Great Loss and Great Hope

Day 51: 1 Samuel 1–5; Isaiah 49–54; 1 Corinthians 15–16

I began 1st Samuel on my 51st day of reading.  I complete 1 Corinthians.  And Isaiah has some of the best of his writings in chapters 49-54. 

1 Samuel begins with the story of Samuel's birth.  His mother, Hannah, was barren.  She cried out to the Lord at the tent of meeting located at Shiloh.  The priest Eli was watching her pray with tears and great anxiety for a child.  He thought she was drunk and scolded her.  When she explained her anguished prayers Eli blessed her and asked God to grant her fulfillment.

Samuel came and Hannah weaned him and gave him to Eli because she promised to dedicate him to the Lord.  So Samuel grew up with the priests and Levites at the tabernacle in Shiloh.  He grew in spirit and became a verified prophet of God.

Sadly Eli and his sons were crooked. Eli was obese and his sons greedy fornicators who slept with the young ladies who serve at the entrance to the tent of meeting. They also took the best portions of sacrificial meats for themselves, even before God got His portion burned to Him.  They stole from God and the people.  They had no respect for the covenant.  They used their position for personal gain.

God struck them all down through the Philistines.  Eli died when he heard his sons were killed and the ark of the covenant had been captured. The Philistines had beaten the Israelites in battle, so they went to Shiloh and took the ark into battle believing the ark would give them victory.

But God cannot be manipulated.  God is not in the box, so to speak. Just because there's a cross hanging from your rear view mirror doesn't mean you will be protected from auto accidents.  So much unfaithfulness has been covered in Judges and in parts of Joshua.  Now with a corrupt priesthood, God decides to cut off Eli even though He had made the promise that the sons of Aaron would always serve as His priests.

'Although I said
    your family and your ancestral house   
    would walk before Me forever,
    the LORD now says, "No longer!"
    I will honor those who honor Me,   
    but those who despise Me will be disgraced.  (1 Sam. 2:30)

What a great loss for Israel and for Eli.  His line was forever extinguished.  Next the ark of the covenant goes into enemy hands.  That is shocking news! This is the same ark that carries the original ten commandments, Aaron's budded and blooming staff, and a jar of manna, the bread from heaven.  This is the same ark that God lead the Israelites into many battles.  It was symbol of the presence of God who fought for them.  Had God lost His touch?

No, God has had enough of the corruption of His people.  But God doesn't give up.  He is beginning a new deliverance.  Samuel is but a boy, but he will become a faith filled prophet who will be the last of the judges. He will anointed kings for Israel to lead the chosen nation in righteousness and prosperity. Underneath the tragedy of Eli and Israel's fall in battle, lies a great hope...David is coming, the shepherd of Israel.

God has not lost His power or touch. As the ark of the covenant sits in the pagan temple to Dagon (a fish god), the large statue of Dagon falls prostrate two nights in a row before the ark.  God can take care of Himself.  He plagues the Philistines with what English translators struggle to know with certainly exactly what God does.  The Holman Christina Standard Bible says "tumors" were given the men of the Philistine city. Others say boils.

One commentator suggests the men are stricken with impotency or erectile dysfunction.  Dagon, like many other pagan gods, was a God who blessed his servants with fertility.  Male prowess is often tied to the phallus. It is a symbol of strength and virility. If this is correct it means the men no longer feel like men.  They are shamed.  This gets their attention really quick.  After moving the ark to another city with similar disaster, they make plans to give the ark back to Israel.

God hides His face (withholds His assistance) for only a moment. 

In a surge of anger
    I hid My face from you for a moment,
    but I will have compassion on you
    with everlasting love,"
    says the LORD your Redeemer (Isa. 54:8)

Like a loving mother God cannot stay mad at Her child too long.

"Can a woman forget her nursing child,
    or lack compassion for the child of her womb?
    Even if these forget,
    yet I will not forget you.
    Look, I have inscribed you on the palms of My hands. (Isa 49:15-16a)

Isaiah recounts how God called Israel and how His son, His servant Israel, is to be a great blessing to all nations. 

 My righteous servant will justify many,
    and He will carry their iniquities. (Isa. 53:11b)

Of course I read Jesus in the description of the suffering servant.  Messianic Jews who believe Jesus is Messiah point out that Jesus' life, death and resurrection are a fulfillment of Israel's calling.  In Jesus God completes His holy project with Israel.  Many nations are blessed and belong to the name of the God of the Hebrews, Yahweh is your savior = Yeshua = Jesus (Isa. 9:26b).

Paul writes about resurrection correcting those in the Corinthian church who say there is no resurrection.  So central to Christianity is belief that Jesus is raised from the dead and alive forever that Paul says if Jesus is not raised our faith is worthless and we are still dead in sin (1 Cor. 15: 12).  If we have hope in Christ only in this life, Christians are the most pitiful (1 Cor. 15:19).

But Christ is alive. The great loss in this battle is Death itself.  God, our creator, conquered the grave!  And we are promised to share in the resurrection through spiritual incorruptible bodies.

God took what seemed to be an utter defeat and turned it into the greatest victory of all time. 
The ark of the covenant is in enemy hands.  The priesthood is shamed and Eli cut off.  Israel is in exile in Babylon.  And Jesus was crucified, died and was buried. On the third day He rose from the dead.

Great loss and Great and Victorious Hope!

Lord, help us to trust You in times of loss and difficulty.  Underneath it all You are about to bring a great deliverance.  Fill us with great hope in Your work of salvation. In Christ, Amen.