickedness. If they had only listened and given respect and honor to God for the blessings that they had been given...
Samuel had a similar thing happen to him. His sons were judges and they took bribes instead of being righteous judges. Because of this the children of Israel did not want to live under the rule of judges anymore and asked Samuel for a King. Samuel probably was heartbroken over the wickedness of his sons. He told the people that they would be in bondage if they had a King. Nevertheless, Samuel obeyed the voice of the people because the Lord told him to. Samuel honored the Lord and felt rejected by the people, but the Lord told Samuel that they had rejected the Lord. The Lord's own people would repeat this rejection when he came to earth to obtain an mortal body and atone for our sins.
This brings to mind how important it is to keep the commandment to honor father and mother. This requires that a person live a righteous life to honor not only their earthly father and mother but the Heavenly Father and Mother also. Keeping the commandments brings your parents joy.
This past week I have been pondering about the last day of Jesus life when he suffered so much. I thought about him going before the Sanhedrin, Pilate, and Herod. Then I thought about how he was mocked, beaten, and at last rejected by his own people. He was king and had the demeanor of a king. The children of Israel rejected him and then he carried his cross up to Calvary until he could carry it no more. He fell and cut his knee open on the stones and then someone was asked to carry the cross for him. He was hung on a rough cut tree with his hands, wrists, ankles, and feet nail to the cross. For three hours his friends, and mother stood by him until he died. Then they took him, wrapped his body, and laid him in a borrowed tomb. There he remained for 3 days until the day he took his body up again and was resurrected. He conquered death and fulfilled his mission on earth. Because of that we are saved. We can return to our Heavenly Father and be with them in heaven. But we have to do our part. We have to watch ourselves and our actions. I can say that he lives. He atoned for our sins and is with the Father in heaven. He directs and guides his church. He loves us. He knows us. And He understands us. The prophet Isaiah described him perfectly, "Wonderful, Counselor, The Mighty God, The Everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace." I believe in Christ. This is my testimony. In His name. Amen.
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