It’s Monday, ladies and gents. Let’s dedicate this week to the unashamed, unapologetic service of Christ our Lord, who is ruling and reigning now and who will soon return to gather God’s people and judge His enemies once and for all. He is worthy of all honor, glory, and praise, now and forever. Amen.
Morning Prayer: “For I am still in the body and in the wilderness, ignorant, weak, in danger, and in need of thine aid. Help me, and save me, O God.”
Today’s Reading: 1 Samuel 1
Brief Overview: We will now turn to 1 Samuel, written by the Old Testament prophets Samuel, Nathan, and Gad. Despite its joint authorship, the book should be treated as a unified whole. As the Reformation Heritage Study Bible notes:
1 and 2 Samuel is one book but was divided into two with the writing of the Septuagint (Greek translation of the Old Testament) in the second century BC. The Septuagint designates the two books as “1 and 2 Kingdoms,” and what we call 1 and 2 Kings as “3 and 4 Kingdoms.”
Though Samuel dies part-way through this book, it fittingly bears his name because he served as the last of the judges and anointed both of the first two kings of Israel - thus forming a bridge from the time of the judges to the monarchy.
1 Samuel teaches us, above all, of the enduring sovereignty of God in His dealings with leaders and rulers as He looks not at man’s external appearance, but at the heart, preparing His people for the coming Messiah.
Summary: Hannah, a wife of Elkanah, is deeply distressed that she is unable to bear children and is mocked and taunted by her husband’s other wife for her barrenness. During a pilgrimage to the shrine at Shiloh, Hannah prays fervently for a son, vowing that if God grants her wish, she will commit her son fully to His service. The priest, Eli, initially believes Hannah to be drunk due to her intense praying, but upon learning her true motives, blesses her and sends her away in peace. God hears Hannah and grants her a son who is called Samuel. Per her promise, Hannah dedicates Samuel to the Lord, and after he is weaned, brings him to Shiloh to serve in the temple.
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