Have you ever misread a person’s behavior?
I certainly have.
Or perhaps you were the one whose behavior was misunderstood?
Yep, been on that side too.
How does God work through our misunderstandings?
Last week’s post considered how the Lord provided a supportive and Godly husband, Elkanah, in 1 Samuel 1, to Hannah long before He answered her petition to have a son.
Many who read the post commented that they had never studied Elkanah’s role before.
This is precisely why I focused on Elkanah last week.
Often, we forget that the supporting characters in a scripture passage are also useful in learning more about how God works in our lives.
Today, we return to 1 Samuel 1 to explore how God worked through Eli, another supporting character who, at first, misunderstood Hannah’s behavior.
How God Worked Through Eli
A study of 1 Samuel 9-20
After they had eaten and drunk in Shiloh, Hannah rose. Now Eli the priest was sitting on the seat beside the doorpost of the temple of the Lord.[1]
This is the first time we learn of Eli in scripture.
What are we told about Eli in the verses above?
Culturally, sitting on a seat represents a position of authority in the Bible.
10 She was deeply distressed and prayed to the Lord and wept bitterly. 11 And she vowed a vow and said, “O Lord of hosts, if you will indeed look on the affliction of your servant and remember me and not forget your servant, but will give to your servant a son, then I will give him to the Lord all the days of his life, and no razor shall touch his head.” [2]
Hannah asks the Lord for a son.
Describe the significance of Hannah’s promise to the Lord in return for the granting of her request. (See Numbers 6:1-5, verse 5 particularly.)
As she continued praying before the Lord, Eli observed her mouth. 13 Hannah was speaking in her heart; only her lips moved, and her voice was not heard. Therefore Eli took her to be a drunken woman. 14 And Eli said to her, “How long will you go on being drunk? Put your wine away from you.”[3]
How does Eli respond to what he observes Hannah doing?
But Hannah answered, “No, my lord, I am a woman troubled in spirit. I have drunk neither wine nor strong drink, but I have been pouring out my soul before the Lord. 16 Do not regard your servant as a worthless woman, for all along I have been speaking out of my great anxiety and vexation.” [4]
What is significant about Hannah’s defense to Eli, considering what she promised God regarding her hope of having a son?
Then Eli answered, “Go in peace, and the God of Israel grant your petition that you have made to him.” 18 And she said, “Let your servant find favor in your eyes.” Then the woman went her way and ate, and her face was no longer sad. [5]
How did God work through Eli to encourage Hannah?
They rose early in the morning and worshiped before the Lord; then they went back to their house at Ramah. And Elkanah knew Hannah his wife, and the Lord remembered her. 20 And in due time Hannah conceived and bore a son, and she called his name Samuel, for she said, “I have asked for him from the Lord.”[6]
The name Samuel means either “God has heard,” or “Name of God”.
Describe how this choice of name by Hannah relates to Eli’s encouragement of her petition.
How did God work through Eli’s misunderstanding to reveal Himself to Hannah?
Consider the following Proverb:
An intelligent heart acquires knowledge, and the ear of the wise seeks knowledge. [7]
How does this proverb relate to 1 Samuel 1:9-20?
How God Worked Through Eli–Personalizing the Passage
Describe why, like Eli, it is easy to make assumptions about a person’s behavior.
If you are a person who has a position of authority like Eli, what steps can you take to avoid the pitfall of incorrectly judging those you are called to lead?
Turning the table, have you ever had to defend yourself against someone who held a position of authority over you when they misunderstood your actions like Hannah did with Eli? How did God work through that situation?
Who deserves the credit when a misunderstanding is resolved? Why?
Heavenly Father, Lord of creation, please help us acknowledge we need You to give us intelligent hearts and wise ears as we interact with our fellow humans. Without your help in our communications with each other, we can easily misjudge one another. Forgive us for our weakness in this area and enable us to seek first to understand instead of jumping to negative conclusions.
Thank you, Lord, for this passage from 1 Samuel 1 that illustrates for us how You work through our miscommunications to reveal that You hear everything that happens and that You desire to provide relief to us from our distress. Amen.
Who will you encourage today with what you learned from this post?
Warmly,
Barbara Lynn
p.s. Bonus question just for fun: How does the picture of the birds at the bird bath connect to today’s post? I’d love to know your thoughts about this too!
[1] The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2016), 1 Sa 1:9.
[2] The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2016), 1 Sa 1:10–11.
[3] The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2016), 1 Sa 1:12–14.
[4] The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2016), 1 Sa 1:15–16.
[5] The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2016), 1 Sa 1:17–18.
[6] The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2016), 1 Sa 1:19–20.
[7] The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2016), Pr 18:15.
I have a female Eli in my life right now. So thanks Barbara for the Biblical help/solution to my problem.
Since we have 5 bird feeders, 2 blue bird houses, and even a concrete bird bath, yes, you might say the picture quickly got my attention.
This event in the Bible has always been one of my favorite. Thanks for expounding on it. When Hannah left her son, her only son, with Eli, it’s a tough decision but one she promised to her Lord.
Thank you.