The Expositor's Bible: The First Book of Samuel

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William Garden Blaikie. The Expositor's Bible: The First Book of Samuel

CHAPTER I. HANNAH’S TRIAL AND TRUST

CHAPTER II. HANNAH’S FAITH REWARDED

CHAPTER III. HANNAH’S SONG OF THANKSGIVING

CHAPTER IV. ELI’S HOUSE

CHAPTER V. SAMUEL’S VISION

CHAPTER VI. THE ARK OF GOD TAKEN BY THE PHILISTINES

CHAPTER VII. THE ARK AMONG THE PHILISTINES

CHAPTER VIII. REPENTANCE AND REVIVAL

CHAPTER IX. NATIONAL DELIVERANCE – THE PHILISTINES SUBDUED

CHAPTER X. THE PEOPLE DEMAND A KING

CHAPTER XI. SAUL BROUGHT TO SAMUEL

CHAPTER XII. FIRST MEETING OF SAMUEL AND SAUL

CHAPTER XIII. SAUL ANOINTED BY SAMUEL

CHAPTER XIV. SAUL CHOSEN KING

CHAPTER XV. THE RELIEF OF JABESH-GILEAD

CHAPTER XVI. SAMUEL’S VINDICATION OF HIMSELF

CHAPTER XVII. SAMUEL’S DEALINGS WITH THE PEOPLE

CHAPTER XVIII. SAUL AND SAMUEL AT GILGAL

CHAPTER XIX. JONATHAN’S EXPLOIT AT MICHMASH

CHAPTER XX. SAUL’S WILFULNESS

CHAPTER XXI. THE FINAL REJECTION OF SAUL

CHAPTER XXII. DAVID ANOINTED BY SAMUEL

CHAPTER XXIII. DAVID’S EARLY LIFE.2

CHAPTER XXIV. DAVID’S CONFLICT WITH GOLIATH

CHAPTER XXV. SAUL’S JEALOUSY – DAVID’S MARRIAGE

CHAPTER XXVI. SAUL’S FURTHER EFFORTS AGAINST DAVID

CHAPTER XXVII. DAVID AND JONATHAN

CHAPTER XXVIII. DAVID AT NOB AND AT GATH

CHAPTER XXIX. DAVID AT ADULLAM, MIZPEH, AND HARETH

CHAPTER XXX. DAVID AT KEILAH, ZIPH, AND MAON

CHAPTER XXXI. DAVID TWICE SPARES THE LIFE OF SAUL

CHAPTER XXXII. DAVID AND NABAL

CHAPTER XXXIII. DAVID’S SECOND FLIGHT TO GATH

CHAPTER XXXIV. SAUL AT ENDOR

CHAPTER XXXV. DAVID AT ZIKLAG

CHAPTER XXXVI. THE DEATH OF SAUL

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In all the transactions recorded in these verses, we see in Hannah the directing and regulating power of the family; while Elkanah appears acquiescing cordially in all that she proposes, and devoutly seconding her great act of consecration, – the surrender of Samuel to the perpetual service of God. For a moment it might be thought that Hannah assumed a place that hardly belonged to her; that she became the leader and director in the house, while her proper position was that of a helpmeet to her husband. We are constrained, however, to dismiss this thought, for it does not fit in to the character of Hannah, and it is not in keeping with the general tone of the passage. There are two reasons that account sufficiently for the part she took. In the first place, it was she that had dealt with God in the matter, and it was with her too that God had dealt. She had been God-directed in the earlier part of the transaction, and therefore was specially able to see what was right and proper to be done in following up God’s remarkable acknowledgment and answer of her prayer. The course to be taken came to her as an intuition, – an intuition not to be reasoned about, not to be exposed to the criticism of another, to be simply accepted and obeyed. As she gave no heed to those impulses of her own heart that might have desired a different destination for her child, so she was disposed to give none to the impulses of any other. The name, and the training, and the life-work of a child given so remarkably were all clear as sunbeams to her godly heart; and in such a matter it would have been nothing but weakness to confer with flesh and blood.

And in the second place, Elkanah could be in no humour to resist his wife, even if he had had any reason to do so. For he was in a manner reproved of God for not being more concerned about her sadness of spirit. God had treated her sorrow more seriously than he had. God had not said to her that her husband was better to her than ten sons. God had recognised the hunger of her heart for a son as a legitimate craving, and when she brought her wish to Him, and meekly and humbly asked Him to fulfil it, He had heard her prayer, and granted her request. In a sense Hannah, in the depth of her sorrow, had appealed from her husband to a higher court, and the appeal had been decided in her favour. Elkanah could not but feel that in faith, in lofty principle, in nearness of fellowship with God, he had been surpassed by his wife. It was no wonder he surrendered to her the future direction of a life given thus in answer to her prayers. Yet in thus surrendering his right he showed no sullenness of temper, but acted in harmony with her, not only in naming and dedicating the child, but in taking a vow on himself, and at the proper moment fulfilling that vow. The three bullocks, with the ephah of flour and the bottle of wine brought to Shiloh when the child was presented to the Lord, were probably the fulfilment of Elkanah’s vow.

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The cordiality with which Elkanah accepted his wife’s view of the case is seen further in the ample offering which he took to Shiloh – three bullocks, an ephah of flour, and a bottle of wine. One bullock would have sufficed as a burnt-offering for the child now given for the service of God, and in ver. 25 special mention is made of one being slain. The other two were added to mark the speciality of the occasion, to make the offering, so to speak, round and complete, to testify the ungrudging cordiality with which the whole transaction was entered into. One might perhaps have thought that in connection with such a service there was hardly any need of a bloody sacrifice, A little child of two or three years old – the very type and picture of innocence – surely needed little in the way of expiation. Not so, however, the view of the law of Moses. Even a newborn infant could not be presented to the Lord without some symbol of expiation. There is such a virus of corruption in every human soul that not even infants can be brought to God for acceptance and blessing without a token of atonement. Sin has so separated the whole race from God, that not one member of it can be brought near, can be brought into the region of benediction, without shedding of blood. And if no member of it can be even accepted without atonement, much less can any be taken to be God’s servant, taken to stand before Him, to represent Him, to be His organ to others, to speak in His name. What a solemn truth for all who desire to be employed in the public service of Jesus Christ! Remember how unworthy you are to stand before him. Remember how stained your garments are with sin and worldliness, how distracted your heart is with other thoughts and feelings, how poor the service is you are capable of rendering. Remember how gloriously Jesus is served by the angels that excel in strength, that do His commandments, hearkening to the voice of His word. And when you give yourselves to Him, or ask to be allowed to take your place among His servants, seek as you do so to be sprinkled with the blood of cleansing, own your personal unworthiness, and pray to be accepted through the merit of His sacrifice!

5. And now, the bullock being slain, they bring the child to Eli. Hannah is the speaker, and her words are few and well chosen. She reminds Eli of what she had done the last time she was there. Generous and courteous, she makes no allusion to anything unpleasant that had passed between them. Small matters of that sort are absorbed in the solemnity and importance of the transaction. In her words to Eli she touches briefly on the past, the present, and the future. What occurred in the past was, that she stood there a few years ago praying unto the Lord. What was true of the present was, that the Lord had granted her petition, and given her this child for whom she had prayed. And what was going to happen in the future was (as the Revised Version has it), “I have granted him to the Lord; as long as he liveth he is granted to the Lord.”

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