Sat.’s Devo - The Birth of Samuel

Read: 1 Samuel 1:1-2:21; John 5:1-23; Psalm 105:37-45; Proverbs 14:28-29 It seemed that most of the patriarchs came from women who were barren and then God touched them and they had children. Samuel was no different. His father was Elkanah who had two wives. Peninnah had many children and taunted Hannah who had none. Every year they traveled to Shiloh to offer sacrifices. Elkanah would give Peninnah a larger portion to offer since she would be given some of it back, cooked to feed her children. Hannah would be given a smaller portion since all she had to feed was herself. The priest in charge was Eli who had two evil sons - Hopni and Phnehas. They would take the best meat for themselves and take it before the meat had boiled so the fat was still on it. The fat was the portion that was to be given to the Lord. They wanted the fat still on it because they were going to bar-b-que theirs. In this way they showed disrespect and contempt for the Lord. One year, while they were there. Peninnah had taunted Hannah to tears and she prayed to the Lord at the altar. She prayed for a son and promised to give him to the Lord and never cut his hair. Eli saw her mouth moving and no words and thought she was drunk. He rebuked her until he found out she was praying and very distraught. Then he turned his rebuke into a blessing. She went home happy and fulfilled. She soon had a son and brought him to Eli when he was weaned. Every year she brought him a coat she had made. Every year Eli would bless them with more children. Hannah did have three more sons and two daughters. In John, it is a feast day. (Most believe it is Passover.) Jesus was in Jerusalem for it and people were everywhere. Jesus went down to the pool of Bethesda where he found a crippled man. He had been lying there for 38 years waiting for the water to stir so he could step in and be healed. He had no one to put him there and he was crippled so it was absolutely hopeless situation for him. Jesus came and offered him healing and he walked. He took his mat because Jesus told him to. The Pharisees saw him carrying his mat on the Sabbath and questioned him. He told them that the man who healed him told him to carry it. They wanted to know who did this but he didn’t even know. Jesus found him in the crowd later and told him not to go back into sin or something worse might happen to him. Apparently his crippled state had been the result of being in the wrong place, doing the wrong thing. He went and told the Pharisees who it was who healed him and they came to Jesus with their accusations. Jesus told him that he and his father worked on the Sabbath as they did every day. He was just doing what he saw his Father doing and his Father had given him the power to judge man. If they wanted to honor the Father then they must honor the son. This went over like a lead balloon. Everything Jesus said was truth. He didn’t care how it was received; he was speaking it to them then and to us now. It is the Word of Life. Lord thank you for your boldness and your lack of fear of man. May we follow in your footsteps. Thank you, Lord that your blessing follow those who believe. Thank you that when we cry out to you, you hear us.