Read: 1 Samuel 1:1-2:21; John 5:1-33; Psalm 105:37-45; Proverbs 14:28-29
Hannah had a hard life. First she was married to Elkanah who had two wives and Hannah referred to the other wife, Peninnah, as her adversary. Peninnah had children but Hannah was barren. She cried to the Lord for a child but it looked like he wasn’t answering her prayer until one year on their yearly visit to Shiloh to bring their sacrifice to the Lord. As Hannah sat quietly praying, she made a vow to the Lord that if he would grant her a son, she would give him back to the Lord. Eli was watching her pray and thought she was drunk. When he rebuked her, she told him she wasn’t drunk but deep in prayer. He told her to go in peace because the Lord was going to give her what she asked for. Sure enough, she went home and became pregnant with Samuel.
When Samuel was weaned, she brought him to Eli to raise in the temple. I can’t imagine giving up my son like that, but she did. Samuel was a comfort to Eli who was a devout follower of God. His two sons, Hopni and Phineas were wicked and dishonored the sacrifices people brought to the Lord. They took them for themselves and treated the people with contempt as well as the Lord. Samuel was their replacement and he followed after the ways of Eli and ministered to the Lord in righteousness.
God blessed Hannah for giving her son as she had promised. she had three more sons and two daughters. God is so good!
In John, Jesus was at Jerusalem for the Feast of Tabernacles. I know that because of the places mentioned. The pool of Siloam is right next to this pool of Bethesda and it is close to the Kidron Valley. During the feast of Tabernacles, these places are very significant. When Jesus fulfills this feast it will be a Sabbath and everyone will be healed. Jesus went to the place of healing and healed a man who had been sick for 38 years. Jesus knew he had waited a long time to be healed and couldn’t help himself; he healed him then slipped away. The man didn’t even find out till later, who had healed him.
When the Judeans saw the man carrying his mat on the Sabbath, they were incensed! They asked him why he was carrying his mat on the Sabbath and he told them the man who had healed him told him to take up his mat and carry it. They were too upset that Jesus was healing on the Sabbath to see the miracle of a man who was crippled being healed. Jealousy is a blinding mote! Jesus explained that his Father always works so he does too. That just made them madder because now Jesus was saying that God was his Father, making him equal to God.
Jesus went further and told them that not only was he God’s Son, but one day he would speak to the dead and they would rise from their graves. He would also execute judgment on everyone who did not believe in him. That had to make them irate! Jesus didn’t say all that to make them mad but to make them believe and be saved.
Lord, help us to see that everything you do is for salvation. You raise the dead and give it life.
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